Would you like a warranty with that?
Yesterday, I went to Toys R’ Us to purchase the pink Ouija game for girls (not for my girls, but because of my fascination with the repackaging of this game).
At the cash register, the following conversation occurred:
“Would you like a warranty with that? We can add it for [I forget the amount].”
“For this game?” I’m more than a little surprised, and wonder if I’ve accidentally grabbed an electronic version of the game (if there even is one).
“Yes. We will replace it if anything goes wrong or it malfunctions for up to two years.”
“It’s a board game. What’s going to go wrong with it?”
She can’t figure it out either. I suppose a piece could crack, the board could split, or we could summon the prince of darkness and would then require an on-site visit by TAPs, but I think that’s unlikely.
Applied Game Design 
It seems MMORPGs aren’t the only kind of game that is looking to capitalize on micro-transactions. *chuckles*
You sound surprised that, given the state of the economy, retail stores would step up their efforts to sell high-margin extended warranties.
For real fun, you should read the fine print and see if they explicitly define “malfunctioning”. If you ask your pink Ouija board for the next winning lottery numbers and it’s incorrect, can you take it back to the store under the warranty as a malfunctioning board? 🙂
I’m gonna go with the latter option on this. Your house isn’t built on an Indian burial ground, is it? Bringing a Ouija board onto such a location would just be asking for trouble, and the warranty in that case would be highly recommended… or at least just keep the receipt handy.
I’m guessing they offer warranty options for all their board games, many of which probably do have electronic or moving parts. They’re looking to make a few extra buck no matter what games you’re buying.