Perhaps buying pre-owned is a bad idea.. help?

[MagicalMerriment]

I received a PS2 for Christmas this year and then bought FFX pre-owned from EB for about $13. Unfortunately, they're not awesome like GameStop and just have the fourteen-day exchange policy. It's well past fourteen days, and suddenly my FFX game has begun to skip/freeze during the video scenes. It will usually freeze for fifteen to thirty seconds, and then skip to the next "controllable" scene or just further into the video scene. Note that all of my other games work perfectly - including a pre-owned game I got from GameStop, so I don't think it's the console.

Are there any suggestions? My first instinct is to clean the disc, as it did have a crumb or two on it when I first got it. What's the best method for cleaning a PS2 game? Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance,
PS2 Newbie Sam

 

[Arnediad]

Never ever buy used if you can help it. I've heard nothing but horror stories but people who have purchased games or consoles from Gamestop/EB/Babbages/whatever.

If it wasn't skipping when you bought it, the skipping is likely due to either a console defect or neglect on your part. Discs kept out of their cases or dropped will scratch. Are there any visible on your copy?

 

[Xaddiline]

Pre-owned DVD's are the same way!

 

[Skymon]

I buy a lot of my games preowned, actually, and have never had a problem...but I have a GameCube. Maybe their disks are more durable. ~shrugs~

 

[MagicalMerriment]

If it wasn't skipping when you bought it, the skipping is likely due to either a console defect or neglect on your part. Discs kept out of their cases or dropped will scratch. Are there any visible on your copy?

I only played it for an hour or so the first day or two that I had it; just today I got it back out and played it for a while to find that it was skipping in places. There ARE visible scratches on the disk, but they seem to be shallow; the disc is doing better since I detected some dirt on it and wiped it off.

I take extremely good care of ALL my discs, including CDs, DVDs, and all games. I'm paranoid with them and won't even touch the surface of it - so I certainly don't leave them out. Any damage that has been done to it has been done before I got it.

 

[Pathfinder]

Well, if you want to keep your disk, I think I may have a solution. Some stores carry this product that will fill in the cracks and scraches of a disk. I don't know the name of it, but it comes in a small bottle, and a brush comes with it. You apply the solution with the brush, to the disk, and fill in the cracks.

 

[Truth and Reconciliation]

But that only helps with cracks. The actual data is stored near the top of the CD. If that data is damaged/corrupted, then filling in every crack won't help one bit.

Then again, try to fill in the cracks first anyway. The reason it interrupts performance is that the laser may "skip" when it encounters a crack.

 

[JesusRox]

I buy 90% of my games used and have never had a problem.

Is it working okay now then?

 

[Xaddiline]

If you wanna spend some money on cleaning the disc, you can go to a store and buy disc cleaner. If not you can try putting a little bit of water on a tissue and wiping it off.

 

[MetalBlade]

Well that's the risk of buying preused games. If I were you I would go to that Game Stop and not the other store. At least you didn't pay regular price for it and then have it mess up. But then again, I think FFX is a best of game and is only $20, which is a difference of $7 more dollars.

 

[jesusfreak1991]

buy if you can look at the disc and see if its scratched and also make sure its at least half price

 

[Kentucky_Girl]

My husband and I almost always but pre-played games from GameStop and we have never had a problem with them. However we are very careful about the one that we buy and we always request to see the disc before we decide to buy it. If it looks like it wasn't taken care of then you might not want it.

 

[Ghost23]

yeah same here i bought Full Spectrum Warriors used from Gamestop and it was in perfect condition and i have never had a problem with used games i have bought from there.

as far as cleaning the disc, try breathing on it and wiping it off with a soft cotton tissue. worst case scenario is that you will have to purchase it again.