If you live in the city of Philadelphia (where Niche Gamer is based out of) like I do,  you’ll probably be even less inclined to venture to your local GameStop after reading that headline.

GameStop outlets within the city of Philadelphia will now be requiring patrons who trade-in games to actually be fingerprinted, a measure put into place to help catch thieves who are trying to fence stolen goods.

The fingerprinting will only be done in stores within the city limits, and not in the various suburbs of Philadelphia, as the problem is seemingly only stemming from the more urban areas.

While this isn’t new (chains in other states have been doing this for years) to the corporate retailer, it’s not entirely clear if this is a new policy done self-willingly or via law enforcement, as City Solicitor Shelley Smith made a note that the Philadelphia pawnbroker ordinance doesn’t apply to GameStop:

“What GameStop does doesn’t meet any of the elements of the definition in the code, so the pawnbreaker ordinance doesn’t apply to GameStop.”

GameStop regulars in Center City called in to KYW Newsradio to make their voices heard, saying that being fingerprinted makes them feel like their being arrested:

“I really don’t appreciate it. You fingerprinted me like I’m in a police district. No, I’m at a game store.”

“That is a little absurd, it’s just a video game.”

“I think it’s an overreach. It’s going too far.”

“I know that it only happens to people who go to jail, they get fingerprinted.”

“When I went, I got my finger scanned when he broke it out and said ‘I need your fingerprint,’ I said, ‘for what’?'”

Lastly, the Philadelphia Police Department made a statement in saying that GameStop is being precautionary in the new policy, providing fingerprints for the secure LeadsOnline database, the largest online investigation system in the United States.