Could Gamestop save themselves by dealing in both modern and retro games? (Xbox 360, PS3)
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There are a couple of retro gaming stores in my area that deal in everything from as old as the NES and Sega, all the way up to games for consoles two generations back, such as PS3, Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii.
I've noticed these stores see a lot of traffic, more busy than I ever see Gamestop get, except for during the holidays.
I wonder if Gamestop could get out of their multi year decline by dealing in both, including for trade ins? Then they cater to both markets.
Perhaps some locations would have to move to a bigger store to accommodate this inventory, but I've also seen Gamestops where a good 60 percent of the floor and wall space is non game merch, such as t shirts, stuffed plush toys, trading cards and board games.
But taking a video game store and trying to reinvent themselves as a toys and collectibles store clearly hasn't turned them around in the last several years. And as a regular customer, I don't see very many people walking up to the counter with these items.
Seems to me if they filled all that space being used for alternate merch with retro game cases, they'd have more sales.
Especially with modern games going more and more digital. The fact that Sony and Microsoft decided to offer physical copies of games for the fifth generation consoles arguably saved Gamestop.....for now.
Good chance that won't be the case next time around.
At that point, either they've become known as the only brick and mortar retro gaming store that exists in every town in America, or its curtains for Gamestop because they'll have nothing left to sell.
Honestly, I don't think anything will save them at this point. They expanded far too quickly based on outdated business models (upselling membership cards). If you're the type of gamer who needs a new release day one, you can get it on Amazon. If you can hold off and get it used, then you can go to eBay. Both of which means you not have to deal with the store and you won't have to deal with rude/unknowledgeable employee who do crappy practices like selling opened games as new.
I don't have much interest in archiving physical games beyond what I already have. I want modern consoles to encourage backwards compatibility.
Me too, but good luck convincing Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo of that. Why sell a popular game only during the lifespan of one generations console when they can keep selling it during the next?
Plus there's forward compatibility issues as well.
Once the PS5 becomes cheaper and more widely available, they probably won't be releasing the next Call of Duty on the PS4.
I guess thats where digital could take over, but take me for example, I can't get Mike Tysons Punch Out or N64 Mariokart on my Switch, so that makes me a buyer from retro gaming stores.
I could buy online, but unlike the physical retailer, if my game doesn't work or the retro console breaks in a day, some guy on Ebay named PatriotsFan90210 isn't going to fix/exchange it for me.
Like Radio Shack, they made visiting their stores an uncomfortable experience by the constant attempts at upselling (or in RS' case, demanding personal information every time you shopped). My local indie shop gets by with retro stuff like you said, plus they have great customer service and don't force their employees to milk every penny out of you, so shopping and hanging out there is actually a fun experience (like it should be). Most people will take a leak on Gamestop's grave when the time comes because of their past experiences there.
No. Its all going download/streaming. They will so go the way of Circuit City, Frys, Toys-R-Us and MySpace.
Nothing can be done about it.
Your dead wrong. Those stores over expanded themselves by opening too many new locations when the economy was really shaky at the time. They believed in biased news and it choked them. They are ran by collage grads whom never actually understood the fundamentals of a business only understood what 'collage degrees' told them which basically is BS for the most part.
IE: Someone writes an essay that brown paint attracts more shoppers so he earns his 'creative essay' degree and someone else takes the idea as gospel truth. Applies it at one store in Southern California where it works because of the mindset down there assumes the position it will work at ALL brand stores nationwide. Not even thinking ONCE about how different the demographics are in the Midwest and they don't like brown paint it's too dark and makes the store feel more enclosed. / Yes this actually happened:
Honestly, I don't think anything will save them at this point. They expanded far too quickly based on outdated business models (upselling membership cards). If you're the type of gamer who needs a new release day one, you can get it on Amazon. If you can hold off and get it used, then you can go to eBay. Both of which means you not have to deal with the store and you won't have to deal with rude/unknowledgeable employee who do crappy practices like selling opened games as new.
I haven't done Ebay since getting burned 2 times back in 2009 or so. I do Amazon because we have no choice but avoided that as long as we could until stores around here went stupid or out of business. Amazon makes sure nothing is broken and the few times they were I got refunded even when the seller played dumb.
I have several Manheim Steamroller records one from Ebay because Amazon did not have it and Mom can immediately tell which one it is based on the quality of it whenever I play it. Most of my LP records still sound clean from Amazon despite being 2 years now. We haven't yet needed to use the 2 replacement needles that came with the turn table. I also got a computer game once from Ebay also scratched up. Dad bought a 2nd Commodore 64 once because ours had the J key broken and guess what? THE EBAY ONE HAD THE J KEY BROKEN ALSO!!! The pictures lied.
TL/DR: Buying from Ebay is WORSE then a garage sale or flea market as you cannot test the products yourself and many do not accept returns. Geez I wonder why...............
Me too, but good luck convincing Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo of that. Why sell a popular game only during the lifespan of one generations console when they can keep selling it during the next?
Plus there's forward compatibility issues as well.
Once the PS5 becomes cheaper and more widely available, they probably won't be releasing the next Call of Duty on the PS4.
I guess thats where digital could take over, but take me for example, I can't get Mike Tysons Punch Out or N64 Mariokart on my Switch, so that makes me a buyer from retro gaming stores.
I could buy online, but unlike the physical retailer, if my game doesn't work or the retro console breaks in a day, some guy on Ebay named PatriotsFan90210 isn't going to fix/exchange it for me.
If I have a disc for a PS3, and the PS5 has a disc reader, it ought to see me as a real owner and allow for a download from the store. If it needs to be emulated, fine.
I think this will bring a renewed interest and actually help drive scalpers off of Ebay as they will have too many 'supplies' on their hands they cannot get rid of. I hope this makes the scalpers burn in the lowest level of video game hell and be chased by BOTW's honey bee's forever! The cost of retro gaming won't be more then new after a short while!
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