Re: Good Old... Gamestop?

On Thu, 29 Aug 2024 09:26:08 +0200, "Werner P." <werpu@gmx.at> wrote:

Am 29.08.24 um 04:06 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:

But I suspect, like many of Gamestops recent attempts to re-invent
itself, this transformation won't save it either. Between ready access
to emulation and companies re-releasing their older titles to GOG.com,
there's no real need for a 'retro gaming store' except as a nostalgic
curiousity. It's the sort of place you'd go into only because you
happened to stumble across it, play around with their overpriced
artifacts for a while, then leave and buy it somewhere cheaper.

>
Gamestop was always a ripoff, I visited 2-3 times bevore I noticed that
I can get second hand games for consoles chaper by using the internet
and the usual second hand whatever portals.
Too bad, with less customer gouging the chain really could have gone
somewhere, it is failing on its own greed!

I never really felt that way. Yes, they paid you a pittance for your
used games, and then immediately turned around and resold them for
nearly the same price as new. And, yes, you could often find better
prices on games they sold if you looked hard enough. But, honestly,
that can be said of pretty much /anything/ sold by a major retailer.

Gamestop was convenient and reasonably priced. Not the cheapest, no,
but not the most expensive either. They had a large selection of games
(if increasingly leaning towards console as the years went on) and
they had locations everywhere. (at times they seemed to be competing
with Starbucks in having a store at every corner). They weren't
/great/ but if you were in the mood for a new game, Gamestop was just
the easiest place to get it.

Of course, as years passed and Gamestop's fortunes declined, the whole
place became sketchier and sketchier (and its wares less and less
appealing). But in its heyday, it was as good a store as any to
quickly pick up a game.

Of course, at this point it's all moot to me, since I haven't been in
one of their stores in years and even if I wanted to visit, there
isn't a Gamestop /anywhere/ near me. I'd show no surprise at any
horror stories told me about the stores today. But it wasn't /always/
so terrible.