Wal-Mart #1 Store People Buy Video Games From In The US

[The 1 2 P]

So says this latest survey from IGN: http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/207773/wal-mart-top-us-game-store/

Personally I rarely ever get games from Wal-Mart(God of War 2 was the last one I got when it went on sale at Wal-Mart for it's greatest hits price before every other store lowered it). But Best Buy, Ebay and mainly Target(because of all their clearance sales) are the main places I get games from lately. I'm also surprised they didn't list Goodwill because I shop there alot too for games. Where does everyone else shop at?

[Bojay1997]

So says this latest survey from IGN: http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/207773/wal-mart-top-us-game-store/

Personally I rarely ever get games from Wal-Mart(God of War 2 was the last one I got when it went on sale at Wal-Mart for it's greatest hits price before every other store lowered it). But Best Buy, Ebay and mainly Target(because of all their clearance sales) are the main places I get games from lately. I'm also surprised they didn't list Goodwill because I shop there alot too for games. Where does everyone else shop at?

Amazon, Best Buy, Target and Ebay. Aside from the fact that I generally don't like Walmart and their impact on small town businesses, they also rarely have anything on sale anymore and it's a pain to get someone to open up the case. In fact, I think the last game I bought there was Sonic R for the Saturn when they were clearing them out ten years ago now.

[norkusa]

Is Wal Mart really that great of a place to buy games? The few times I've been in a Wal Mart, I didn't notice anything special about their prices or selection.

[megasdkirby]

I used to concentrate on GameStop for recent games. But since I have reduced the amount of recent games to very little, I rarely buy anything there anymore.

I focus more on classic games or computer stuff now.

[DigitalSpace]

I can't remember the last time I bought a video game at a Wal-Mart (if ever) - I prefer Target, Best Buy, and Amazon.

[Simply Dave]

I buy most of my new games from Wal-Mart and Target and stores like that, mostly because I'm anal and, even though I'm probably going straight home to open it, I like for the game to be new in its plastic.

Maybe it's just me, but it always seems like a hassle at Gamestop, with the "it's new, but it's the last copy that's why it's opened", or do you want to reserve this or get this, blah blah blah.

[Misto]

Gamestop or Bestbuy for new games, which is rare.

There is a place called The Exchange near were I live that sells older and newer games they get from trade ins (all the way back to NES and SMS games) that I buy from frequently, due to there good prices for the most part, and all the older games I buy there work since they clean and test them before selling :). They also stock newer games as well, just don't have a large stock of them like larger retail stores.

[TheRealist50]

wow, Wal-mart is nothing special.

[ZeroSum]

Yeah seriously. Wal-Mart's prices on video games are usually higher. They also have less selection, the aisles of the electronics are crowded with kids breaking the controllers at the demo stations, and you have to go hunt down an old guy with a pair of keys so he can dig out a video game for you out of a glass case.

It's a much bigger pain in the ass than just cruising into the GameStop that's probably nearby the Wal-Mart anyway and just asking the clerk to grab you a specific game.

[Sniderman]

Yeah seriously. Wal-Mart's prices on video games are usually higher. They also have less selection, the aisles of the electronics are crowded with kids breaking the controllers at the demo stations, and you have to go hunt down an old guy with a pair of keys so he can dig out a video game for you out of a glass case.

It's a much bigger pain in the ass than just cruising into the GameStop that's probably nearby the Wal-Mart anyway and just asking the clerk to grab you a specific game......

[E Nice]

I usually go to Best Buy, but occassionally will go to Target if they have a better deal. But I'll check out Wal-Mart every so often when I'm there just to see if there's anything worthwhile. The only major one I recall off hand was finding what appeared to be a long forgotten copy of Ikaruga for Gamecube in the back of the display case for $15.

[XYXZYZ]

I've bought two or three games from Wal Mart in the last six years. They generally have a much smaller selection than GS, and no used games. And the difference in price is insignificant. That, and I have a GS right next to my local Wal Mart. :D

[Sudo]

I tend to buy from Gamestop, since they're usually the only ones to get new games in on their release dates around here.

[Cobra Commander]

I work at Wal-Mart. I get 10% off new games, and even I don't shop there.

[SpaceHarrier]

Never bought a game from Wal*Mart. I do buy from Target quite often (good sales) and from Best Buy, in terms of large retail stores. Other than that, I buy from smaller game retailers such as Games 4 Less or Game Quest, as well as independent stores when I spot em. And swapmeets for retro.

[MrSparkle]

ebay, digital press, digital press forums, chase the chuckwagon, and occasionally gamestop.

[Superman]

I'm sure the gaming market is still dominated by youths. Most of those kids will go with their parents shopping, many times at Walmart, and when they get near the electronics section they will convince their parents to get them a game. I did it as a kid, my friends did it and I hear kids doing it when I am in many stores. For this group, the issue isn't price. It is convenience.

Many of us here aren't in that group. We are either classic game collectors or value conscious buyers.

That's my opinion on why Walmart could be a top game retailer, yet most of us here don't purchase games from them, at least not on a regular basis.

[Cryomancer]

Wal-mart has one very simple advantage over other places that sell games: Open 24 hours.

[Nirvana]

Wal-mart has one very simple advantage over other places that sell games: Open 24 hours.

I came into this topic thinking this. I remember when All Pro Football 2k8 came out and I wanted to get it right after work on a Sunday, but no store was open. So I went to Wal Mart.

[Hwj_Chim]

I just buy from amazon or play-asia anymore. The only game I ever bought from walmart was FF8. My walmarts selection is terrible.

[kupomogli]

I buy from Gamestop for new games, but truthfully, if you guys haven't noticed, Gamestop has had a very small selection of games to choose from in comparison to when they weren't merged with EB Games. This isn't saying it's EB Games fault because EB was the better company when it came to how much stock they had, so let me explain.

After EB and Gamestop merged, or more like the parasite called Gamestop ended up swallowing EB just as Babbages swallowed pretty much every other bit of competition there was. So now, there is no competition of Gamestop other than stores like Target, Walmart, etc.

The fact that Gamestop has no competition, like EB, anymore is the reason why we now see no NES, SNES, PSX, etc, used games anymore, and their stock is extremely limited. I was used to walking into an EB or Gamestop and both companies had huge stocks of various games to the point to before the merger, you could still find new PSX games and new PS2/XBOX/GC games that were launch titles. Because of the fact that there's no competition, the store carries hardly any games that are new, so you'll rarely find a title that is less than 29.99 or 39.99 unless it's a portable, and even then it's quite rare.

You used to be able to have quite a large choice of what you'd like to purchase when you go into those stores, but now the stores are honestly nothing but a pos. Instead of looking around for quite a bit, you walk down the isle half a step and you've pretty much seen everything there is to look at there.

So yeah. My opinion is either do your shopping online or actually find video game stores that actually do carry a bit of stock rather than just the newest items that you might not be interested in or already have.

It's honestly sad when stores like Walmart and Target have quite a few games you can find that stores like Gamestop, which sells nothing but video games(accessories and starting to sell movies,) doesn't have.

[Half Japanese]

I've bought 3 games at Wal-Mart this year, all of which were early price drops or clearance titles (Eye of Judgment, Overlord, and Perfect Dark Zero).

For everything else (somewhere shy of a dozen I'd reckon), I've used Amazon, Gamestop (when I was in too much of a rush to list my games on the Amazon Marketplace) and the occasional clearance game here and there.

With Amazon's service, delivery speed, and specials you really can't beat 'em. I was able to snag Resistance 2 a few days ago for $49.99 using he Bill Me Later promo, and it included a $10 gift certificate. Assuming I get it on time and the price stays like it is right now, I'll use the gift certificate towards Left 4 Dead, which is $5 cheaper with a preorder, bringing it down to a tax-free $38.99. Always low prices? Not this, or most other times when it comes to games, unless you count their damn-near worthless prices that end in ".96".

Plus, by not shopping at Wal-Mart, I don't have to fuel unnecessary misanthropy by dealing with their customers and employees.

[Push Upstairs]

You mean to tell me there are Wal-Mart stores out there that actually have employees *IN* the electronics department?

[videogameking26]

I like Wal-Mart, just this year bought my Nintendo Wii & PS3 from them and bought many games from them, like the bargain bin as I buy what I been needing from it, like how when I get off late at night I can go into my local Superstore and pick up the game I been wanting if I haven't bought it already before work at EB Games which I shop at alot, all the employees know me by name which I guess is a good thing?, other than them two I sometimes buy from Best Buy, Target and GameStop.

[Oobgarm]

I personally hate and avoid Wal-Mart for game shopping. The only thing I've bought there with any sort of regularity are ramen noodles.

I'd wager that since Wal-Mart is the largest retailer of just about anything in the US, it makes sense that they've got the lion's share of sales.

I shop at Best Buy(thanks employee discount) most often, with the occasional GameStop purchase. I'd probably still go to Best Buy even if it weren't for the discount thanks to the rewards program.