Game Stop, Game Crazy, Game Rush, What is next????

[swlovinist]

We all have seen the explosion of video games in the recent years, but have the game stores gotten out of hand? I live in Northern California in a town of about 100,000. We went from having one chain game store three years ago(Software Etc) to possibly five(a EB games is coming and Gamerush is unconfirmed). I know games are selling, but is this overkill? It seems like all the video stores are now cashing in on the craze, and trust me I am not complaining(more game stores means more places to shop!) It just seems to me that there is alot of people trying to cash in on the game craze.......I hope for them that the getting is good for awhile! Whats next, are we gonna see a snow shack hut extra big, one to sell games, and the other to sell snowcones???? When will there be too many? Is it possible?

[Sosage]

We all have seen the explosion of video games in the recent years, but have the game stores gotten out of hand? I live in Northern California in a town of about 100,000.

I wonder if we live in the same town. I have an EB, two Gamestops, a Game Crazy (or was it Rush? I don't remember...just drove by it last weekend), and one independent (Matt's Game Exchange...did they go out of business or something? Drove by and it looked cleaned out).

Personally, I welcome the idea of more stores. It will hopefully create competition. Maybe it will drive prices down (or buy back prices up).

[-hellvin-]

Out here in Arizona we have no shortage of game stores. Major chain stores, smaller independent stores, then the thrifts, pawn shops, and the park n swap. There's always somewhere to go to find games. It's a good thing. The more places to shop, the better your chances at finding what you're looking for.

[Exo]

I live in Westland,Michigan which has a population under 90,000 I think. We have 3 gamestops all of them within a mile of each other or close to it.

[ubersaurus]

Here in downriver, I have 2 EBs, a game crazy, 3 game rush's, and about 5 gamestops in the area, with a 6th gamestop opening up soon, apparently.

[thegreatescape]

Game Stop, Game Crazy, Game Rush, What is next????

Game Mania perhaps
or maybe Game Traders

why not just plain old Video games heaven

Anyway... theres 3 game places around my area, another if you include my favourite pawn store. One more if you count a 20 minute drive, and another 30mins

Theres probably twice as many jewellery stores though, and until video game stores are 1:1 with grocery stores i wont be satisfied :P

[EnemyZero]

yeah here in buffalo ny, we have lets see 4 ( soon 5) game crazy's, about 6 ebgames, 5 gamestops, 2 babbages (same company as gamestop), GameRush's are just starting up here. Then theres between 10-20 small independent game companies all over, almost as many gamestores as restraunts....ok well maybe not but yeah theres alot

[dethink]

EVERY new shopping center going in here has either an EB games or a game stop. it used to be they were only in malls, and electronics boutique was a dark, unlit affair, and game stop used to be babbages...never would such a thing exist outside the confines of the mall...

now there are standalone EB's/GS's, and there are probably a dozen in my immediate area.

what happened? we still only have ONE independent store around here, and it's really tiny, but it's been here for years. it's run by this old lady and her husband, and she can tell more nintendo stories than anyone on this forum i'd wager...

[RJ]

I'm somewhat centrally located in the Twin Cities, & there's one of each store in every direction. I had some DC games from a garage sale I knew I wouldnt play, so I thought I'd sell em back & maybe use that toward a game or two. The EB Games in the Mall of America offered $2.10 (!!!) That's 2 dollars, ten cents. I decided to shop around a bit more. Next day I was by an indie store I hadnt visited in awhile, & they gladly offered $17 for those games, even though they had some of them in stock! I used the store credit for House of the Dead 2 "free" & still have a $2 credit- just shy of what EB offered in the first place.

It sure does pay to "shop around".

[Lemmy Kilmister]

$17 for those games, even though they had some of them in stock! I used the store credit for House of the Dead 2 "free" & still have a $2 credit- just shy of what EB offered in the first place.

It sure does pay to "shop around".

Thats for damn sure. Just a few months ago a new eb open up next to me in a town called natick (MA). They were in a need for some nes games, and seing as i had a few doubles and extra controllers i thought i would trade some in. After i put three games on the table and 2 pads the guy rung it up and it came to 75.! I of course cept the games but come on 75 cents?

[DDCecil]

Back in 1999, there were only 2 places that sold games, EB and my dad's store, both located in the mall. We would always bad mouth each other. I really miss those days, sigh...

Today, our city needs a decent game store (We have a Game Crazy, EB, Hastings, and one CD store - The previous 2 stores never sold used games until a year ago), which all IMO aren't very good. I REALLY want to open my own little independent store and take them all on... Because I know I won't be selling used sports games that have been out for years for 39.99!

[RJ]

DDCecil wrote:

selling used sports games that have been out for years for 39.99!

That's just nuts. A few months back an audio/video store here had a PS2 half-price sale, trying to clear out their stock. They had WipeOut Fusion still full-priced at $49.99, & Ratchet & Clank (GH) for $39.99!!!

I got WipeOut Fusion the next day for under $10 used.

Felt good. Felt REAL good.

[rpepper9]

What we need to do is make sure that if you have an independant store in your town to support it. These are the stores that are going to have the older games and probably the most reasonable prices.

The EB Games in MN don't even carry Super Nintendo. Nothing older than Playstation. I don't even think I have seen N64 games at the large chain stores. They are all corporate and there only thought is turning a profit by screwing the little kids who are dumb enough to trade in three games for a 10% discount on some stupid pre-order.

I say support the small businesses! Plus the Game Crazy which is part of Hollywood video sells alot of crap that was part of Hollywood's rental library. Which means that it is scracthed all to hell because hardly nobody takes care of rentals.

[MarioAllStar2600]

All these new stores have bad news all over them. This is were we were in 83 (sort of) next year is 84. Get ready for the crash.
To bad the owner of Multimedia 1.0 said he thinks he will be out of buisness within 3 months. They guy is overpriced but that is one cool store.

[Push Upstairs]

At least they arent Starbucks stores. While visiting Chicago last year i swear there was one of them on every single corner.

All thats is left where i am at is a "Game Crazy", two EB's, and a GameXchange.

The local indie game store closed up shop. awhile back...a shame.

[Algol]

Within a half hour drive, I have 2 Game Rushes, 1 Blockbuster, 1 Hollywood Video, and 1 EB.

There used to be a Software etc. at my mall with a huge shelf of NES games. Sadly, it closed a couple weeks after they stopped accepting the older stuff.

There is also an EB game world with all kinds of classic games. They even had Saturn and 32X as well as Game Gear game the last time I was over there. Unfortunately, it's pretty far out of my way.

[Trade-N-Games]

Hi everyone this is my first post on this forum. I have been a lurker for years now!
I own my own store in St louis called Trade-N-Games. And with in 2 miles now there are 4 stores selling used games. GameStop, GameCrazy, Slackers and blockbuster. When I opened 2 years ago there was only one. The good thing about them is they don't sell anything old and they are over priced on almost everything and not to bad mouth them but usually the people who work there could sell books better than games.
However they are very hard to compete with cause everyone knows their name. I think if they keep adding stores just to cash in $$$ it will hurt them and I hope that speciality stores like mine will win out in the long run. Its lots of work but worth it.

[Flack]

Congratulations on owning your own store! It's no easy task being a small business owner these days, especially with the large chains gunning for your business.

And speaking of business, it's all about supply and demand. As video games continue to grow in popularity, there will be more and more stores. If the market can't support the added vendors, then the strongest (or those with a niche) will survive.

What does that mean? Support the ones you like!

[Brisco]

I work at a Gamestop and all these gaming store are really getting out of hand, and is strangling the breath out of Cincinnati. Within a 30 mile radius of my place, there are 15 Gamestops, 6 game Crazy's, 6 EB's, 5-8 new Game Rush's, a few local stores, not to mention all of the big box stores like Best Buy, Walmart, Toys R Us, Meijer and Target. There are at least 15 of these stores in that area also. I know the gaming business is huge right now, but the growth going on in our area is amazing! How will it support all of these? I know there will be more Gamestops & EB's being built around here in the next year, from what I hear probably doubling the current number of stores!

I love games but I think this is the start of too much of a good thing. Way too much.

[aaron_157]

I wouldnt complain, in dodge city kansas, we have nothing, wal-marts about it for games, and a movie rental store, other than that I have to drive 3 hours to a game xchange or eb.