RadioShack ready to sell games inside store (joystiq.com)

[8th lutz]

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/09/18/analysts...games-in-store/

 

A RadioShack manager who wishes to remain anonymous has confirmed to Joystiq that the retailer will begin selling games and hardware in most of their stores nationwide on Sept. 24. The selection of titles will include Halo 3 (available at launch on Sept. 25), Madden 08 and "every major launch title for the holiday season" according to the source, who was briefed on the plans by a corporate broadcast.

 

Fourteen games in all will be available through the holiday season, though a list of specific games was not available. In addition, 2,500 of the chain's 6,000+ stores will be selling Xbox 360, Wii and PS2 (but not PS3) hardware in-store -- other locations will be able to special order hardware at a customer's request.

 

According to our source, the focus will not be on just selling the systems and games, but also the associated accessories and cables that Radio Shack specializes in (and makes the most margin on). After the holidays, the retailer will probably suspend the game sales program "unless it does really well," our source told us. The program will be promoted to consumers in RadioShack's October flier.

Edited September 18, 2007 by 8th lutz

[S1500]

"PS2 (but not PS3) hardware"

 

Yep, that's my Radio Shack! Always behind the times!

 

RS232 adaptors and CBs ahoy!

[Gregory DG]

Interesting... I guess their core business must be slipping.

[+Psionic]

I remember when they still sold Atari games.

[+remowilliams]

Awesome, this will allow them to get rid of the one or two areas left in the store where I actually go there to buy things from!

 

"You've got questions - we've got cellphones"

[Uzumaki]

I remember when the sales drone knew the difference between CMOS and TTL chips. Nowday I'd be hard pressed to find any electronic parts other than $5 LED or $10 battery. I still go to Radio Shack because they often have batteries that local Kmart, Walmart, and Meijer don't carry.

[+Psionic]

Actually, I just went to Radio Shack this afternoon to get a can of compressed air. They were out.

[Gabriel]

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a store that carried the smaller releases? I'm all for choices, but do we really need another store selling Halo and Madden?

[Hyper_Eye]

RadioShack has sucked for so long... it's depressing.

[godslabrat]

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a store that carried the smaller releases? I'm all for choices, but do we really need another store selling Halo and Madden?

 

That's exactly what I thought. It's not like the game-buying public is going to forgo Best Buy/Circuit City/Amazon/Gamestop/Walmart and just start hitting the Shack because now they're carrying Madden. RS doesn't have enough "cool" electronics... everything they have is middle-to-low-grade stuff intended for people who don't know any better. You go to RS because you need something in a hurry, not because what they have is distinctive enough to go out of your way for.

 

I was wondering, "Why go to Radio Shack to buy Halo?", but that eventually led to "Why go to Radio Shack to buy ANYTHING!?!"

[christianscott27]

Hah, my neighborhood shack is next door to Gamestop, why even bother? Heres hoping they ditch their games for cheap after the holidays. I dunno about RS, maybe I'm full of myself but everytime I go in there and they ask me if I need help I'm always thinking "Retail monkey! I am a true geek, it is I who could teach you!". Seriously, why bother wasting time trying to explain your obscure tech problem to a guy who can barely work the register.

[shadow460]

Didn't they claim to be battery experts? The why is their cordless phone sitting around with a charger crammed up its butt and batteries with enough memory to run Unreal Tournament?

 

Ask 'em what a lithium ion/manganese battery is, and see what the response is. For that matter ask if they know what a lithium ion/cobalt battery is. (hint: They sell a lot of them...)

 

And then the classic one...this actually happened to me.

 

I went looking for a 10K stereo volume pot, and a salesman walked over. He asked what I needed the pot for, and I showed him the motherboard from a classic Game Boy.

What's he pull out? A 10K volume pot all right, but the body was at least an inch in diameter and it had a three inch long shaft. How on this green Earth is that going to fit inside a game boy!?

[jimid2]

I remember when they still sold Atari games.

I remember when you'd go there to get the Mattel LCD handhelds like Football... And Radio Shack was one of the few stores in the city that actually carried the TurboGrafx-16 back in the day - I had to buy my first TurboExpress there because no one else in the city had one... They were still selling TG16 games at full price three years after TTI discontinued the Duo!

Edited September 20, 2007 by jimid2

[pmpddytim]

Occasionally when out of town for work I have to build cables for fuel controllers to interface with our POS system. The first time I went in and asked for the parts I needed the 17yo kid behind the counter said they didn't sell cables like that. I repeated that I needed the PARTS to MAKE the cable, and he just looked baffled. Now I just go the drawer and pull what I need. I have yet to find a RS clerk that could actually help me.

 

As for games, unless they are selling them cheaper I'll go somewhere with a better selection.

 

-T

[+Psionic]

They were still selling TG16 games at full price three years after TTI discontinued the Duo!

Yeah, they were still selling 2600 games for $20-$30 in the mid 90's. I tried to order some from their in-store catalog circa 1996, but all the titles I requested were out of stock.

[S1500]

I remember when they still sold Atari games.

I had to buy my first TurboExpress there because no one else in the city had one... They were still selling TG16 games at full price three years after TTI discontinued the Duo!

 

I remember one(probably store) hole-in-the-wall video game store(one at the Mall of America) selling Jaguar games for $50 each, years after it was discontinued. Why? It's just gonna waste shelf space unsold.

[combat16]

This is great article that sums it up courtesy of The Onion.

 

Even CEO Can't Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/even_..._figure_out_how

[Bill Brasky]

If they had any sense they would buy up all the unsold stock from distributers and sell games for dirt cheap but at a profit. That's what Media Play used to do. They had all the cool smaller titles that were overlooked in favor of the latest Madden during the X-mas buying season, for PS, Saturn, DC, N64, at really good prices.

 

I guess at one time Radio Shack served electronic hobbyists. They abandoned that market in favor of pushing cell phones and catering to retards who can't figure out how to hook their component video out DVD player up to their circa 1981 RF only Magnavox TV.

[sportznutt38]

Yeah it was in the Kansas City Star today they are going to sell X-Box 360's as well.

[Prodos8]

Selling games probably won't do to much for them. Everyone already has a favorite place they go to get games.

 

In fact, I hadn't been in one for years until a few weeks ago for a particular item they carry. Found out the mall locations around here no longer handle hobbiest stuff. So I had to visit one in a run down strip mall to get what I needed. I don't think Radio Shack is long for the world at this point.

[Gregory DG]

But where would you go if you needed a diode or chip or some other electronic part? Last I checked, Wal*Mart doesn't sell that kind of stuff.

[ninjarabbit]

Radio Shack is really suffering from a lack of identity. I went into one the other day and most of the store was iPod stuff, cell phones, TVs, memory cards, and digital cameras. I can get that stuff anywhere and probably for cheaper. Now with them selling Halo and Madden it seems they're content with being Best Buy-lite.

Edited September 21, 2007 by ninjarabbit

[Asaki]

There's a RadioShack up North from me that rents movies and games out =)

 

I go there every once in a while when I need parts, even though I know I should try to find someplace cheaper...I try to know what I need before I go in, because one time a guy asked me if I needed help, so I said "Yeah, I can't quite remember the formula for putting resistors in parallel." and the guy just gave me a puzzled look and shook his head

Edited September 21, 2007 by Asaki