Independent game stores - dying breed?

[Flojomojo]

Do you have any mom & pop game shops in your area? Two notable stores near me don't seem to be doing that well:

 

Starland has closed the Maryland store near me, as I discovered when I went to visit them today. Totally cleared out. One upon a time, they were the source for import games in the DC area, when you just couldn't wait a few days for Tronix or NCS to deliver. Nowadays, import gaming seems less pressing since the USA seems to get everything released on time. They still sell some interesting stuff like system mods and the usual anime crap.

 

Pandora's Cube recently pleaded guilty to charges of software piracy in their Super XBOX and Super PS2, which included copied games on the additional hard drives. They also sell a mess of anime soundtracks, wallscrolls, etc.

 

I guess I'm not too broken up over this loss, since I buy most of my stuff at a used record store, but combined with the EBGames buyout by Gamestop, and my own personal lack of interest in the new generation of consoles as shown at E3 2005,, are game sales cooling off?

 

Anyone see anything similar around their neighborhoods?

[figgler]

My main store I think is in trouble. It's a great little place and they love the classics, so it's not too rare to find VCS carts, NES, Sega CD and even see the occassional Neo Geo game around. As far as finding such things it's easily the best place in town.

Unfortunately, classic game sales can't float the boat forever and I've talked to the owner a few times about what he thinks is his impending doom. He says the big box stores are just raping him with their cost cutting distributing deals and pre-order incentives and such that he just can't keep up with. His other main gripe is in the amount of games that are released. Game stores need to have all the newest titles obviously, but he says there are just too many. How can he front the cash to bring in 10 or more new to market games every single week when most of them are shit and don't sell and his prices are undercut by the big box from the outset? Methinks it's a losing battle he's fighting even in a high traffic location

[sega saturn x]

All in my have closed up shop or suck. With jesusc shop being really the only exception.

[AlexKIDD]

I have 2 independent stores in my area and both of them seem to be doing quite well. One of them is the same store I was buying sms games at when I was 4 years old and both stores carry everything from 2600-psp. They are always full of people and do well because they are cheaper and give better trade in prices than gamestop,gamecrazy etc.

[Famicoman]

One shop I go to is called the "video Game Guy". Theres alot of stuff there, and they seem to be doing fine. Another is "Game Tapes Unlimited". They are doing soooooooo well. They're up to their waist in games.

[Atarifever]

There is one in my hometown and it always seems to have people in it. They also do most of their buisness on used stuff, so they don't worry about bringing in too much new stuff. They also have contests all the time for stuff like the NES classic GBA SP with three of the NES hits titles and other classic related stuff like that. The problem is they opened when my hometown was in a boom phase (from 4800 people up to 6300 over 4 years) and now we're about to enter the bust phase of the town's usual cycle, so I don't know if they'll be able to take the potential customer drop.

[donkeykong1]

There is one near my house that has been around for almost 20 years and it is still doing very well. It is a good source for used video game classics. Some of their prices are pretty high though. Occasionally I find a few good deals. Oh, the store is called Gamedude. They even have a website.

[Lost Monkey]

Out of about 5 shops that were around in the early 90's - there is only one left here...

 

They seem to do more business in cards (baseball, magic) and in-store on-line gaming than retail games though..

 

They still have all the same Saturn, N64 (tons of new, sealed N64 games at 1998 prices) and Dreamcast games that they've had for years...

[Flojomojo]

One shop I go to is called the "video Game Guy". Theres alot of stuff there, and they seem to be doing fine. Another is "Game Tapes Unlimited". They are doing soooooooo well. They're up to their waist in games.

873728[/snapback]

I think I've driven by that flea market. Is it this one?

[christianscott27]

ya know that joe santulli, the guy who does digital press is apparently going to try and open his own indy game shop, good news for NJ/NY gamers at least

 

http://www.digitpress.com/forum/viewtopic....62830&start=125

 

here in boston game places barely have a chance, the rents are just too damn high for that sorta thing. even in the near-burbs they dont last long, there was one guy who made a long run mostly on yugi-oh cards but that went under too. another guy did ok for a few years with a mix of videos, used games and burnt games but he got busted and now he's a flea market gypsy. a guy down the road from me tried to do the card/movie/games combo and he didnt even make the six month mark. its a real pity because i know theres a market for old games in a big city with lots of college kids but nobody can seem to put it together. there is one guy in a parking garage mall near harvard who sells mostly import games but even he had to give up his tiny store and move into a corner of the anime/j-pop store.

 

it kinda bums me out, when i started collecting i could count 3 indy stores and 4 funcos on my hunt list, now they're all gone

[chrisbid]

used game prices and trade in values are going to be the key. there has been a lot of movement here in columbus, but the stores seem to be holding on. if EB/gameslop is going to continue to charge 45 dollars for newer used games, then the mom n pop stores will still be able to compete.

 

but i will concede that the combo stores that deal with music and movies seem to do better business than the game only stores

[pinball22]

We have a local game store here that has three locations, one near each mall, and they seem to do pretty well.

They don't stock all the newest stuff, just the stuff that's most likely to sell; most of their business comes from used games.

[Radio F Software]

Where I live there are none. ANYWHERE. However I shop at Game Crazy for NES and Genny games, screw GameStop & their non-selling-things-I-want.

[Great Hierophant]

another guy did ok for a few years with a mix of videos, used games and burnt games but he got busted and now he's a flea market gypsy.

 

Ah, the Flea Markets! Always a hive of immorality and crime when it comes to the copyright law. I'm sure he will be able to sell his burnt games in peace there, right next to the DVD bootleggers. I swear if a cop ever needed to add a few arrests to his record, he could do no worse than raid a few flea markets.