3D Games Grafton Street closed down??

Atavan-Halen

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

I actually saw a copy of that in CEX off Henry Street a few weeks back, going for mad money (€3).

Ended up not buying it because I was hungry and needed a sandwich.

WELL buying it if it's there tomorrow!

readyletsgo

atavan-halen wrote: »

Shop is still open. Walked past it today!

And yeah those carts were fakes IIRC.

If it was 10am and the shop was not open when OP said, I take it the staff member opening that day was running late is all :pac:

The whole thing of the staff taking the games out of new games is kinda new to me, never thought about it, Always thought they had wrapped copies behind the counter if you asked.

Makes me think of all the GCN games in 3D games that say 'New', I take it they are not new at all but the box art and disc just look new (ie no scratching or stickers) so they can sell them on as new.

The 3D games shop is not too bad, I drop in the odd time, never bought anything as way over priced! but no harm looking. For a flagship store, the best thing they can do is maybe reduce the price of games for a few months to get the name out.

Havent been into Da Rage in a while since the whole argument that the prices have jumped up a lot.

GameSexChange, now how come that place hasnt closed down? Was a copy of RE4 for ps2 in the window for €30 last week, today it is still in the window for €20 now, That should be between €5 and €10. Saw it new in 3D Games last week or so for €15!

How come GameSexChange can charge €15 or higher on ps2/gcn/xbox games when most of the rubbish he has in there goes for €3 in Gamestop? :pac:

Dr Bob

readyletsgo wrote: »

How come GameSexChange can charge €15 or higher on ps2/gcn/xbox games when most of the rubbish he has in there goes for €3 in Gamestop? :pac:

....because 90% of their income comes from 2nd hand textbooks?

readyletsgo

luas_dublin wrote: »

....because 90% of their income comes from 2nd hand textbooks?

Well then, what if, say, he reduced the price of all those ps2/xbox/gcn games to between €5 and €10 to get the stock that has been sitting there for the past 3 year (I know this as I work around the corner and drop in once a week to have a look, very rarly buy a game though due to the high price) and make space for newer games for x360/ps3/psp/ds/wii, while still selling all the great retro stuff. Not so much pc games as they seem to be very hard to sell on.

Although he did have a good few gba games a few weeks back that i couldnt find in 3D Games and Da Rage, at a pretty good price.

Yeah he does make a few bucks from all the student books ect but he could also make so much more if he ran the games section a lot better. Dont want him to stop trading in games stuff by simply charging way way too much! 3D games has better pricing than GameSexChange tbh.

/Rant:rolleyes:

Shapey Fiend

Opening a game shop in this day and age is a bit mad. PC gaming has already gone largely digital distribution. iPhone the platform doing the best sales numbers don't even do retail games. Consoles are soon to follow and Tesco game discounting and Xtravision local shops for impulse purchases should mop up whats left of the retail market. I'm pretty sure Game are recording massive losses at the moment, it's been a while since i read the article.

readyletsgo

Ok I know I was moaning about Gamesexchange but just saw in the window, a copy of 'MGS: Twin Snakes' for the gamecube for €45, its on its side in the window display so wouldnt see it walking by, been there since yesterday, if anyones interested its still there as of now.

Retr0gamer

If anyone has any taste, they'll just buy the original.

johnny_ultimate

They had a copy of Twilight Princess GC for 35 the other day as well.

readyletsgo

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

They had a copy of Twilight Princess GC for 35 the other day as well.

Saw this in Cex yesterday for the same price. Worth it? Seeing as the Wii version is now out again as a 'Players Choice' or whatever Ninty are calling them now for around €25 or something.
If I had a spare €35 I'd pick it up the GC version.

Mr Vengeance

Its a great game on the Wii, only let down by some cumbersome controls. I'd highly recommend the GC version.

johnny_ultimate

The GC version is worth quite a bit of cash - if the one in CeX is complete, you'd probably be getting it for a relatively decent price. I have the GC version, having been too studenty to splash out on a launch Wii. I loved every minute of it.

Retr0gamer

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

The GC version is worth quite a bit of cash - if the one in CeX is complete, you'd probably be getting it for a relatively decent price. I have the GC version, having been too studenty to splash out on a launch Wii. I loved every minute of it.

I on the other hand used my student grant on a wii

Pyongyang

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I on the other hand used my student grant on a wii

Buy Star Soldier R and the Milestone Collection!

CiDeRmAn

My Wii was doing some freaky things on the tv, black screen and flickering, turns out it's some issue with the 480p doo-hickey (a technical term, please try to keep up!).
So, I drops it to 480i, or 60Hz and no more problems, happy days.

Retr0gamer

Pyongyang wrote: »

Buy Star Soldier R and the Milestone Collection!

I kind of have my Wii since launch day. Not really interested in Star Soldier R since it's just a carivan mode. As for the Milestone Collection, no thanks! Milestone make for me the worst shmups released in the last 10 years, I think their games are terrible!

Mr Vengeance

Retr0gamer wrote: »

I kind of have my Wii since launch day. Not really interested in Star Soldier R since it's just a carivan mode. As for the Milestone Collection, no thanks! Milestone make for me the worst shmups released in the last 10 years, I think their games are terrible!

Star Soldier R is the only WiiWare game I have ever bought - and its brilliant fun. Its only got two stages, sure, but its incredibly well designed. It won't keep you playing for weeks, but you'll have a ball with it for a weekend or so perfecting your scores over the two modes. Looks great too.

Mr.Saturn

Any one walk by it today? The doors were sealed and the shelves cleared, nothing but stuffed bin-liners inside.

Optimus Prime

yep, seen it closed earlier at lunch time.

Faith+1

It was only a matter of time. Any time I've ever been in there I was the only customer and his prices were way to high. €15 for Formula 1 97!?

johnny_ultimate

Yeah noticed it today. RIP 3D Games Ireland, we hardly knew ye.

nickydistance

I actually checked this to see if the rumours were true as to whether or not 3-d games had actually closed.

One thing I will say in our (RAGE's) defense, is that yes our prices have risen due to some factors that have been completely out of my control. Here they are:

1. As some of you may know, our suppliers are from the UK. The euro to sterling exchange rate has dipped and has been unfavourable over the last few months.
2. Also, those suppliers have risen their prices dramatically and in some cases the cost price of games has doubled.
3. Unfortunately, our rent has been increased this year by 15%.

With regard to Ebay being cheaper, of course it will be cheaper. If you see a pair of shoes in Size or Schuh for a certain price, you can easily get the exact same ones for up to a third of the price. Even plastic cups, salt, toys, ipods, jewellery are always cheaper on ebay. Can anybody name 3 shops in Dublin where they are selling things that are not offered on sale or clearance that consistently undercut ebay? I buy a lot of records, and I know that I can go to amazon.co.uk or ebay.co.uk and get an album for €12 that i would pay €15 for in Freebird or wherever. Maybe i feel inclined to do that because I own a business myself, and I don't mind paying that little bit extra because i enjoy going into stores rather than paying somebody i don't know. Even if it does mean that I have to bring my own lunch to work or not buy coffee in chain stores. Obviously some people are completely different, and that's totally cool.

Also, that copy of Snes Link to the Past that we sold for €50 was actually pristine with the map and tips. I thought that was a good price because it's currently going for up to £75 online. Lastly, I do price certain games higher, not because they are rare but because I love them so much and feel they're worth it. Ex: Bionic Commando for €19.95, or even Michael Jackson's Off the Wall Lp for €14.95. I guess that's why, although we sold it cheaper, I never faulted 3d games for selling Final Fantasy 7 or 8 for €50. I'm not really the best at conveying my thoughts online, so I apologize if what I just posted hasn't been particularly clear or readable. Anyway, take care y'all.

super_furry

Not surprised to see 3DGames gone, their prices were rubbish, their stock a mess and their staff lacking in knowledge.

Can't say enough good things about Rage on the other hand. Picked up Outrigger on the Dreamcast for a tenner there last weekend.

Pyongyang

nickydistance wrote: »

Lastly, I do price certain games higher, not because they are rare but because I love them so much and feel they're worth it.

I appreciate the explanation (not that you 'owe' anyone here an explanation, none of us have a God-given right to think we are entitled to one so fair play to you) but re the quote....

ghostchant

It's a real shame if 3D Games is gone. Their prices weren't the best, but they actually bothered to stock things that the likes of gamestop and game wouldn't go near. Their PS2 selection in particular was rather good. Shops like these (and in particular the RAGE) can only be a good thing - I much prefer browsing shops and paying a few quid extra to walk out with my purchase in my hand as opposed to the lottery of online purchasing (have been burnt on that front a few times in the last year or so alone)

nickydistance

Pyongyang wrote: »

I appreciate the explanation (not that you 'owe' anyone here an explanation, none of us have a God-given right to think we are entitled to one so fair play to you) but re the quote....

I sell 1080 snowboarding for 9.95, cart only. I'm pretty sure you can get this game anywhere for under €3. To me, I feel it's worth €9.95 because I think it's unreal. Is it worth that to other people? Only a select few, which is why I now have so many copies as duplicates. So I end up giving the game for free as gifts to nice customers who by an N64 console. It probably sounds completely odd, but i do that with certain games. That's why I had bionic commando, bubble bobble, any probotector game, rainbow islands, adventure islands and a handful of other games priced higher than they are probably "worth" to most people, because they are worth that to me. That really is the only situation where I can think that our prices could be deemed as unfair.

Steve X2

Pyongyang wrote: »

I appreciate the explanation (not that you 'owe' anyone here an explanation, none of us have a God-given right to think we are entitled to one so fair play to you) but re the quote....

Yeah, no explanation owed to anyone really as its a business and they can run it as they want.

But a business pricing a game or console higher just because they love it is not the way to go.

.

nickydistance

in every second hand shop that I have ever worked in (which has been quite a few over the last 13 years), it was the owner who always dictated the price, and be it concious or not, their personal taste always had a minor influence. there is no absolute guide for second hand music, books, clothes, or games.

who determines the value of a game? Zelda, Donkey Kong and Mario games were in heavy circulation, but they are not in bargain bins and still command a decent price.

Pyongyang

Perhaps there is truth in there being no 'absolute' value. For example I think some PCB's are incredibly overpriced for common boards. It's fan demand and condition/completeness that drives prices. However the difference comes in to play with the more uncommon/rare stuff, not just PCB's of course.

Dictating prices by personal taste I think is wrong and you'll likely find the more informed customer will shy away from a purchase and look elsewhere for those particular titles.

RAGE has been slated openly on this forum because of it's erratic pricing but on a personal level I'd come clean and back a bricks and mortar any day because there simply isn't enough of these niche businesses in Ireland. It's an incredible risk to take and again, fair play to you for doing so.

However I won't allow my purchases be dictated on that kind of emotional level. Charge a fair price (even taking in to account the retail overheads tacked on) and build/retain customer loyalty.

Sorry if that sounds like I'm preaching some sort of lesson in business, I'm not, I wouldn't have a clue I've never run one, I'm just trying to make a point from a consumer vantage.

Pyongyang

nickydistance wrote: »

I sell 1080 snowboarding for 9.95, cart only. I'm pretty sure you can get this game anywhere for under €3. To me, I feel it's worth €9.95 because I think it's unreal. Is it worth that to other people? Only a select few, which is why I now have so many copies as duplicates. So I end up giving the game for free as gifts to nice customers who by an N64 console. It probably sounds completely odd, but i do that with certain games.

To me that sounds like bad business in the face of generosity. Depending on what you bought them in at wouldn't you be better off just pricing them at a lower price point, make a few bob and be rid of them? You can always still bundle up dupes with consoles as a little sweetener for the customer...

johnny_ultimate

Pyongyang wrote: »

RAGE has been slated openly on this forum because of it's erratic pricing

IMO that's exaggerating just a little bit. Yourself and a few others aren't a fan of the store / pricing, that's cool. But most of us (80-90% of the regulars here) have had nothing but positive experiences with them. A few overpriced (and a few underpriced ) items are an exception with the generally well considered price they charge!

I just don't like to see them ripped apart for a few perceived mistakes.