Trouble ahoy for games?

Gradius

Just got word that a rake of gamestops are permanently closing early June.

And smyths are looking ropey too.

And rage is calling it quits at current location, at least?

Oh man, this is looking bad. Forgetting the wider economy for a second, the idea of basically having nowhere to buy physical games is kinda crazy.

Some of these had the writing on the wall, but still, it's a mighty weird situation to consider.

It's the end of times, cats living with dogs, the dead rising from the grave

Tom Mann Centuria

All the while Bezos adds to his billions and we get less and less choice.

Inviere

The extortionate costs of commercial rates & rent have led to B&M shops just not being competitive with online physical and digital pricing. I won't be overly sad to see GameStop go....they had outrageous and largely inflated pricing for a long time (usually dearer by €10+ per game than other shops)...but Smyths used to be alright for the odd bargain.

CiDeRmAn

Gradius wrote: »

And rage is calling it quits at current location, at least?

Bugger, just read the post on FB, I'm not allowed comment there, I think I might have insulted someone there a while ago!
But it will be missed, certainly.
Fingers crossed they find an alternative location and keep trading.

It's the end of times, cats living with dogs, the dead rising from the grave

I get that reference....

Inviere

Inviere wrote: »

The extortionate costs of commercial rates & rent have led to B&M shops just not being competitive with online physical and digital pricing. I won't be overly sad to see GameStop go....they had outrageous and largely inflated pricing for a long time (usually dearer by €10+ per game than other shops)...but Smyths used to be alright for the odd bargain.

Is it outrageous or inflated though, if their business model is unsustainable? It's hard to square bemoaning their loss due to the extra costs of doing business and complaining about their pricing.

CosmicSmash

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it outrageous or inflated though, if their business model is unsustainable? It's hard to square bemoaning their loss due to the extra costs of doing business and complaining about their pricing.

They're way overpriced, if Smyths can sell Final Fantasy 7 or Call of Duty for 60 euro why would anyone in their right mind pay GameStop 70. Their business model will become obselete over time as more and more people embrace digital downloads. They won't have the same opportunities to screw publishers and developers over by selling a pre-owned game for 5 euro less than a new one.

Gradius

Seems like more and more of the gamestops are closing.

It's very strange. I remember the likes of virgin megastores on the quays in Dublin which was brilliant just to browse around, fast forward to now and it's looking like even seeing a videogame will be a rarity soon. It's sad in a way.

My interest in new games was already waning with the bloated nature of it all, dlc, never ending updates etc.

I was talking with a friend the other day and comparing the jump from the likes of the commodore to the megadrive, how it was amazing to just flick a button and BAM, now you can play the game.

The last few years have seen all that slowly reverse again. Crazy

Obviously nobody can be 100% sure what will happen, but I can certainly guess that already existing physical games now will probably rocket in price. But digitally licensed downloads can kiss my hole either way

CosmicSmash

CosmicSmash wrote: »

They're way overpriced, if Smyths can sell Final Fantasy 7 or Call of Duty for 60 euro why would anyone in their right mind pay GameStop 70. Their business model will become obselete over time as more and more people embrace digital downloads. They won't have the same opportunities to screw publishers and developers over by selling a pre-owned game for 5 euro less than a new one.

So, they're creaming it... somehow I doubt it.

o1s1n

I really miss Virgin Megastore on the quays, was a golden era of browsing media content in person. They even had a dedicated VHS Manga Entertainment section which was a rarity to see in Dublin at the time.

That's really sad about range disappearing from Fade Street. Didn't really buy anything there myself, but would have the odd browse as I walked down that way. Usually seemed to be a few folks in there buying stuff any time I was in.

Greyfox

Gradius wrote: »

But digitally licensed downloads can kiss my hole either way

I'm the opposite, I prefer buying digitally as there's always sales for loads of games and when a game is on sale its usually the cheapest way to get the game. Gamestop are rip off merchants and have been for some time, I hope smyths and CEX survive in the future though

Gradius

o1s1n wrote: »

I really miss Virgin Megastore on the quays, was a golden era of browsing media content in person. They even had a dedicated VHS Manga Entertainment section which was a rarity to see in Dublin at the time.

That's really sad about range disappearing from Fade Street. Didn't really buy anything there myself, but would have the odd browse as I walked down that way. Usually seemed to be a few folks in there buying stuff any time I was in.

Virgin megastars was fantastic. Never understood why they closed, more than likely rent as well.

I bought a few things in rage but it was always a good place for a browse at least. They might be reopening in token itself, which could be a brilliant move.

Retr0gamer

I've gone mostly digital now. I don't have space for my games anymore and really only pick up games that might become rare. However since the 3DS is a dead system there's very few games that will be rare and worth playing on current systems.

I'd prefer to own games on PC as you get the best version and also get a fan community that will keep even the most obscure release alive forever even if the likes of steam go down the drain.

Gradius

Greyfox wrote: »

I'm the opposite, I prefer buying digitally as there's always sales for loads of games and when a game is on sale its usually the cheapest way to get the game. Gamestop are rip off merchants and have been for some time, I hope smyths and CEX survive in the future though

I just don't put any value on download stuff. Even if a physical game reduces to 2 euro worth in years, it's still 2 euro more than a download.

I remember buying an xbox one one with a bunch of downloaded games, but because it was tied to the previous owners account they basically didn't exist. Now I'm sure there are ways around all those things, but I'm just not arsed with all the extra trouble.

I saw it mentioned elsewhere that dlc content is going to disappear from some consoles soon. It's just not my scene anymore as it feels uncomfortably close to renting games for full price.

Inviere

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it outrageous or inflated though, if their business model is unsustainable? It's hard to square bemoaning their loss due to the extra costs of doing business and complaining about their pricing.

Very much outrageous, they're consistently more expensive than rival stores for the exact same product. That doesn't come down to overheads, but instead relying on the sucker effect. It's only natural that stores that price gouge will be the first to fold in all of this. I won't miss GameStop, I very, very, rarely shopped there. I don't celebrate their demise though, I feel we should always have the physical option...but again, I can't say I'm surprised here given how they operate.

The Last Bandit

Gamestop was more expensive as they wanted you to buy pre-owned which is far more profitable for them, if you were willing to wait a few weeks.
Physical media is dirt nowadays anyway, is little more that a licence key to download the product. Remember buying The Last Guardian for PS4 when it was released, was €70 I think and nothing in box but the disc - no manuals, flyers nothing. Screw that, I think that was the last physical PS4 game I bought...

c.p.w.g.w

Inviere wrote: »

The extortionate costs of commercial rates & rent have led to B&M shops just not being competitive with online physical and digital pricing.

To me it seems that city/county councils won't be happy until they have empty town centres...

Take Limerick for example, the city centre has very little on offer, the crescent and childers road retail parks offer free car park and better selection of shops...

All the councils see is the money they can generate from rates, but when units are left vacant for years they blame everything else but themselves

The model of charging rates in Ireland is very short sighted, it also seems to encourage unnecessary consumerism as the stores that do survive can only do so by selling poor quality rubbish or else by playing pricing mind games with consumers...

o1s1n

Gradius wrote: »

Virgin megastars was fantastic. Never understood why they closed, more than likely rent as well.

I bought a few things in rage but it was always a good place for a browse at least. They might be reopening in token itself, which could be a brilliant move.

Yeah that place was always packed whenever I went in.

Very 80's RTE report of it opening on the RTE Archives that's worth a look at;

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2016/1201/835827-virgin-megastore-opens-in-dublin/

The Rage might be reopening in Token? now that is actually a really good idea. Cut down on the massive rents and go straight to your seller base - win win!

Actually, now that I think about it, alcohol and expensive video games in the same location. Could it be a recipe for waking up with a hangover and severe buyer's remose?

o1s1n

o1s1n wrote: »

Could it be a recipe for waking up with a hangover and severe buyer's remose?

I can see it now,
Oisin in a nightgown ,rollie hanging out of his mouth and 4 copies of the wily wars and a thumping headache

o1s1n

BrownFinger wrote: »

I can see it now,
Oisin in a nightgown ,rollie hanging out of his mouth and 4 copies of the wily wars and a thumping headache

Gradius

o1s1n wrote: »

Yeah that place was always packed whenever I went in.

Very 80's RTE report of it opening on the RTE Archives that's worth a look at;

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2016/1201/835827-virgin-megastore-opens-in-dublin/

The Rage might be reopening in Token? now that is actually a really good idea. Cut down on the massive rents and go straight to your seller base - win win!

Actually, now that I think about it, alcohol and expensive video games in the same location. Could it be a recipe for waking up with a hangover and severe buyer's remose?

Gas looking at that

And yeah, it's a very good idea for token and rage to combine. Dangerous on the pocket too

Lemming

o1s1n wrote: »

Very 80's RTE report of it opening on the RTE Archives that's worth a look at;

https://www.rte.ie/archives/2016/1201/835827-virgin-megastore-opens-in-dublin/

That's a nostalgia trip! Used to love that place; was such a shame the virgin shops were rolled up.

Skerries

I used to love going into Virgin on a Saturday looking at things I couldn't afford
I remember the whole condom controversy in there
I saw Richard Branson in there one day just talking to the staff

BGOllie

man that's memories that shop. I'd left my ps1 in France when I moved here...
I got my first paycheck ever when Soul Reaver came out, I remember paying a round for all my friends that night, being so happy I could afford a chipper afterwards and went in Virgin the next day and bought myself a ps1 and picked Soul Reaver as the free game that came with it

super_furry

Problem is, I can't remember the last time I went into a shop to buy a physical game. Everything I buy now is digital, it's usually cheaper than physical (if I get it on sale) and I don't have to leave the house.

More and more often, if you buy anything physical, you're going to have to download the game anyway.

o1s1n

sugarman wrote: »

Used to love heading into "town" on a Saturday as a kid hitting up the Virgin Megastore on the quays, HMV on Grafton & Henry St, Games...World? on Liffey St (Now a Gamestop) ..and the various GAME shops. As well as a browse in the likes of Maplins, Smyths and Peats.

All thats left now is Smyths

Hah, that's EXACTLY what I used to do on my Saturdays. Would get the Dart into 'Town' from Bray and hit those exact shops, with Tower Records on Wicklow Street and Forbidden Planet thrown in too.

Games world on Liffey Street was great, one of the first shops I remember which had secondhand PS1 games for sale. They had secondhand SNES games too at that point but silly me wasn't interested in them anymore at that stage. Distinctly remember buying Final Doom in there one Saturday. I remember picking up Castlevania SOTN second hand and looking at the back thinking 'nah that's not for me' :eek:

Lemming

sugarman wrote: »

Used to love heading into "town" on a Saturday as a kid hitting up the Virgin Megastore on the quays, HMV on Grafton & Henry St, Games...World? on Liffey St (Now a Gamestop) ..and the various GAME shops. As well as a browse in the likes of Maplins, Smyths and Peats.

All thats left now is Smyths

A familiar circuit

You're forgetting the Virgin Games centre on Dawson st; became Electronics Boutique when Virgin closed it.

o1s1n wrote: »

Hah, that's EXACTLY what I used to do on my Saturdays. Would get the Dart into 'Town' from Bray and hit those exact shops, with Tower Records on Wicklow Street and Forbidden Planet thrown in too.

Brownie points if you remember Forbidden Planet being on Dawson st. before it moved to the quays. Throw in Third Place comics (used to be beside the Foggy Dew; now in Dundrum) and Sub City comics on the other end of Wicklow st. to Tower Records

RobbingBandit

I member Games world in the back of chapters and paying £69.99 for a steel box street fighter two it took me ages to save and swap games with friend to be able to get it. Then the horror began

Lemming

sugarman wrote: »

Ah that's where it was! It wasn't that I forgot it, I just couldn't remember where the hell it was.. also was there another Electronics Boutique somewhere on the North side of town too?

What became Game on Henry street was EB you were thinking of; I don't think there was any others.

CosmicSmash

There was a shop in Henry Street called Harry Moore's that used to sell Super Famicom and US SNES games. I remember buying Castlevania and Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts there in the early nineties, I still have them today. Mr. Calculator was another shop on one of the side streets off Grafton Street, it could have been South Anne Street. They used to sell imports too.

Gradius

Easily the best import shop was... That shop who's name I can't remember...under the bridge at the end of Talbot Street.

Great place, sound fellas. I ordered my japanese gamecube at launch there with resident evil. The gamecube was seized by customs but resident evil made it through.

Let me say it was painful having that beautiful resident evil game and no way to play it for months on months

o1s1n

Gradius wrote: »

Easily the best import shop was... That shop who's name I can't remember...under the bridge at the end of Talbot Street.

Great place, sound fellas. I ordered my japanese gamecube at launch there with resident evil. The gamecube was seized by customs but resident evil made it through.

Let me say it was painful having that beautiful resident evil game and no way to play it for months on months

They actually took the GameCube from you??

That shop was Game Zone I'm fairly sure. I think it closed about ten years ago.

Guy:Incognito

Gradius wrote: »

Virgin megastars was fantastic. Never understood why they closed, more than likely rent as well.

Probably because there was more of this than buying

o1s1n wrote: »

I really miss Virgin Megastore on the quays, was a golden era of browsing media content in person.

Gradius wrote: »

It's very strange. I remember the likes of virgin megastores on the quays in Dublin which was brilliant just to browse around,

Did Gamestop not announce a few months ago that stores were going?

Gradius

o1s1n wrote: »

They actually took the GameCube from you??

That shop was Game Zone I'm fairly sure. I think it closed about ten years ago.

Yeah that rings a bell. It got to stuck in customs and they wanted another wedge on top to release it, so the shop owner swallowed the cost and I just left it with him. Didn't lose any money at all.

They had a really good selection of the very latest stuff from Japan, it was cool to see what would pop up, everything from virtual boys to Panasonic Q's and the software as well of course

Gradius

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Probably because there was more of this than buying







Did Gamestop not announce a few months ago that stores were going?

Oh virgin megastore got more than a fair share of money out of me, got the megadrive brand spanking new out of there and millions of games. Literally millions.

CiDeRmAn

Gameszone was there under the bridge, but that's gone nearly 20 years.
The brother of the guy who ran that runs Bookmart & GameSexChange, which changed location to just down the street and is still in business, selling everything from college books to Atari/Sega and Sony/Nintendo.
I used to spend a good deal of time and money in both shops, would still go to the latter only I'm never around there anymore and... well... ebay...

Optimus Prime

I bought my Commodore 64 in PEATs at the back of the Ilac centre. I can still remember going in to get it. The light gun pack.

CiDeRmAn

Those of a certain age will have also done their gaming shopping downstairs in Easons as well as upstairs in Clerys!
Counting those shillings to buy something for my Spectrum...

o1s1n

How about Dun Laoghaire market on the weekends? I used to go to a lad in a leather jacket down the back who was selling comics, always remember walking passed a massive stall at the front selling c64 and Spectrum tapes.

Andrew76

Lemming wrote: »

A familiar circuit

You're forgetting the Virgin Games centre on Dawson st; became Electronics Boutique when Virgin closed it.



Brownie points if you remember Forbidden Planet being on Dawson st. before it moved to the quays. Throw in Third Place comics (used to be beside the Foggy Dew; now in Dundrum) and Sub City comics on the other end of Wicklow st. to Tower Records

Forbidden Planet Dawson St when it had the wooden floor down the back and a decent select of VHS Anime. Also bought a book there about the alien films which was to become my first tattoo. Soon as it left Dawson St it was dead to me.

Along with all the shops mentioned above I would’ve went into most of the arcades too. Amusement City on D’Olier St was my main base though, mainly because 1c on Aliens only cost 10p. Good ole days when £1.10 would get me a return feeder ticket for bus+dart into town and back.

As good as those days were though, I’d rarely buy physical games anymore let alone go into an actual shop to do so. I’m happy out going digital these days.

CiDeRmAn

I don't know Andrew,
I've extremely fond memories of working in Gamesworld on the run up to Christmas, from 96-99, and the sheer chaotic fun of it all, place on Liffey St packed with customers trying to get the big thing that year for their kids, or themselves, from Ocarina of Time to a Gameboy Color, from a Playstation to a copy of Goldeneye.
It all went rather corporate after that, with Gamestop making all the stores the same, but for a little while it was a lovely place to be, even when I wasn't working there, just hanging out, talking games, walking past those copies of those games that I really shouldn't have walked past... given their eventual value!

RGARDINR

Lemming wrote: »

A familiar circuit

You're forgetting the Virgin Games centre on Dawson st; became Electronics Boutique when Virgin closed it.



Brownie points if you remember Forbidden Planet being on Dawson st. before it moved to the quays. Throw in Third Place comics (used to be beside the Foggy Dew; now in Dundrum) and Sub City comics on the other end of Wicklow st. to Tower Records

I remember queuing there with my brother in the rain for ages to get an autograph I was super young for doctor Beverly crusher. My brother was a huge star trek fan then I liked it mind you. Ha I remember she said can I get a latee, ha the staff didn't know what to do. Say most didn't even know what a latee was then. No Starbucks etc. then just around the corner.

RGARDINR

sugarman wrote: »

I remember GameZone alright, used to buy a lot of loose Mega Drive stuff for next to nothing around 2000ish.

Games exchange was good too and was up until probably 10 years ago when your man started looking online at eBay prices. His prices are off the wall now. Made the RAGE look like a bargain basement.

Another that I forgot about was Tommys / Bandba when they used to sell games. Mostly in the old small shop that was to the front of Jervis on Henry St before the shopping centre was built ..and then briefly upstairs on the corner of Mary St where it is still today.

I always kick myself for not buying more of their dead stock clearance when they were getting out of games. They'd heaps of everything but mostly handheld stuff like Game Gear, GAME.COM, Atari Lynx stuff.. I'd say there's still stuff buried in their stock room.

I remember that Bamba store there as I use to get my amstrad games from there. They had such a bigger selection of commodore 64 games and I was jealous couldn't get them. Prices from 1.99 to about 5.99 use to take me ages to save up for one barely ever got one

Lemming

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Gameszone was there under the bridge, but that's gone nearly 20 years.
The brother of the guy who ran that runs Bookmart & GameSexChange, which changed location to just down the street and is still in business, selling everything from college books to Atari/Sega and Sony/Nintendo.
I used to spend a good deal of time and money in both shops, would still go to the latter only I'm never around there anymore and... well... ebay...

I was only in GameZone a handful of times in the 2000s; a lot of the shops past O'Connell St/Henry St & mayyybe Parnell st. were well out of my general radius (being a south-sider .. yaaahhhh ) so I tended to go there less frequently. Some of the small stand-alone shops spread about Dublin that 'also sold' computer/console games were interesting for browsing for sale/clearance stock over the years too. I remember randomly walking into a games/electronics shop in Ranelagh in the early 2000s with a load of (shrink-wrapped) Sega 32X games in the bargain bucket so I picked up Fifa 96 32X for £1.99; try finding a price like that on ebay for something hanging together with super-glue these days never mind new in box. I can't even remember wtf I was doing in Ranelagh that allowed for browsing of shops given I was usually always passing through to town or back home.

My most enduring memories though are as a kid scrimping, saving, and/or annoying the sh1t out of the parents and then going down to Mulveys hardware store - that also had an impressive array of home-computing stuff at the front of the shop - in Dundrum to buy budget C64 games (and the occasional full-price game when I got a present of money from a relative), with occasional forays over to the Banba toy shop upstairs in Rathfarnham shopping centre (not to be confused with Nutgrove), and Virgin Megastore when ever my dad would head into town until I was older by which point the Sega megadrive had replace the C64 as my gaming interest.

Andrew76 wrote: »

Forbidden Planet Dawson St when it had the wooden floor down the back and a decent select of VHS Anime. Also bought a book there about the alien films which was to become my first tattoo. Soon as it left Dawson St it was dead to me.

I've heard more than a few people comment on FP going quite corporate with their new location on the quays; still didn't stop me from going in though mind, although my deference was always to Third Place comics in later years (John was my fix dealer for all things Transformers; cost more than crack to maintain that fix )

Shapey Fiend

Game packaging now has very little to recommend it. Physical releases are going to be like vinyl or whatever just a specialty niche.

I'd expect games as a service to become the standard in the next few years. It won't necessarily be streamed entirely maybe download ala Audible. Then everything will get as devalued and the creators will be at the whims of digital publishers who push some product over others. Maybe there's still enough competition with the various digital storefronts that creatives won't get as screwed as they did by Spotify but it'll happen eventually.

Gradius

Seems like cex is on the verge of mass closures in the UK.

It's that domino effect that I'm wondering about, like if the primary source of videogames disappears (like gamestop), then how are secondary sources (like cex) going to pull through?

Best be on the safe side and start eating people's brains sooner than later

Lemming

Gradius wrote: »

Seems like cex is on the verge of mass closures in the UK.

It's that domino effect that I'm wondering about, like if the primary source of videogames disappears (like gamestop), then how are secondary sources (like cex) going to pull through?

Best be on the safe side and start eating people's brains sooner than later

Are CEX considered a primary source of retro games? I mean, maybe it's just my biases for Sega Megadrive & Dreamcast stuff, but every time I walk into a CEX I am distinctly underwhelmed by what's on offer (if there is anything on offer at all). I would have considered CEX more of a secondary source than anything more, with dedicated indy shops and the expo/fair traders far higher up the proverbial totem pole. Granted it may be a bit hit or miss as to whether or not there are shops within reach for you (and thankfully I have a couple in or near Sheffield), but it's been a bit of an eye-opener to attend some retro game fairs here in the UK; there are "shops" who don't bother with any business outside of the fair circuits, and some who do both that and facebook and/or ebay for trade, with a smaller collection again who also maintain websites for online sales.

Skerries

a lot of places mentioned that I would regularly hit on my Saturday run of town

Forbidden Planet (both locations, Dawson and then the Quays)
Alchemist Head (both locations, Temple Bar and then Dame st)
Twilight Zone (Abbey St Arcade)
Virgin Megastore
Computer City (Cathal Brugha st)
can anyone remember the name of the other video game rental shop on Capel St?
Then wandering down Talbot St into cheap tat shops picking up crap and the odd gaming find

Pity about Cex if that were true.

Eighteen months ago Picked up 8gb i7 Sony Vaio with blue ray DVD player for 380.

became find of square tallaght and nutgrove branches

Strumms

Argos are selling FIFA20, 27.99, it’s listed at 69.99 in GameStop.

If there is going to be THAT much of a disparity between them... Argos only charging 40% and still making a profit. Considering the console and accessories is about 300 euro and GameStop are looking for 70 quid for a game, hmmm.

2ndcoming

Gradius wrote: »

Virgin megastars was fantastic. Never understood why they closed, more than likely rent as well.

I bought a few things in rage but it was always a good place for a browse at least. They might be reopening in token itself, which could be a brilliant move.

When Token opened there was that empty lot beside it (now the extended part of Token itself) and I said to myself there could be no better place for a retro games / collectibles / comic book / "nerd stuff" shop.

2ndcoming

Skerries wrote: »

a lot of places mentioned that I would regularly hit on my Saturday run of town

Forbidden Planet (both locations, Dawson and then the Quays)
Alchemist Head (both locations, Temple Bar and then Dame st)
Twilight Zone (Abbey St Arcade)
Virgin Megastore
Computer City (Cathal Brugha st)
can anyone remember the name of the other video game rental shop on Capel St?
Then wandering down Talbot St into cheap tat shops picking up crap and the odd gaming find

Wish I could remember it! They had a good few import MD games, remember getting brought in there and coming out with a Jap copy of Toe Jam & Earl and heading for an ice cream in Fusciardi's (?) next door. Must have been my 8th birthday.

8 year old me was not as gushing in praise of TJ&E as CVG had been. Nothing is happening, in Japanese. Pretty sure it was returned for Streets of Rage the following Saturday.