GameStop will be selling vintage games

Started by FamicomRetroGamer, August 30, 2012, 03:02:28 pm

Previous topic - Next topic

ulera

Quote from: satoshi_matrix on September 02, 2012, 04:29:42 am
I don't see how GameStop wil be able to stock retro games. At least every store I've ever been in has been extremely small. Hell, most GameStops barely even have room to stock cart-only GBA games. The only way I see them stocking retro games is if they put them in those small cases and sell cart only games for some inflated price like $9 per NES game regardless of what it is.


I'm guessing they'll probably keep them in the back and just have a list of titles at the counter. Or possibly just do special orders.

JohnnyBlaze

Quote from: ulera on September 07, 2012, 12:10:56 am
Quote from: satoshi_matrix on September 02, 2012, 04:29:42 am
I don't see how GameStop wil be able to stock retro games. At least every store I've ever been in has been extremely small. Hell, most GameStops barely even have room to stock cart-only GBA games. The only way I see them stocking retro games is if they put them in those small cases and sell cart only games for some inflated price like $9 per NES game regardless of what it is.


I'm guessing they'll probably keep them in the back and just have a list of titles at the counter. Or possibly just do special orders.


Or maybe it will be like the old Toys R' Us. They'll have just a bunch of slips with a front box shot and you have to take the slip up to the counter and get the game.

But seriously, the local Gamestops around here are as big as my basement. The stock rooms are the size of my kitchen. I don't see how they are going to put anything more in there. Special order would be a good idea, but most of Gamestop's business is impulse buying. You get your trade in credit and you look around. OOH! I like this! Then, you buy it. I'd like to see them take the approach of say a Digital Press or Videogames NY and have a few bigger stores open up that sell vintage stuff so they can have everything out on the floor in cases.
Famicom Disk System: The More You Play It, the More You'll Want to Play

UglyJoe

My plan:

1) Wait for GameStop to start carrying NES games at bad prices.

Prices will probably be high, but we don't really know until they start listing prices, do we?  I'm guessing they'll be higher than the average eBay price, but not obnoxious.

2) Wait for no one to buy the NES games due to bad prices and a lack of interest.

I really think GameStop is making a bad move here.  I've known plenty of people who claim to be "old school" gamers, but only play on their 360.  It's possible they grew up with the NES and did enjoy it, but they're not the type who will drop a lot of money on NES games.  I think GameStop will see a small blip of sales with these, where people will buy a console and a game or two, but then never buy anything else for it.  (Insert your own snide Wii joke here, if you like).  Then again, maybe they're relying on these very people to buy a few things and then sell them back for a few cents -- sorta like a glorified rental system for retro games.

3) Wait for GameStop to give up and start liquidating their NES games at very low prices -- buy buy buy!

This happened when my local Funcoland got bought by GameStop.  The NES games were 50% off and buy-2-get-1-free.  I bought so many games then, I can't imagine how much stuff I'd buy now (now that I get a real paycheck ;D).

JohnnyBlaze

September 07, 2012, 09:03:43 am #18 Last Edit: September 07, 2012, 09:09:10 am by JohnnyBlaze
I know for people like me, we only try to find the games that either we loved, we had(hellooo Super Shitfall), or wanted as a kid. We're not really interested in getting all of the games, we just want the ones that appeal to us in one way or the other.

But, come to think, it would be sort of a bad idea in this neighborhood. I'll tell you why and this is a VERY true story.

We have a thrift store on Broad Street over here. When they first opened, they had a TON of NES games, some still in box for REALLY low prices(Contra CIB was only going for $4). So, these crackheads would use the money that they begged for, buy the games, trade them in to the mom and pop game store across the street, and get double what they paid for the games. I don't need to explain where that money went do I? It got to the point that the mom and pop store has pretty much ALL of the games that were initially at the thrift store and stopped taking them when they saw what was going on. Added to that, when the thrift store DOES get in games now, it's ridiculously overpriced($5 for Super Mario/Duck Hunt).

So, it'll just be that all over again here. Sad, but true.
Famicom Disk System: The More You Play It, the More You'll Want to Play

eCockpit

Quote from: FamicomRetroGamer on August 30, 2012, 03:02:28 pm
They should go from Power to the Gamers to Ripping off the Gamers.

Agreed!  Gamestop, in my eyes, is just as evil as EA or Activision.  I'm still not shopping at them, no matter what they carry.  Too little, too late for them, I say. >:( 

JohnnyBlaze

Off topic but ON topic as well, you can use this as better proof of Gamestop ripping people off. I traded in a few games to FYE recently and they gave me WAY more than Gamestop ever would.

I got $15 for my copy of Kirby's Epic Yarn when Gamestop would only give me $4. $18 for Heroes of Ruin when Gamestop would only give me $11.

Yet, Gamestop charges only $5 less than new. That IS "Ripping off the Gamers".
Famicom Disk System: The More You Play It, the More You'll Want to Play

Epic_Lotus

I don't really know what to think about Gamestop these days.  I've got my Wii U pre-ordered there (and a couple of games), but it'll be my first purchase at GS in about 6 months (had to go there for Xenoblade Chronicles).  My last purchase there before that was maybe...a couple of years ago (New Super Mario Bros. Wii when it was actually new).  I've only ever really had one bad experience at a store, and it wasn't my usual store anyways.  In fact, I had one store where the manager let me take all the Club Nintendo codes I wanted out of the used games, as often as I stopped in.  Pretty cool guy.

That said, I never go to them for used games.  I don't sell to them, and I don't buy used from them.  If I'm walking into a GS, it's for a new game or new system purchase only.  There're a couple of really good used shops near me that are really personable, and I like supporting local businesses when it's not overly disadvantageous economically.  I'd rather spend a couple extra bucks locally than shop at a chain, if I can help it.  They also give me decent prices on my used stuff I take in there.

All in all, though, I think Amazon, Target and Wal-mart get most of my money nowadays.  After I pick up my Wii U from GS, I probably won't set foot in the store again for another 6-8 months.   ;D