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[Ron Mexico]

Exactly.

It also made no sense that a specialty retailer that focuses on games (the exact same product whether it's GS or Walmart) has the highest prices with zero price matching. IMO, it's better to make $10 on a game matching WM than make $0 if they buy it there. With low margins on new games, I can understand not doing a "price match and beat by 10%" but just simply matching would work wonders. I never bought new games at GS unless they had a trade in deal. I'd buy new from other stores.... even Dell.ca when they sold 360 games were cheaper than GS. I'd just buy off Dell and they had free shipping.

Again I'm dating myself here but price matching actually was available way back when. I left shortly after the GC launch and if I remember, it was on the chopping block right around that time. By this time, the company had gone public and the goalposts had moved significantly.

Essentially, they didn't feel they had to compete on price. Whoops.

 

[V1LÆM]

Physical game stores should've died off 10 years ago. They are lucky they lasted this long.

They will be dead within the next 5 years. Good riddance physical media.

 

[Happosai]

GameStop has no soul. It's just plastic shit everywhere and the employees are required to try to upsale everything which makes for an awkward experience everytime at check out. It's a shame, they rarely have consoles to play too. It's just a lame stuffy atmosphere.

I'd go in more often if the selection included old consoles and felt less corporate. I try to support my local GS but there isn't much of anything in it that I want to buy.

There was this time I remember in 2008 where you could walk into GameStop right about the time PS3 was released and they were selling used PS1's for $70. Mostly slim models and the OG for about $50. They were sold in a plain cardboard box with RCAs, 1 control and power. That wasn't so impressive given at that time there were still a few stores I knew carry PS2's new. However, they had a huge stack of used games for PS2, 360, GC which were selling for about $9.99 and some buy 4 get the 5th free. I mean, that part was decent. I had every console from that gen and the games were in decent shape. ...also bought one of the used PS2's after buying the PS3 (gave my old PS2 to my brother).

At any rate, the last time I stepped into a GameStop was around 2013. Used games were then going for like $40 low end and everything else at retail. Stock was low, consoles were inflated beyond what you could buy them for elsewhere. They lost my business then. All good things come to an end but not sure it was that good.

 

[Gamerfan81]

Gamestop had horrible business practices. Plus they also did the unthinkable and misgendered people!

 

[Methos#1975]

Physical games has no sense except for collectors (same as movies or music). And there are no PS5 or Series X on store. To buy a Switch or Series S you can go anywhere, you don't need a dedicated game store.

It's not only Gamestop, it's the physical games as business, sadly, it doesn't have future. I know people don't like the idea, but future is inevitably digital.

I disagree with films, physical is still far far far ahead of streamimg when it comes to image and audio quality

 

[FBeeEye]

The one i visit sometimes is always choke full of people.

I can almost smell the place.

 

[GymWolf]

I can almost smell the place.

Nah, it is mostly frequented by childs and families.

Also, nerds here where i live still wash themselves before leaving home.

 

[Tripolygon]

I have some store credits i need to spend i guess.

 

[theclaw135]

Physical game stores should've died off 10 years ago. They are lucky they lasted this long.

They will be dead within the next 5 years. Good riddance physical media.

An agonizing decline. Gamestop has rural markets lock, stock, and upselling insurance and pro memberships.
Even in their present sad shape, they still carry various indie/niche titles the big-box stores won't touch with a 39 foot pole.

 

[kapshin]

Only reason I care is people losing jobs that sucks.