7/26/2019

A word about Gamestop.  Gamestop has been trading in the $4.00 range recently.  That's not good.  While I have seen companies come back from that (some of those being juggernauts today) most fizzle out.  So their plan is to reformat their stores (again) in an attempt to mimic the Mom and Pop stores by selling retro games and magic cards.  As all of you well know Mom and Pop shops have been struggling for years and closing up left and right.  In fact there are two left where I live.  Of course Gamestop recently tried this and FAILED since they did NOT properly train their employees to spot counterfeits and fake repo games (this issue was prolific). They also mentioned local gamer leagues and tournaments.  Wait, didn't Game Crazy do that before they locked up too ?

Now some have feel they have a "cater to the collectors" mentality and truthfully they're not wrong.  Its a direct result of one of the recent past reformats' to draw in retail sales and generate revenue.  I just wait for stuff to go on clearance until it becomes reasonably priced.  So imagine, with Gamestop gone you will have one less nationwide avenue for USED games, one less decent gamer magazine, and one less physical place for games to congregate and talk shop.  I think that's what bothers me most.  It would be one less place for us to be. 

In the end its the same path that our beloved EB Games, Kay Bee Toys, ToyRus, and Radio Shack all went down.  Too little too late.  While Gamestop was never really my first choice I hate the idea of relying solely on the Walmarts, Targets, and Best Buys for retail experiences.  I close with this question to you...do you think the big three already see the writing on the wall and that's why there's such serious talk of digital distribution it this next generation?  Now I question which came first, the demand for digital distribution or the need?

-kaokensho

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