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GameStop Stock Plummets After A 27.5% Decrease In Holiday Sales

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Warmsignal:
I think everyone knew that GS was super shady and brutal towards their employees from many years ago. Talk to anyone who worked there, and they had plenty of stories to tell. Now all of their dirty laundry is out in the open. It's blatant, everyone knows what goes on. That still doesn't turn me away from the convenience of stopping by and picking up something I wanted. No one forces people to work there, no one is forced to buy there. Ultimately it's run by a bunch of greedy power-tripping clowns, who think selling subscriptions is the end all be all to line their pockets before the bankruptcy, but dammit, it's somewhere to stop and pick up a game, or just browse through a bunch of physical titles at once. An increasing rarity in this day and age, and I'll continue to take advantage of the opportunity.

hoshichiri:

--- Quote from: bikingjahuty on January 16, 2020, 01:39:57 am ---Whether we want it too or not, physical media is dying on all fronts. Physical music is nearly all dead, at least CDs, and vinyl is very niche. DVDs/Blurays have rapidly been vanishing while streaming and on demand has become the new norm, and now gaming is starting to become more and more digital over time. I say this not as someone who wants physical media to die, quite the contrary, but viewing this objectively this is what's happening.

--- End quote ---

I think you inadvertently hit the right word here- physical is going niche. Think about it. Of all media to make a return, VINYL is available again. Quite possibly the least convenient form of music available today aside from a wax cylinder- and you can buy it in Target. Quite frankly, if it's available in such a big retailer, it isn't THAT niche.

We're seeing something similar within games- the rise of the boutique publisher. How many low print run publishers have come up in the last generation? Off the top of my head, I can name Limited Run, Super Rare, Signature Edition, IAm8Bit... and I KNOW there's more. And LRG's got their stock in Best Buy now... that's a notable expansion!

I think as long as game companies have a good reason to put optical drives in consoles- and they do, gaming downloads need a LOT more data than other media, more than some people can access easily- they'll be physical games. However, I do see a shift to a focus more on the collector than the average consumer. You don't need to put out a disc for Fifa or Madden every year, people don't hang onto those. But weirdos like me, who want a hard copy of everything? The games we play will get that release. Becuase yes, I WILL buy Untitled Goose Game twice to have it physical, game length be DAMNED!

bikingjahuty:
With a metric ton of games coming out this Spring I took a drive to my main Gamestop tonight and preorders about 7 different games being released between next month and May. I also renewed my Power Up Rewards membership that I'd literally been hesitant to do for over a year. The reason I inevitably decided to go for it was because I know Gamestop will be gone soon. It won't be gone this year or next, but I'd say there's a very real possibility it might not exist at all in 5 or 6 years, although my money is more on 8 or 9-years. At the very least I can see many stores getting closed between 2021 and 2022.


I want to experience having a game store to go to and enjoy as much as possible while I can, because as soon as Gamestop goes away I don't think I'll get that many more opportunities to enjoy going to one. Sure, with Gamestop being as big as they are, not having any game stores might leave a vacuum that independent stores might fill, much the way record stores still exist despite places like Sam Goody or Media Play being gone, but at this point I have no idea, especially if physically media does disappear after next gen.


So yeah, I plan on shopping at Gamestop as much as possible while they're around. I'll probably go in to browse more often, and try and savor my experience there as much as possible. I know that once they're gone, I will miss them dearly, much in the same way I've missed many of my favorite independent game stores that have gone under the last few years. Sad times ahead people :/

seether:
Lol @ thinking GameStop will still be around for another 9 years.

oldgamerz:
In my local area if people buy physical games they go to the retro sellers, and get the same thing as GameStop. Only more to choose from. with all the other game sources selling the same games as my GameStop plus retro and most other electronics as well, they are failing in my area because people go elsewhere for the same things and more.

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