re: Former Nintendo boss Reggie joins Gamestop board of directors to save it

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I remember buying the original FFVII at electronics boutique. It’s currently still open as a GameStop.

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I bought it at Babbage's in Cortana. It however, is not still open as anything.

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GameStop used to be called EB games and before that Electronic Boutique, good ol days.

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Gamestop used to be called Babbages. They bought EB and turned all the EBs into Gamestops outside of like Canada I think.

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I think the video game world is better with a store dedicated primarily to video games. There's something cool about being in a video game store with fellow gaming nerds and stuff. Having a space for your hobby or culture is just sort of nice. Going to the game store and buying a game was always a memorable, exciting experience for me as a kid. I can remember where I bought almost every physical game I own actually.

It's just kind of pathetic to think of physical video games reduced to being tiny sub sections relegated to Wal Mart and Best Buy and shite.

Nothing about a WalMart feels special, quite the opposite. You'll be picking up a game and buying some ketchup and socks at the same time.

It's like when Blockbuster died, it kind of was sad. Going to the video rental store and walking around and looking at all the movies, and seeing other people there doing the same, it made renting a movie this unique shared experience everyone in society had for the 20 or so years it was popular. I can remember going there with various girls I was dating, wandering around, looking for date night movies, even remember specific movies we picked out as we hashed out one we could both agree on.

Everything is way more efficient now, but the trade off is it's all very cold and impersonal and forgettable.

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This is a very insightful post. I have vivid memories of Electronics Boutique, Babbage's, etc in Cortana Mall and landmark game releaes at these stores. Walking in and being surrounded by posters, wall of games, and nerdy workers that you could bullshite with forever about gaming is/was a visceral experience. Same thing with movies, music stores. Pretty cool walking around Musicland looking at the newest rock CDs and see that cute chick checking out bands you like.

I also used to hang out at a local video game rental store called Gameforce Central HQ bc the owner was a cool cat named Mark that used to let me hang out behind the counter and play unreleased games and shite from E3 while my dad shopped at the grocery store next door.

That whole thing is gone now, I buy 90% of my stuff digital or from Amazon and that whole experience is now gone.

Much like the dating/bar scene giving way to social and dating apps.

I'm so happy I was born in 1983 and not 1993 or 2003.

You did it! You crazy son of a bitch, you actually did it!

I always liked Babbage's better.. I think GameStop got them too.

I believe there is still a market for tailored retailers in an on premise setting, but they have to be catered to their audience and provide an immersive experience to differentiate them from Amazon or Walmart.

If you know your audience and stay true to that they will pay for the experience, if you let a bunch of MBAs and hedge fund types take over GameStop or toys r us it is doomed to fail.

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I came up with a business model about 3-4 years ago that could “save” GameStop and give them long term stability.

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There are gaming hubs locally that are packed right now despite covid. People in that community crave human connection and gamespot could help sell that to them.

They just need to adapt and quickly or they will be gone, Reddit or no Reddit.