guys my internet connection is fast enough that I could pretty much download whatever game I want from an online store, and I pretty much d/l everything over Steam these days, but still I love going into the store on the way to work to see what's new. i don't play a ton of console games these days, i just like seeing what they're showing off in the store. curious to know who on here just gets all their info online, and who drops into the local shop just to see what's new (even though tbh you can just learn it all in posts and forums here!!)
Visiting my local game store
- Thread starter Rabid Raccoon
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That depends on what type of "game store" you're referring to...
Of course, if it's simply a store for video games, then there really isn't much reason to visit because you can find any videogame info online, unless they have local multi-player tournaments (ie. Smash Bros).
Else, if it's store for TCG/tabletop gaming, then that's far harder to download. It'd be worth going down and seeing what, if anything they're doing on a regular basis (ie. FNM, tabletop demonstrations, etc.)
Of course, if it's simply a store for video games, then there really isn't much reason to visit because you can find any videogame info online, unless they have local multi-player tournaments (ie. Smash Bros).
Else, if it's store for TCG/tabletop gaming, then that's far harder to download. It'd be worth going down and seeing what, if anything they're doing on a regular basis (ie. FNM, tabletop demonstrations, etc.)
- Feb 7, 2011
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I don't think I've actually been to a physical game store in like 2 years. I haven't been doing much console gaming, and any console games I do want I've just been buying on Amazon, and everything else I get from steam or gog.
I buy all (I think) of my games offline. Never used steam.
I love going in to stores and browsing their sections.
I don't tend to buy games unless they are around or under 200kr (27$ I think).
Just the anticipation of finding that old gem, or something entirely new and exciting.
Holding it in my hand, gleefully awaiting my return home to install it.
It's a wonderful feeling.
I love going in to stores and browsing their sections.
I don't tend to buy games unless they are around or under 200kr (27$ I think).
Just the anticipation of finding that old gem, or something entirely new and exciting.
Holding it in my hand, gleefully awaiting my return home to install it.
It's a wonderful feeling.
I'm super lucky when it comes to game stores. (Video game stores, I mean.) I'm a 60/40 split between retro and modern gamer, and there's three awesome retro game shops in my area. I have options! I almost never have to go to Gamestop!
One has the best selection, but the highest prices, the other has low selection, but awesome prices, and the third is in the middle. All except the middle one have super-friendly staff who'll have a ten minute conversation about the game you're buying, if you're in to that sort of thing (which I am.)
Sadly, I now spend eight months a year at school, and next year I start real-life adulthood and have to move away.
One has the best selection, but the highest prices, the other has low selection, but awesome prices, and the third is in the middle. All except the middle one have super-friendly staff who'll have a ten minute conversation about the game you're buying, if you're in to that sort of thing (which I am.)
Sadly, I now spend eight months a year at school, and next year I start real-life adulthood and have to move away.
I like going in independant video game shops. Especially if they have an old PS1/2/DS section. You can pick up 3-4 games for a fiver sometimes, and seeing the physical copies of games I remember from magazines and demo disks/videos (Thank you PSW/OPM!) makes me snap them up straight away!
There is no local game store where I live, hasn't been for years. They all went the way of any other specialist stores in the city. Now there is only malls filled with clothes, shoes and Swedish hardware stores -that always have a little bit of everything, but not enough that you can actually get what you came there for-, and city center caters almost exclusively to the student population with countless pubs, kiosks and the occasional resturant.
My city is very univeristy-heavy, and has a huge student population. The last numbers I saw indicate that city center holds about 62,000 people, only 17,000 of which are permanent residents.
As a result I get most of my stuff online, and I guess thats how people want it. Running a small store is impossibly expensive in this country, and competing with the multi-billion international brands and Hong Kong-based online shops is incredibly hard; sometimes impossible. ... Unless you want to sell coffee and week-old sausages to students of course.
My city is very univeristy-heavy, and has a huge student population. The last numbers I saw indicate that city center holds about 62,000 people, only 17,000 of which are permanent residents.
As a result I get most of my stuff online, and I guess thats how people want it. Running a small store is impossibly expensive in this country, and competing with the multi-billion international brands and Hong Kong-based online shops is incredibly hard; sometimes impossible. ... Unless you want to sell coffee and week-old sausages to students of course.
I get all of my information online, but I only really buy games online if I need to. I'm a bit of a collector, so I like to have physical copies of games, if possible, which is why I hate limited physical releases and download-only games on consoles, especially handhelds. Handhelds, particularly the PS Vita, tend to have limited storage space. The 3DS isn't so bad, since it stores things on SD cards, which are really cheap these days, but the Vita uses proprietary memory cards, which have an absurdly low storage space-to-price ratio.
I love hearing the different views here and I must confess that finding the nostalgic games and Game of the Year editions and whatnot in the store is another big reason I like to visit the local shops. Madwarper, really good point about tabletop gaming, I don't do a ton of that but there are some video games, even games with physical components like Skylanders and the like, where being there to see something in the flesh is a big big plus.
CEX deserves it's place on every high street in the UK.
Think I've purchased more games from there than I've ever bought anywhere else.
Hell, my local GAME even has a fairly substantial PC games section, even if half of them are Steam-only, I found some lovely Merge Media DRM free packages for indie games.
Think I've purchased more games from there than I've ever bought anywhere else.
Hell, my local GAME even has a fairly substantial PC games section, even if half of them are Steam-only, I found some lovely Merge Media DRM free packages for indie games.