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5 years from now: how will the video game aisle in retail stores look?
- Thread starter That Damn Kid
- Start date
capitalCORN
Member
I went to EBGames for Steam vouchers because they charge the American numerical value of the card in Canadian dollars. Kaching!
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
It was made during the gamecube era to make fun of cultish nintendo fans. I'm not sure if it even originated on GAF, it's been on the internet at least since the GC was an active console.
SanSebastian
Banned
Why would anybody buy a Download-Code in a store, if he has to login to the PSN/Xbox store anyways to activate it?
There is basically no real difference to buying it online.
Sony and MS also would make more money, if they could sell it directly to the customers.
Only reason to have these Download-Codes is having presence in stores.
There is basically no real difference to buying it online.
Sony and MS also would make more money, if they could sell it directly to the customers.
Only reason to have these Download-Codes is having presence in stores.
capitalCORN
Member
People with no access to credit cards?
SENPAIatLARGE
Banned
My local gamestop has one 4 times this size (Eliminating the Used PS3 game section completely) and added a huge cabinet for statues and action figures.
Complain all you like, the pop singularity is unavoidable. Surrender now or be on the losing side.
Since I have cash back and bonus rewards with my Best Buy credit card, I always buy pre-paid account cards for stuff like Steam/eShop/PSN. Saved a bunch of money over the past 10 years or so doing that.
Used to get 10% off prepaid WoW cards a long time ago too, which was rad.
Complain all you like, the pop singularity is unavoidable. Surrender now or be on the losing side.
The only losing side is the individual purchasing POP! figures.
SatoAilDarko
Member
Yeah. While Wii U lost most of its third-party releases after 2014 (except Lego, Toys to Life and Just Dance not included). 2016 may have actually had more third-party retail releases than 2015 with Minecraft, Minecract: Story Mode, Terreria, Runbow, Book of Unwritten Tales 2, Tumblestone and Mighty No. 9 coming out. This was the same year Nintendo cut its Wii U retail releases by half over the previous years.
Triforce141
Member
The same set of Animal Crossing amiibo will still be at every retailer since 2015, along with Metroid Other M stuck in Target's bargain bin like always
chekhonte
Member
I have. I doubt it'd ever go into a store just to buy a code but if I'm there I might. I usually put money on my consoles just because I've had problems in the past with the PSN store interface. For example I have paypal on my psn. This works to buy something about half the time and for some reason never works on vita. I tried to put a card on file for my vita and I just never worked no mater what card I used. I'd just get a generic error code that didn't explain anything when I looked it up.
I pick up a wallet codes in store about 3 or 4 times a year when I'm in a store, see the game isle and remember that I'm running low on psn funds.
Pancake Mix
Copied someone else's pancake recipe
I really, really doubt that. Why would retailers care to move to download cards when that means 50-60 GB that a consumer can just download from the comfort of their own home? It negates all of the benefits of retail copies.
Besides, Sony owns disc manufacturing plants. Blu-ray discs surviving is fine for them.
Wasn't this how Toys R Us looked?
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
SatoAilDarko
Member
Go to Toys R Us. They've added a Nintendo Toy section in the heart of the gaming area after moving the Infinity stuff tow places back.
JinjoUnchained
Member
It will look like the old Famicom Disk System kiosks. Switch-style hybrids will be industry-standard. If you do by a game from a store, you'll bring your Switch/Shield/PS/XBox portable equivalent, plug it into the kiosk, and buy credit/games/DLC.
Well maybe not, but that would be wild.
Well maybe not, but that would be wild.
Barkley's Justice
Member
Like this. Except with digital codes.
According to this inflation calculator, that $59.99 Golden Axe in 1989 is equivalent to $117.85 in 2017...Seems way off...Inflation is a lie.
Oh wow. I was just there and the Nintendo toys are still separated from the Nintendo aisle. This makes sense though.
Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku!
Member
Chrono Trigger was $80 before inflation
While digital is on the rise, there will always be place for physical games at retail stores. That said, I think the space will continue to get smaller in a lot of stores and there will be a trend of stocking bigger and newer while letting Amazon or GameStop handle the niche titles that could run the risk of sitting on the shelf for a while.
Depending where you live, the size of the gaming area is already shrinking at some stores. While my Best Buy still has a healthy selection of new PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo stuff, my friend on the other side of the US says that his Best Buy's gaming section is almost gone altogether.
Hard to say though because if the gaming business booms again like it did in the Wii generation, all bets are off. Then you've also got to consider that gaming is doing more and more business each year, right? But then on the other hand the US just elected Trump and depending on who you ask we may see all sorts of economic hardship as result, so that would definitely impact not only games but the retail industry in general which is already going through major shakeups due to the amount of business going to online stores like Amazon.
So yeah, there are a lot of factors to consider but if I had to just go with my gut I'd say it'll be mostly the same if not a bit smaller.
Depending where you live, the size of the gaming area is already shrinking at some stores. While my Best Buy still has a healthy selection of new PS4, Xbox, and Nintendo stuff, my friend on the other side of the US says that his Best Buy's gaming section is almost gone altogether.
Hard to say though because if the gaming business booms again like it did in the Wii generation, all bets are off. Then you've also got to consider that gaming is doing more and more business each year, right? But then on the other hand the US just elected Trump and depending on who you ask we may see all sorts of economic hardship as result, so that would definitely impact not only games but the retail industry in general which is already going through major shakeups due to the amount of business going to online stores like Amazon.
So yeah, there are a lot of factors to consider but if I had to just go with my gut I'd say it'll be mostly the same if not a bit smaller.
capitalCORN
Member
NES Ninja Gaiden 2 cost me $80 in allowance dollars in the 90's. And people want to go back to cartridges, lol.
fierrotlepou
Member
Rows and rows filled with "pre-order Cyberpunk 2077" boxes.
SatoAilDarko
Member
Hmm. Really? All three stores I've been to around me made the change. Though two were really recent and the other one also changed beginning in March.
Jakks World of Nintendo line has expanded its product line and restocked the core earlier figures like regular Mario and Samus. No doubt for synergy with Switch. TRU is having a 20% off sale on WoN till the 15th.
I have never seen that paper set up at Toys R Us?
closer013
Member
Is this the Greenfield, WI Best Buy?
Oh wow I miss this. The excitement of grabbing a slip. Running in saying to yourself, "This time it's MY turn to grab a slip." Paying for it and walking to the cage and getting your game. Was a lot of excitement!
Maybe I took it too seriously as a kid. Hey, it was just as exciting when you bought a bike too!
MrMephistoX
Member
3D Printers and Bluray Burners in the demo stations at Amazon locker locations and GameStops.
Foldedpencil
Banned
I wish those Jakks toys were just a little bit better quality. I often look at them, and I want to like them, but the paint is usually awful.
crackhead_bob
Member
Like this. Except with digital codes.
That looks like a Toys R Us display, circa 1990 or 1991. I can't recall when Budokan was released, but I do recognize the Sega lineup in the pic were largely around the U.S. launch lineup. Golden Axe came out around March of 1990, if I remember correctly.
Jawmuncher
Member
They'll be mostly the same. People are expecting too much to think we'll be all digital in 5 years.
SatoAilDarko
Member
They're $9 retail price. When the alternative articulated Nintendo figures are $50 Figmas and Nendoroids I think they absolutely have their place.
It allows a greater range of characters (I don't see Figmas being made of the entire Star Fox team) and some interesting product ideas.
It's just great to be able to have such a large collection of articulated Nintendo characters in addition to my Amiibo, Figmas and occasionally statue.
Certain ones look better than others of course.
It's also great for kid fans who are obviously not importing $50 figures from Japan to have Nintendo action figures.
minkymuskyslyoldstoaty
Member
Sounds similar to Argos, but with pre-filled-in slips, so no pens to pinch.
chromatic9
Member
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Probably vastly smaller in most stores.
All the Best Buys around me have already severely cut back their CD and DVD/BR sections. One in particular that used to have a huge section for both now has both in one small corner.
The gaming section has also been cut back a ton, but not nearly that much. Yet. I'm already to the point of just ordering with in-store pick up or with shipping from BB.com though as too many times I go and if it's not the latest big hit or one of the flagpole games they either don't have it--or if they do it's in a cage or in the back and I have to wait 30 minutes to find someone to get it. Where as before I could walk in and usually easily grab anything I wanted off the shelf.
To be fair, that's just Best Buy. Target, Walmart etc. haven't made nearly as many changes other than the CD section being way smaller than years back.
All the Best Buys around me have already severely cut back their CD and DVD/BR sections. One in particular that used to have a huge section for both now has both in one small corner.
The gaming section has also been cut back a ton, but not nearly that much. Yet. I'm already to the point of just ordering with in-store pick up or with shipping from BB.com though as too many times I go and if it's not the latest big hit or one of the flagpole games they either don't have it--or if they do it's in a cage or in the back and I have to wait 30 minutes to find someone to get it. Where as before I could walk in and usually easily grab anything I wanted off the shelf.
To be fair, that's just Best Buy. Target, Walmart etc. haven't made nearly as many changes other than the CD section being way smaller than years back.
LiveFromKyoto
Member
Because you're a teenager who doesn't have a credit card.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Or as gifts since gifting of digital games is an option on consoles--or at least some. I know you can't on PSN. Never looked into it on Nintendo or Xbox.
grosvenor_92
Member
Smaller due to a lack of physical releases and digital becoming more common