Foldedpencil
Banned
What does the music section of a store look like? It will probably look like that but with a bunch of figurines and t shirts.
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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
KevMan1815
Member
And I remember spending a similar amount on FFVI when that released. Thinking back I'm shocked my parents let me drop that much money on a game like that in middle school. Worth it.
John Kowalski
Banned
Bargain bins will still be full of cooking mama games
Exactly the same way it looks now. As usual, a lot of people are doing more to view buying habits based on their own habits than giving consideration to preferences of the average consumer when it comes to digital (its viability has increased over the years, but it's still not on a fast track to supplant physical releases).
I expect it to shrink again. In the last 7 years they have redone the inside of BB near my house twice. First remodel they made the movie/tv section smaller and increased the video game section with motion control demos, the last remodel shrank the game area and increased the phone and Apple section.
keyboardsnake
Banned
I know we're all used to it and like our precious physical but these kids growing up with iOS gaming aren't going to give a damn about it. I don't think much software will be in stores in 5 years... a few tokens and special editions so they can disguise selling us crap as selling us a game just like they do now.
Night.Ninja
Banned
Buy the game in store and downloads automatically
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
The music and movie sections in places like Best Buy have shrank a TON over the past 5 or so years in a lot of locations.
Though gaming will be slower as digital and streaming aren't as easy, convenient or cheap as they are for music and movies.
bitesnintendog
Member
This.
Also, physical is consistently cheaper than digital.
Only uncertainty will be the expansion of tacky gamer things with high retail margins. I could see that going either way as I can't imagine they're currently moving enough of it to justify shelf space in a store like Target.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Toys to life are dying off some though (Disney Inifinity entirely, Amiibo releases are much slower etc.), so that frees up some space in the gaming section for other figures and merchandise I guess.
I know the AA space is kind of fading aside from a few publishers and Japanese titles, but right now especially on the PS4 there's more indie games on disc than ever. Albeit many are only to be purchased through online retailers, but my local stores still have a lot and it really increases the range.
My local JBHIFI has a PS4 kids game section with many indies and they sell because parents stuggle to buy games for their kids.
My local JBHIFI has a PS4 kids game section with many indies and they sell because parents stuggle to buy games for their kids.
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Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
To expand on that, that's a big part of the issue.
It's not just, or probably even mostly, that digital game sales are increasing. It's that more and more physical media purchases are made online these days. Especially for those living in a metro area, many would rather just order the game with free release day shipping (or two day for games already out) than hassle with traffic etc. to get to Best Buy or whatever to buy locally.
That's why you see Best Buy shifting more floor space to home theater equipment, appliances etc. Many people prefer buying that stuff locally, getting local delivery and installation etc. Even those who are going to use Best Buy as a showroom and then order online are at least in the store and the aggressive sales people can try to talk them into buying there with price match etc. instead of ordering from Amazon. Hard to do that with small items like games, movies etc. Along with profit margins being so slim on media vs. hardware and appliances.
Also piracy. People can download music/movies pretty easy.
capitalCORN
Member
More like streaming and digital ate their lunch.
MugiwaraCole
Member
You're very optimistic about the improvement of our internet speed.
I think it'll look the same, but with PS5 and NextBox titles instead.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
Nah. Music sections were still huge in the Napster days. Piracy is still too inconvenient for the average joes shopping at Best Buy. It was the rise of steaming, easy digital purchases like iTunes etc. that killed CDs and is starting to kill movies (Netflix/Amazon etc. streaming subscription selection still being limited is the main limiting factor there).
Gaming isn't hit as hard as the streaming services like PS Now are limited in selection and quality, digital game prices on consoles are usually more expensive than physical (especially with GCU/Prime discounts) and modern games tend to be huge and limit the convenience for people with slower internet and/or data caps.
It hasn't everywhere though. The gaming sections of my local Best Buy have shrunk by roughly a third (stock is probably similar, but more kept in cages or the back than on shelves). The music and movie sections are less than a quarter of the size they were 5 years ago, much less 10+ years ago etc., and the stock of older releases is terrible.
Nah, what? I'm not saying piracy was the main issue. Clearly not. I was adding it to what you had already said. Piracy was a contributing factor and to completely ignore that would be missing the whole picture.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
EB Games did this. All the E and EC games on some part of their wall or kiosk.
Retail stores aren't always the place to get it first. I use to work retail back when you could still find a PS1 game somewhere in a discount bin. Now a days I find games in their bargain bin that I picked up on release last gen. No need for me to purchase and there's multiple copies everywhere.
This gen I have no idea. I got out of the idea of having someone pull a game for me from their cabinet or move the sliding glass door with their keys.
I buy from Amazon and digitally. More and more it has been physical copies for me bought online.
I can see them sizing down. I still think the culture will stay the same. Digital can be dominating, but not everyone can afford or understand the digital market.
Who knows though. Cell phones are huge, but not everyone can afford them. I like the idea of the slips because I enjoyed buying SNES games that way at Toys R Us many years ago.
Plus it's marketing and not everyone is gonna visit a gaming website. I personally have no idea. The world has so many views and my experience from working at GameStop is that games still need to be explained to some people.
To some people they don't necessarily care. They'll sell that Xbox or Nintendo console because their ex left it at their house and they broke up.
Plus there's something special about owning a physical copy. I love digital. I just don't know about physical stores. I can definitely understand GameStop closing 200 stores. The markets out there are wonderful. No offense because I do have memories of EB and Babbages that are nice to think about.
I'm 5 years they'll probably still be in that two gen cycle if not they'll probably make it at least look better.
I hate how low the kiosk sit at Target.
Head.spawn
Junior Member
5 years? Exactly the same.
More VR Kiosks.
More VR Kiosks.
Pop-O-Matic
Banned
There won't be a Nintendo section.
I always thought this was a good idea for those with internet problems yet I am starting to doubt it will ever happen now.
Anyways it will probably be the same as now in 5 years.. sad and boring.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
I didn't mean to completely ignore it. I just think the impact of piracy has been largely overblown. At least in the US, parts of Asia and other places is a different matter with all the bootlegs sold etc. The vast majority of people pirating things are people who wouldn't spend money on the vast majority of what they pirate anyway, be it due to lack of funds or just being immoral shits.
For instance, record labels were convinced DRM free MP3s would be the death of the industry as piracy would run rampant, and iTunes etc. losing DRM had no real impact on sales. Most people are fine paying as long as prices are reasonable and the delivery is convenient. When it's too pricey or inconvenient, most are just going to skip it rather than pirate. And those who don't want to pay mostly aren't going to pay regardless of how cheap or convenient it is.
Piracy didn't shrink the CD section at Best Buy. People started buying MP3s and streaming as they were more convenient and younger generations care less about owning media and use it more disposably than older generations with their record, CD collections etc. Same is happening with movies, and gaming will get there eventually, though pricing and file sizes will slow the trend there.
Profit margins are just too thin on digital media (already very slim on physical media) for it to be worth stores to dedicate the space and resources to those kind of stations vs more room for TVs, appliances and other high mark up items.
Netherscourge
Banned
It'll just be consoles.
No physical games.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
It will look the same but probalby smaller. Just like the vastly shrunk music and movie sections in most Best Buy stores. Some larger stores like Wal-mart will probably change less as they're less strapped for floor space and still have larger movie sections (though the CD sections have shrank a lot. I'm sure it varies by area though.
With potentially reduced shelf space it might be in the industries best interest to reduce packaging size to a slimline plastic case. Instruction manuals are no longer included and with so much empty space it must cost a fortune to ship that air.
* Thinking about it a slimline case would make the spine difficult to read so a similar game box to the 3DS but holding discs would be a better option and you can still do disc stacking for multi disc games and various compilations.
* Thinking about it a slimline case would make the spine difficult to read so a similar game box to the 3DS but holding discs would be a better option and you can still do disc stacking for multi disc games and various compilations.
Orochinagis
Member
Well, stores here are starting to get smaller and put some cardboax as game titles of the actual game instead.
I think accesories, lego stuff and figures are the only ones taking space now
I think accesories, lego stuff and figures are the only ones taking space now
Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks those things are ugly af.
MulderYuffie
Member
The same as it does now let's give it another 2 or 3 console generations.
There will still be physical copies of most major console games next gen, the data size increase compared to what people are willing to download isn't an issue that's going away any time soon. The range might be a little smaller, and more space taken by points cards, toys, clothing and accessories, but that's a trend that's been running for years now.
My local HMV is still at least 50% cds/DVDs, many years after the advent of Netflix, iTunes etc, the formats are ancient but convenient and cheap and a reasonable size for the content, plus they make nice gifts. It's not just that digital will continue to grow, it's that the market for physical, even when it's a minority (something that's not even going to happen next gen) is still going to be popular enough to make it worth selling copies. As the customer base ages, there's still going to be a lot of older games preferring physical for one reason or another, and the data size compared to an album or a song is a big part of that.
One scenario that might cause a major shift in how retail looks is if the number of popular formats takes a massive drop, like if MS bowed out of the console market (I'm not saying it's likely, just that that's what it would take). On the Nintendo side of things, Old 3DS and WiIU games aren't going to take up the same shelf space as the last few hangers on of Wii/DS shovelware did for years, and Switch game cases are tiny. I could see Nintendo's bays being 40% Switch carts, a small range of 3DS titles and points cards/toys/accessories taking up much of the display space very quickly.
My local HMV is still at least 50% cds/DVDs, many years after the advent of Netflix, iTunes etc, the formats are ancient but convenient and cheap and a reasonable size for the content, plus they make nice gifts. It's not just that digital will continue to grow, it's that the market for physical, even when it's a minority (something that's not even going to happen next gen) is still going to be popular enough to make it worth selling copies. As the customer base ages, there's still going to be a lot of older games preferring physical for one reason or another, and the data size compared to an album or a song is a big part of that.
One scenario that might cause a major shift in how retail looks is if the number of popular formats takes a massive drop, like if MS bowed out of the console market (I'm not saying it's likely, just that that's what it would take). On the Nintendo side of things, Old 3DS and WiIU games aren't going to take up the same shelf space as the last few hangers on of Wii/DS shovelware did for years, and Switch game cases are tiny. I could see Nintendo's bays being 40% Switch carts, a small range of 3DS titles and points cards/toys/accessories taking up much of the display space very quickly.
ScatheZombie
Member
You could download your entire music library in 20 minutes for free a decade ago. There's still a physical music section today.
You've been able to stream or download nearly any movie to any device for less than the cost of the Blu-Ray/DVD for years. There's still a physical movie section today.
Physical games are going nowhere. The redeemable code section will probably expand a little, but that's about it.
You've been able to stream or download nearly any movie to any device for less than the cost of the Blu-Ray/DVD for years. There's still a physical movie section today.
Physical games are going nowhere. The redeemable code section will probably expand a little, but that's about it.
D
Deleted member 752119
Unconfirmed Member
But again, the CD and DVD/BR section in some stores have shrank dramatically.
Best Buy is the best local example. Used to be a huge movie/music section in the middle of the store. Now it's like 3 or 4 small aisles in one corner.
Same is happening with gaming at the local Best Buy's. It was a bigger section near the movies and music in the center, and is now a smaller section (though bigger than the movie/music section due to the demo kiosks etc.) in the opposite corner.
Granted I'm sure that varies by area, and its not are relvevant in the stupid huge stores like Target and Walmart that have so much floor space they have little reason to downsize departments.
Petrae
Member
Smaller. Video game hardware box displays and accessories will remain, but physical games will gradually diminish in favor of digital storefront currency cards and a computer kiosk to check out videos of new releases.
Brick & mortar stores will sell the stuff to play the games on, but not the games themselves-- aside from the biggest AAA releases. Publishers and platform holders will rent space in stores to display/sell currency cards, hardware, and accessories.
Brick & mortar stores will sell the stuff to play the games on, but not the games themselves-- aside from the biggest AAA releases. Publishers and platform holders will rent space in stores to display/sell currency cards, hardware, and accessories.
mikezilla2
Member
how do you want it to look ?
Unless the industry works out a way to get retail a bigger cut on physical games, it will get smaller and smaller as big box retailers eventually cut them out. GameStop will have much smaller sections with bigger merch sections. For example, Funko POPs are like 50% profit. Much like all merch. Much bigger cut than games.
In five years, games will lose a giant chunk of retail space unless they give up more. If they even care.
In five years, games will lose a giant chunk of retail space unless they give up more. If they even care.
rochellepaws
Member
Very little change though I definitely predict that there'll be a thread on gaf in 5 years predicting the end of physical media within the 5 years to follow.
Music stores and sections selling CDs still exist and those would logically be the first to go, it feels like they've been nearing the end for about 15 years now but they're still there.
Music stores and sections selling CDs still exist and those would logically be the first to go, it feels like they've been nearing the end for about 15 years now but they're still there.
zackmorris
Member
You know he said five years right?