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[dcx4610]

I think they should literally be a place you stop for games. They should be turned into gaming lounges with tournaments, demos, etc. You also should be able to buy games from all generations. They really need to focus on the collector market instead of the casual market going forward since those people are going digital.

They would likely need to close several stores but they can really beef up other stores and buy bigger spaces to turn into gaming centers.

 

[Gamernyc78]

Thy can pull a Toysrus which has closed but is about to open a few stores and focus on online selling. They can pull through if they are smart and keel tying some exclusive content to online code purchases of games or consoles.

Either way thy been kind of dead and if thy go I won't muss them due to some of their avarice practices.

 

[zenspider]

Yeah I don't really think a vacuum will be left. With digital gaming making up a larger percentage of sales each year, more and more casuals only/mostly playing F2P stuff like Fortnite, the coming streaming services and so on the market for used games is going to keep shrinking. And even for used games for years people like myself have been selling games ourselves on Amazon, Ebay, Craigslist etc. instead of getting ripped off on their low trade in payouts and high markups.

To the other point, I don't think most dedicated gamers want to come together in the era of online gaming. At least not in numbers to support a big corporation with thousands of locations, given how arcades dropped off and internet cafe MMO gaming never caught on here like in Asia. There are some game (or game and comic) themed bars around my city that do ok, but it's not really a gaming crowd. They're mostly just chill places with decent food and good selections of craft beer. There's usually not many people playing the arcade or pinball machines.

Dedicated game stores, arcades, etc. are just relics of the past that have nothing left but a small niche in the era of digital games, online gaming and mobile gaming.

We're going to have to agree to disagree here. Independent game stores that were killed off are coming back, "barcades" are a thing - them making their money on food and drinks doesn't diminish their USP.

We agree that there are business models that are relics of the past, but Gamestop threw out the baby with the bathwater, and time will tell wethere or not what we've lost over the years (and will lose in thier absence) is still in enough demand to carve out a market.

 

[ConnorDuffy1977]

Firstly, cut out the insults, secondly, you didnt get a good deal.

I won't cut the insults when warranted. Your comment deserved it. It was a good deal. Way better than any other retailer giving trade credit.

Again, even if you don't like it, why get rid of the option for other gamers?

 

[AnotherOne]

Let em die.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

We're going to have to agree to disagree here. Independent game stores that were killed off are coming back, "barcades" are a thing - them making their money on food and drinks doesn't diminish their USP.

We agree that there are business models that are relics of the past, but Gamestop threw out the baby with the bathwater, and time will tell wethere or not what we've lost over the years (and will lose in thier absence) is still in enough demand to carve out a market.

Oh I don’t think we disagree at all. I mentioned some barcades in my city that do well, and I think some independent game stores can do well for that niche of retro game collectors and what not.

I just don’t think there’s a market for pure arcades (no food or booze) or a used game chain like GameStop that has a ton of locations in every city. Most cities can support a couple independent game stores IMO, more in the biggest cities as long as they’re spread out in ways that make sense. S

Otherwise, the rise of digital and younger generations never caring about physical media means there’s not a place for a huge, GameStop like used game corporation with thousands of locations.

 

[Saruhashi]

They could have taken inspiration from smaller companies like Limited Run Games, Signature Edition Games and Fangamer.
Offering rare physical editions and videogame related merch.

I don't actually know how much money that would make though.

Other than that they need to clean up their image overall as everyone just sees them as a sleazy, greasy, company that is looking to swindle gamers rather than serve them.

Stop selling useless tat that is not game related.

Employ staff that actually seem to care about games and don't have them constantly harass the customers about offers etc.

 

[Platinumstorm]

So I don't think their current direction allows them any viability in the future.

I would honestly try to cater it as like a place gamers can go to get casual food, have a limited selection of newer or retro games, and then an online shop people can order games from. They could even give out like DLC with meals or game coupons. People can bring their switches and play games there, meet others and what not.

 

[Hudo]

Before we ask that, we need to ask: Should they be saved?

 

[NickFire]

So I don't think their current direction allows them any viability in the future.

I would honestly try to cater it as like a place gamers can go to get casual food, have a limited selection of newer or retro games, and then an online shop people can order games from. They could even give out like DLC with meals or game coupons. People can bring their switches and play games there, meet others and what not.

I agree with the bold, and like the sound of the rest too. They won't, but they really need to look at things more from a "what would make people who like video games want to come here" point of view, and less from a "how can we make more profits" point of view. I know they need profits to survive and obviously have to look at decisions from a profit / loss standpoint. But in this case the greed went too far and killed their good will. You cannot be as greedy as, or more greedy than your competitors when they can sell it cheaper and without making the consumer leave the house.

 

[frogger]

Let it die. I won't miss it.

 

[Shifty]

We need a bigger nuke.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Would it be irrelevant to suggest that Gamestop bring out more game kiosks (like in ye olden days) and more retro stuff? I have a retro + modern game store in my area that gets a ton of business while Gamestops continue to shut down. I feel like their push for more merchandizing really diluted the purpose of the store.

 

[Tesseract]

make some games and create a digital platform

short of that no, i don't think anything will save them

 

[NickFire]

make some games and create a digital platform

short of that no, i don't think anything will save them

What's wrong with their current games? My two favorites are Pre-order dodging (multiplatform) and Scratch Insurance dodging (multiplatform). I have very high scores in both.

 

[OmaeWaMouShindiggity]

Don't know if this has already been said but...Gamestop needs to move into some type of department store that creates foot traffic like Kohl's/Big Lots/JCPennys/[Insert Big Store That Doesn't Have Game Electronics Section]. They aren't pulling in enough foot traffic alone and paying rent on all these buildings isn't helping them. Get under someone elses umbrella, feed off each others foot traffic. Win/Win, you even get to potentially tap into clientele that never planned to even step foot into a Gamestop but because you are now "there" they actually stop and look/possibly purchase.

 

[Petrae]

Would it be irrelevant to suggest that Gamestop bring out more game kiosks (like in ye olden days) and more retro stuff? I have a retro + modern game store in my area that gets a ton of business while Gamestops continue to shut down. I feel like their push for more merchandizing really diluted the purpose of the store.

The problems with retro sales in stores are:

1. Employees aren’t trained in how to spot fakes/bootlegs. Hell, even GameStop’s warehouse isn’t. This would lead to a lot of returns and lost money as consumers catch it, and it would (further?) damage trust.

2. Stores would either need a decent disc-buffing machine (with training for employees) or send the games back to the warehouse and then wait for them to return.

3. As it stands, employees generally aren’t strict enough with their trade-in standards, especially with discs. Most don’t know what to look for in terms of damage (scratches along the top/label, spindle cracks, etc.)

4. Most GS stores aren’t set up to resist shrink/theft of retro games. There aren’t enough secure display cases, which means corporate would have to buy and install them in stores.

While I’d love to see GameStop go back to a FuncoLand kind of setup, there are too many challenges that would cost too much money to resolve.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

The problems with retro sales in stores are:

1. Employees aren’t trained in how to spot fakes/bootlegs. Hell, even GameStop’s warehouse isn’t. This would lead to a lot of returns and lost money as consumers catch it, and it would (further?) damage trust.

2. Stores would either need a decent disc-buffing machine (with training for employees) or send the games back to the warehouse and then wait for them to return.

3. As it stands, employees generally aren’t strict enough with their trade-in standards, especially with discs. Most don’t know what to look for in terms of damage (scratches along the top/label, spindle cracks, etc.)

4. Most GS stores aren’t set up to resist shrink/theft of retro games. There aren’t enough secure display cases, which means corporate would have to buy and install them in stores.

While I’d love to see GameStop go back to a FuncoLand kind of setup, there are too many challenges that would cost too much money to resolve.

I agree that all of these challenges are probably beyond Gamestop's capabilities (former GS employee here). But I'm just pointing out that unbranded retro + modern stores are doing quite well in spite of these conflicts. I think a major issue is the lack of space in those stores. Gamestop often crams themselves into the cheapest, smallest part of a strip mall which doesn't leave a lot of space for storage or machines to repair discs on site.

The retro store I occasionally visit is significantly larger than your average Gamestop (at least 4x the shelves) including a large enough backroom for a disc buffer and a whole desk of TVs dedicated to console testing. They usually have 5 or 6 people on staff instead of Gamestop's 2 to 4. They also take your name and ph. # and call you up once your trades have been counted up, whereas Gamestop is always getting backlogged by some asshole who brought in a trash-bag full of games they want to sell.

You're right though, my wishful/nostalgic thinking is probably unrealistic for the Gamestop brand.

 

[DESTROYA]

Before we ask that, we need to ask: Should they be saved?

Yeah I think they should , one less place you can actually go to buy physical games would suck.
They need to focus more on games and customer service .
My idea
Sell gameinformer mag everywhere ( bookstores/newstands) not only subscription based, but offer coupons in GI for in store discounts that would get more foot traffic in store and maybe people buy more stuff while there. Have in store specials, buy a console you get a free used game of choice in store.Have coupons for new releases in store .
I know if I can get 5%-10% off games I’m going there.
I realize that’s not going to fix much but it’s a start but they have to get rid of the practice of selling opened and unwrapped games as new.

OmaeWaMouShindiggity 2 posts above has a crappy user name but great idea too.

 

[Randall365]

Some sort of deal to sell digital games for cheaper than buying online.

Focus on hardware.

Stop trying to rip people off (particularly on trade ins)


I was happy buying physical and trading in but Game got greedy.

 

[Riven326]

I switched over to digital. So GS became useless to me unless there was potential for huge savings. But the PSN store always has pretty good sales. I never liked their stores anyway. I won't miss them.

 

[Northeastmonk]

Would it be irrelevant to suggest that Gamestop bring out more game kiosks (like in ye olden days) and more retro stuff? I have a retro + modern game store in my area that gets a ton of business while Gamestops continue to shut down. I feel like their push for more merchandizing really diluted the purpose of the store.

Stores like Target and Walmart still do this? But does it actually help sales? It did back when the Saturn and N64 were hot. Especially with GBA games. GameStop had a Nintendo DS, a Wii, 360 (with guitar) and a PS3. Most of the time I watched kids get dropped off play these kiosks. I would have to watch some kid do the same guitar solo in Guitar Hero or Rock Band while I rang customers out the door. Those machines probably exist in someway shape or form. I don't think that a kiosk is something that makes the final choice in purchasing a game console. A lot of it is word of mouth and the effort someone puts into buying a video game console.

If you aren't shopping online or buying digital, an outlet or misc store (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, etc) carry the console. One thing GameStop has is marketing. They deliver on getting people into the store. Whenever I go to the mall or swing by one of their stores. There's always a crowd. They line their shelves with your typical lineup for modern game consoles and then everything in the middle is Hot Topic type of merchandise. There isn't exactly this huge "gaming" draw. I see a random DBZ action figure, Disney plushies, and a bunch of misc stuff that isn't a video game.

If you focused on the marketing stuff, posters, and stand ups. Its spot on with the latest AAA games. I saw a sign for Sekiro well before it came out, a Kingdom Hearts 3 poster, and then Red Dead Redemption 2 posters. Yet its all swallowed up by all the pointless clutter. Why isn't an NES Mario or Samus on the wall? Why isn't there a bunch of retro consoles somewhere else besides some vendor selling bootleg devices that play roms in the middle of the mall?

The mom and pop stores around here lost their vision. They were literally crushed by GameStop for a while. They had DBZ posters back before DBZ was super big in North America and they had Japanese games. That worked for a while. It worked until the 360/PS3 gen took over. Then the imports weren't as common and DBZ was being catered to just about everyone. Nothing was really hiding in a box over in Japan. I feel like its a messy business. Video Games are difficult to sell. They are always evolving and the product you paid full price for drops significantly weeks later. Its not even months. Its literally a couple weeks before it drops below its full MSRP value.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Stores like Target and Walmart still do this? But does it actually help sales? It did back when the Saturn and N64 were hot. Especially with GBA games. GameStop had a Nintendo DS, a Wii, 360 (with guitar) and a PS3. Most of the time I watched kids get dropped off play these kiosks. I would have to watch some kid do the same guitar solo in Guitar Hero or Rock Band while I rang customers out the door. Those machines probably exist in someway shape or form. I don't think that a kiosk is something that makes the final choice in purchasing a game console. A lot of it is word of mouth and the effort someone puts into buying a video game console.

If you aren't shopping online or buying digital, an outlet or misc store (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, etc) carry the console. One thing GameStop has is marketing. They deliver on getting people into the store. Whenever I go to the mall or swing by one of their stores. There's always a crowd. They line their shelves with your typical lineup for modern game consoles and then everything in the middle is Hot Topic type of merchandise. There isn't exactly this huge "gaming" draw. I see a random DBZ action figure, Disney plushies, and a bunch of misc stuff that isn't a video game.

If you focused on the marketing stuff, posters, and stand ups. Its spot on with the latest AAA games. I saw a sign for Sekiro well before it came out, a Kingdom Hearts 3 poster, and then Red Dead Redemption 2 posters. Yet its all swallowed up by all the pointless clutter. Why isn't an NES Mario or Samus on the wall? Why isn't there a bunch of retro consoles somewhere else besides some vendor selling bootleg devices that play roms in the middle of the mall?

The mom and pop stores around here lost their vision. They were literally crushed by GameStop for a while. They had DBZ posters back before DBZ was super big in North America and they had Japanese games. That worked for a while. It worked until the 360/PS3 gen took over. Then the imports weren't as common and DBZ was being catered to just about everyone. Nothing was really hiding in a box over in Japan. I feel like its a messy business. Video Games are difficult to sell. They are always evolving and the product you paid full price for drops significantly weeks later. Its not even months. Its literally a couple weeks before it drops below its full MSRP value.

I'm not sure if it helps sales much but it's a passive way to encourage foot traffic. You can't try games before buying them on Amazon or eBay, can you? Bootlegs are a problem online as well as at local stores. Training Gamestop employees the basics of spotting fakes could actually be a value-add that might bring in customers that would otherwise ignore the store.

It was regular practice (until it wasn't) at my Gamestop to hook up a game that the customer wanted to try, assuming we had a used copy. Sometimes they bought it, sometimes not, but it was a nice form of customer service that vanished.

I think that's because Gamestop started to partner with publishers directly and probably got some kind of kickback from Sony/Nintendo/MS/etc. After a certain point our kiosks were managed by the particular company rep for the console brand and we didn't mess w the units anymore.

 

[Hudo]

Yeah I think they should , one less place you can actually go to buy physical games would suck.
They need to focus more on games and customer service .
My idea
Sell gameinformer mag everywhere ( bookstores/newstands) not only subscription based, but offer coupons in GI for in store discounts that would get more foot traffic in store and maybe people buy more stuff while there. Have in store specials, buy a console you get a free used game of choice in store.Have coupons for new releases in store .
I know if I can get 5%-10% off games I’m going there.
I realize that’s not going to fix much but it’s a start but they have to get rid of the practice of selling opened and unwrapped games as new.

OmaeWaMouShindiggity 2 posts above has a crappy user name but great idea too.

I agree with you on the "having a place to buy physical games". I want those places to remain. And you identified the main problem (IMHO): Customer Service. They really need to improve that and fast. But hey, when compared to Steam, GameStop's Customer Service is basically heaven... I mean, I'd rather have them improving themselves than die but right now, it doesn't look good for them from what I hear...

 

[Petrae]

The shitty customer service at GameStop is a disease that’s infected a lot of retail chains. Constant, aggressive upselling by employees who are constantly under scrutiny by managers, who are themselves under pressure from senior management.

GameStop’s problem, of course, is its ridiculous metric system. PowerUp Rewards loyalty cards are important for customer tracking and data collection, and district managers go ballistic on stores that don’t get in customer faces who don’t have the card and use it. Preorders are interest-free loans for GameStop, so of course the chain wants employees to key on those. Disc protection is basically insurance, which is basically more free cash for the chain.

It’s argued by retailers that aggressive, in-your-face customer service reduces shrink/theft and builds rapport with people who come in. While the first part of that makes some sense, the second is a HUGE reason why brick & mortar retail is collapsing. Customers don’t like the forced interaction and generally know where to find assistance, if needed. It’s invasive at worst and annoying at best.

GS isn’t changing its customer service guidelines before it goes belly up, so store visits will continue to generally be a hassle/interrogation unless purchases are made online. It’s why most independent video game stores will continue to be preferable to GS. And it’s a shame, too, because GS could pull itself out of this mess with downsizing and a proper pivot— but it never will.

 

[Strazyplus]

I been wanting Gamestop to die for a long long time. why would I want to save them?

 

[Flying Toaster]

I believe going into retro and focusing on tournaments/day one release would be brilliant.

Anecdotal but I worked at Funcoland from 98 to 2001. We made bank hosting tournaments and fostering community. Gamestop could learn a lot from a regional model not a national model. Apeal to those in your area.

 

[Petrae]

I believe going into retro and focusing on tournaments/day one release would be brilliant.

Anecdotal but I worked at Funcoland from 98 to 2001. We made bank hosting tournaments and fostering community. Gamestop could learn a lot from a regional model not a national model. Apeal to those in your area.

As a fellow FuncoLand alum (1998-2000), and as someone who’s going more retro than modern, I’d love to see a revival, but I mentioned a few reasons earlier on in the thread why a “retro”fit simply wouldn’t work.

DunDunDunpachi also made a good point about many stores just being too small/narrow. They can’t hold a decent amount of people to hold legit tournaments— though I love the idea. There have been a few tournaments here and there over the years, but it gets cramped in many stores when you pack people in.

Selfishly speaking, I’d love to see GameStop pull the FuncoLand name out of mothballs and rebrand/retrofit a few stores as retro-focused locations. Reduce merch, ship modern stuff to other stores or the warehouse, and redesign the interior. Re-install demo consoles and talk up being about to try the games before buying. Hold tournaments. Run community events, like trade nights. Do monthly tournaments. Hell, I’d give up my job and go manage one of these stores (again?) if it ever happened.

Sadly, though, I just don’t see GS pivoting in the direction of retro any more than it has with its online sales of games/consoles/accessories.

 

[Flying Toaster]

As a fellow FuncoLand alum (1998-2000), and as someone who’s going more retro than modern, I’d love to see a revival, but I mentioned a few reasons earlier on in the thread why a “retro”fit simply wouldn’t work.

DunDunDunpachi also made a good point about many stores just being too small/narrow. They can’t hold a decent amount of people to hold legit tournaments— though I love the idea. There have been a few tournaments here and there over the years, but it gets cramped in many stores when you pack people in.

Selfishly speaking, I’d love to see GameStop pull the FuncoLand name out of mothballs and rebrand/retrofit a few stores as retro-focused locations. Reduce merch, ship modern stuff to other stores or the warehouse, and redesign the interior. Re-install demo consoles and talk up being about to try the games before buying. Hold tournaments. Run community events, like trade nights. Do monthly tournaments. Hell, I’d give up my job and go manage one of these stores (again?) if it ever happened.

Sadly, though, I just don’t see GS pivoting in the direction of retro any more than it has with its online sales of games/consoles/accessories.

We are old. The kids don't get it.

 

[Riven326]

The shitty customer service at GameStop is a disease that’s infected a lot of retail chains. Constant, aggressive upselling by employees who are constantly under scrutiny by managers, who are themselves under pressure from senior management.

GameStop’s problem, of course, is its ridiculous metric system. PowerUp Rewards loyalty cards are important for customer tracking and data collection, and district managers go ballistic on stores that don’t get in customer faces who don’t have the card and use it. Preorders are interest-free loans for GameStop, so of course the chain wants employees to key on those. Disc protection is basically insurance, which is basically more free cash for the chain.

It’s argued by retailers that aggressive, in-your-face customer service reduces shrink/theft and builds rapport with people who come in. While the first part of that makes some sense, the second is a HUGE reason why brick & mortar retail is collapsing. Customers don’t like the forced interaction and generally know where to find assistance, if needed. It’s invasive at worst and annoying at best.

GS isn’t changing its customer service guidelines before it goes belly up, so store visits will continue to generally be a hassle/interrogation unless purchases are made online. It’s why most independent video game stores will continue to be preferable to GS. And it’s a shame, too, because GS could pull itself out of this mess with downsizing and a proper pivot— but it never will.

That's partly why I stopped going there. None of the other stores ever hassled me about preordering this or that. Nevermind the fact that with digital I don't even interact with another human. It's wonderful.

 

[ksdixon]

Here in England GAME has started offering darkened back-rooms where you can pay for time on a console, PC or VR machine.

It's really weird seeing mum's use the stores as babysitters so Junior can play Fortnite. I guess so she can go shopping and not have to leave them at home playing it there?

 

[TheSadRanger]

Here in England GAME has started offering darkened back-rooms where you can pay for time on a console, PC or VR machine.

It's really weird seeing mum's use the stores as babysitters so Junior can play Fortnite. I guess so she can go shopping and not have to leave them at home playing it there?

 

[ksdixon]

Oh dear, that sounds x1000 worse on a second read. haha

 

[bitbydeath]

 

[ROMhack]

Here in England GAME has started offering darkened back-rooms where you can pay for time on a console, PC or VR machine.

It's really weird seeing mum's use the stores as babysitters so Junior can play Fortnite. I guess so she can go shopping and not have to leave them at home playing it there?

Which stores? I saw one in Milton Keynes that had a few PCs in it when they were trying to do LAN party stuff. That's the only one I've seen do it.

I find it mad that they don't offer a reasonable way to try products in-store. They could easily kit out consoles with the latest games each month and people would surely swing by to give them a go. It really would improve their brand from a marketing perspective too - imagine being a kid and associating that with the brand.

Waterstones' resurgence on the high street is said to have come from offering a more friendly-feel. Instead of emulating that, GAME want to compete with CEX.

 

[KormaChameleon]

I live in the UK, while we don't have a Gamestop. We have "Game" which is very similar to how they operate.

- Stock Retro games and consoles, ensure they are beating eBay prices
- Offer price matching against Amazon or other retailers
- Keep new games sealed, DON'T gut them and try to sell it as new. (Had this recently when I tried to purchase RE2, had a gift card)
-Stock more games, less merchandise
-Make pre-owned games cheaper, talking £10 difference at the very least
- Offer better trade in value
- If a customer says no to pre-orders, accessories or extra warranties then leave it there. Don't badger them. You're only putting them off and giving them a reason to not shop with you.

 

[Aintitcool]

Gamestop has to become more like arcades and have seating sections, multiplayer and competitions. Go the mcdonalds route of trying to have a place comfortable enough people want to go but don't want to stay too long like net cafes.

 

[The Scrivener]

In this guy's defense, what more than likely happened is this....

The gutted copy was the last new one, and for some reason depending on how disorganized the store is the original case seems to always disappear.

The company really doesn't have a set up that favors anyone, not the employees or the customers.

And that damn tablet, I don't know if it is still a thing but you were harassed by higher ups to have a certain amount of usage with it per day and per employee(if I am not mistaken). It apparently was some marketing persons idea, probably to be like some of the AT&T stores that use tablets and it failed, but in order to justify it they try to force you to use it since they spent so much money on the set up.

The company COULD work, but they need to get rid of who ever comes up with stuff like that, and stop harassing employees to harass customers.

I remember that our district manager would visit, and harass customers themselves. The idea was to hit several points in one conversation. Problem is, asking and informing a person of a bunch of random bs when they really just wanna be left alone to browse is annoying.

I could go on and on about that company. (I'm sure you can tell I used to work there) I liked it only because of the people I worked with, most of our customers, and the deals I got from being an employee.

When stuff started changing for the worse and the bad started to severely outweigh the good, I took it as a sign and left.

- signed, the CEO of Gamestop.

 

[The Scrivener]

An aside, why do I always feel dirty walking into a games shop?

 

[ksdixon]

Which stores? I saw one in Milton Keynes that had a few PCs in it when they were trying to do LAN party stuff. That's the only one I've seen do it.

I find it mad that they don't offer a reasonable way to try products in-store. They could easily kit out consoles with the latest games each month and people would surely swing by to give them a go. It really would improve their brand from a marketing perspective too - imagine being a kid and associating that with the brand.

Waterstones' resurgence on the high street is said to have come from offering a more friendly-feel. Instead of emulating that, GAME want to compete with CEX.

Preston

 

[angelic]

An aside, why do I always feel dirty walking into a games shop?

The music and BO.

 

[dolabla]

GameStop hopes renovations will keep its retail stores alive

GameStop thinks it has a way to keep its stores relevant as downloads take hold: revamp the stores themselves. The chain has unveiled a team-up with designers at R/GA on a pilot program to renovate stores and give them a "place in the video gaming culture." The concept stores will have layouts...

www.engadget.com

GameStop thinks it has a way to keep its stores relevant as downloads take hold: revamp the stores themselves. The chain has unveiled a team-up with designers at R/GA on a pilot program to renovate stores and give them a "place in the video gaming culture." The concept stores will have layouts and purposes meant to appeal more directly to gamers. You'll have new ways to try games before buying them, shops that cater solely to retro games and hardware, and even esports competitions with "homegrown" leagues.

The two companies didn't say when they expected these pilot stores to be ready. They did, however plan to try the new locations in a "select market."

It's far from certain that this will help. GameStop has tried shaking up its retail formula before without much success, such as by selling mobile devices and including more game paraphernalia (such as walls of Funko Pop figurines). And while these efforts might convince more people to visit the stores, they won't necessarily lead to more sales. Retro gamers still depend on physical purchases, but esports competitors aren't necessarily going to spend money at GameStop just because they played a tournament in a store.

Still, this is an acknowledgment that GameStop has to do something beyond cutting costs if it's going to keep its retail operations afloat, assuming they can survive in the first place. Physical game sales are unlikely to bounce back, and console sales could slump until at least the next generation's debut in 2020. GameStop doesn't have much to lose by experimenting with new store formats -- and if nothing else, the concepts could help the retailer shake up its reputation.