Edit: Well, we've been open a week, so far so good. Response has been great. Just did an interview with ripten.com that has a few shots of us stocked and in action. That can be found here. Gotta say, it's been really great geting the responses and the reactions, both here and at the store.
OK, so the title is a bit misleading...this purchase has been going on a lot longer than November, and it's not exactly games, though it is for them. As I've mentioned before (way back when) I'm opening a game retail store. Construction is finally (95%) done, and we place the stock tomorrow.
Along with excitement, I'm a bit petrified...I don't want to say how much money I've put into this, but 'a ton' might be understating it. Still, seeing all of this makes it almost seem like it'll be worth it.
This has been a massive project, and to reach this point is a huge relief, and I had to share/boast/show off the results. Sorry about the picture quality, was working with a crap camera that couldn't shoot indoors.
The Store:
really trying to create a game store that isn't targeted just to the 'gamerkid' demographic. Something more open, accessable, sheik.
From the Door:
the three screens are connected to systems behind the counter. The wireless controllers allow us to use them as demo screens as well.
The Shelves:
custom-made (like almost everything else in the store) clear acrylic shelving, really did a lot to provide the open feel I was looking for. Game boxes are loud enough as they are, there's no need to increase that visual noise with brightly colored shelves.
The Counter:
the two GAF-portals can also be used as registers, or so I've been told. I should have gotten a better shot of it, but the countertop is this very cool bamboo. Most importantly, because of the store design (and the see-through shelves) there's not a single blind spot in the store from the counter.
The Mock Living Room:
at the very front of the store, sort of replaces the front window display. Games look good enough as they are, they should be shown off in their natural environment. Besides, looking into the store and seeing people playing WiiFit or Rock Band is far more entertaining than standees.
The Demo Room:
set up like a home theater, to show off current systems the way they deserve to be,
also so that ladder-based league play can happen without disturbing the rest of the store
The Real Draw:
during these past weeks, when we've been working in the space, the one thing that caused the most people to stop and stare wasn't the store design, or the game videos playing on the screens, or the work...it was this beauty. Maybe I should have rethought the whole 'game store' bit and just had her on display.
OK, so the title is a bit misleading...this purchase has been going on a lot longer than November, and it's not exactly games, though it is for them. As I've mentioned before (way back when) I'm opening a game retail store. Construction is finally (95%) done, and we place the stock tomorrow.
Along with excitement, I'm a bit petrified...I don't want to say how much money I've put into this, but 'a ton' might be understating it. Still, seeing all of this makes it almost seem like it'll be worth it.
This has been a massive project, and to reach this point is a huge relief, and I had to share/boast/show off the results. Sorry about the picture quality, was working with a crap camera that couldn't shoot indoors.
The Store:
really trying to create a game store that isn't targeted just to the 'gamerkid' demographic. Something more open, accessable, sheik.
From the Door:
the three screens are connected to systems behind the counter. The wireless controllers allow us to use them as demo screens as well.
The Shelves:
custom-made (like almost everything else in the store) clear acrylic shelving, really did a lot to provide the open feel I was looking for. Game boxes are loud enough as they are, there's no need to increase that visual noise with brightly colored shelves.
The Counter:
the two GAF-portals can also be used as registers, or so I've been told. I should have gotten a better shot of it, but the countertop is this very cool bamboo. Most importantly, because of the store design (and the see-through shelves) there's not a single blind spot in the store from the counter.
The Mock Living Room:
at the very front of the store, sort of replaces the front window display. Games look good enough as they are, they should be shown off in their natural environment. Besides, looking into the store and seeing people playing WiiFit or Rock Band is far more entertaining than standees.
The Demo Room:
set up like a home theater, to show off current systems the way they deserve to be,
also so that ladder-based league play can happen without disturbing the rest of the store
The Real Draw:
during these past weeks, when we've been working in the space, the one thing that caused the most people to stop and stare wasn't the store design, or the game videos playing on the screens, or the work...it was this beauty. Maybe I should have rethought the whole 'game store' bit and just had her on display.