3 ms·

this is completely anecdotal but I recently went into an average sized mall based gamestop looking to browse for some used xbox games, and the selection was may

this is completely anecdotal but I recently went into an average sized mall based gamestop looking to browse for some used xbox games, and the selection was maybe 1/4 as large as it was 5 years ago. The PS4/PS5 selection was similarly bad. What there was an abundance of was funko pops and other random plastic objects and toys. Or things like $95 "gaming headsets" that looked equal in quality to what I could probably buy as a $40 full ear headset from some random brand name on Amazon . I understand that gamestop doesn't have any power to control microsoft and/or sony moving to an all-digital, one-purchaser, no-resale direct game sales model of downloading everything from a game app store, but I was left distinctly unimpressed.

maicro 2y ago
So GameStop bought ThinkGeek, killed ThinkGeek, and is now trying to become a worse ThinkGeek. That's...upsetting.
wkat4242 2y ago
Same here in Europe. I dont go there anymore. The PC section was already decimated and the hardware stuff they sell is nothing more than rebadged AliExpress crap. And yea tons of merchandise. It's not unique to GameStop, we also have a European chain called GAME which is the same. They're trying to revive themselves with second hand consoles and phones.
- Semaphor 2y ago
  > It's not unique to GameStop, we also have a European chain called GAME which is the same. I was interested, because I’ve never heard of them, yet I know of GAME in South Africa. Looks [0] like GAME in UK is a UK-only chain, and GAME in SA is an eventually-owned-by-Walmart SA-only chain. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(disambiguation)#Brands_and_enterprises https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(disambiguation)#Brands_a...
  - wkat4242 2y ago
    Well yes, it's British but also active in Spain. Wikipedia says they are also active in Ireland but they left that country many years ago (it's annoying, nobody bothers with Ireland, there isn't even a real Apple store even though Apple has their own EU Headquarters there!). And apparently they were in Sweden too at some point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(retailer)#/media/File:Game,_Ume%C3%A5.JPG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(retailer)#/media/File:Ga...
- JetSpiegel 2y ago
  It's much better to just go to CeX, the (original?) Charlie Brooker chain. At least they are honest at being basically a pawn shop for games.

maicro 2y ago

So GameStop bought ThinkGeek, killed ThinkGeek, and is now trying to become a worse ThinkGeek. That's...upsetting.

wkat4242 2y ago

Same here in Europe. I dont go there anymore. The PC section was already decimated and the hardware stuff they sell is nothing more than rebadged AliExpress crap. And yea tons of merchandise. It's not unique to GameStop, we also have a European chain called GAME which is the same. They're trying to revive themselves with second hand consoles and phones.

Semaphor 2y ago
> It's not unique to GameStop, we also have a European chain called GAME which is the same. I was interested, because I’ve never heard of them, yet I know of GAME in South Africa. Looks [0] like GAME in UK is a UK-only chain, and GAME in SA is an eventually-owned-by-Walmart SA-only chain. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(disambiguation)#Brands_and_enterprises https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(disambiguation)#Brands_a...
- wkat4242 2y ago
  Well yes, it's British but also active in Spain. Wikipedia says they are also active in Ireland but they left that country many years ago (it's annoying, nobody bothers with Ireland, there isn't even a real Apple store even though Apple has their own EU Headquarters there!). And apparently they were in Sweden too at some point: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(retailer)#/media/File:Game,_Ume%C3%A5.JPG https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(retailer)#/media/File:Ga...
JetSpiegel 2y ago
It's much better to just go to CeX, the (original?) Charlie Brooker chain. At least they are honest at being basically a pawn shop for games.