Supporting the Little Guys

Supporting the Little Guys

Independent Game Stores

Today, in 2014, we are surrounded by many conveniences. While it may have been troublesome in the past, making purchases is extremely easy for consumers. For video games, you can walk into GameStop, or you could even grab a game at many supermarkets while getting your groceries. While this can be great and convenient, it does bring some adverse effects, particularly on independent, small owned game stores.

A similar thing happened with the music industry. iTunes is very convenient, and it keeps all available music in one spot. But the record stores that dominated the 20th century seriously declined with a large portion going out of business.

With the video game industry, GameStop (or EB Games) and Amazon are iTunes. They're not necessarily a bad thing. It helps developers get their products to as many people as possible. It allows us to access many games. But small, family owned game stores are going out of business, and it is a shame. In many cases, those small stores will leave you feeling the most satisfied. You can't beat the personal touch, even with video games.


In my town, there is a local game store that I frequent called Game Depot. While their prices are a little higher than the competition, I still shop there. I do it because the store is clean and well organized and contains a variety. I also do it for the personal touch. The clerk and I may discuss memories from old games, or we may ponder the future of gaming. Regardless, the service is always personal and unbeatable. When I purchase a game, I'm left feeling like I'm helping out a family. And it's a good feeling.

Another unbeatable thing about independent game stores is that you really never know what treasures you'll find. In the big, commercial stores, really all you can get are the latest releases. At these independent stores, you can find NES, SNES, N64, all the way up to Wii U. You can find things that are almost forgotten, like Atari or Sega products. Sure, I can go and order a copy of Donkey Kong Country on Amazon, but it is so much more fun to actually find it in a store. That feeling of discovery and nostalgia as you pick up the cartridge is priceless.

So when you can, help out the little guys. They opened the stores because they have a passion for the industry, the same way many of us do. They want to share their experiences with you.

My favorite independent game store is Game Depot, in Union, Missouri. What's yours? Share your experience about a small owned game store, and support the little guys.

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Zach Gibson

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61 posts

Rob Jones said:

I don't think there are any independent game stores near where I live. Here, even the big chain GAME has been struggling to stay in business.

9 years ago

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16 posts

Zach Gibson said:

We don't have GAME over here in the US. It's pretty much dominated by GameStop. I always try to avoid them. It really depends on what I'm looking for though. GameStop does a magazine called Game Informer that I subscribe to. It disappoints me quite a bit though. Nintendo definitely gets the short end of the stick in the magazine. Mostly populated with shooters. I suppose that's what the media pays attention to as well.

9 years ago

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2 posts

XCWarrior said:

We have a regional chain I guess you can call it called The Exchange. I think they have 5 or 6 stores. They are actually cheaper than Gamestop in some cases, and they have games all the way back to NES/Atari, plus movies and CD/Records. Like going there more than Gamestop, just wish they had the Pokemon distribution events, lol. Still, good article and yeah nice to avoid chain stores now and then.

9 years ago

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6 posts

Bradley White said:

I used to go to GameStop for nearly every game I purchased, but since Nintendo provided me with the Deluxe Digital Promotion offer, I have really only been in there to purchase eShop giftcards, and even then I only do it to earn GameStop rewards points (so that I can nab a good deal or renew my GI subscription for free). Out here in Virginia, we have a small group called Video Game Heaven, and they deal in all manner of games; not just the games themselves from every system ever, but in the merchandise relating to the games as well; they have an old Primal Rage arcade cabinet for sale for a couple grand, as well as a collection of rare games still sealed in their packaging. Better yet, they deal in trades across the globe, so if you want a game that they don't have, you can be put on a mailing list to know if and when they get the game in.

9 years ago

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16 posts

Zach Gibson said:

That sort of store sounds really cool. Finding treasures like that is so satisfying. And every time you find a little game store, you never know what you'll find inside.

9 years ago

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