Have you visited a GameStop lately? Really taken a look around to see and savor the ambiance? If you have, then you might have noticed something. GameStops don’t look the same way they used to. The merchandise, the ambiance, and almost everything about it seems far different than before.
The best way I can describe it is the “throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks” motif. Literally. Everything has been thrown at GameStop’s walls, so they’re so covered and saturated in things that fall into the things that may sell group and things that never will cluster. It reeks of desperation and suggests that GameStop might be flailing around in an attempt to prevent an imminent failure.
The heavy reliance on ThinkGeek and tie-in merchandise is the first sign something is wrong. GameStop is a store where you expect to see almost everything related to games. My local GameStop now has at least one third of the store devoted to items from ThinkGeek or similar companies. There are My Little Pony pants. There are figures from popular movies and TV shows. All of these things are items that won’t sell. You’ll see them in the in-store clearance section within a month, dropping to 50% off or more. Because people aren’t going to a GameStop for such things.
Then, there’s that retro initiative GameStop attempted. Years ago, it couldn’t get older Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft games off of store shelves. When it realized that these older titles are still in demand, it pulled a 180 and opened a Retro Classics section. Except, it went about things the wrong way. People do still want these games. They are in demand. But, they can be ridiculously overpriced. Even if something is affordable enough to interest you, odds are you’ll see that dreaded “currently unavailable online” notice letting you know that you’re never going to get it, because GameStop’s never going to get it.
Now, there’s the IndieBox initiative. GameStop sees people appreciating and purchasing from companies like Limited Run Games and is trying to get in on that. But it isn’t even doing that right. There are 10 games to start, with titles like Guacamelee, Nuclear Throne, Chariot, Thomas Was Alone, Punch Club , and Jotun available. These are all fine games, but none of them are exciting and new. You’re paying $20 for something you may have gotten at last year’s Steam sale for one fourth the price. Maybe even lower, if you found it in a Humble Bundle. Is it really worth buying again, at this late stage, just for a physical copy, soundtrack CD, instruction manual, and art print with another Steam key?
GameStop is trying too hard. It’s making decisions in an attempt to diversify and stay relevant in an era where digital purchases are becoming more and more viable. Instead of making moves that keep to the same customer base and wisely explore things we might want to buy, it’s offering us a slew of ThinkGeek junk that might maybe possibly pique our interest, reverting back to retro games a little too late, and turning to boxed physical copies of indie games that are too old to still be relevant. It feels like GameStop is speeding toward its own demise.