You walk into a game store have no idea what you are getting, How long are you there?

Spent an hour in a Gamestop today with absolutely no clue what to get. Granted I didn't even touch the 360 games (for some reason this Gamestop had more 360 games than PS3 games) Ended up rebuying Persona 4 Arena after almost getting Anarchy reigns.

I'm asking because I'm sure I'm not the only one who walks into a game store and spends over an hour to buy something I already bought on another system.

 

I always go to game stores with no idea what I'm going to buy. I just like to browse the shelves. I check out all the systems I own and if anything catches my eye, I'll buy it. I could easily spend an hour just looking but then again the store I go to is probably 10 times bigger than any GameStop.

When I know what I want I normally just buy direct from Amazon. It's cheaper and I don't have to go anywhere. Amazon is great for new games but when it comes to older games I love to look around stores. That's how I see real stores in the future. Everyone will buy the latest release online then go down to the local store for some used games. Well, that's if the whole industry doesn't go DRM crazy like Microsoft tried to do or if all games become data only. man, that would be a shitty time.

 

Most gamestops I've been to within the last few years have had more Xbox games than Playstation. This is across multiple citys and states - Tacoma, Lakewood & Seattle Washington, Biloxi Mississippi, Dallas and Wichita Falls Texas. Not just Gamestop but when I worked at Best Buy from 2010-2011 it was also like that (and BB across those states too). Walmart is also the same in all places mentioned. Makes sense when you look at the overall sales figures of total console units sold. (Japan JUST overtook the 360 in the worldwide market, but the US market is the 360 outsells many times over).

As far as "buying something on another system" not unless I'm a collector of the franchise or if there was a revised edition with superior features...

I go into GameStop on base a lot without a thought in mind and will spend maybe 30 minutes in there and then I'll purchase.

 

I hardly ever go to a game store these days since prices are inflated, but I don't have much interest in this gen so I don't even go in

However if I go to some stores that have used items I always check their games section for Xbox games, sometimes I can be there for an hour sorting out classics and black labels hah

 

Yeah this Gamestop didn't have many games there were on the top of my list. I've yet to see Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 in the wild. I almost always see some RPG that just on the box art I want but I'm not sure if it's really worth it or not. (Hyper Dimension Neptuna I think) Also they don't have many of the games I had on 360, that I want to rebuy on PS3. It's way too long a list for me to even remember right now.

 

I only go to gamestation store to browsing around for fun. I rarely buy games now days. It seems that games I buy the most is coming from the PS3 exclusive games title.

 

Well they do happen to have a bunch of Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2's at in Boston,ma & around my area but other than time consuming i'd say definitely over an hour sometimes & mostly i end up buying a $20 PSN Card instead anyways

 

Dunno if it's worth the hour trip up north to get Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2. I Don't even know if it's worth getting over Ninja Gaiden 2.

 

I do that quite often actually. I'd actually consider it normal. Most women I know go shopping without any forethought on what to buy. This is pretty much just the male equivalent. At my local Gamestop I'm there so long the employees know me by name. It can have it's benefits, sometimes they toss me a left over poster or make sure I get the case and the manual on a used game.

 

I once spent 6 hours in the TV, games, media, PC section of Walmart before buying a sync cable for a long gone phone. :witless:

Yeah...

 

According to Gamestop's website, it's $5 more used than to download for PS3.

It depends on the store, but if it's kinda empty, I'll have a conversation with the guy at Gamestop (I'm there often enough he recognizes me) and browse. I'll usually browse at the classic store if I'm in the neighborhood for half an hour or so, and probably end up with something I'd been considering getting for one of my systems.

 

When I'm retro shopping I will go to a store to browse since its always an adventure to see what they have and don't have. Gamestop's online site has a list of both new and used games as well as whats available at what location so I never go into gamestop to just browse. I do that online and then figure out what I need and go pick it up at the gamestop location that has the game I want.

 

Back in the 90's I could spend the better part of the afternoon browsing anything and everything down those isles at Toys R Us, Babbage's, Electronics Boutique and Best Buy even if I went home empty-handed.

As of late, my visits are down to about a depressing 15 minute routine:
I always go straight to the Nintendo section first as if I expect to find something I have overlooked before. My disappointment then leads me to the Xbox section where I find piles of the same FPS and GTA type titles that bored me out of this current generation. Finally I sulk over to the PlayStation section in a vain attempt to justify buying another console.

 

One thing I did gather from last night is it might be cheaper to buy a Move used than new.

 

I take too long in used game stores, so I try not to go unless I'm looking for something specific. There is always something in the back of my mind that I want, but sometimes I like to look, if only to discover something new... I only really look for 8/16 bit stuff. Current gen stuff I'll buy new on amazon.

I shop the same way I do with records: try to find something priced way lower than it should be and google stuff I've never heard of. After like a max of 30-45 min of being hunched over a crate or whatever I get too restless and just leave.

 

I have a look around for maby 10/15 minutes, 9 times out of 10 I walk out of a physical shop empty handed, it's so hard to find a good deal these days with resellers charging insane prices they make a gaming/retro gaming hobby very expencive. It was different 10 years ago with alot more independant stores with a much wider selection and great deals.

 

That might just be the UK Bamboo. Retroshops I've been to on this side of the pond are pretty reasonable.

 

yes or just in my area, there is one good retro store I know in London but that's over 200 miles away.
over the last 10 years all the retro store in my town have closed and stores in towns close by. we have GAME who no longer even sell ps2 games and their modern games are all full retail price and not much lower for used games.
we also have cex who are cheaper but don't sell anything older than ps2.

There are some great online retro stores over here though

 

I've seen the online Retrostores in the UK.

I'm actually quite interested in UK gaming life because your gaming culture seems slightly different than American/Japanese Gaming culture. Plus a much different history with all those computers back in the day.

 

Some of them, yes. But we got a retail chain retroshops in my area and they are making trouble when it comes to values. They charge strange prices on things but do have some good deals. For example, they price "popular" games like Sonic, Mario, Zelda, Tecmo Super Bowl, etc 8 and 16bit games at outrageous prices. For example, they sell SMB3 for NES for $30. Also they don't price loose vs boxed vs variations any differently. To them a boxed complete Double Dribble is the same price as the loose cart with the torn up label.