What do you miss about shopping for games in the days of yesterday? Do you have a shop that you greatly miss? Let me know!

I remember when GAME was an actual game shop,now you’re lucky to see one these days and even then it’s relegated to a Sports Direct store.

It pains too much to think how good it was growing up compared to what we have now.
Most of my nostalgia lies with GAME and Electronic Boutique. I didn’t visit Gamestation that much because there wasn’t one in my immediate vicinity.

I remember when GAME was a fun place to be, even back in the mid-late 2010s. I would browse in those stores all the time, it was a good time, back when they had actual stores. I remember when I was at university in the UK by 2018 and used the Belong arenas back then for student gaming nights. Sad how it's severely gone downhill, now that they are just concession areas in Sports Directs. All the great staff from that period of time are no longer there anymore, which is sad since I liked those people. I hope they are doing well these days.

If I wanted a physical game nowadays, I would just go to CEX, or Smiths Toys. Same for a new console, when those rare times come, which I would get at Smyths Toys. At least Smyths Toys was an actual toy store chain that branched out into selling gaming products. GAME may as well just shut down entirely at this point, there is almost nothing left for gamers.

Nice trip down memory lane mate! Miss them stores too…

I still miss GameStation

I never understood how Game was able to buy their main competition in Game Station when they clearly did not have the money to do so, got into financial trouble and then shut down all the Game Station stores to save themselves, thus getting rid of their main competition in the process.

Shoutout to HMV back in the day as well, way before display cases where they just had all the sealed games out on the shop floor, what a sight that was to behold.

I actually seen a Saturn game the other day with a game station sticker on and it was 4 for £10 haha if only it was like that now great video buddy

Electronics Boutique was my jam. Then GameStop bought them out and later closed shop in Canada. Luckily a local bought a few stores and we have EB Games Canada but I think it's 60 stores around the country.

I miss Electronic Boutique. Gamestation I used to buy Megadrive games way after their time.
Nowadays it’s Argos and Smyths, and to be fair they normally compete with each other on pricing quite well.

I miss gamestation they went down in 2012. Absolute bargains everytime I went in there games I picked up for less than a fiver now worth quadruple today. Got an original xbox crystal preowned from there with controller and leads for £10.98 back in 2009.

It defn has changed! When I was last in the UK, the games were neatly stacked near each other and you had great game recommendations as well! As for growing up, I remember seeing shelfs and displaying show the new games that came out. They were expensive at the time but man I had always wanted them!

At this point I feel like in the past you had the game stores looking like someone's game collection. These days it just looks so bland and boring! Honestly, the passion and display got transferred from the store to the home and stayed there! Of course I'm sure there still exits stores that still look good but its defn not as common!

As for games itself, I defn blame the whole scalper mentality. Back in the day, sure stock issues did exist or stores ordering low amount of copies especially for jrpgs/niche titles. But at least 9/10 you go to the store and find the game. These days? Nah some knobheads would just think "popular game? We gotta make tha dosh!" Ridiculous honestly! At least companys are slowly getting around this issue but the problem still exists! Take the fire emblem dagan edition, sold out so fast. The zelda switch 2 console? Sold out!

Hopefully things get better in the next decade!

As someone is the US unfamiar with game stores in your country where does CEX come in because that is  referrenced alot?

Hate going to a sport direct and seeing just 30 new games costing £50, and not seeing an pre owned games