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GameStop PC Game Sales Down, But Still "Worth Hanging Onto"

Posted 09/18/08 at 07:32:18 PM |  by Nathan Grayson

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We remember it like it was roughly five years ago. Our wave goodbye. Their shocked silence. Our shoulders gloomily slumped as we trudged out their door. Their faces pressed against the cold glass, rain-like water pouring dramatically, but mostly because the fire alarm was malfunctioning. It was the day we discovered Steam -- our final farewell to a helpful cadre of GameStop employees. And today, it looks like our departure -- along with that of most other PC gamers -- is finally hitting GameStop right in the pocketbook.

However, that doesn't mean GameStop plans to drop PC games without a fight.

"[GameStop's PC game sales] are down probably more than I had anticipated," GameStop SVP Bob McKenzie told Gamasutra. "...We had planned for it to be down. Again, the number of new titles we have on PC is down probably more than what I had anticipated it would be down -- but I don't see that as a threat or a signaling, we're not backing away from it at all."

"A year ago we had 350 stores that didn't carry PC merchandise and today, that number hasn't grown any... [bit] the PC market is definitely still very alive, and a portion of our business that we're hanging onto."

Speaking of the digitally distributed elephant in the room -- the straw currently slurping up his company's PC sales -- McKenzie noted:

"Our position with our publishers is that we're not afraid to compete with them -- against that digital distribution model. We can offer it. It's really another choice for the consumer, as long as they're not making that choice an unfair advantage for them, where they're able to sell it earlier or they add something into the game that we can't get our hands on for our consumer."   

McKenzie, you so just lost your place on Dan DeMatteo's Facebook friends list.

COMMENTS:
7
TAGS: 
gaming, Software, news, GameStop
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COMMENTS
avatarPersonally, I will never

Submitted by atomaweapon on Fri, 2008-09-19 19:14

Personally, I will never do digital distribution. If I'm going to "download" a game to play Iit's gonna be through illegal means and I gave that up long ago. I want a nice boxed copy with a full color manualy and a disc to put into my pc and play. I want the box to sit on my shelf with the rest of my game collection. I want a game that I don't have to install a bunch of other crap like Steam just to get up and running.

 But personally, I wouldn't buy games from gamestop anyways, I always buy from amazon.  

  

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brianm.cc

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avatarDont care.  GameStop

Submitted by StealthSilver on Fri, 2008-09-19 14:52

Dont care.  GameStop doesn't exist in Canada. :/

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avatarForgot to mention. I don't

Submitted by samduhman on Fri, 2008-09-19 12:10

Forgot to mention. I don't buy from gamestop anymore. I buy my pc games from Amazon, gogamer, ebay, and retail stores.

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avatarBad Econ, less money

Submitted by sdcat on Fri, 2008-09-19 09:42

Bad Econ, less money earned, need to survive first, PC upgrade comes 5th probably or never, latest PC game looks cool in graphic and everything require good upgrades to play. sorry PC games with my computer spec. I can't even try your demo.

Now I wonder PC game sales bad and low, who's fault is that and who couldn't adjust certain things based on the pc spec. and user market?

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avatar  sdcat, PC hardware is

Submitted by samduhman on Fri, 2008-09-19 12:08

 

sdcat, PC hardware is cheaper than ever. Even more so now thanks to ATI releasing gaming video cards at affordable prices. No one except grade school students should be complaining about the price of upgrading pc hardware. You can easily build a gaming pc minus external components for $500 to $600 maybe less I havent priced it out in a while. ATI is even releasing the HD 4600 series soon that offers "decent" gaming for $70 bucks.  Stop complaining and start playing. :)

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avatarMisguided

Submitted by CrimsonKnight13 on Fri, 2008-09-19 05:38

They say one thing but do another. I won't be buying from them ever again, so I'll just stick with digital distribution & Best Buy. The people at the counters are usually hardcore console gamers & thus have a narrow view of what the PC gaming world is capable of. When Gamestop does (& will) kill off PC games in their store, is the day that I'll have no sorrow for a misguided company.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Libera te ex infernis!

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avatarOh I rememeber the good ol'

Submitted by Humpfester on Thu, 2008-09-18 22:47

Oh I rememeber the good ol' days when you could walk into a EB Games a see a whole  wall covered in the latest PC games, but time has passed and now your lucky to even find a isle stand on one side that maybe, might have the BF2 deluxe pack, called the other day to see when they'd be getting in GTR-EVO, sorry the nerk (nerd Clerk) said in a voice reminding me I just got pulled over by a Cop for asking the wrong question, "Sorry it ain't big enough for us to stock it", ain't that the truth. I think they named the place right.

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