![]() Their main competition is Wal-Mart (again), Best Buy and Amazon, which could indicate a switch in gamers consumption patterns from the physical means of going to an actual store and evaluating items to online purchasing. GameStop has become such a giant that it is now compared to big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Target that also sell consumer electronics. ![]() Moves like this build their share of the market, but nullifying the competition leaves consumers with fewer choices when looking for a place to sell or purchase hard-copy games that they can actually touch before buying. EB Games closed its doors, leaving GameStop as the only store devoted to electronic gaming in the mall (the only option if consumers want to trade in used games). For those readers familiar with New York City, at one point nine years ago Kings Plaza mall, one of the only indoor malls in Brooklyn, hosted both stores. In 2005, it merged with Electronics Boutique (known as EB Games) and solidified its hold on the industry by gathering one of its last competitors into the fold.ĮB Games still exists, though they are not as numerous as they once were. The newly-formed company slowly redistributed its investments, shutting down locations that were in direct competition with one another. During 20, company rebranding switched store locations previously called Babbage’s Etc to the new GameStop moniker. This move made Babbage’s a subsidiary of Funco. In 1999, Barnes & Noble bought Babbage’s Etc., and in 2000 B&N purchased Funco Inc., the company that owned and operated FuncoLand, the gaming store chain that began with mail-order rentals in 1988. NeoStar filed for bankruptcy in 1996, at which time outside investors stepped in and purchased Babbage’s and Software Etc., forming Babbage’s Etc LLC. Stores Incorporated, which was focused on PC software, to form NeoStar Retail Group. Way back in 1994 Babbage’s, the gaming focused retailer, joined forces with Software Etc. were the main names in the game when it came to stores that focused on software sales. Twenty years ago, GameStop did not exist. Further, analysts still predict that the focus on physical discs that give the retailer power in the market will shift away in coming years, with downloads and streaming coming to the forefront. The focus on recent reports of top sales and increased numbers overlooks the absence of other options for physical game purchases in the average American locale. For gamers that prefer hard copies of games as opposed to downloads, GameStop holds a monopoly in many geographic locations nationwide. The company also controls EB Games and Game Informer, their publication. GameStop, the video game store, made the news this week with an impressive increase in sales.
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