So my local game shops have been going insane

[bartre]

https://www.3newsnow.com/news/local...ed-for-stealing-consoles-from-competing-store

Backstory- at the end of last year the long standing local chain shut down. It was called gamers. Another semi local chain based out of Lincoln took care of the liquidation sale for the bank (unrelated- I got some real good scoops on hardware) the locations and remaining stock were split between the owner of game room and the guy mentioned in the article who bought the rights to the gamers brand and opened a new store in the same location as one of the former gamers locations. Game room took another former gamers location in town as a new store.

So now there are two new stores in town whose local stock was built from the same pool. It eventually comes out via security footage that the owner of the new gamers stole a bunch of inventory from the game room to sell through his store with the help of his employees, one of whom still had a key due to working at game room before.

Suffice to say, crazy stuff. The two small places I like are just watching the shit show and laughing

 

[max 330 mega]

Lol damn... You'd think if the guy had a key to the place he'd already know there were cameras????

 

[LoneSage]

The game shop in my hometown burned down a few years ago。In their later years the owners would look on ebay and change the price of the game when I was at the register. I felt bad for them because despite being a nerd center I don't think business was ever too good. They probably started the fire for insurance.

 

[Taiso]

In the 90s, my favorite game store was a brick and mortar gray market import store called Cyberzone. It was in Arlington Heights, Il. The guy even modded consoles. When Code: Veronica came out for Dreamcast, I bought a DC from him and he modded it on the spot so I could play it. Took all of 20 minutes for him to do it. He had a wall of imports well before I'd ever heard of NCSX.

I got to know the owner, Scott, pretty well and I gave him a good deal of business. Even bought some Neo carts from him (RB2, Japanese edition) and Garou: Mark of the Wolves (US edition), to name a few, and he gave me pretty good deals. It was worth it to be able to walk into a store and walk back out with a home cart.

One day, he told me that he was unsure how long he could keep the doors open. He didn't go into too much detail, but he basically told me that the profit margin wasn't there and the overhead was killing him. He said he was considering going to the online model because the competition was fierce.

He did his best to offer a decent selection of import games for PSX/PS1 and Sega Saturn. It was a pretty good store, and nicely located close to Yaohan (later Mitsuwa Marketplace) and where I went to anime club meetings once a month with my pals.

One day, we pull into the parking lot at Cyberzone and the place is empty, the doors locked and a handwritten sign taped to the door saying 'Scott, we want our money.'

Sometimes, I wonder what ever happened to Scott and his inventory.

 

[Syn]

We didn't have local game shops. Just the mall, funcoland and kmart.

 

[Tron]

Damn talk about being to competitive

 

[Lastblade]

In the 90s, my favorite game store was a brick and mortar gray market import store called Cyberzone. It was in Arlington Heights, Il. The guy even modded consoles. When Code: Veronica came out for Dreamcast, I bought a DC from him and he modded it on the spot so I could play it. Took all of 20 minutes for him to do it. He had a wall of imports well before I'd ever heard of NCSX.

I got to know the owner, Scott, pretty well and I gave him a good deal of business. Even bought some Neo carts from him (RB2, Japanese edition) and Garou: Mark of the Wolves (US edition), to name a few, and he gave me pretty good deals. It was worth it to be able to walk into a store and walk back out with a home cart.

One day, he told me that he was unsure how long he could keep the doors open. He didn't go into too much detail, but he basically told me that the profit margin wasn't there and the overhead was killing him. He said he was considering going to the online model because the competition was fierce.

He did his best to offer a decent selection of import games for PSX/PS1 and Sega Saturn. It was a pretty good store, and nicely located close to Yaohan (later Mitsuwa Marketplace) and where I went to anime club meetings once a month with my pals.

One day, we pull into the parking lot at Cyberzone and the place is empty, the doors locked and a handwritten sign taped to the door saying 'Scott, we want our money.'

Sometimes, I wonder what ever happened to Scott and his inventory.

I moved to NJ 7 years ago so I am late to the scene, but if you got a last name or something maybe I can follow up with a few people here who are active with the retro gaming scene.

 

[Neorebel]

In the 90s, my favorite game store was a brick and mortar gray market import store called Cyberzone. It was in Arlington Heights, Il. The guy even modded consoles. When Code: Veronica came out for Dreamcast, I bought a DC from him and he modded it on the spot so I could play it. Took all of 20 minutes for him to do it. He had a wall of imports well before I'd ever heard of NCSX.

I got to know the owner, Scott, pretty well and I gave him a good deal of business. Even bought some Neo carts from him (RB2, Japanese edition) and Garou: Mark of the Wolves (US edition), to name a few, and he gave me pretty good deals. It was worth it to be able to walk into a store and walk back out with a home cart.

One day, he told me that he was unsure how long he could keep the doors open. He didn't go into too much detail, but he basically told me that the profit margin wasn't there and the overhead was killing him. He said he was considering going to the online model because the competition was fierce.

He did his best to offer a decent selection of import games for PSX/PS1 and Sega Saturn. It was a pretty good store, and nicely located close to Yaohan (later Mitsuwa Marketplace) and where I went to anime club meetings once a month with my pals.

One day, we pull into the parking lot at Cyberzone and the place is empty, the doors locked and a handwritten sign taped to the door saying 'Scott, we want our money.'

Sometimes, I wonder what ever happened to Scott and his inventory.

That is a crazy story, holy crap! I hope he's ok! A lot of these local stores now just charge double ebay prices to keep their doors open. Good 'ol "retrogaming hobby!"

 

[Renmauzo]

Taiso's story reminds me of my local arcade when I was a teen. The place was always really busy and they always got the latest games in.

One day, I was walking through the mall and police were everywhere and movers were rolling the machines out on dollies. I asked around at some of the shops I used to frequent and in hushed tones, the story was the same: the proprietor was running cocain out of the arcade by storing it in the coin buckets in each machine and out the loading dock at the end of the night.

 

[max 330 mega]

Hahaha that's awesome. Sucks he got caught.

 

[Arcademan]

Taiso's story reminds me of my local arcade when I was a teen. The place was always really busy and they always got the latest games in.

One day, I was walking through the mall and police were everywhere and movers were rolling the machines out on dollies. I asked around at some of the shops I used to frequent and in hushed tones, the story was the same: the proprietor was running cocain out of the arcade by storing it in the coin buckets in each machine and out the loading dock at the end of the night.

Why doesn't that surprise me? Arcades had a very seedy reputation in the early 80's. Many parents of kids compared them to pool halls (which some the arcades actually were) and bars. In Mesa, AZ during 1980-1982, there were up to 48 arcades open since all it took was a $10 license to open one, not to mention every convenience store and laundromat had a game or 3 in the corner. Worked at a few, played in tournaments at a lot, got banned for 'cheating' and even broke into games (very easily I might add; it helps working with a tech that showed me all the ins and outs of cabinets). Seen drug raids, fights, shootings and in a couple of places, entire cabinets stolen.

 

[oliverclaude]

Looks like the local police will soon enjoy having about $50,000 worth of consoles and expensive games as evidence. Wouldn't be surprised if some of it went missing.

 

[LoneSage]

Looks like the local police will soon enjoy having about $50,000 worth of consoles and expensive games as evidence. Wouldn't be surprised if some of it went missing.

Cops in America can take all the money off of you if they want and even if you're innocent you'll never get it back.

 

[ReplicaX]

Taiso's story reminds me of my local arcade when I was a teen. The place was always really busy and they always got the latest games in.

One day, I was walking through the mall and police were everywhere and movers were rolling the machines out on dollies. I asked around at some of the shops I used to frequent and in hushed tones, the story was the same: the proprietor was running cocain out of the arcade by storing it in the coin buckets in each machine and out the loading dock at the end of the night.

Why most of us that worked at arcades in the 90s. Those stories of us finding drugs, money, guns, and porno mag stashes from liquidations and/or buyouts aren't false.

 

[neo_mao]

Are there even any local game shops in MA? Recently there used to be that arcade in the Natick mall but I think that is a spa now. I used to take my kids to that and American Girl next door...both closed now

 

[ReplicaX]

Are there even any local game shops in MA? Recently there used to be that arcade in the Natick mall but I think that is a spa now. I used to take my kids to that and American Girl next door...both closed now

Very few and mostly focused on taking advantage of the retro surge. In the 90s - early 2000s we had a few good import shops and brick and mortar.

As far as arcades, we had plenty. The arcade I worked at and still do some board level repairs is about to close, due to the mall getting ready to do a fusion of outdoor shops and housing. Now its pushing into Retro bars and pubs.

It reminds me of music shops cause we were so spoiled in the 70s to 2000s with all the local shops on Mass Ave and Newbury St. Which are non-existent now, like Daddy's Junky Music Store.

 

[Xavier]

Not counting Gamestop I've got one used gamestore in my region now.
There were several called Vann's until around 7 years ago.
Then there was one on the north side called Game-On for a few years after that. They were pretty cool.
The only one left now is called Disc Replay or something and they also sell movies electronics etc..

 

[andsuchisdeath]

The arcade I worked at and still do some board level repairs is about to close, due to the mall getting ready to do a fusion of outdoor shops and housing.

I'm sick of this happening everywhere.

Also, which mall???

 

[sr20det510]

Not counting Gamestop I've got one used gamestore in my region now.
There were several called Vann's until around 7 years ago.
Then there was one on the north side called Game-On for a few years after that. They were pretty cool.
The only one left now is called Disc Replay or something and they also sell movies electronics etc..

What will they do with all their cabinets?

 

[ReplicaX]

I'm sick of this happening everywhere.

Also, which mall???

Hanover, been dead for years. However, still think Silver City Galleria wins that title.

 

[Xavier]

What will they do with all their cabinets?

Who Game-on?
I dunno put them in their house or storage.
You want me to ask?

They have a Facebook page it looks like they still man.