Are retro videogame stores the future of games retail?

Last Tuesday, I wrote about one of San Diego's few remaining independent game shops shutting its doors. Then on Sunday, I stopped by SD's other game store, Luna. By contrast, Luna was doing decent business. So much so that they've even got two locations in the city. I stopped by the one in Ocean Beach, right on one of the neighborhood's busiest streets.

When I asked how they've been able to stay in business while Games On bit the dust, the owner told me the reason behind his success was simple: old games. Games On tried to compete with GameStop--and more importantly in the future, digital distribution channels like Steam--with new game sales. Independent shops will never be able to keep up with Steam and GameStop when it comes to new releases, pre-order bonuses, and day-one sales.

But as games mature as a medium, the niche for old games is growing. When I was in college (2008 through 2012, mind you), I saw almost as many students playing Nintendo 64 as Xbox 360. And this demand for physical copies of old games and consoles will never be digitized in the same way new games are. Yes, there are emulators and old games released through PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade, but the market for physical retro games isn't going away.

It's similar to the increased popularity of vinyl records over the past few years. As iTunes has negated the need for CDs, people who care about physical albums have opted to go for the big-picture format of vinyl. Most devoted music enthusiasts in 2013 own records. The same thing is happening with games. What do you think?

Requiem for an independent games shop

When I visited my parents in their new home of San Diego a year ago, I was pleasantly surprised by this little independent videogame store, Games On. It had a great selection of games, a friendly laid-back staff, and a huge collection of playable demos and pinball machines. Its Yelp page reveals fantastic 5-star reviews. It's everything you would want in a videogame shop, and it was right on the main street of San Diego's hip Pacific Beach neighborhood.

Today I finally got back to San Diego, and one of the first things I did was head back to Games On. And... it's gone:

It's easy to understand why. Today the game retail industry in the United States is completely monopolized by big corporations like GameStop and Best Buy. When I visited Games On a year ago I thought it was too good to be true, and unfortunately, I was right.

Of course with modern digital distribution, independent game developers have more power and visibility than ever. Even GameStop is probably on the way out the door unless they can successfully transition to a fully-digital model. It's inevitable that physical game shops will no longer exist a few years from now, and I'm not trying to deny progress. But it's nevertheless heartbreaking to see warm places like Games On bite the dust.