When did Gamestop Stop Selling PC Games?

So this is the second time I've tried to go to a Gamestop to buy a PC game and they say they don't sell them anymore.

The last one I called said unless I'd like to reserve one they won't have any, and that they'll only get a few copies at that.

When did this happen? I knew PC Gaming wasn't as big a seller as it used to be, but seriously. It's gonna be soon that Walmart will be the only place around here I can still buy PC games.

It appears that the decision to carry PC games or not is a localized one. I know of other who have said that their Gamestop doesn''t sell PC games anymore, but my local Gamestop still has a big wall of them (moved to the back of the store, of course, but still a nice selection).

I''ve found that buying PC games is increasingly like buying Porn. All the way in the back, on a dusty shelf, there''s a dude with a shirt two sizes too small standing next to you who smells of ham, and you are looked upon as a leper.

It''s frustrating at times, yes. Most of the places I frequent have seen their PC shelves get smaller and smaller, only taking up more space for big, big, big releases like HL2. What''s especially frustrating is that finding less-known titles, while as simple as sifting through the bargain bin with console games is like searching for the Arc de Covenant with PC games.

I just order most of mine online and occasionally take advantage of a good deal at Best Buy. Unless I go get a used game at my EB most times I just use EB for the in store pickup. We have a Gamestop here as well that just does console games.

The Gamestops and EBXes in the Boston area all carry PC games, but with increasingly less and less ""frontage"".

EBX in Copley has all but relegated the PC section to the back wall, with a nearby strategy guide and periperhals rack in front of it. Gamestop in the same mall carries one row of PC games, but 90% of those are ""Value titles"".

Right now, Gogamer and Amazon get all my gaming money. Much better service, and I don''t have to deal with someone trying to sell me WoW, or whatever jizzfest of the moment they are trying to shove on their remaining PC customers.

It all depends on the area the store is located in and the amount of business they recieve. For example, although I can''t think of any stores down here in the Miami area that do not carry PC games, I do know that my store''s section of PC titles is pretty small. Most of the new ones are there of course and some of the good old ones also, but the older games are very hard to find at times. What we recieve is pretty much concentrated on the new stuff, some really good old titles, and the random crap scrounged up by useless devs.

On the other hand, one of our stores, a Babbages in a mall, has an entire wall, and a long wall at that, dedicated to PC Games. Pretty much anything you want for PC you can find there.

Well EB and Gamestop have never seemed like places to buy pc games to me. They make most of their money in used console games. They''ve always had a small selection of pc games. And you always pay top dollar for them.

Kmart recently dropped their pc game lineup too.

But Wal-mart, Compusa, Target, BestBuy and Circuit City all have good selections of pc games with Compusa probably having the best. And I''ve been buying online more. Outpost.com. GoGamer. EB online had some good sales over the holidays. I''ve bought a few games off EBay too.

my ebgames will only preorder PC games.. they no longer will stock ANY PC game whatsoever. My local gamestop has no PC games..and will special order them for you but you have to wait.

If you preorder you will get your copy but thats it...unless a preorder cancells thats the only way you could walk in a buy a pc game.

Compusa has a decent selection of PC games new and old...their main problem is that they are 1-2 weeks late on most releases.. unless its huge like HL2 or Doom 3.

Circuit City has a tiny PC game selection and they are way behind on new releases.. 2-3 weeks

Best Buy has a nice PC game selection but only newer titles.. unless its the SIMS or something like that forget getting anything old there.

My local EB''s still have an impressive wall dedicated to PC Gaming which is nice to see. Lots of great deals on some real gems too.

"trip1eX" wrote:

Well EB and Gamestop have never seemed like places to buy pc games to me. They make most of their money in used console games. They''ve always had a small selection of pc games. And you always pay top dollar for them.

Just taking a stab in the dark here, but you''re, at the oldest, in your early twenties right?
Gamestop/Software Etc./Babbages used to be into PC games in a major way (in fact that is what Software Etc. used to sell exclusively, way back when they were housed inside of B. Dalton stores).
The shift away from PC came about 4-5 years ago (well the major shift, it was slowly sliding for a long while before that) when the Dreamcast->PS2->Xbox/Gamecube started to appear. My local Software Etc, before that was 2/3rd PC games/software/books & even Mac stuff, wit the front portion having the console games (mostly because of the higher shoplifting potential), slowly the console secton expanded, knocking out first books/Mac, then it began to chew away at the ""productivity software"", and its progressed far intot he game software for the PC, and the hardware is virtually non-existant.
Whether PC makes a ""come back"" is partially up to MS/Nintendo/Sony part of what keeps the PC section small is there hasn''t been a ""lull"" in console games like there was in the N64/Playstation era (basically the had maxed out what they could do and the new killer titles/new consoles were a long ways of still), which would allow the PC titles to ""catch up"" to their console brethren. The problem with PC is while it looks absolutely gorgeous, it is a very expensive hobby to keep your computer up to date, and most of the computers that your average person has at home now won''t show games as well as the current consoles. As a great example look at the XBox, it is for all intents and purposes a mid level PC in a box, and at $150 for a PC that has few tech problems, the software actually works when you put it in the first time. If you knew nothing about compters and wanted to get something to play games on which would you go with?
It would be like having the choice between 2 cars, one is cheap and reliable, but runs on special fuel that is not only available everywhere regular fuel is, but increasingly stations are not carrying the regular fuel anymore, but only the special fuels that this vehicle runs on; or you can get a car that is 3-10 times more expensive, prone to breaking down if not cared for properly, costs more to get fixed than the other car costs to buy, but it does go a little faster for the cheaper models, while the high end models will run quite a bit faster, but have a much higher maintance cost (costing you aleast as much per year to keep running in top shape as it costs to buy the cheap car). Again the choice there would be a no brainer, the cost of a top end PC is too high to support the masses keeping their PCs at that level in order to get the diffrence in graphics.

Note I am not going to make nay silly statements like ""graphics are getting as good as they are goign to get"" or any other drivel, because well I have been hearing that garbage for over a decade now.
In fact like the PC market I can remember thinking how the processor market would level out soon after the pentium 1s because how much faster a computer could you need? (Answer: If you make the chip able to do more the programmers will use that reserve up)

Please correct me if I am wrong (and I know you will) despite the drawdown of PC games in the stores like EB the profits and sales figures for PC games have been very good this year and may very well be the highest ever (specifically PC Games).

Demiurge can confirm that the Gamestop he works at in Seattle carry PC games. But it definitely lean''s toward console games.

Time for some OOCT:

"Mateo" wrote:

Right now... Amazon(s) get all my money. Much better service, and I don''t have to deal with someone trying to sell me.. whatever jizzfest of the moment they are trying to shove on their remaining customers.

Oh, and I can verify that all the game stores in my area still sell PC games. There is still a good market here with all the programming nerds.

If not online sales, I go to an independent store in Pasadena (www.interactcd.com). They have been around about ten years, and are sort of like a b&m version of Gogamer. Lots of euro imports and odd stuff, and a good used PC game section.

The Gamestop closest to me has a tiny PC section, one little standalone shelving unit about 4'' high and 3'' long. They recently turned one side into action figures, making it even smaller. There is a Gamestop in the San Fernando Valley that has two entire walls of PC games, so I go there sometimes.

All of the EBs in my area are filled only with filth and demons. At least last I checked.

"Nosferatu" wrote:

Just taking a stab in the dark here, but you''re, at the oldest, in your early twenties right?

Yeah that''s it. EArly twenties. Actually I''d guess I''m older than you. Old enough to forget where I bought my games 15 years ago.

But yeah a long time ago it was different but those stores have been out of the equation for me for 10 years or so.

REally I think pc games have disappeared from those types of stores (gamestop and eb, etc) because of mass chains like Best Buy, CC, Wal-mart, Target and Compusa. That''s why they don''t sell those games. And lately because of the internet. Really those small stores only exist now cause of the used console game market. But I think ebay is heading towards taking a bite out that market. Cause from what I''ve seen it seems like you can buy used games for generally a lot less and sell them for a lot more on ebay than what you can get at your local shop. That is if you don''t mind waiting a few days.

The Gamestops in my area still carry PC games, but in fewer and fewer quantities. EB games seems to have nearly banned PC games altogether, which is one reason I''ve banned those f*ckers. You can read about my entire reasoning for banning EB for life here.

I now get all my games either online, or from an excellent indie PC gaming store in Pasadena called Interact CD-ROM store, best store on the damned planet. I have to avoid it a lot though because if I go there, too much money will be spent. They have the best selection of used PC games and new PC games...wait, I should stop now before I head to the car...

You guys go to stores? And buy games?!

"Loganrapp" wrote:

You guys go to stores? And buy games?!

Yeah, as opposed to downloading them and cracking them?

"mateo" wrote:
"Loganrapp" wrote:

You guys go to stores? And buy games?!

Yeah, as opposed to downloading them and cracking them?

Not at all. Just that... every time I go to Gamestop? I take a shower. I feel unclean. I''d just as soon buy it online.

I buy my games over Steam.

I buy my games over Steam.

Ooh, can you show me how to get KOTOR II over Steam? Or wait when you said games you mean''t I buy Half-Life 2 over and over again

I was chatting with a friend and he brought up a great point. Within the next year there are going to be 8 viable console platforms on the market. (GC, PS2, XBox, DS/GBA and the soon to be at a store near you PSP, Xbox2, PS3, Revolution). Not only will Gamestop have to make shelf space for all 8 consoles but can you imagine what''s going to happen when people start trading in their used games for the newer ones? It''s going to be insane once people start ditching their older equipment. Gamestop and EBGames make quite a bit of money off the margins on reselling Trade-Ins and they''re going to need a lot of shelf space to sell them.

I was chatting with a friend and he brought up a great point. Within the next year there are going to be 8 viable console platforms on the market. (GC, PS2, XBox, DS/GBA and the soon to be at a store near you PSP, Xbox2, PS3, Revolution). Not only will Gamestop have to make shelf space for all 8 consoles but can you imagine what''s going to happen when people start trading in their used games for the newer ones? It''s going to be insane once people start ditching their older equipment. Gamestop and EBGames make quite a bit of money off the margins on reselling Trade-Ins and they''re going to need a lot of shelf space to sell them.

Oh, I don''t know about that. It will take a good amount of time before the new consoles will have enough titles to really start worrying about shelf space. Look how much space the DS needs right now for example. I think it will be a bumpy transition but over time the new console games will slowly eat away at the current generation until there''s a small shelf and a big bargain bin for the ""old"" games.

PC games may be pushed out even more but it sounds like that''s happening regardless.

"Pyroman[FO" wrote:

""]

I buy my games over Steam.

Ooh, can you show me how to get KOTOR II over Steam? Or wait when you said games you mean''t I buy Half-Life 2 over and over again ;)

Actually, I was just trying to piss you off

"baggachipz" wrote:
"Pyroman[FO" wrote:

""]

I buy my games over Steam.

Ooh, can you show me how to get KOTOR II over Steam? Or wait when you said games you mean''t I buy Half-Life 2 over and over again ;)

Actually, I was just trying to piss you off :roll:

Looks like it worked. Good job, buddy!

I do what I can.

He cain''t hep it.

I do what I can.

It''s not particularly hard today, but good show nonetheless. Now it''s stabbin time.