ARE GAME STORES DYING? - Happy Console Gamer
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- Опубликовано: 16 июл 2024
- Johnny interviews Russel from Press Start video games in Vancouver Canada to find out if game stores are dying and what it's like to run a game store!
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Join Johnny Millenium The Happy Console Gamer as he discusses new video games and reviews forgotten games that not many people know about but should! 
Игры
This kind of felt like a podcast and that guy seems really authentic. I approve.
100%
Russ is a top tier human.
This is like a lecture in an on-line business school course.
What an amazing human being. His love for games and his warmth is felt through the camera, all the way to Sweden.
I can’t say it enough any small business thrives on good customer service with friendly knowledgeable staff nobody ever wants to go into a game store run by comic book guy from the Simpsons 👏🤘🏻🤘🏻
Thats not enough these days when its David vs Goliath wrt to mega corps like Amazon, and authoritative power hungry governments, especially if YOU want to remain an ethical business person and not succumb to the same pressures of the system.
I always make it a point to preorder from my local game store. They always have old-school preorder parties with pastries decorated with whatever game is coming out. One thing that wasn't brought up is new consoles are converting to digital only. I'd imagine a big decline from new sales which sucks, but I get it.
@@beyondz55 pretty sure he was just speaking about just the used video game/media industry
@@SameriddAndCave sorry to break this to you bro but game stores don’t make shit off new games lol it’s the used games that have the mark up…
@@beyondz55 I hate Amazon because they banned me. #BOYCOTTAMAZON
Definitely love supporting our other local stores. We run our own, and still shop often at other places. We take road trips to visit other stores too. As he said in the video, you definitely have to want to do it, and love doing it. I am at my store from 11:30am to 9-10pm at least 5 days a week, and some days I'll be here until 2 or 3 am working to get stuff finished before the next day. Its a customer service job number one, so if you don't like interacting with strangers, you won't enjoy owning or working at a game store.
Whatup peep! I was just about to comment and say that he should check out Double Jump.
That gentleman is really knowledgeable and likeable, John. You two have really good on screen chemistry. Have him on again - that was really, really good.
Here’s the thing. I used to love going into my local stores and looking through their inventory to try and find any interesting RPGs or other quirky games they had. But, unfortunately these places started pricing any “rare” games, even loose copies, the same as CIB.
Like last night, I went in for the first time in a while and wow, they had some fantastic items. Lunar, Lunar 2, Threads of fate, Persona 1, both Persona 2 psp games, God Hand. Like wow, what a great selection. I was ready to buy something pretty expensive, but when I actually examined them, the cases were cracked, manuals missing, most copies loose. $80 for a loose copy Growlancer Generations. $110 for a loose copy of Breath of Fire IV, $700 for a loose Kuon. Are you kidding me? I could almost find a complete copy for that price on ebay.
And, sadly, I had to walk out and look online. They’re either too dumb to understand how to properly price retro titles or they just think it’s okay to gouge people. I want to support local stores, but knowing that I’m getting ripped off is not something I’m okay with.
Yeah i had similar problem with my local store and i left as well.
@@PnPride same here in Europe, I'd say if they're dying, it's most likely their own fault.
All I know is that finding a game "in the wild" at a flea market, garage sale or shop is far more rewarding than buying a game online. At least that's how I feel. Have a good day everyone!
im really only interested in Japanese import saturn and PC Engine games these days so yeah thats never happening at a garage sale lol
Haha ya I hear you; those items have always been very hard to find. I was really into collecting in the late 90's to early 2000's, when finding NES games and other retro items "in the wild" was MUCH easier. I haven't collected for a very long time and I assume it is very hard to find anything offline nowadays, as so many more people are collectors and resellers. In my experience though, finding a game "in person" was very rewarding/enjoyable, almost like a treasure hunt. I understand that now my past ways of finding games may in reality be outdated and completely obsolete. Anyways, keep on collecting and have a good one!
Yeah, a lot of collectors enjoy the process of the hunt even more than the actual item itself. If you wanted to spend the money you can buy anything you want online right now and it just isn't that fun.
@Dustin T : I couldn't have said it better myself.
@@Boogerdick69 Awesome. I guess you just never know what you can find. I used to find amazing stuff at thrift stores, but that was 10-15+ years ago. My best find ever at a thrift store was Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance cib randomly stuffed amongst movies on a miscellaneous dvd rack. It really depends on if they screen their donated items before pricing them and the knowledge of the people stocking the shelves. Thrift stores probably all screen/research the value their incoming items now, which only makes sense. I'm really out of the loop now in terms of the state of game collecting. I'm like a collecting dinosaur/fossil/relic of another time in our hobby. :)
Happy Console Gamer consistently comes through with content I didn’t know I wanted to watch - keep up the awesome work, Johnny!
The sad thing is that new physical games are not complete, you buy access to the game but you need to download huge patches in order to play them!
True, it's not complete,they always have add on u pay 2 houndred to complete 💯
@@dukeman8481 I hate that,they do on purpose,can they tested there games before they fix it.it seems they have 3 years to fix it lol.those games people be waiting for it
My kids love going to the local gamestop. Trying my best to show them the value of physical games.
Good job. Keep supporting them. 👍
The prices for some of these games can be ridiculously overpriced. I'm not just talking about retro, but games that just came out for Switch and latest gen in general. Games costing hundreds of dollars to close to a thousand. It's a little insane and bizarre to see because I don't remember it being like that. So it's hard to find a good store that isn't trying to rip you off.
Well we have that same problem over the pond. Here in Europe it seems that the small and medium size of video game stores are closing themselves just because no-one wants to pay insane among of money for a second hand video games. Flee markets, Second hand stores, Garage Sales and Online garage sales are places where you can get (for now) games for affordable prices.
For real.. One example that comes to mind is skylanders for the switch.. Like what over 300 bucks for that but for previous consoles is less than 20 bucks
Bricks and mortar game stores these days should be about creating an unforgettable experience, offering genuine excellent customer service and full engagement. I don't mind paying a little more to keep the small indie stores alive. Great show, topic and guest!
Well said!
Guys like him are sort of video game librarians or antique keepers that preserve important history for the medium. We need people like that more.
This is such a great video! It might be my favourite HCG in recent memory! You two had such a fun, genuine conversation and it's heartwarming to see and hear from people from our generation -- it also makes me happy that passion, honesty and loyalty still count for something (: hopefully it's a message that more and more people will take to heart, not just in business, but in life!
The wife and I started our store around 7 years ago in Florida. We were at a flea market for 2 years and have had a brick and mortar store for over 5 years. We're doing very good and have grown each year. We recently talked to the landlord and in a couple months are expanding into another spot so we will have two spots. We're very excited to see where it goes. Granted we don't do just Video games and I think that's how we survive. We sell Video / Computer games and accessories / consoles, Anime items, Pops, Marvel / DC figures, TCG cards (Pokemon / MTG / Yu-Gi-OH), D&D modules and accessories and Vinyl records and CDs. Best thing I didn't have to get rid of my game collection in the process. Granted I do trade in items to get things I want hehe.
Sounds like you have a great family business and that you truly enjoy what you're doing, which makes it all worth it. Just don't keep all of the best/rarest trade-ins for yourself :) Good luck and all the best!
@@rjcupid Haha nah i have a pretty large collection so at this point there's only a few things I'm looking.
@@ClassicContagious Nice. I'm in the same boat. I've found most of the games I wanted and I'm happy with what I have.
@@rjcupid I got my holy grail game a few days ago (Ultima I). Thought it would never come into the store.
@@ClassicContagious Awesome, that's the best feeling when you find a game you've been looking for forever. Around 15 years ago I found the three main games I had always searched for - Power Blade 2, Panic Restaurant and Dragon Fighter (NES). I haven't really collected since that point. I would think that today it would be nearly impossible to find those games.
Only recently discovered Press Start despite living literally minutes away. Definitely enjoy going in to search for treasures and chatting with the owners.
There's something about browsing shelves that online shopping can't replace.
Solid episode!
Russel was one of your best guests, it's fascinating to hear his points of views!
Hell yeah, what a nice surprise to see Russell pop up on here!!! Shoutout to Press Start 💕
All the smaller, independent game stores that are still left in my city (in the UK), are far more expensive than say bigger, online stores. Which doesn't help I guess. People go where the deals are. I can't say that for every small, independent game store. I would love for them all to survive though, for the many reason discussed in the video. More personable, community etc.
I noticed the same in Germany. Three stores I use to go to shut down. But on the other side of it, they wanted 30-40 percent more than what you can find on Ebay. I wouldn't even mind that if the people running the stores were not such dicks.
You may have recorded another video or two with him that you haven’t released yet, but if not, PLEASE bring Russell back for a normal game talk! What an interesting and charming guy to have on the show! This topic and the chemistry between you guys made this one of the best videos you’ve uploaded in ages! I love all your uploads, but this one: *chef’s kiss*
This was such a great idea! I loved it! I love my local game store and try and support them as often as I can. So many truths were said in this and I could relate to a lot! Excellent video! Whenever I’m in Vancouver next, I’m totally checking out Press Start!
Press Start is a great store. I've shopped in there a few times and found the prices reasonable and the selection top notch. Even sold a bunch of stuff there, too. Fair offers given.
Ioved the video idea Johnny. Always wanted to know more about the ins and outs of a video game store.
Hearing this guy talk about how he runs his game store explains why all the game stores in my area have closed. I understand needing to make profit but the ones near me took things in as cheaply as they could, marked them up like crazy, and everything sat on the shelves until they were drowning in inventory and chose to close rather than clearance.
Really genuine conversation. Enjoyed it a lot! Maybe inviting the guy more often 🎮
I'm 60 and game daily. I won't stop until my hands won't hold a controller
Awesome. Sounds like you're very young at heart. Anyways, 60 is the new 40. I'll be gaming at 100 if I can. Keep gaming and all the best.
I’m glad the US/Canadian border is getting easier to cross here in Washington. Looking forward to doing a retro road trip up to Vancouver and checking out some of the stores up there. It’s been way too long
Metaljesus you rule 🤘🏾
As a Canadian I can assure you that Canada loves you Metal Jesus!
Sweet, you should do a future video on that also take Reggie and the metal Jesus gang with you
@@ladynikkie I'd love to see Reggie and MetalJesusRocks take a trip like the Game Chasers to Canada :D
Say a prayer for our truckers protecting our freedoms because no one else will
Johny - BRILLIANT content! These local community videos transcend local interest. I bet a good amount of your audience "the 50 year old gamer video out soon" really enjoyed the small business perspective as well. Props to your guest - he's nailed the notion that a customer for life is far more valuable than maxing out one sale.
Great episode! Awesome guest and certainly an eye opener for those oblivious about the small-scale video game retail industry. I am based in Asia but will certainly drop by Press Start if the opportunity to visit the area presents itself.
More power to Russel and Press Start. :)
I appreciate when video game stores in Canada have an online marketplace. I live in a remote community and I only get to a game store once or twice a year. I try to support independent stores online when I can
Johnny you're quite adept at interviewing guests! Great work, and excellent topic. Thank you.
Im loving this interview,, my fav video this year for sure.
"Rent here is insane!" Where isn't rent insane these days?
Great and interesting video, man! Cheers!
@A Spirit I can say from my own experience that this is not true. Maybe 15 years ago but not anymore.
@A Spirit Yeah, I think so. It's hard to tell cause it's just crazy in general. Like you said, you have a fairly cheaper rent but it's still way more than you earn or would like to spend at the end of the day. It feels like half of the salary is going down for rent which is insane.
Yes especially with all the digital stores and whatnot . Though I still prefer physical media
Then we need to support it as much as possible
@@derek-64 gonna take more than a handful of people...They just recently did a physical v digital sales and digital was massively blowing physical out of the water....Between the waste of plastic, waste of space, disc rot, cart rot convenience, physical is going the way of the dodo...."Ownership" of digital is exactly the same as physical, you've never "owned" a game, you owned the medium and a license to operate the software.
@@lutherheggs451 not with that defeating mindset
its was great running into you guys at press start the other week!
REALLY enjoy your guest interviews. Russel just seems so down to earth and someone I would love to "talk story" with. Great episode!
What a great interview Johnny! Thanks Russel for coming on in and answering some great questions. Im sure most of us had some of these questions in our own heads. Keep up the great work! #SupportLocalGameStores
Great video! Cool, genuine guy and some good insights into the behind the scenes of running a game store. It's always fun to visit local stores and having to scavenge around, finding some cool gems.
That is the conversations I would like to hear on gaming channels on RUclips, interesting and you learn something from others experiences
Great interview Johnny, enjoyed this a lot .
Thanks for having us on your show, it was a pleasure :)
Awesome guest! I'd love to hear more from him in the future.
Really interesting episode! Thanks for getting Russel on to talk about it! I love game stores so much, it's sad that most of the ones I loved as a teenager have closed down in the years since :(
This was an awesome episode. I would love to see him on future episodes
Much love from Romania, we don't have game stores like this here which is a shame. Been watching for some time, love all the vids
More of this guy! This was great to listen to
Awesome interview, guys!
That insight into how new generations are getting into retro games is so interesting, particularly as an old time All Gen Gamers fan who is in his late twenties. Amazing format. I would love to know more about the evolution of the Vancouver gaming culture. Love to see Johnny sharing with passion, as always.
I laughed so hard when he said he thought about putting a sign up that said no spoilers or we won't take your trade ins.
I'd do a no spoilers sign though
No matter what video you put up mate ill always like it...my favourite gaming channel on RUclips please keep making videos Johnny you the best 👌
Love this kind of video, keep doing more small discussions Johnny
Really fun episode, just wish we had a comparable retro scene here in the uk!
Amazing guest, amazing video as always Johnny
I'm a Vancouver guy - psyched to check out Press Start!
Oh my wow Guitar Praise, what a deep cut. Glad you decided to keep it in the video, if briefly! Also, digging the Fallen Order rep. Best wishes on continued fulfilling business, Press Start!
What an awesome video! So much energy, so relatable, in every country. I either buy at my local game store (I still have to take the car to get there) or 2nd hand. But always physical and never from the big guys.
What an original subject to build content for. I'm beyond grateful you made this video and highlighted your friends journey at Play Start. Hopefully, this boosts his business and gets people interested in this incredible-looking gem.
Johnny, you discuss and share such broad subject matter that there's just no replacement. Most weekends I sit back before working on commissioned oil on canvas landscape paintings(preserving people's memories), and this reliably helps me relax. The conversation ends in the video, yet, continues in my mind as I work on into the day.
There's no possible way anyone could ever match or better your channel. It's a niche you've dug out in your own way. Just like the consistent way you say, "Second to none", "Second to NON". It makes me giggle each time, compounding it gets funnier with each video and endears me to you in the kindest way. We all have our quirks. Certainly, I'm not perfect.
Thank you so much for your dedication and service. I'm loyal to you,. through and through. Grateful.
All the independent shops want to charge ebay prices
Congratulations on the success of your store and many more years to come
I love your channel man! You always have the best guest and even here in south Texas game stores are dying out. Keep up the great conversations
Absolutely awesome video good to see some game stores are still doing it
You're literally one of the best tv show hosts I've ever seen. Well, RUclips show host haha. Congrats on the great interview!
Just want to add, if there was a game store near me, like this chaps store, i would buy all my games from there!
This guys energy and passion is catching!!
All our game stores are like, hi welcome, buy this game and get lost!
I imagine this guy to be very approachable, up for some game chat and a few laughs!
What a great video and topic, Thank you John
Super cool video Johnny! Best of luck to your friend, great to see someone pursuing their dreams
Awesome video man, I really enjoyed it. I'll be heading to Vancouver soon so I'll make sure to add that store to the places I visit!
Great topic and lots of learning points really enjoyed this Johnny
Hey I turned 40 this May, and I LOVE IT! I can't wait till I am 50 still rocking out video games. I joined the Army back in 2001, I got the PS2 the week it came out, then one week later I got the PS1 for $99 bucks. I loved them both! got the 3 in 2013, but I don't know ya'll I wasn't feeling the games, ONLY ratchet and clank all 4 one is the ONLY game I play on it. I do have other games but I find they are ridiculously difficult to get past the first few minutes.
This was such a fascinating video. Great interview and highly enjoyable and informative!
Fantastic video!! I wish you could do a series on the topic with other guys willing to come in.
“Are your games here in alphabetical order?”
“No, I want you to spend hours here looking for stuff.”
🤣savage!! But true! Never thought about it like that.
Whelp, guess I'm heading over to Vancouver to do a little shopping! Great video Johnny!
Great conversation, guys. Thanks! I should find a good retro store here in my area!
What's up love the show long time watcher
Such a great video, we need to have him back.
I really enjoyed this conversation. :)
Fanatics video, really enjoyed this. I would love to see more guests on the show in the future.
Definitely going to come visit next time I'm in New West, looking forward to it 😁
Awesome segment thanks for doing this
One of the best gaming channel!
Keep up the good works ! 💯
Lots of love from Bangladesh 🇧🇩
Excellent episode!
Your videos are the highlight of my Sundays Johnny!
Wish him the best!!! I’m worried because I have seen local stores close recently. It’s just really sad for me.
He was such a great guest!
Another great video. Thank you!
This was a fantastic video! 👍🏼
Finally, someone else pointed at the end with Johnny! :P
Funny story I looked at that boxed Hagane when Press Start had it on hand. I was picking up a cib pristine Wild Guns at the time. The Hagane was priced VERY fair and it was MINT.
Cool video as a fellow game store owner... I can relate to some of this... I'm listening to this as I'm working on my accounting...
Wish I knew about Press Start when I was in Vancouver a few years back, would've been a great spot to stop in. I'll keep it in mind for the next time I'm out west (currently in Toronto).
Russ is a great guy and it’s a cool store. Always friendly,nice,reasonable and very knowledgeable.
I was contemplating on starting my own game store and started gathering a budget since the pandemic hit. I was literally wavering
due to the requirements the retailers i contacted set forth, along with the business permits i'd have to get along with the Inventory..
But i luckily saw this video, (Subscribed as well)
Please tell Russel that his story and the benefits of customer loyalty, community has taken away my fears of starting my own business.
Hopefully this is something i can bring to my own country/city where i currently reside where only major retailers exist.
Great video and glad he's doing well! I think they've got many more years to come! Retro games offer more than modern games in my opinion
Great interview and interesting perspective! I would not really have imagined younger generations getting into collecting classic stuff!
I must get off the island and come check out your shop!
Cool! I visited this store a couple years ago and met this gentleman!!! Such a nice guy !!! Tons of games . Games games games ahahaha . Like he said “ almost too much “ !! Def worth checking out
Great guest. Would love to hear more stories from him.
Great video as usual Johnny.
I look forward to visiting the store sometime!
Got some awesome games when I lived BC. Russ is awesome!!!
I would love to just dander into a video game store and Johnnys just standing there casually discussing some random game haha Legend