DVD Empire Angrily Sheds Light On Games Industry
It’s funny how, sometimes, it takes an angry outburst to get people to notice something. As far as the game industry goes, most of us are consumers in one way or another: we buy games for ourselves, or as gifts, but we rarely think of it from the standpoint of a retailer. Well, DVD Empire is getting out of the game business, and in doing so have left a list of reasons for their departure on their games page. This list sheds a good bit of light on the current state of the game retail industry and how bleak it is for the little man.
The list of grievances left by DVD Empire shows what really goes on behind the scenes on the retail side of gaming. Smaller retailers don’t matter to the distribution houses, so it’s basically impossible for them to make a profit off of gaming. Because the stock costs so much and video game prices drop so wildly, we’re seeing less and less of the small game retailer.
In fact, if you’re independent, the only real way to make money in this business is to re-sell video games, but Gamestop and EB Games already have that covered as well. I’m not partial either way, but when a company can’t receive product for a decent price in a timely manner, something is definitely wrong. There is such a thing as healthy competition, and when that competition is removed, quality always drops. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
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It already has. Things are already pretty fuckin’ rock bottom when the big dedicated game store franchise is clearly detrimental to the very industry that keeps it alive and exists purely to gouge its patrons. Suck my balls, $45 used for the GC Zelda collection.
Funny aside: gold cart Ocarina was $7. Superman 64 was $12.
And i don’t think it’s that GameStop/EB corners the market on used items. There are still a few local shops that not only sell them for more reasonable prices, but pay the seller more too. The late Rhino was an example of that. The problem is that those are few and far between, while there’s pretty much a GameStop next to every Starbucks.
Gosh I hope Sam & Max continues to do well. I’ve been enjoying all of the installments, and am really encouraged to see the speed these guys can crank out new content (even if the locations are familiar). I feel for DVD Empire, but in my heart of hearts I *want* the distribution model to fail — Not for the DVD Empires, but for the EB’s. I want it to collapse in a heap and be forever broken, and for EA to go broke and for thousands of people to lose their jobs.
Sounds harsh…. I know….
But with any luck, that kind of collapse will force developers to rethink their own business models: To produce smaller chunks of a game, to raise less money, to rely on the dollars from actual sales rather than advances from Publishers. To drive the costs of distribution down either through direct sales or (as seems obvious) downloads. It’d suck for a bit for developers (I find it hard to work up sympathy for product placement executives, Marketing consultants and Retail managers, but it’d suck for them too I guess), and out of the other side might come a much better games industry that sold based firmly on quality and track record, rather than marketing and publisher.
So thanks for the insight DVDEmpire, and I hope you guys continue to do well with your DVD business model.
To the publishers: Here’s hoping you go broke soon
LG
I like you.