While businesses drop like flies because of the poor economy, we can be sure that one thing seems to be suffering significantly less: videogame sales. Apparently no matter how depressed people are, they still want to have fun, which is good news for gamers and retailers.
GameStop announced their fiscal 2009 numbers today, which showed things looking good with an increase of 24% in sales (in other words, $8.8 billion dollars). They are expecting to continue to perform well, with the plans for 2009 growth including opening 400 new locations and increasing sales by 12 percent. I hope one of those 400 new stores opens in the mall across the street from me (hint!).
Dan Matteo, Chief Exec Officer for GameStop, offered some thoughts on the chain's success:
“Although our trade-in model is widely known as a driver of new software sales, our exceptional growth is also a function of thousands of conveniently located stores, excellent supply chain management, and the expertise of our associates who operate GameStop stores. Also of note is our US advertising penetration, and the power of our magazine, Game Informer, which is the twelfth largest consumer magazine in America, with over 3 million subscribers. We are energized by the fact that video gaming has gone mainstream, with recent industry data showing that nearly half of new gamers are over 35 years old and 40% are female."
And there you have it. I'd like to meet more of that 40 percent of female gamers, considering I've met less then ten girls in Miami who love gaming in the past two years. Guess they're well-hidden?
[Via Business Wire]
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Contest:
11:20 AM on 02.19.2009
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Yeah, there's not a lot of hardcore gamer girls in Miami. But every once in a while the most unexpected person will start telling you about how they player Super Mario for hours as a kid. lol
Games are pretty universal nowadays -- even if they're still in the realm of "geekdom."
Of course, I honestly wouldn't mind afew less good games coming out too. My wallet is what's taking the hit this Spring as it is, and I could use a rest.
I am afraid to sound like an ignorant fuck but, what is so wrong with it?
Is that because they price used games about 5 dollars less than new ones or because if you trade in 20 used games you'll get enough cash in exchange to buy a new one?
The reason you can't walk in the door without them asking you to preorder every title coming out for the next ten years is because, like was said above, they don't want to stock any more copies of a new game than they know they are going to sell.
They can then turn around and do the whole we'll pay you $22 for that $59 game and then put it back on the shelf for $54.99 when you go to trade it in two weeks later. It's pretty sweet deal for them and a pretty shitty one for game makers. I'll buy older used stuff there, but I try to buy my full priced new games elsewhere..
That's my understanding anway. I don't know if it's evil, but it doesn't make me feel good.
Exactly. I don't really understand all of the GameStop hate. The almost always have what I'm looking for at the prices every other place has. You can get pretty good deals on used games as well and older retro games. People only hate them because they're dumb enough to sell their games there.