Great computer software stores from the past

[King Crispy]

Here in the Kwa we're in a bad situation as far as where to buy computer games. There's almost only one choice now: Gamestop. I can't begin to tell you how horrible it is, especially when you're forced to rummage around in the far back of the store on a single shelf that has mostly already-opened PC games and ones that are often already outdated anyway. New releases you can still get but you have to ask the nerd behind the counter and you have to specify PC. They often look at you strangely for a moment.

Back in the day, though, things were much better. My favorite was an excellent little chain of stores called Egghead Software. Egghead catered very much to PC gamers. They had all the latest titles (which often sported those cool and crazy-shaped boxes back then, no boring DVD cases), lots of joysticks and other controllers, and many other things strictly PC-related. It was great, place even smelled great. I believe Egghead may have morphed into Newegg.com, which is an extremely popular PC hardware shopping site now.

There was also Software, Etc. This was more of a mall-type store, but still featured a good selection of software back then and was a good alternative to Egghead if you couldn't find what you needed there. I think this store lasted quite a bit longer than Egghead.

Then there was Electronics Boutique, which eventually turned into Gamestop. This was the beginning of the end. EB started carrying more and more Japanese tchotchke bullshit, then Magic the Gathering cards, and other stupid shit like that, and eventually almost completely abandoned PC gaming altogether. I now struggle every day not to place a bomb in my local version of that store. Just kidding, FBI.

Miss you, Egghead. What did you have in your area?

 

[Markman]

To tell you the truth I stopped buying games in stores long time ago. I got Game and Gamestop close by but I have more games on my Steam account then they have in store. I usually just run through them looking if theres some cheap or rare stuff, usually there isnt.
Webhallen.com is pretty much only store in Sweden that has extensive catalog on PC games.

 

[Jaesun]

We had Software, Etc when I was a kid around here. I remember seeing the demo of It Came form the Desert on the glorious Amiga 500......

Thats when I decided to finally save up for one. Best damn gaming memory of my life... <3

 

[Black_Willow]

Here in Potatoland most people still buy their games in stores. In Mediamarkt or Empik (local media store) you will find long shelves full of PC games, both old and new ones.
Also, there's more titles for PC than for consoles.

 

[Luzur]

in my town alone we had about 4-5 computer stores from 1979 (converted radio store) to around the late 90's.

gone now, replaced by a single Game store.

 

[Zdzisiu]

Yes, we are the bastion of PC games. Its good to be too poor for a console generation.

As for the old games. I used to get my games at big software markets. Sanitarium on one CD, with a couple of other games bitches! (Ok ok, no sound and no movies, and two weeks wait to get your CD).

 

[DraQ]

Here in Potatoland most people still buy their games in stores. In Mediamarkt or Empik (local media store) you will find long shelves full of PC games, both old and new ones.
Also, there's more titles for PC than for consoles.

: x

 

[Awor Szurkrarz]

Empik except that it never disappeared and it still sells lots of PC games. Too bad that there aren't much store-distributed PC that are worth buying.

 

[JarlFrank]

Yeah Mediamarkt still has more PC games than console games around (I think one of the two Media Markts in my town only has PC games, no console games, the other has a large PC game area but only one shelf or two for consoles), but the Gamestop is mostly a consoletard place.

That's probably because Media Markt is a German company while Gamestop is American.

 

[Xor]

Where I live, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy all still have a decent selection of PC games.

 

[Lunac]

Yeah, days long gone. Places like this are fewer and fewer for those of us non-Cheeto eaters who are not afraid of sunshine. Electronic Boutique was pricy as hell, compared to other similar places but it was a great place in 90s to get PC software and games. I remember when their console section was a laughable 4 foot by 3 foot rack. That's it. About 25 titles in all on a single sided rack. The rest of the store? PC!!! Games, software, you name it. By late 90s their console section was growing ridclousy fast (50% of the store I guess).

Another great place was Computer City who went out in 1998. Software, hardware, pretty affordable. As I remember near the end they actually had a like coffee/juice bar set up in-store.

Anyways, the only place left nowadays is MicroCenter, that sort of combines what those stores had in their heyday for the PC crowd. Of course, their PC section has been halved in size. Curiously, they do keep their pretty spacious books section open. Nobody ever there, because books are evil and shit. But still a nice section to go into for nostalgia's sake. Heck, even most of the titles in there are from like 90s: "Visual Studio 6: The Complete Reference", but they also carry stuff like hard sci-fi titles, various Linux guides and even some heavy calculus shit for math nerds.

Ah, nostalgia! Thanks man, just what I needed. I feel like going out on a nice spring day like this, going out and killing me some neckbearded meme-spouting consoletards who never even noticed places like this.

...
..
.

 

[MetalCraze]

Also, there's more titles for PC than for consoles.

Yeah. PC titles like CodMW, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, MoH

But don't be upset. It's the same all over salo-land too.

 

[King Crispy]

Keep your pessimistic, doomsday attitude out of my nostalgia thread, Skyway!

 

[Metro]

I used to go to Babbages for the most part. There was also an Electronics Boutique in the same mall, too. Loved the purple neon sign~

 

[King Crispy]

Ah, yes. Babbages. That was another one that I remember as well.

I wonder if the two stores had little competitions with each another, like maybe a weekly Nerf war at the mall fountain or a Star Trek trivia contest or something.

"Man, Mike, we gotta outdo them bastards this week. I heard they actually hired a girl ! Can you imagine that? Those geeks."

 

[Trash]

There used to be a shitload of small hobystores that have all but disappeared in the last couple of years. Nowadays the big chains are taking over. Used to be that selling second hand games worked for them but now a lot of bigger chains are also doing that. Not to mention that activation codes and the like are fucking that up. The few hobby shops I know that are left usually have a few gimmicks. Either they often manage to bring out games a few days before the official release date (again, this gets more difficult with on-line activation and so on) or they throw a lot of release parties, tournaments and the like.

Still, I feel like they are a dying breed. There are at least three mayor chains (that all suck) opening stores left and right and videogames are being sold almost everywhere. Record shops, warehouses, electronic stores, hell even supermarkets. Not to mention webshops and digital distribution channels.

 

[Bruticis]

This used to be my favorite thing to see off in the distance when entering the mall.

 

[King Crispy]

Yeah, the distribution's a lot better, but the specialization's gone.

I hate bog box stores. I hate Walmart, Target. Best Buy is okay, I guess, but it's the fucking crowds you get in there and the teenage dumbasses who keep pestering you.

"Can I help you find something?"

"Do you have Fallout New Vegas? For PC, I mean."

"Uh, I think so. Let's take a look."

(full visual scanning of XBox section)

"No, dude, that's your XBox section."

"Oh, right. Over here, I think."

"Uh, that's PlayStation."

(I wander over to find the PC games section myself while he's still looking)

"Oh, I see you found it. Do you need a new controller for that as well?"

 

[Temaperacl]

There used to be a local or regional software rental store around here called Software Pipeline. I think it closed in the mid 90's, but before that, it was great place for finding a game to try before getting or to play over a weekend or break, especially since they had such a wide selection (Both in type of games as well as in age of games).

 

[Metro]

Best Buy is okay, I guess, but it's the fucking crowds you get in there and the teenage dumbasses who keep pestering you.

I hate that with a passion. Only time I'll ever go into Best Buy is when I specifically know what I want and that I'm going to purchase it. I run to the damn thing, grab it, and run to the register. They obviously don't work on commission so why the hell are they 'overly helpful?'

 

[Bruticis]

Fuck Best Buy, I'm not shopping at any store where I'm treated like a criminal AFTER buying something, trying to exit the store. No, you may not see my fucking receipt.

 

[BLOBERT]

BROS WHEN YOU GUTS GROW UP YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO GET SALESPEOPLE TO AVOID YOU

IT ISNT HARD AND YOU DONT HAVE TO BE RUDE

 

[commie]

In Australia we had the shortlived Software Today, god tims in the late 90's, a whole store of PC games. sniff. A whole wall of flight sims alone!

We still have Electronics Boutique but last time I was in one back in 2005 it had already been taken over by console shit with PC stuff just an half a wall.

 

[DakaSha]

Also, there's more titles for PC than for consoles.

Yeah. PC titles like CodMW, Mass Effect, Dragon Age, MoH

But don't be upset. It's the same all over salo-land too.

Actually when i lived in germany there were still quite a few decent titles in places like mediamarkt. Very often you could get great bundles of classics.

 

[Destroid]

Crispy you run a computer hardware store, why don't you have a small amount of shelf space for videogames and get them wholesale?