Casual Gamers Forcing Gamestop to Rethink Store Layouts

The Guardian Gamesblog has up a post noting that Gamestop will be rearranging stores to meet casual gamer needs. For example, they'll be creating a section just for music games (karaoke, guitar games, etc). They'll also be putting together a 'family-friendly' area, with a focus on titles like Nintendogs, Lego Star Wars, and the like. The post is based off of an interview in The New York Times with Daniel A. DeMatteo, Gamestop's vice chairman and chief operating officer. In his mind casual games are now so important to sales that the company is having to do some 'radical retail re-thinking': "There is a real breadth of properties now appealing to a much broader audience than we've seen before. Honestly, we are having to retool the way we think of things in our stores in terms of merchandising, layout and also customer service because it is no longer only the hardcore gamer walking in who knows exactly what he wants."

Comments

Have multiple floors and more supervisors

[Anonymous Coward]

Casual gamers can get their merchandise right up front. Place the hardcore games on the top floor.

Hardcore gamers should have to go through at least 3 levels and 2 bosses before being able to get to their goods.

Re:I hope that means other changes

[Aladrin]

Just get a sticker that says:

Ask me about reserving a game and
              I WILL KILL YOU

and stick it to your shirt. Alternatively, you could have cards printed that say that and hand it to the person before you begin to speak to them. It'll make them think twice about asking other people, and they probably won't ever ask you again.

Penny Arcade for everything

[James Kilton]

This immediately came to mind: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/03/30/

Re:I hope that means other changes

[_xeno_]

The last time I was at a GameStop, they asked me if I wanted to get an extended warranty on the game for $3. Since I was third in line, I'd heard the "Do you want to buy an extended warranty for $3? It allows you to replace the game for free if it becomes scratched or anything. No? OK, do you want to reserve $RELATED_GAME{$PURCHASED_GAME} today?" twice already. I guess I was a little more forceful with my "NO!" than intended, because the clerk skipped the rest of the spiel.

So I'd add:

And if you ask me to buy a warranty on the game:
I WILL KILL YOUR FAMILY TOO

Re:Not "hardcore vs. casual"

[Jeff DeMaagd]

You hate those labels but you are ready to provide your own? Good going.