Do you still grab games from the offline game shops?

[Ferdinand]

Well, we've not got many offline game shops around here anymore. So, I do most of my purchases online and go to popular online marketplaces when I want to get some physical copies of games. I'm not going to spend longer time seeking where to get games offline. Are you in a similar situation?

 

[Corey]

Used to, yeah. EB Games was the go-to when I was younger — Damo and I'd go in on a Saturday and spend an hour just looking at cases. Half the games I ended up loving were ones I picked up on a whim because the cover looked interesting. Don't really bother anymore. Everything's digital now and honestly it's just easier. But I do miss having something physical to show for it.

 

[Tyler]

GameStop was the move when I was a kid. Didn't even need to buy anything — spending an hour just looking at cases was part of the whole thing. Now it's all Steam and Humble Bundle when the deal's actually worth it. The stores are pretty much dead anyway round here.

 

[Ferdinand]

GameStop was the move when I was a kid. Didn't even need to buy anything — spending an hour just looking at cases was part of the whole thing. Now it's all Steam and Humble Bundle when the deal's actually worth it. The stores are pretty much dead anyway round here.

I kinda concur with you that the shops are fading away. Most players now like sitting in the comfort of their homes while logging into their steam account to get the games that they want. A lot has truly changed since, and I can say it is a result of technological advancement.

 

[Oliver]

Not for years, and I can't pretend that's changed. There was a decent independent shop near Piccadilly in Manchester that I'd visit on a Saturday -- proper staff who actually knew what they were talking about. That closed around 2015 and I haven't found a reason to go anywhere physical since. GAME is still around but it's not the same experience. Most of what I buy now is GOG for anything older and occasionally Steam for newer releases, though I tend to wait for sales on anything above thirty pounds.

 

[Ferdinand]

Not for years, and I can't pretend that's changed. There was a decent independent shop near Piccadilly in Manchester that I'd visit on a Saturday -- proper staff who actually knew what they were talking about. That closed around 2015 and I haven't found a reason to go anywhere physical since. GAME is still around but it's not the same experience. Most of what I buy now is GOG for anything older and occasionally Steam for newer releases, though I tend to wait for sales on anything above thirty pounds.

Online sources like Steam provides convenience, and that is a game changer for a lot of players who never even liked going to offline stores to get games.

These online marketplaces also have review sections and the aim is to know more about the game and what others got to say after their experiences from playing the game. So, it is easier for online shops to have taken over when they did.

 

[Ryan]

I'm in electronics retail so this one's relevant. We still carry physical games but the section's shrunk a lot over the past couple of years -- mostly Nintendo titles and the big launch releases. The disc crowd hasn't gone entirely, it's just smaller than it was. Honestly I still buy physical for anything I actually care about. Derek thinks I'm wasting shelf space. He's not entirely wrong but I'm not ready to give up the shelf yet.

 

[Oliver]

I still buy physical for anything I consider a proper game — mostly out of habit and, frankly, a mild distrust of platform licences. Steam is fine in practice but the principle of owning a disc sits right with me. That said, I haven't bought anything worth having in a box in a few years. The shops near me have mostly given over to merchandise and accessories anyway.

 

[Ferdinand]

I'm in electronics retail so this one's relevant. We still carry physical games but the section's shrunk a lot over the past couple of years -- mostly Nintendo titles and the big launch releases. The disc crowd hasn't gone entirely, it's just smaller than it was. Honestly I still buy physical for anything I actually care about. Derek thinks I'm wasting shelf space. He's not entirely wrong but I'm not ready to give up the shelf yet.

Buying physical games is still worth it especially if you are getting a game that you would play mostly for it's story. Games like Witcher 3, and Read Dead Redemption 2 falls into this category.

 

[Tyler]

Jumped back into Elden Ring last night. Jordan wanted to co-op some of the legacy dungeons. Still hits different every time.

 

[Ryan]

Fair enough. I'd say give it another hour — it opens up. If it still isn't doing it for you, fair enough.