Welcome to Thunderdome

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:38 pm**

Saw this in my Twitters:

Disc-based games will never go away, says GameStop executive Paul Raines.

Poor Paul just gave us a quote that folks will laugh at in two decades or sooner.

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:42 pm**

Maybe he means "hard disk."

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:43 pm**

I have a couple guys from high-school in my facebook friend list that were hardcore nerds in school.... and they still make posts about getting together for dice D&D.

Funny thing is that once when one of them managed to get a girlfriend in high school, I stole her. She was way too hot for him.

No, wait... maybe it was another guy she had been dating for years, and when she broke up with him.... this guy liked her too, and so I blew her off (I don't compete for women) so it ended up being MY house she came to one night. Yeah, that's it. A late 80's neg.

I saw this girl as one of the new parents at cub scouts for a couple months, last year. She got fat.

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:51 pm**

Disc-based games will never go away...

Sure, and cartridge consoles will last forever.

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 1:59 pm**

GORDON wrote:I have a couple guys from high-school in my facebook friend list that were hardcore nerds in school.... and they still make posts about getting together for dice D&D.

Funny thing is that once when one of them managed to get a girlfriend in high school, I stole her. She was way too hot for him.

No, wait... maybe it was another guy she had been dating for years, and when she broke up with him.... this guy liked her too, and so I blew her off (I don't compete for women) so it ended up being MY house she came to one night. Yeah, that's it. A late 80's neg.

I saw this girl as one of the new parents at cub scouts for a couple months, last year. She got fat.

We get it, you had a girl once.

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:05 pm**

TheCatt wrote:
GORDON wrote:I have a couple guys from high-school in my facebook friend list that were hardcore nerds in school.... and they still make posts about getting together for dice D&D.

Funny thing is that once when one of them managed to get a girlfriend in high school, I stole her. She was way too hot for him.

No, wait... maybe it was another guy she had been dating for years, and when she broke up with him.... this guy liked her too, and so I blew her off (I don't compete for women) so it ended up being MY house she came to one night. Yeah, that's it. A late 80's neg.

I saw this girl as one of the new parents at cub scouts for a couple months, last year. She got fat.
We get it, you had a girl once.

That particular one was a cheerleader.

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:57 pm**

GORDON wrote:I saw this girl as one of the new parents at cub scouts for a couple months, last year. She got fat.

Think the last bit goes without saying, at your age.

Posted: **Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:58 pm**

I think she quit because she recognized me.

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:44 am**

Downloading games is killing it.

They need to dramatically reinvent themselves.

Ideas:
-Modify the stores to contain eSports arenas.
-Work out deals with distributors to allow for discounts to be given to gamers who participate in said eSports via the stores.
-Develop a nationwide/worldwide competition between your stores with sponsors/rankings/prizes/etc.
-Dump a lot of newer physical inventory, mainly games, and focus on collectibles, systems, and older items (like games/systems that are harder to find and might be collectible).
-Rentable VR booths where people can go in and play any VR game available. (Golf simulators are a pretty big deal, particularly in cold climates.)
-Hold local tournaments for games not strictly geared for hardcore gamers.

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 11:39 am**

Honestly... Give up. Pack it in. Go the way of the buggy...

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 12:58 pm**

There IS a market for brick and mortars, but they have to make themselves destinations. They have to give reasons for people to show up that websites cannot match.

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 1:36 pm**

Leisher wrote: There IS a market for brick and mortars, but they have to make themselves destinations. They have to give reasons for people to show up that websites cannot match.

I can't remember the last time I went to a brick and mortar? Maybe a few years ago just cuz I was walking by?

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 1:56 pm**

TheCatt wrote:
Leisher wrote: There IS a market for brick and mortars, but they have to make themselves destinations. They have to give reasons for people to show up that websites cannot match.
I can't remember the last time I went to a brick and mortar? Maybe a few years ago just cuz I was walking by?

Seriously?

You don't even go to the grocery store? Where do you get our lottery tickets?

Or do you just mean game store? Because in that case, I am only in them when also walking by in the mall. But I'm not a console player.

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:16 pm**

Leisher wrote: Seriously?

You don't even go to the grocery store? Where do you get our lottery tickets?

Or do you just mean game store?

Yes, I meant game store.

But honestly... I mean... I have to go to gas stations and food places... but shopping? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:36 am**

TheCatt wrote: but shopping?

Clothes. You can buy clothes online, but it's a fucking crap shoot. There's no consistency in sizes. Then what happens if you need something tailored?

Someday you'll be able to 3D print the item or have it teleported in, but until then brick and mortar clothes stores win.

The shopping experience too. Some people, mostly women, really enjoy a day of shopping. It's a day out of the house. It's not a chore, it's a fun activity. Sitting at home doing it on the computer alone instead of walking around with your friends are vastly different things.

People think malls are dying, and they are, but I believe we're going to see a resurgence of them in the not too distant future. Tons of brick and mortars will have gone away leaving empty strip malls all over the place. Would you rather be a surviving business alone in a strip mall or a surviving business bunched up with a bunch of other surviving businesses in a mall?

Honestly, that's how malls need to survive. Grab restaurants for both your external properties and internal stores. Those will always draw in people. Add the aforementioned eSports arena, but put it at an end so you keep the Fortnite kiddies away from the rest of the mall patrons. Now lure in your local surviving businesses that aren't convenience stores. Offer rent discounts for local businesses versus national chains. (The national chains don't have to know and probably won't care.)

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 10:03 am**

Leisher wrote: You can buy clothes online, but it's a fucking crap shoot. There's no consistency in sizes.

The best advantage of being a dude. Sizes are pretty standardized relative to women's clothing. But, I do not buy clothes (except shoes, which i buy online). My wife buys them, mostly online, and we use places with generous return policies.

Leisher wrote: The shopping experience too. Some people, mostly women, really enjoy a day of shopping.

We go to the mall about once a year so kids can buy Christmas presents. It's kinda fun since it's so rare.

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:36 pm**

Leisher wrote:
TheCatt wrote: but shopping?
Clothes. You can buy clothes online, but it's a fucking crap shoot. There's no consistency in sizes. Then what happens if you need something tailored?

Someday you'll be able to 3D print the item or have it teleported in, but until then brick and mortar clothes stores win.

The shopping experience too. Some people, mostly women, really enjoy a day of shopping. It's a day out of the house. It's not a chore, it's a fun activity. Sitting at home doing it on the computer alone instead of walking around with your friends are vastly different things.

People think malls are dying, and they are, but I believe we're going to see a resurgence of them in the not too distant future. Tons of brick and mortars will have gone away leaving empty strip malls all over the place. Would you rather be a surviving business alone in a strip mall or a surviving business bunched up with a bunch of other surviving businesses in a mall?

Honestly, that's how malls need to survive. Grab restaurants for both your external properties and internal stores. Those will always draw in people. Add the aforementioned eSports arena, but put it at an end so you keep the Fortnite kiddies away from the rest of the mall patrons. Now lure in your local surviving businesses that aren't convenience stores. Offer rent discounts for local businesses versus national chains. (The national chains don't have to know and probably won't care.)

Then keep.the inner city teens from harrassing everyone, which is what closed Toledo's other three malls.

Posted: **Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:25 am**

Have you been to Franklin Park lately? The inner city teens are gone. They have strict curfews and rules about the numbers of teens allowed in groups. They also have security everywhere.

Posted: **Fri Jun 07, 2019 10:50 am**

I was there for a movie a couple months ago, Saturday evening. Movie let out at 10ish. DOwn over the balcony, tons of urban teens being rowdy, with almost as many cops and mall security watching them.

I have no idea what was happening.

Posted: **Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:14 pm**

I know there was an incident recently, perhaps you were witness?

It’s never like that when I go.