Every year, the annual revenue from video game sales has been increasing. So who do we thank for that? Well, one group we can thank are the newbies. Trust me; I’ve seen/heard plenty of stories where the uninformed buyer purchased a game totally based on the game’s cover art or the display model.
So, it’s no surprise to hear that many retailers, like GameStop and Wal-mart, are revamping in-store game displays to attract the casual gamers. Daniel A. DeMatteo, vice chairman and COO of GameStop, said the advertising is there and the company will be rolling some new changes across its 5,000 stores worldwide.
"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, an also customer service because it is no longer only the hardcore gamer walking in who knows exactly what he wants."
Specifically, GameStop will be setting up two new sections in each store to appeal to new customers. Also they’ll be developing new sections for children’s and family-friendly titles. While it’s good to see more aisles devoted to gaming, the stores will be relying on eye candy and visual appeal to sell games and not necessarily on the game’s integrity. Too bad.
[Via New York Times]
