Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local..

"Kyle Rodgers" <sdes.RemoveThis@aol.com> wrote in message
news:zeb1g.2979$Lm5.2806@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
> I live in Torrance CA (not exactly a small town) and every time a new PC
> release comes out that I want (Tomb Raider in this case) it takes like a
> week before the Best Buys and EBs have it. My local EB has delegated the
PC
> games to an old shelf in the back of the store. This game came out on the
> 13th and I still can't find it anywhere in my town.

Nope.

Out of the last 10 PC games or so, the only one I had trouble finding was
Civ IV, and that was because it was sold out in most places.

Funnily enough, I had Gal Civ 2 pre-ordered, but found it at Walmart, first.
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

"Kyle Rodgers" <sdes.TakeThisOut@aol.com> wrote in
news:zeb1g.2979$Lm5.2806@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com:

> I live in Torrance CA (not exactly a small town) and every time a new
> PC release comes out that I want (Tomb Raider in this case) it takes
> like a week before the Best Buys and EBs have it.

I gave up trying/waiting to find TR Legend last week and ended up over the
weekend buying a downloadable version from ign's direct2drive.com. First
time I've done that.

I was just in both Best Buy and Target at lunchtime today and both *still*
don't have TRL, now a full week since release.
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

"Kyle Rodgers" <sdes.DeleteThis@aol.com> wrote in message
news:zeb1g.2979$Lm5.2806@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
>I live in Torrance CA (not exactly a small town) and every time a new PC
>release comes out that I want (Tomb Raider in this case) it takes like a
>week before the Best Buys and EBs have it. My local EB has delegated the PC
>games to an old shelf in the back of the store. This game came out on the
>13th and I still can't find it anywhere in my town.

Yes. Tracking an anticipated game from going gold and shipping is largely an
exercise in frustration. Best Buy always has it a week "late" (from my
perspective), and EB is prettymuch just as bad. Ok, EB had Oblivion quick,
but even then, they got 2 collector's edition and 4 regular for the PC -
they got about 100 for the x-box 360. And *forget* anything but an A-List
title getting there quick. It took my local EB about 3 weeks after release
to get Knights of Honor (ok, it wasn't worth the anticipation, but still, 3
weeks?)

Online delivery of these games can't come fast enough for me. I bought Gal
Civ 2 that way, and it was great - I saw the game, I wanted it, and I was
playing in an hour. The stores around me didn't get it for at least a week
after release.
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

"jwb" <jwb3333take--me-out.TakeThisOut@excite.com> wrote in
news:Gfd1g.35670$x97.11167@news-wrt-01.rdc-nyc.rr.com:

> Best Buy always has it a week
> "late" (from my perspective), and EB is prettymuch just as bad. Ok, EB
> had Oblivion quick, but even then, they got 2 collector's edition and
> 4 regular for the PC - they got about 100 for the x-box 360.

The day Godfather was released (which was the day immediately after
Oblivion was released), I was in Target and noticed that they had Godfather
for the PC, but didn't have Oblivion for the PC. But they had Oblivion for
xbox360, but didn't have Godfather for the xbox360. Weird.
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

I agree with prior posters' comments about Best Buy and EB games. According
to a salesman at a Scottsdale EB, most of their stores in the area don't
carry "new" games for the PC. The few that they do have are the FPSs and
RPGs and they are relegated to a small area on a back wall. I check Best Buy
online for newer games by store location, then buzz over to that store
before they're gone. They don't get many of them in. I snagged "Scratches" -
one of 3 copies they had for sale. Both of our local Bookmans, once a place
I could count on to carry a decent selection of used adventure games, are
devoting more and more space to console games. Target has a smattering and,
if you keep your eye out, they tend to mark them down comparatively fast. I
just got Myst V today for $13.98. Fry's has a few adventure games, but I've
not seen newer ones on a consistent basis. Finding adventure games for the
PC is becoming as challenging as playing them . Lynne, in Phoenix, AZ.

"Kyle Rodgers" <sdes RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote in message
news:zeb1g.2979$Lm5.2806@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
>I live in Torrance CA (not exactly a small town) and every time a new PC
>release comes out that I want (Tomb Raider in this case) it takes like a
>week before the Best Buys and EBs have it. My local EB has delegated the PC
>games to an old shelf in the back of the store. This game came out on the
>13th and I still can't find it anywhere in my town.
>
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

On Tue, 18 Apr 2006 19:38:07 +0000, Kyle Rodgers wrote:

> I live in Torrance CA (not exactly a small town) and every time a new PC
> release comes out that I want (Tomb Raider in this case) it takes like a
> week before the Best Buys and EBs have it. My local EB has delegated the
> PC games to an old shelf in the back of the store. This game came out on
> the 13th and I still can't find it anywhere in my town.

Not a problem with major releases like Tomb Raider Legend or Oblivion.
But just try to find a new adventure game or lesser known RPG. Maybe 20%
of the time they'll actually get one in anywhere near the release date.
It's faster just to order online.
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

Most people here seem to be in North America or UK & some other west
Euro....I would like to know if the situation with decreasing PC games
availabilty and sales is same-as right around the world ???
I would guess that a games sales success (and there for future releases) is
down to overall/world wide sales ..
I get the impression that Japan goes its own way in many respects ...do they
'like' PC gaming ???
Mouse
@@@@
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

"Kyle Rodgers" <sdes RemoveThis @aol.com> wrote in message
news:zeb1g.2979$Lm5.2806@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
>I live in Torrance CA (not exactly a small town) and every time a new PC
>release comes out that I want (Tomb Raider in this case) it takes like a
>week before the Best Buys and EBs have it. My local EB has delegated the PC
>games to an old shelf in the back of the store. This game came out on the
>13th and I still can't find it anywhere in my town.
>
Local conditions seem to apply then. I live in the Houston area, and here
PC games are very much in demand. Every bit as much as the console games.
I see the Nintendo and Mac games on the same shelf here. A small one.
XBox/360, PS2 and PC games seem to vie for equal space in the EBGames,
GameStops, Circuit City, Best Buy, Frys here. Stores cater to demand and
survive.
McG.
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

I heard that "McGrandpa" <McGrandpaNOT RemoveThis @NOThotmail.com> said:

>>
>Local conditions seem to apply then. I live in the Houston area, and here
>PC games are very much in demand.

Have to second that. Here in Northern California (I commute between
Silicon Valley and Sacramento) I have no problems finding the latest
and greatest games on release day. EB, Fry's and BB all seem to fight
it out to have them on the shelves bright and early Tuesday morning.

Clay-
--
"I would just like to say that after all these years of heavy drinking,
bright lights and late nights, I still don't need glasses. I drink right
out of the bottle." - David Lee Roth
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

Trimble Bracegirdle <NOspam RemoveThis @spam.not> wrote:
> Most people here seem to be in North America or UK & some other west
> Euro....I would like to know if the situation with decreasing PC games
> availabilty and sales is same-as right around the world ???
> I would guess that a games sales success (and there for future releases) is
> down to overall/world wide sales ..

"Bricks and mortar" game stores here in Australia tend to be very
small and cramped, mostly stocking console stuff. The one I
occasionally visit (an EBgames) has about 1/5th of its wallspace
with PC games, the rest (plus floorspace) is console stuff.

The small locally-owned-and-run games stores seem to have disappeared,
so I'm not seeing much point to going to a physical store for games
any more -- just order online. No trying to find stuff in a cramped
space chock full of teenage boys *and* you're more likely to actually
get what you wanted.

Matt
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

Kyle Rodgers wrote:
> I live in Torrance CA (not exactly a small town) and every time a new PC
> release comes out that I want (Tomb Raider in this case) it takes like a
> week before the Best Buys and EBs have it. My local EB has delegated the PC
> games to an old shelf in the back of the store. This game came out on the
> 13th and I still can't find it anywhere in my town.
>
>


I just buy everything via Amazon.com to get free shipping and no sales
tax...
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

Matt McLeod wrote:
> Trimble Bracegirdle <NOspam DeleteThis @spam.not> wrote:
>> Most people here seem to be in North America or UK & some other west
>> Euro....I would like to know if the situation with decreasing PC games
>> availabilty and sales is same-as right around the world ???
>> I would guess that a games sales success (and there for future releases) is
>> down to overall/world wide sales ..
>
> "Bricks and mortar" game stores here in Australia tend to be very
> small and cramped, mostly stocking console stuff. The one I
> occasionally visit (an EBgames) has about 1/5th of its wallspace
> with PC games, the rest (plus floorspace) is console stuff.

That's true, but the other 4/5ths of wallspace is divided up
among 4 or so consoles, so the PC games aren't really
under-represented. There also is more variety among the
types of PC games compared to console games.

Having said that, EB does stock only a small fraction of PC
games actually published, and that, for me, is the
frustrating part.

Stupot
 >> Stay informed about: Is it getting harder to find new PC releases in your local.. 

Stuart Chapman <ten.no.edonretni.RemoveThis@nampahc.trauts> wrote:
> Matt McLeod wrote:
>> "Bricks and mortar" game stores here in Australia tend to be very
>> small and cramped, mostly stocking console stuff. The one I
>> occasionally visit (an EBgames) has about 1/5th of its wallspace
>> with PC games, the rest (plus floorspace) is console stuff.
>
> That's true, but the other 4/5ths of wallspace is divided up
> among 4 or so consoles, so the PC games aren't really
> under-represented. There also is more variety among the
> types of PC games compared to console games.

True enough, it's more an issue that they've got it all in
a very small space so there's no room to move. The store
nearest me is really very very tiny, merely browsing is
quite an adventure.

I have pretty clear memories of trundling down to the local
Computer Spot to buy stuff for my C64 and having a much easier
time of things, obstacle-course-wise.

Matt
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