Mario wants you to come. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
There are people that love video games. And then there are people that love video game culture. If you are among the latter, then Video Games New York is a treasure trove of the history, novelty and personality of the industry you adore.
Located at 202 East 6th Street in New York, this nondescript, generically named store is awe-inspiring for any true fan of the medium. At first glance, if looks like a typical independent used game store. There are floor-to-ceiling shelves, stocked with an overwhelming mass of games and consoles. There are narrow paths that winding through the too-small space, that give you a sense of claustrophobia. There may even be a few fire hazards. (I’m not a fire marshal, so don’t take my word for it.)
But then you start reading.
The most coveted and exclusive PlayStation Portable (PSP) model that was ever produced, because it was the only one ever allowed to deviate from the standard design. A dating sim (a very popular genre in Japan) that caused such a stir that copies were selling at 3x list price and one man even married the main character. A limited edition Metal Gear PlayStation 3, hand-signed by famed game producer Hideo Kojima. The only officially licensed Nintendo GameCube clone ever produced by a third party, existing only because of some sneaky contract negotiations by Panasonic and famed for actually being better than the original. An original XBOX debugging unit, as well as a modded PlayStation 2 Debugger. The original Nintendo Family Computer (known more popularly as the FamiCom) considered by many to be more important to the industry than the Atari 2600. A full, in-store display unit for the infamous Nintendo Virtual Boy, that gave people headaches and was a general retail disaster.
Store Manager, Dan Mastin, lost in his wares. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
This is more than a walk down memory lane for a true fan. This shop is a conversation experience. Store manager, Dan Mastin, was part salesman, part museum curator as he took my friend and I about the store. Clad in a blue Pokémon Pikachu shirt, his smile as he talked never wavered. This was not just a job he had held for seven years. This was a passion. So talking to him was part of the experience, making the browsing of the wares that much more enjoyable.
“This is the way video game stores used to be,” he said to me at one point during our conversation. “They used to try to stock everything they could, because gamers love games of all kinds. It’s the way it was, before the big corporations took over.”
They do new releases and console launches at Video Games New York. They sell all the top titles. In many ways they are a typical game store. But I understood exactly what Dan meant. Used games and used equipment are only valued by resale likelihood at the big corporate-run game sellers. There is no history. There is only commerce.
But standing in that store with Dan didn’t just make me love games, it made me part of a larger gaming community. That value is largely ignored in mass marketing, but it’s a value that drives more sales than many video game makers realize.
The author on an import version of the PSP video camera. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
The average person who walks into a typical Best Buy to get the latest version of Modern Warfare or Final Fantasy, leaves only with a game. They may talk to their friends about the title and they may be a fan of it, but typically the experience ends with the purchase and the play-thru.
A person who would seek out a place like Video Games New York, however, is more likely to be an advocate of the genre as a whole. They engage in deeper conversations on the subject and may seek out these conversations elsewhere. They may be podcasters. They may be bloggers. (Hmmm.) And feeding the conversation among these super-fans is an untapped resources to which game producers and game retailers may want to pay more attention.
All that aside, though, my intention to browse for few minutes quickly devolved into an hour-long time-sink of conversation, browsing and picture taking with my phone. It was a truly memorable experience.
If you want to make the pilgrimage yourself, it’s easy to get there. The store is located just a few blocks from the 8th Street NYU stop on the N or R train, conveniently located one street over from McSorley’s and near the famed Crif Dog as well. So make a night of it and be ready plumb the depths of your video game knowledge.
P.S. If you don’t get the title of this post, time to bone up on your Mario Bros.
Love Plus, the most popular Japanese dating simulation game of all time. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
Every handheld and console is here. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
Virtual Boy in-store display unit. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
Hideo Kojima hand-signed PS3. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
The legendary FamiCom available for purchase. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
Staff like Miles are hired for their knowledge and love of the games. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
Panasonic's GameCube clone with a full-sized DVD tray. (Image: Bob Knorpp)
Robert Knorpp is host of The BeanCast Marketing Podcast at thebeancast.com and is President of The Cool Beans Group, a marketing strategy consultancy based in New York City. He likes laughing even more than breathing. You can follow the madness on Twitter at twitter.com/BobKnorpp.
