Do you have a local game store?

[Glyfair]

Are we supposed to count board-game stores that cater to mall-cruisers only or comic stores that stock a few RPG books?

I edited the intiial post with some rough definitions. But, if you can walk into the store and expect to see RPGs being played or discussed, then it certain is a game store (whether it is Friendly or not, is subjective).

 

[Sundaram]

What Mark said at that beginning.

Games Plus

Black Sun

Gamer's Asylum

Haven't been to the Asylum yet, but I've heard some good things.

GP and BS are both nice stores with helpful staff, areas for gaming, and various workshops.

 

[freyar]

I edited the intiial post with some rough definitions. But, if you can walk into the store and expect to see RPGs being played or discussed, then it certain is a game store (whether it is Friendly or not, is subjective).

Well, didn't quite help me figure it out, but I decided to be inclusive anyway. Voted several, but one excellent.

 

[Glyfair]

Looking at what we have now, I see...

Slightly over half the participants have several games stores in their area (about 51%)

Another quarter have one game store in their area.

I think that either the death of the gaming store is exaggerated, or else it's somewhat clear that the existence of a gaming store adds to RPG culture in an area (or at least that segment which would visit ENWorld).

 

[Mark]

I think that either the death of the gaming store is exaggerated, or else it's somewhat clear that the existence of a gaming store adds to RPG culture in an area (or at least that segment which would visit ENWorld).

We have three nearby (two being new, a couple/few more further out) in the Chicagoland area, as mentioned by Sundaram up thread, but we also just had a chain of gamestores go under that had 12+ stores (16, IIRC, in their heyday) and others having closed down over the past decade or so. There were probably a couple dozen or more in the Chicagoland area in the Eighties and early Nineties. There are, however, a handful of GW stores around, too.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I think that either the death of the gaming store is exaggerated, or else it's somewhat clear that the existence of a gaming store adds to RPG culture in an area (or at least that segment which would visit ENWorld).

I'm aware of at least two others that have died in my vicinity:

The late, lamented Fantasy Forum (I live *three* blocks from where it used to be),
and a store on top of the Rosslyn Metro.

However, FF died about 2000, the other one died in '96 or '97 or so; it existed when I visited in '96 and left my wallet there (which the proprietor kindly returned by mail), and wasn't there when I started at GWU in '97.

There may be others, as well.

Brad

 

[Dice4Hire]

Well here in Japan, I only know of two stores that sell English-language RPB books. One is in Tokyo (2 hours by bullet train one way) and the other is in Kobe (1 hour the other way) so I rely on Amazon Japan for my gaming needs. They have all the 3.5 and 4E WOTC stuff, but little past that.

 

[Gunton The Terrible]

What Mark said at that beginning.

Games Plus

Black Sun

Gamer's Asylum

Haven't been to the Asylum yet, but I've heard some good things.

GP and BS are both nice stores with helpful staff, areas for gaming, and various workshops.

I have been to Games Plus, I will have to visit the others

 

[Knightfall]

"Several, and more than one are excellent."

 

[Glyfair]

We have three nearby (two being new, a couple/few more further out) in the Chicagoland area, as mentioned by Sundaram up thread, but we also just had a chain of gamestores go under that had 12+ stores (16, IIRC, in their heyday) and others having closed down over the past decade or so. There were probably a couple dozen or more in the Chicagoland area in the Eighties and early Nineties. There are, however, a handful of GW stores around, too.

Perhaps I should have been more specific. Clearly many have died, with the switch to faceless internet companies like Amazon (which is even a "local" store for me since I drive by one of their warehouses every day to work).

Still, a much higher portion of people answering this poll have a local gaming store than I would have expected. Perhaps many of the failing stores are just the "extra" stores in the area.