Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="CharlesRyan" data-source="post: 5130309" data-attributes="member: 5265">Everything you say is true, across the UK and especially in London. Despite that, a fair number of shops feel that despite the cost, they can't afford NOT to have OP space.In this day and age, a shop needs to offer something the internet can't: in gaming, that's community and an opportunity to try games and meet other players. That's a shop's competitive advantage over the internet--especially here in the UK where (compared to the US) prices are high, disposable income is low, and any price advantage is magnified.It's a shame that one of the world's greatest cities--London--doesn't have a single games shop with OP space, but as you say rents are crazy. (Even Manhattan has at least two shops with OP space--one with a fair amount!) Get outside of London, though, and you'll find a fair few that have decided the costs are worth it. Eclectic, Patriot, Fanboy 3, The Games Shop, Kingdom of Adventure, and a fair number of others have done the math and decided that despite the cost it pays off in the end.They can be forgiven for charging a quid or two to play. Not just because of whinging about the costs, but also because they are delivering a real, valuable service to the customer.</blockquote>