Video Game Retailers

Video Game Retailers

There are lots of video game stores out there. Here are a few.

Traditional Retail Stores

With the increasing popularity of video games, not just among the hardcore but also among the general public, we're starting to see a significant rise in the number of stores dedicated to this lovely pastime. These are in addition to department stores, general electronics stores, and other types of retail outlets that may also fill your video gaming needs. BestBuy, for example, is one of the largest electronics stores in North America, not only selling you a widescreen TV, dishwasher, MP3 player, and cell phone, but also video game titles and accessories for just about every current console. There, you will usually find games for the Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, and Sony PlayStation 2, among others.

In addition to Best Buy, there are also video game retail stores like EB Games (previously known as Electronics Boutique) and GameStop. Other businesses you may want to browse through include Fry's and Circuit City.

Unless they are having a specific sale or discount offer, most stores will be selling the vast majority of their video game library at the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). For example, most Nintendo Wii games sell for $49.99 USD ($59.99 CAD), regardless of where you go. In this way, it makes little difference whether you stop by your local Best Buy or Electronics Boutique. That is, unless you come across a coupon, flyer, or other cheap video game offer.

Auction Sites and Online Retailers

Don't want to pay the full retail price for your favorite video game? You don't have to!

While most conventional video game retailers stick with the MSRP when it comes to selling you the latest hit from Nintendo or Sega, online retailers very often give you a better price. What's more, if you're willing to dip into the Used Video Games section, you'll find prices that are even lower!

Sites you may want to check out include:

• ebgames.com
• gamespot.com
• amazon.com
• half.com

Buyer beware, of course, especially when you're dealing with a third party (private seller) rather than with the actual online retail store itself. You'll also find that certain conventional stores offer "online only" discounts on some items. I know this was true when I picked up my Nintendo DS Lite from Best Buy. It was a solid $20 cheaper online than it would have been in their brick and mortar retail store.

One other website that you will probably want to see is eBay, the world's largest auction site. While the discount on the latest releases may not be all that huge after you factor in taxes and shipping costs (as well as the time you'll have to endure before having the actual game in your hands), you can usually score a pretty decent price on games that have been out for a couple of months or more. Games that retail for $50 new can oftentimes be found for $30 or less. Buying more games from the same seller can sometimes lower this price even more as you can combine the shipping costs with the other items. Better still, find an eBay seller in your area and partake in a "local pickup" to avoid PayPal and shipping fees altogether.

Video Game Rental

Category:Video Game Rental may be a very viable option if you happen to be a video game player that grows tired of titles quickly and thirsts for new and exciting entries on a continuous basis. After all, why buy a video game, only to let it collect dust mere days later. If you rent the games, you can enjoy them for a few days or a week at a time, and just as easily send them back to get a new title to enjoy. Play the latest sports game -- like Madden NFL 2006 -- and then hop on over to a more light-hearted offering like Rayman Raving Rabbids for the Nintendo Wii.

There are many online video game rental options out there, but a few that you may want to check out are GameFly, GameznFlix, GameAccess, and GottaPlay.