GameStop Opens “Tournament Store”

[Barnes]

Link:

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8295&Itemid=2

By Kris Graft       Print    |   Send to a friend    |   Email the editor
Game retail giant GameStop announced on Tuesday the opening of a 4,000 sq. ft. facility that will serve as both a retail and videogame tournament center.
The San Jose, Calif. facility is the first of what GameStop said is a series of tournament-focused stores.

The new center will boast 24 networked gaming stations equipped with plasma monitors.

Tournament events will occur "most weekends" with "GameStop system-wide tournament finals occurring at least once a quarter."

The first tournament is being held on December 15 from noon to 4 p.m., featuring Madden NFL 08. The winner will receive a $1,000 GameStop shopping spree.

It's unclear how many of these stores GameStop intends to open. Reps for the company were unavailable as of press time.

GameStop currently has over 5,000 stores worldwide.

It says the first one is open in San Jose. Where is it specifically though?
I'm curios.

[Gatsby]

That's cool. I can't wait to actually visit one.

[Emerge]

lulz, madden tourney.

[HentaiTentacleDemon]

holy crap! i hope they do fighting game tournaments too! i would even volunteer to help run the event!

[Spiritsnare]

lulz, madden tourney.

qft

edit Doing research on this, Kotaku commenter MuppetChrist confirms that they've completely rebuilt the Stevens Creek location (just a few blocks away from Westfield Shopping Centre @ Valley Fair).

[PyronIkari]

lulz, madden tourney.

So a tournament for one of, if not the most played game in the US... is funny... how?

[Spiritsnare]

I personally thought it was funny because they could've gone with a bigger game.

In retrospect, though, it actually does seem rather natural.

[PyronIkari]

Bigger game?

Like what?

Sports games make up about 65-70% of all video game sales in the US.

Madden is one of the top selling games in the United States... period. So what is bigger than Madden? In addition to that, mass appeal of sports game makes it for everyone, hardcore to casual gamers to be involved.

So what would a bigger game be?

[Braveheart]

Wow someone is ovely sensitive an defensive about their sports genre multi-players... I'd like to see a UT3 or COD4 tourney, hell I'd enter a COD4 tourney. Prolly gey my ( ! ) handed to me but I'd still enter.

[PyronIkari]

I don't even play Madden, nor any sports game really now that I think about it(except the totally crazy unrealistic ones... like... Super Baseball 2020). Just stating realistic facts.

[Raydere]

Sounds like a cool idea, until I realize that I don't play a lot of sports games (especailly not EA Sports ones), and if I entered a fighting game tourney I'd collapse onto the floor from epicfailitis in about 5 seconds.

[Spiritsnare]

Bigger game?

Like what?

Sports games make up about 65-70% of all video game sales in the US.

Madden is one of the top selling games in the United States... period. So what is bigger than Madden? In addition to that, mass appeal of sports game makes it for everyone, hardcore to casual gamers to be involved.

So what would a bigger game be?

I never really hear anything about Madden except that they churn one out every year (I actually was a bit surprised by your figure), so, logistics aside, I figured something like Guitar Hero or Halo would sound good as an icebreaker, for lack of a better word.

But eh, I don't know any better myself, so whatever works for their business, I suppose.

[gmontem]

For sports GameStop should put a Commodore Amiga in there to play some Sensible Soccer. ;)

[Barnes]

I found the center today.
It is at Stevens Creek and San Thomas, sharing a building with a Barnes and Noble.

[abcbadcat]

I went there about a week ago. I had to go to B&N to pick up a book and was supprised about the new gamestop.

I've been going to that gamestop for years and it looks amazing. I really can't wait until Soul Calibur 4 comes out. I know they will have a tourney.

I played Forza 2 with my GF there and we had fun.

[Emerge]

I don't even play Madden, nor any sports game really now that I think about it(except the totally crazy unrealistic ones... like... Super Baseball 2020). Just stating realistic facts.

i know you are, and i agree. it's not as if i don't think hosting a Madden tourney at a gamestop such as this is a good idea, because it is. i must admit that i chuckled when i read it, though, because i would have thought Halo 3 or some other FPS would have made the cut over Madden; two games i have never, ever played to begin with. then again, i don't know much about mainstream game markets today.

[AnimeEmperor]

Maybe i'll show up if there's a aHalo one.

[Moogleborg]

I found the center today.
It is at Stevens Creek and San Thomas, sharing a building with a Barnes and Noble.

Stevens Creek and San Thomas? ^^ I'll take a look there if I can. ^^

[Mizuki]

GET DAT MADDEN YO

[abcbadcat]

Maybe i'll show up if there's a aHalo one.

Do you have xbox live?