EB Games is in the midst of a transformation. After difficult years under the leadership of Gamestop (which had changed the name of the EB Games stores to Gamestop), the company changed hands last May, with Quebec businessman Stephan Tétrault buying the Canadian branch of the company and giving it back its name of EB Games.
It should be noted that Mr. Tétrault is no stranger to the geek world; he has been working in the toy world for many years, being co-owner of McFarlane Toys with the famous artist Todd McFarlane, creator of Spawn.
To celebrate this new direction, EB Games launched its largest store in Canada on October 16, located at Cours Mont-Royal in Montreal.
We were there.
The beautiful place for collectors
The question on everyone’s lips, of course, is that of business strategy. We are not unaware of this; Gamers are consuming more and more games in digital format, which makes it more difficult for a chain specializing in the sale of new games.
This new EB Games shows us without the slightest doubt that the company will continue to make eyes at collectors of all kinds. The store occupies a large area, but most of its floor is reserved for an extensive offer of collectibles: stuffed animals, statuettes imported from Japan, trading cards, toys and other accessories.
On the other hand, unlike the EB Games that already exist, it is clear that this new store is looking to present a more niche offer. The anime statuettes, in particular, reminded us of the precise offer found in specialized stores… or Japan.
No doubt playing his contacts at McFarlane, this new EB Games even presents rare pieces, such as TWO copies of Spider-Man #1 autographed by Todd McFarlane himself.
What about video games?
But obviously, in EB Games, there’s the word “Games,” and the players haven’t been forgotten. Even if the sections dedicated entirely to video games are smaller, the fact remains that we find the usual offer for the consoles of the moment.
Interestingly, pinball and arcade machines have been arranged throughout the shop, perhaps a nod to the retro games that are making a comeback at EB Games.
At the time of our visit, the demo stations were not yet installed, but we are promised that they will be soon.
Moreover, this new EB Games store is intended to be a meeting place for players and collectors. We are promised that over the weeks, tournaments and other meetings will be organized so that players can make this flagship store their new home.
Will the strategy pay off? Hard to say. But we can still be happy, as gamers, to see that entrepreneurs are still betting on physical video games.
The new boutique is located at 1455 Peel Street, Montreal.
