I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/help?

[countryboy]

I have pondered this idea quite frequently over the past few years and just recently, I've given it a lot of thought. I am wanting to open/start my own video game retail business, but I want to start out online.

Anyone have an online business that can offer advice? Suggestions? Help?

While I'm a salesman by trade and majored in business finance, I'm not quite sure the proper steps to take to make this thing go. I know what I want to do, but not how to do it.

My goal, as crazy as it may sound, would be to get a solid foundation for this thing, be independent, and work for myself.

Any advice, help, would be greatly appreciated. I'm looking online and have been reading about starting this type of business, but you can never have too much information.

[Bullit]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

This sounds like a really tough nut to crack. While I think if anybody could do it you certainly are top on the list.

My first thought would be to start with the distributors. I have no idea what kind of wholesale or discount you would get on the physical copies of the games.

This would lead to the next step of how much inventory you would want to carry at any given time. That can be the hardest thing of all. Plus now in the market you are going to have to find some way to offer incentives, or make deals with companies to get pre order DLC specials as well. Even if you can sell a game $10 cheaper than anybody else, if Best Buy can give them special DLC then that is where the majority of the market share is going to buy.

I have some more ideas but I am watching the Nats game and kind of distracted. I would love to chew on this a bit and discuss more with you.

[mgoblue]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Selling new games? Physical copies?

No clue how you'd go about getting the copies, let alone profit without even having a website.

Even used games isn't really that lucrative of a business.

I dunno, I see those mom & pop game shops open and close fast...I know this is online, but seems like a tough industry to break into. Why would I buy a game from you vs. BB, GS, etc.

[countryboy]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Selling new games? Physical copies?

No clue how you'd go about getting the copies, let alone profit without even having a website.

Even used games isn't really that lucrative of a business.

I dunno, I see those mom & pop game shops open and close fast...I know this is online, but seems like a tough industry to break into. Why would I buy a game from you vs. BB, GS, etc.

Because OS members get a 25% discount.

[redsox4evur]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Because OS members get a 25% discount.

You serious or playing??? LOL. This industry is pretty huge and as the other guys said, you are already behind the big boys a lot like BB, Gamestop, Walmart, Steam, Microsoft, Sony, etc. But I wish you luck man. And when you get this off the ground and running and I am living in some part of the world where none of these places are available to me, I will definitely go to you man.

[Hooe]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

What do you have in the way of servers and security for digital distribution? What publishers if any do you have signed on to use your platform? How do you plan to attract indies to your platform? How do you plan on distinguishing your service from Steam / Origin / GOG / Humble Bundle / Itch.io / Kongregate / etc.?

If you're not doing digital distribution and still plan to do this online - what's your angle which makes your service different from Amazon / Walmart / Best Buy / Gamestop / etc.?

[Speedy]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

How do you plan on distinguishing your service from Steam / Origin / GOG / Humble Bundle / Itch.io / Kongregate / etc.?

Being you have experience in sales, CB, this is obviously the biggest question you have to answer. Your potential client base must see that your offering provides what nobody else does, or at the very least, it's at a higher value relative to a competitor's.

Personally, I'm a console gamer...never have gotten into PC games. Does digital distribution apply to console gamers or only PC folks? Do people actually purchase a console game online via a code that they input on XBox Live/PS Store?

[slickdtc]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Definitely need more information on this.

Are you offering downloads, or just physical copies? New/used? Trade-in's?

I'm in sales for a toy company, but there's a lot of crossover into comic book stores, tabletop game rooms, and of course, video game stores. So I've been in direct communication with a lot of the people who run these types of stores.

I would not expect much in the way of profit simply because you've got these big box stores that are everywhere. An independent video game retailer, to me, is a community business. But with you being online, now you're up against Amazon, EBay, and any other hot online retailer.

Typically, retailing online is a great idea. Knock out all the overhead of having a physical location, though you've got to worry about all the packing and shipping. Not to mention relying on carriers to get your product to the customer. And they will ding YOU on it even if it's the carrier's fault. But you can't really sell video games for less then MSRP because it's typically a flat $60 across the board for a game. The big guys can get away with a pre-order and get $10 off, but I doubt you could pull that off just due to your scale.

Customer service is so key. Honesty and friendliness go a long, longggg way.

I'm sure you've thought a lot of this through. But my advice is to branch out your business from just video games. People who game are in to pop culture and all the knick knacks that come with that so you'd be wise to stock game-themed items.

And for God's sake, have a beautiful website. Soooo many indie stores sites have absolutely terrible design and functionality. Optimize for mobile. Get your business up on all the key social medias (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram). Exposure even if it's without sales. Every post is an investment.

Good luck! I'm no expert by any means, just speaking from my experiences.

[RockinDaMike]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Will video games be the only thing you're selling? You gotta think about the future of it because a lot of people are going digital.

I worked for Godaddy for a long while so I've seen thousands of online businesses and only the niche/unique survive if they are soley an online business. For example, a guy sold only 12.5 shoe sizes on his site. As you know, most shoes go from 12 to 13 and never in between except in unique cases. Not much competition and has a niche.

Video games have a ton of outlets. Digital, big online like Amazon and Ebay. Also every major store like Wal-Mart Thats just way too much to compete with especially when its used as a loss leader product. That means most places are making $5 a game to maybe $12.

Then you have to think about cost of delivery, packaging, website building, web hosting. What about marketing? You have to spend money there too.

Definitely don't want to discourage you doing a business, I quit a good job to start up one on another side of the world so definitely go for it but think about the product/service you want to sell.

[countryboy]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Thank you for the questions.

I would be selling basically what every other game store does, as in new games, controllers, systems, and all the additional accessories. Consider me a Mom and Pop store.

I don't have anything lined up in terms of distributors, platforms, or any of the likes, this is merely an idea that I've had and am looking for the questions that I need to answer.

If you're not doing digital distribution and still plan to do this online - what's your angle which makes your service different from Amazon / Walmart / Best Buy / Gamestop / etc.?

I want to start out online, but am not opposed to opening a retail store. My angle right now is that I'm the little guy that is honest and want the experience at my place to be fun, and not hounded for reserves or subscriptions or anything of the like.

I'm a salesman 5 days a week, I managed a Gamestop at one point, I know the game of trying to "convince" someone to buy something they are not sure about or thought about. I don't want to do that here. I want to just be honest and provide an enjoyable experience.

I know that doesn't answer a lot of questions about distributors or platforms or deals, but that is my goal.

Look I understand this is a difficult industry to get into. And maybe my dream will have to stay just that, a dream, but I appreciate the questions and the feedback.

[cusefan74]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Tough business to get into right now. You got so many places already and some of them, like Gamestop, are having trouble. With digital games becoming so big now days I think this would be a huge undertaking at this point. In my area we have had several stores open the last 3 or 4 years. None have lasted more then 6 months. They just can not compete with bigger more established places.

Good luck to you though! I'm sure you could get some business from the guys around here to start.

[GSW]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Your dream will become a reality.

And when it does, I will be your first customer.

[Cusefan]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

I toyed with the idea of opening a game store few years back, my Buddy and I thought we had a good plan but we quickly realized that its too tough of a market. Problem with gamers is that we are pretty tech savvy so we can almost always find the best deal, If I want a game tomorrow, Im checkout out every store in the area and online, if its cheaper online Ill go to Bestbuy and price match it. I try and put myself in other peoples shoes so when I dont buy video games local, its tough for me to imagine any one else doing it.

If you want a sure fire successful business though, Open up a unaffiliated Chinese restaurant. Most Chinese restaurants get the food from only a handful of distributors so thats why most Chinese restaurants taste the same. When you make Chinese food with the best ingredients, it tastes different and much better. So do that and become a billionaire.

[countryboy]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Your dream will become a reality.

And when it does, I will be your first customer.

I appreciate that.

I have been researching video game distributors this weekend and think I may give a call to them this coming week just to gain some feedback. I also sell parts to the maintenance dept of Electronic Arts in Louisville. May contact them to see if they can provide any feedback.

I know my dream is a long shot, but I'm going to pursue every avenue until it officially becomes unfeasible to do.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: I want to start my own video game online store. Anyone have suggestions/advice/he

Like Cusefan above, I toyed with this idea about 5-6 years ago. I had an investor and a parenty company to lend me the name and business model. Basically was going to rely on rentals of games and used copies. Even back then, GS, BB, Amazon, Target, Walmart already owned the new copies so you had to have a niche.

The deeper I got and the closer I got to it becoming a reality two things crept in, one being my fear of failure and what it would mean to my family and the other became clear that I just didn't think I could do it. Those are both on me, and if you have the confidence where I lacked, I'd say go for it. But I can tell you, not trying to put fear in it, but I've seen many of these come and go. Even the parent company I was dealing with went under 18 months after I started my interest into it.