Goodbye Game Keeper [Archive] - Wizards Community

Goodbye Game Keeper [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ethereal Traveler
12-31-03, 07:19 AM In a recent article in a local paper an announcement by WoTC has been made to shut down The Game Keeper. A total of 64 retail stores in 15 states.

I live in the Cleveland area, so that would include 3 stores. One in Mentor, one in Parma and one in North Olmstead.

Now I know there are still some comic book stores scattered around, but they never had the selection of The Game Keeper.

Say it ain't so.:(
Rick Day
12-31-03, 09:27 AM HEy I live in Akron and there is a great store here that deals in all the RP's in Cuyahoga falls if you get desperate you can check them out.
Alac Luin
12-31-03, 01:40 PM Tis true, WotC made the anouncement within the past week that it will be closing all its retail stores in 60 days.

That includes game keeper and any WotC stores.

They are doing this to consolidate thier focus back to game design.

It is a sad day and now more then ever, time to support the mom and pop hobby stores that cater to the gammer.
Sirius_Black
01-01-04, 12:39 AM Originally posted by Alac Luin
It is a sad day and now more then ever, time to support the mom and pop hobby stores that cater to the gammer.

Sorry, but over the last decade of buying gaming products, I have not found a single mom and pop hobby store that deserved my business or any business. If you have such an establishment, by all means support it. I take my business to people with some degree of professionalism and that trait is woefully absent in many hobby stores I've encountered.
Ethereal Traveler
01-01-04, 04:31 AM Originally posted by Rick Day
HEy I live in Akron and there is a great store here that deals in all the RP's in Cuyahoga falls if you get desperate you can check them out.

Hey, RD, what is the name of this place in Cuyahoga Falls?
Gnarsh
01-01-04, 09:10 PM well that sucks...at least I'm going to Mentor on Saturday, hopefully they'll have a going-out-of-business sale! :D

Isn't there a Gamekeeper in Tower City too? I thought I saw one last time I was there, but didn't go in...
Alac Luin
01-02-04, 07:05 PM Originally posted by Sirius_Black
Sorry, but over the last decade of buying gaming products, I have not found a single mom and pop hobby store that deserved my business or any business. If you have such an establishment, by all means support it. I take my business to people with some degree of professionalism and that trait is woefully absent in many hobby stores I've encountered.

I know the delema, since I moved back to

Phoenix, I havent found one convinient.
Whene I was in NC (fayetvile) there was a great one, I may not have really like the owners, but the selection was great and it was better then the looks recieved when buying the gameing material at the major book chains.

All in all, we are loosing a great resorce and now have to find a new sorce, be it mom&pop, book chains, or online.
Achaia Hahlan
01-02-04, 09:13 PM Hmm...I live in Kansas City and have plenty of good gaming stores to visit, plus two in Topeka not an hour away. I guess I've been blessed. Btw, if you're ever in Kansas City be sure to visit Tabletop, Phil runs a good business!
Sirius_Black
01-03-04, 12:28 AM Originally posted by Achaia Hahlan
Hmm...I live in Kansas City and have plenty of good gaming stores to visit, plus two in Topeka not an hour away. I guess I've been blessed. Btw, if you're ever in Kansas City be sure to visit Tabletop, Phil runs a good business!

Tell him to get an online presence. I'd love to give any good gaming shop that treats its customers well even more sales.
Rick Day
01-03-04, 12:26 PM Game trader on portage trail, west side of rt 8. Good place and its getting better.
Bloodtide_the_Red
01-03-04, 12:40 PM Can't say I'm supprised. Game Keeper has realy gone down hill in the recent months. Sure, at one time they were not so bad....I can remember the nice wall of D&D and mixed D20 stuff. Game Kepper was one of the places I could find some D20 stuff. But that was long ago. Now a days, they have one bookshelf of D&D stuff, and it's just all about old stuff(they have like 6 3.5 PH's).

I'm in the Cleveland area too. And they did put a Game Keeper in Tower City(So we got 4), right by the 'As see on TV store'. The smaller comic/game shops are your best bet, and their are more then enuff in our area(assuming you live on the west side...I have no idea what's on the east).

BT
Ethereal Traveler
01-05-04, 10:47 AM Consolidating all their resources into game design is ultimately the sad truth. The economic slump we've achieved in this nation has had a ripple effect on all. What with the unemployment rate hitting a decade high of somewhere between 5.9 - 9.0 percent by November 2003, we had something like 8 to 10 million people without work.

So if WoTC has to cut back to survive, then so be it, at least they are still here.
Dorlomin
01-07-04, 02:35 PM I'm not at all suprised. The Mall of America in Minnesota has both a game keeper and a WoTC store, never see anybody in either one. Their WoTC store has 2 very small shelves dedicated to D20/D&D and thats it. (no idea on game keeper as I don't even go in there myself) It's pretty sad when Barnes & Noble gets the new stuff before WoTC's own store does.;)

Course it doesn't help that they compete with all the Mom & Pop shops, all the major bookstores, the web, and even some software stores locally.
Dorlomin
01-09-04, 11:13 AM By the way, I went to the WoTC store near me yesterday, just about the entire store is 20%+ off now. And the unofficial closing date is February 29th...
SupaFreak
01-11-04, 12:00 AM Achaia:
I'm in Lawrence, KS and looking for people to game with. Interested?

Achaia and Sirius: this is my FLGS. They've been great to me..

www.htgames.com (http://www.htgames.com)
trentlanthier
01-14-04, 10:42 AM I've never even seen one of these stores, I mean in ottawa Canada we have Fandom II which is a great Mom and Pop type store, with very interesting people, and they carry a wide variety of D20 stuff.

But to tell you the truth Chapters (or big book store) gets the stuff in faster though I find its normally priced higher than Fandom II is, and they normally have a wider variety... heck Chapters even has the D&D Miniatures game for sale which shocked me.

Personally though its sad to see them do it, I'd rather see better d20 products and more of them and have d20 and Wizards strong economically then them bleed away in retail.
williamjr85374
01-22-04, 07:05 AM Hi Alac;

Don't know what you mean by convienient, or where in Phoenix metro you are. but there are good stores in west phoenix-Desert sky mall has active gameing as well as products.

on the far east side there is a great store in old downtown gilbert- well stocked with everything out and tons of minatures. they also do gameing sessions.

If you need specif locations e-mail me and I can hook you up.

William the "wondering" phoenician monk.
Alac Luin
01-30-04, 06:14 PM Went there yesterday, the discount was 40% off everything. (Die were 50%off, cant have to many die)

I dont know if this is for all the stores or just select, they got a short reprieve, closeing date is now stated at April 15th.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ethereal Traveler 12-31-03, 07:19 AM	In a recent article in a local paper an announcement by WoTC has been made to shut down The Game Keeper. A total of 64 retail stores in 15 states. I live in the Cleveland area, so that would include 3 stores. One in Mentor, one in Parma and one in North Olmstead. Now I know there are still some comic book stores scattered around, but they never had the selection of The Game Keeper. Say it ain't so.:(
Rick Day 12-31-03, 09:27 AM	HEy I live in Akron and there is a great store here that deals in all the RP's in Cuyahoga falls if you get desperate you can check them out.
Alac Luin 12-31-03, 01:40 PM	Tis true, WotC made the anouncement within the past week that it will be closing all its retail stores in 60 days. That includes game keeper and any WotC stores. They are doing this to consolidate thier focus back to game design. It is a sad day and now more then ever, time to support the mom and pop hobby stores that cater to the gammer.
Sirius_Black 01-01-04, 12:39 AM	Originally posted by Alac Luin It is a sad day and now more then ever, time to support the mom and pop hobby stores that cater to the gammer. Sorry, but over the last decade of buying gaming products, I have not found a single mom and pop hobby store that deserved my business or any business. If you have such an establishment, by all means support it. I take my business to people with some degree of professionalism and that trait is woefully absent in many hobby stores I've encountered.
Ethereal Traveler 01-01-04, 04:31 AM	Originally posted by Rick Day HEy I live in Akron and there is a great store here that deals in all the RP's in Cuyahoga falls if you get desperate you can check them out. Hey, RD, what is the name of this place in Cuyahoga Falls?
Gnarsh 01-01-04, 09:10 PM	well that sucks...at least I'm going to Mentor on Saturday, hopefully they'll have a going-out-of-business sale! :D Isn't there a Gamekeeper in Tower City too? I thought I saw one last time I was there, but didn't go in...
Alac Luin 01-02-04, 07:05 PM	Originally posted by Sirius_Black Sorry, but over the last decade of buying gaming products, I have not found a single mom and pop hobby store that deserved my business or any business. If you have such an establishment, by all means support it. I take my business to people with some degree of professionalism and that trait is woefully absent in many hobby stores I've encountered. I know the delema, since I moved back to Phoenix, I havent found one convinient. Whene I was in NC (fayetvile) there was a great one, I may not have really like the owners, but the selection was great and it was better then the looks recieved when buying the gameing material at the major book chains. All in all, we are loosing a great resorce and now have to find a new sorce, be it mom&pop, book chains, or online.
Achaia Hahlan 01-02-04, 09:13 PM	Hmm...I live in Kansas City and have plenty of good gaming stores to visit, plus two in Topeka not an hour away. I guess I've been blessed. Btw, if you're ever in Kansas City be sure to visit Tabletop, Phil runs a good business!
Sirius_Black 01-03-04, 12:28 AM	Originally posted by Achaia Hahlan Hmm...I live in Kansas City and have plenty of good gaming stores to visit, plus two in Topeka not an hour away. I guess I've been blessed. Btw, if you're ever in Kansas City be sure to visit Tabletop, Phil runs a good business! Tell him to get an online presence. I'd love to give any good gaming shop that treats its customers well even more sales.
Rick Day 01-03-04, 12:26 PM	Game trader on portage trail, west side of rt 8. Good place and its getting better.
Bloodtide_the_Red 01-03-04, 12:40 PM	Can't say I'm supprised. Game Keeper has realy gone down hill in the recent months. Sure, at one time they were not so bad....I can remember the nice wall of D&D and mixed D20 stuff. Game Kepper was one of the places I could find some D20 stuff. But that was long ago. Now a days, they have one bookshelf of D&D stuff, and it's just all about old stuff(they have like 6 3.5 PH's). I'm in the Cleveland area too. And they did put a Game Keeper in Tower City(So we got 4), right by the 'As see on TV store'. The smaller comic/game shops are your best bet, and their are more then enuff in our area(assuming you live on the west side...I have no idea what's on the east). BT
Ethereal Traveler 01-05-04, 10:47 AM	Consolidating all their resources into game design is ultimately the sad truth. The economic slump we've achieved in this nation has had a ripple effect on all. What with the unemployment rate hitting a decade high of somewhere between 5.9 - 9.0 percent by November 2003, we had something like 8 to 10 million people without work. So if WoTC has to cut back to survive, then so be it, at least they are still here.
Dorlomin 01-07-04, 02:35 PM	I'm not at all suprised. The Mall of America in Minnesota has both a game keeper and a WoTC store, never see anybody in either one. Their WoTC store has 2 very small shelves dedicated to D20/D&D and thats it. (no idea on game keeper as I don't even go in there myself) It's pretty sad when Barnes & Noble gets the new stuff before WoTC's own store does.;) Course it doesn't help that they compete with all the Mom & Pop shops, all the major bookstores, the web, and even some software stores locally.
Dorlomin 01-09-04, 11:13 AM	By the way, I went to the WoTC store near me yesterday, just about the entire store is 20%+ off now. And the unofficial closing date is February 29th...
SupaFreak 01-11-04, 12:00 AM	Achaia: I'm in Lawrence, KS and looking for people to game with. Interested? Achaia and Sirius: this is my FLGS. They've been great to me.. www.htgames.com (http://www.htgames.com)
trentlanthier 01-14-04, 10:42 AM	I've never even seen one of these stores, I mean in ottawa Canada we have Fandom II which is a great Mom and Pop type store, with very interesting people, and they carry a wide variety of D20 stuff. But to tell you the truth Chapters (or big book store) gets the stuff in faster though I find its normally priced higher than Fandom II is, and they normally have a wider variety... heck Chapters even has the D&D Miniatures game for sale which shocked me. Personally though its sad to see them do it, I'd rather see better d20 products and more of them and have d20 and Wizards strong economically then them bleed away in retail.
williamjr85374 01-22-04, 07:05 AM	Hi Alac; Don't know what you mean by convienient, or where in Phoenix metro you are. but there are good stores in west phoenix-Desert sky mall has active gameing as well as products. on the far east side there is a great store in old downtown gilbert- well stocked with everything out and tons of minatures. they also do gameing sessions. If you need specif locations e-mail me and I can hook you up. William the "wondering" phoenician monk.
Alac Luin 01-30-04, 06:14 PM	Went there yesterday, the discount was 40% off everything. (Die were 50%off, cant have to many die) I dont know if this is for all the stores or just select, they got a short reprieve, closeing date is now stated at April 15th.