GameStop Kids Store Launches, 80 More Planned

Posted Fri, 26 Oct 2012 | 16:40 BST by Thomas Whitehead

You may need to be flush to buy a plush

Mario and Pokémon plushes a-hoy!

Are you tired of going into a video game store and seeing M-rated games covering the shelves, with rows and rows of box covers full of guns and snarling faces? Help is at hand, if you live in the U.S. near Grapevine Mills Mall in TX, as there's a new GameStop Kids store in town. The first of a new range of 80 stores to open by 15th November, these outlets will be packed full of games rated for everyone, as well as an undoubtedly dizzying range of accessories, plushes and cute things.

It's an interesting idea, and clearly the bosses at GameStop see an opportunity and market to make a lot of money, otherwise they wouldn't do it. It'll undoubtedly be on Nintendo's radar, too, as whether we like it or not a major part of the big N's image and focus is on younger gamers. We do get mature content on Nintendo systems, but plenty of our games are designed with everyone in mind, be they kids or big kids. If these GameStop Kids stores don't have a significant variety of Mario and Pokémon themed toys — plus various others — alongside their respective games, then we'll be amazed.

Still, you don't need to be a child to go into one of these stores — though maybe take one with you to avoid embarrassment — as even a quick browse of the GameStop Kids website will show you delights including an Assassin's Creed Plush: bringing the cute to mature games near you.

Are you up for a nice cheerful store where you can buy an assortment of toys with your game? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2012/10/gamestop_kids_store_launches_80_more_planned

I'm wondering if this isn't a defensive move by the company. Isn't GameStop facing market contraction?

Great for Nintendo I guess (there's a big Nintendo DS logo there) and Skylanders!

I think this is a great business move, and maybe it will even inspire some parents to buy age-appropriate software for their kids.

Difficult to say since the entire biz is facing a contraction and GameStop's issues might be inextricably linked to the general decline and not a sign that the company, as a whole, is waning.

I don't know about that. I know a lot of parents walk into GameSpot and let their kids pick out a game and then walk it over to the register. If a parent walks into GameStop Kids with his or her child, he/she is likely to walk out of the store with a game with a less restrictive ESRB rating.

You're right that many people don't pay attention to M ratings, but shops like GameStop Kids remove those from the equation.

They could just have all of the kid rated games up front and then have half the store sectioned off for the more mature stuff (or have a back room like that one video rental store we used to go to).  Would probably be just as effective.

Now they just need a senior citizen store for Spurge and the like. Buy 2 games get your vitamins free.

I dont see the point. Would seem to be a better idea to just have a kids section within Gamestop, that way they dont have to pay rent for another store, or possibly confuse people who end up at the wrong type of gamestop.

They should launch a GaemzStop for the hardcore people.