The rise and fall of the rental store and the lost art of discovery.
This article was originally published in theDen of GeekSDCC Special Edition Magazine.Click here to view the full issue!
The spirit of grindhouse cinema isnt based on aesthetics; its about discovery.
In contrast, video stores offered the game industry a true grindhouse venue to call its own.
Store owners had little to lose by using cheap titles to fill gaps in their inventory.
However, some small-time outlets were much more selective about which titles they stocked.
He would order through a distributor and specify one or two games each week that he thought would rent.
Nevertheless, Shaw remembers that the stores regular customers ultimately defaulted to these titles at some point.
Much like grindhouse films, the more offbeat games featured at rental stores were typically exploitative in some way.
But occasionally, a true gem emerged from the drek of the unknown.
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Mainstream retail outlets were corrupted by a complete lack of quality control.
Eventually, people treated purchasing games as a risk they couldnt afford to take.
They were looking for cheap entertainment.
Anything surprisingly great they stumbled upon was a bonus.
The first was an ultimately forgettable adventure,Astyanax.
It wasFinal Fantasy, Johnson says.
I didnt know anything about the game.
I just liked its medieval fantasy cover.
Recently, Johnson wanted to play a game featuring martial arts combat.
Any game would do.
He eventually found a game calledKung Fu Strike: The Warriors Rise.
He recalls feeling the need to perform light research on the game before downloading it.
Its an instinct he admits extends to even simple purchases.
The other day, I spent time looking up reviews for a new pair of shoelaces, Johnson says.
I wanted to confirm that I got the pair that had the most five-star reviews.
In the age of Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, and other review aggregators, numbers are king.
What should just be a general indication of merit has kickstarted a new era of selectiveness.
For many, even a score in the 70 to 80 percent range can represent an inferior product.
Remarkably, this caution seems to have bred fear rather than curb it.
Among the topics discussed was the difficulty of game discovery.
He likened it to making the best out of a box of broken restaurant crayons.
That analogy certainly applies to the rental store where broken crayons were always in stock.
There may be more options, but there is less incentive to stray.
Theyve even promised to openly display the details behind why Steam is recommending a certain game to you.
Youd almost think theyre trying to recreate the role of the video store clerk.
They knew the people they recommended games to were going to be back.
There was a measure of accountability and enthusiasm that an algorithm cannot offer.
For many, theres just no incentive to maintain a curator profile.
Even if there was, Valve still struggles to help the right curators find the right gamers.
GOG, for example, has a specific process for choosing what games will be featured on the platform.
Then the game goes to our review departmentwhere the most dedicated gamers from GOG.com work.
In theory, this process is helpful to consumers.
By curating games that arent simple cash grabs, GOG is ensuring that gamers get titles that are worthwhile.
Of course if a game is not available on GOG.com, it doesnt mean its bad.
There was something exciting about being able to hold a game in your hands.
It felt like you were about to go on an adventure, Johnson says of times gone by.
I dont know if those days are coming back.
I sometimes worry were heading towards another crash.
Johnson speculates that a streaming service might help alleviate this fear of discovery.
They allow gamers to taste test different experiences.
Programs like Humble Monthly offer a random assortment of monthly titles at a highly discounted price.
GameFly and Redbox are keeping rentals alive.
These services are designed to encourage exploration but each is hampered by doubt.
GameFly and Redbox are struggling to combat the convenience of digital purchases.
Streaming and subscription services are battling against the fear of something new.
It remains to be seen whether they will be successful.
But there are no sure bets, and thats why discovery matters.
The eclectic selections that dominated grindhouses and rental stores served as reminders that your comfort zone isnt the world.
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