A nostalgia-soaked video games store opens in Cary
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The neon-lit inside of Limited Run Gagmes in Cary. Photo: Courtesy of Limited Run Games.
Limited Run Games, a boutique video game developer, has opened its first retail store in Cary.
Details: Dripping with 1990s nostalgia and designed as an ode to the movie rental chain Blockbuster, the store will sell video games, books, vinyl records, trading cards and other physical media.
- Limited Run's shop is located in the MacGregor Village shopping center.
- The store also plans to frequently host events - like panels and game launches.
What's happening: Limited Run's co-founder Doug Bogart believes video game discs and retro formats, like Super Nintendo cartridges, will see a vinyl record-like resurgence in the coming years, as consumers yearn for something other than a digital copy.
- Sales of vinyl records topped more than $1 billion in 2021 after bottoming out around 2005.
- “Just like vinyl, a lot of people are realizing a physical video game was a cool platform and one that's fun to collect,” Bogart told Axios. “There's just a more personal touch to it.”
Yes, but: Video game stores have been closing in droves across the country as more people buy games online or just download them from the internet. GameStop has closed hundreds of locations across the U.S. in the past few years.
Background: Founded in 2015, Limited Run made a name for itself by republishing rare or collectible games on newer formats, like PlayStation or the Nintendo Switch.
- The company has had success selling collector's editions of games such as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and the 16-bit River City Girls Zero game, which had only been available in Japan previously.
- Bogart said if the Cary location is successful, Limited Run wants to open a second one in California's Bay Area.
What they're saying: “In North Carolina, there's just a huge shortage of game stores,” Bogart said. “All the ones that I grew up with are all closed. … But there's an experience that we think people are missing, and we wanted to bring it back.”
Location: 107 Edinburgh South Dr.