It sucks if you rent videos or games. The choices are becoming limited to small kiosks for videos and nothing really for games.
We keep hearing this is the wave of the future and that it is old technology, etc. However, as I have pointed out a few times, to access this technology, you need a high speed connection to the Internet, computer or electronic device or cable and satellite connection. Not to mention a subscription to a content provider like Netflix. Video on Demand on cable and satellite is still too limited in its offering, is expensive and has no extras.
People may say: So what? I get all my stuff with free downloads. Well, we have seen that those avenues are being blocked more and more. Could be a time soon when we might not be able to access things nearly with the convenience or lack of consequences.
Rogers Video Plus are the latest to announce a series of closings. Four of their stores are being shut down. It is part of a 40% reduction of their stores in Canada.
If you live in certain parts of the city, there are no larger video rental places left at all. It can be a good thing for an independent willing to stick it out but we have even seen the owner of Movie Village looking to sell.
Here are the stores that are closing.
1853 Grant Ave
Winnipeg, MB R3N 1Z2
(204) 488-4969
756 Pembina Hwy
Winnipeg, MB R3M 2M7
(204) 452-1234
823 McLeod Ave
Winnipeg, MB R2G 0Y4
(204) 654-1234
47 Goulet St
Winnipeg, MB R2H 0R5
(204) 237-7496
There was a point made here that if you wait a while, a DVD will be sold for around the same price as a rental. While that might be true of DVDs, it isn't true of games that they can be purchased so soon for so little. The rental places truly made it possible to check out a game and decide if it was worth it.
I know one thing that has happened since most of the video stores have closed around me: I have not watched as many new or older movies.
4 comments:
Well heres the thing. Rogers owns a cable company in a large part of the country, and they want to focus on Video On Demand and I assume streaming.
The closing down of larger chains might actually be a good thing for smaller mom and pop operations. Theres also the proliferation of vending machines for movie rentals which offer far less overhead and offer the customer what they want - new releases.
Theres also the fact that many people have no need to rent games. If they're PC Gamers, they go on Steam, or if they're owners of consoles they can often download games or purchase used games and exchange other games at EB Games or otherwise.
If there are any remaining Video rental stores, they usually offer some other service. Video Cellar for example markets itself as a Tobacconist and sells of course popcorn and chips and drinks and all of that. Still I have no idea if they're not seeing any of the same downward sales trends. Hopefully the failure of Blockbuster and Rogers has benefited them.
@ Reed Solomon - Name a Mom & Pop video store here in town.
@ anonymous - well, I think he just did... Video Cellar, although I think 7-11 is more their competition than Blockbuster was, Video Cellar is still more mom and pop than large chain.
Well written and food for thought to be certain, which is why I'm not sure anyone hasn't struck upon the idea of renting games exclusively. I still maintain that the video rental business is finished - there are too many other outlets to get movies, and for those whom all others avenues aren't viable, almost every mom and pop corner store still rents at least a handful of movies, and barring that, the public library actually has a great selection (if you're willing to wait a bit for new releases).
But video game rentals? That I can still see. The outlets needn't be big as the old video rental places, which would cut down on overhead. Let's face it, there are lots of games I want to play, but I know I'll be bored of after a couple of days. Renting games (at least on the major consoles) still makes sense. I'm not sure there would be a huge market for it, but I'm sure it's a market that exists.
Poopies
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