It seems GameStop isn’t convinced anymore than its turbulent future isn’t in video games as it once thought. The company has been trying to diversify its offerings for quite some time now and the current train of thought is to focus more on trading cards with Pokemon Trading Card game proving immensely popular at the moment. With more and more people purchasing their games digitally GameStop has had to rethink its entire purpose.
“Cohen has said that continuing to focus on trading cards, including the incredibly popular recent Pokémon card sets, is a “natural extension” of GameStop’s business. He added that the collectibles could have potential for high profit margins.”
“It’s no mystery why GameStop has increased its focus on trading cards. Its revenue in the first quarter of 2025 surged by over 50% on a year-over-year basis largely due to Pokémon.”
So GameStop is gonna now be a big corporate board game/hobby gaming store, essential? I’ll stick with the locals.
So the employees that damaged Nintendo Switch 2 screens by stapling the receipts to the box will now handle collectable cards ….
They are going to staple cards that can potentially be worth money. 🤣
I guess GaneStop is gonna be the biggest corporations in history since Pokemon cards are back to being popular now!
I said this YEARS ago. GameStop can’t just be a place to buy video games. That is naturally unsustainable.
They need to be a place that can provide some sort of experience if they want to succeed. Delving into Pokemon cards is a good example of this. The cards will always be physical and they can have a space for people to play the game. Yu Gi Oh and Magic the Gathering are also part of this.
I also think they should try to be a place that hosts local competitive gaming. But, I haven’t heard of them trying to make their venues more suitable for that. 🤷🏼♂️ They could be hosting Street Fighter, Smash Bros, and Tekken fighting competitions. Or board games. They could have sections that are retrofitted for people to sit and watch or to play themselves. They could be trying to go for the same audience that attends Dave and Busters and getting an alcohol license and tables. Expand the size of the store, etc.
GameStop’s future hinges on getting people OUT and TO their location. So they need to think beyond physical media purchases in the age of online.
I had a similar idea a few days ago. Move GameStop into a bigger space & turn it into a hangout for gamers much like arcades use to be. Bring a whole new meaning to the stop part of their name.
The future of GameStop is bankruptcy.. plain and simple. They can’t compete. Their model is broken, and they rarely offer discounts on games.
They will be Blockbusterd.