Audio Slideshow: Reset Games gives gamers a chance to test games for free
by Jeff Ehrhardt
Friday, December 07, 2007
How many people want to try their purchases out before paying for them?
This is the question that fueled the concept behind Reset Games, an independent video game store that recently opened on Berkley Ave. near Sunset Square. Reset Games has ten TVs, eight of which are available to try games out before the customer purchases them. Its grand opening was on Dec. 1.
Reset Games is the creation of three Bellingham investors; Hugh Weibe, Kathy Varner, and Dennis Hill. The store is managed by 2007 Western graduate Shaun Marker, who had previous experience working at the Sunset Square Gamestop video game store.
Varner and Hill, both parents, didn’t like going to game stores and their kids buying a game, only to find out they couldn’t figure them out, Hill said.
“We wanted to give people a chance to try games out before buying them,” Hill said.
The store is set up so that customers are be able to comfortably try out the games while parents pass the time in a special waiting area instead of having to stare at a wall, Marker said.
“We’re creating an environment that’s not Gamestop,” Marker said, “Its something for both hardcore gamers and not.”
Bellingham resident and parent Rod Hayes said he likes the idea of a parent’s waiting area.
“I wouldn’t normally have the patience, but having a place to wait would help,” Hayes said.
The eight TVs devoted to testing are arranged in a semicircle near the back of the store. Customers are able to sit down and choose to play on one of the four Xbox 360s, two Playstation 2s, two Playstation 3s, and two Nintendo Wii’s. Of the remaining TVs, one is be set up in the waiting area for parents and the other is set up for the game Rock Band, a music simulator using specially designed controllers built like guitars, microphones and drum sets.
The store will also be hosting tournaments later in December.
The main problem with the store’s set up is people taking advantage of the ability to play games for free, Marker said.
“People will take advantage of play before pay to kill a few hours,” Reset Games employee Rice Hebron said.
A time limit will be in place as precaution, Marker said.
“There will be people just coming in to play,” Marker said, “but when they go to buy games, what’s the first place they’ll think of?”
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