MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Our Indie Retail Month in association with Gem comes to an end with the final entry in our look at the UK’s top longest-running indies: Insane Game.
MCV talks to Nick Sarjant about what Insane Games is doing to continue its long-running success.
What is the secret to staying around so long?
Our stores are all locally based stores in small towns and cities. This means that we get to know our customers and now everyone knows everyone. We have a good customer base and great relationship with our existing customers as well as go the extra mile for those new to the store.
How has the store developed?
We have four stores but it’s about having the right people as staff; gamers who are both knowledgeable and friendly.
How do you plan to develop and stay around?
We’re looking at expanding into pre- owned LEGO. We already sell Warhammer and do Warhammer days along with Yu-Gi-Oh and Might & Magic tournaments.
How has the indie scene changed since you started?
It’s the sheer amount of online gaming. More and more people aren’t worried about a single player mode, especially for games like Call of Duty. Online has also become a major selling point and games with online features sell very well, even on the PS3 which has lower sales margins than Xbox for us.
What advice would you give to someone starting up?
Research the market massively and get an area that no one else is venturing into. We have a friendly relationship with a Toymaster justaround the corner and we regularly talk to them as to avoid treading on each other’s toes.
What do you make of the Xbox One?
It looked nice and pretty but I would’ve liked to see more gameplay like the Killzone footage during the PS4 reveal. Customers are saying they want more info on price, release date and everyone is concerned about the mixed messages regarding pre-owned.
