That doesn’t mean big chains are flourishing, however. In fact, last year, the country’s largest retailer, GameStop, announced it would permanently close all 35 of its stores here.
Some stores, like CeX, are still thriving—mainly because they also sell phones and laptops—but there’s a clear gap in the market for gamers who still seek physical copies of games.
That demand is something Anthony Dobbs, owner of The Retro Gaming Store Plus in Wexford, gradually recognized after opening a small tech shop in town back in 2014.
“It was something that evolved over time,” he told BreakingNews.ie at Gamerfest 2024 at the RDS.
“I was made redundant from my job and was offered either a new role in the company or a redundancy package. I chose redundancy and found a small storefront in Wexford. It started as a tech shop, and now it's a three-story, 3,000-square-meter retro gaming store.”
Dobbs, who runs the shop with his wife and two employees, has steadily expanded from a modest selection of games.
“At first, I wasn’t sure if the market would support a game-focused store, but ten years on, it’s really grown. We get both gamers and serious collectors,” he says.
Like many businesses, the store faced setbacks during COVID, pushing them to a crossroads: either shut down or move to a larger space and expand.
“We risked everything. As a sole trader, the risk is all on me. If I lose this, I lose everything,” he reflects. Yet, despite the challenges, he adds, “I really love what I do.”