Retail

4 retro video game and software stores that have been deleted from malls across America

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pong game
Some video-game retailers didn't ultimately survive a confrontation with their respective final bosses.  SSPL/Getty Images

Retail isn't always about collecting golden coins and gobbling up power pellets. Sometimes, you've got to accept that it's "game over" for your company.

It's no different for video game and computer software retailers.

Read more: Inside the luxurious department store founded by one of the most important figures in Mormon history

Stores dedicated entirely to selling video games and computer software might be relatively new, compared with, say, department stores or grocers. But they've still got to contend with tough competition, evolving technology, and fickle consumer preferences like other retailers.

Here's a look at a few video game stores that glitched out for good:

EGGHEAD — This computer software store chain finally cracked when Amazon bought it up its surviving assets in 2001. But Egghead had been in the frying pan for some years. After successfully operating a chain of stores from 1984 onward, the company decided to become online-only starting in 1998.

FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2018, file photo a box for an Amazon prime customer moves through the new Amazon Fulfillment Center in Sacramento, Calif. This year Prime Day is happening on two days: Monday, July 15, 2019, and Tuesday, July 16. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
Amazon is credited with helping to crack Egghead. Associated Press

BABBAGE'S — Named after Charles Babbage, the mathematician and engineer who's considered the "father of the computer," Babbage's was founded in 1984 and became a powerhouse software retailer. When Barnes & Noble bought up the company in 1999, the name faded from stores. But the company still lives on through its descendant, GameStop.

babbage's
A shot of a Babbage's store. Yelp

Source: GameStop

GAMECRAZY — Founded in 1998, this Oregon-based business was actually a subsidiary of film and game rental giant Movie Gallery. GameCrazy lost it once and for all in 2010, when the video game retailer and its parent company went bankrupt.

gamecrazy training video
A still from a GameCrazy training video. SluffWork/Youtube

Source: Network World

RHINO VIDEO GAMES — GameStop bought up Rhino Video Games in 2007, effectively ending the Florida-based company's 18-year run. The now-defunct film rental retailer Blockbuster had previously owned the video-game business.

Rhino Video Games
A still from a Rhino Video Games TV spot. John Bring/Youtube

Source: The Chronicle

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Áine Cain was a senior reporter for Business Insider, covering Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Ikea.She wrote about the changing nature of the retail business, the labor issues affecting retail employees, and the trends that consumers should know about. Occasionally, she delved into crime, multi-level marketing schemes, and weird history.Cain previously wrote about careers and business strategy for Business Insider.