Paris. Mecca of videogames!!!! Photos inside.

[Saturn Sensei]

Went to Paris again. Re-visited the videogame district and was once again blown away. Everyone should make it their mission to at least once visit this veritable mecca. Afterall, a dozen incredibly well-stocked videogame stores within one city block. Heaven.

The breadth of games and systems available is mind-boggling.

Once again, I found everything on my want-list. Everything!!

I ended up getting Taxi 3: Le Jeu for GameCube. Hopefully it will become as rare as Taxi 2: Le Jeu for DC.

The PS2 version of Taxi 3 was everywhere but I only found the GC version in two places. HERE is the GC cover btw.

Also got a bunch of Japanese MD titles, as well as US Steep Slope Sliders, and a few Jap Saturn games.

Also saw Metal Slug(home version cart) in 2 separate stores!!!!! I had never seen one in the flesh before.


HERE is a very impressive store-window. When was the last time you saw a PC Engine LT, NeoGeo CD, NeoGeo CDZ, and a PC Engine GT in the same place??

HERE is an impressive stack of available systems in one store. A Qube, Pink and blue Hello Kitty DC, Sakura for Internet DC, Resident Evil DC, etc.

THIS is a quarter of this store's Japanese Saturn games. They also had every imaginable shooter for the Saturn in stock. Kingdom Grandprix, Sexy Parodius, Steam Hearts, Radiant, Garegga, Strikers, Sengoku Blade, etc.

Oh and a few forumites on here wanted me to look for Taxi 2: Le Jeu(DC) for them but I found only one and it was so scratched up I didn't get it.

[maxlords]

Holy gods! That 's insane! Now the REAL question is...what are their prices like? Are they reasonable or obscene? Can you get DEALS on some of that stuff?

[Achika]

WHY WHY WHY? Why couldn't I get to this place when I was over there! I only grabbed one game while I was there, but I brought money just incase I found such a place as this.

In any case, those pics are impressive!

[Lost Monkey]

I was in Italy last year for 3 weeks and all I found was pirated Fami-clones.. why didn't I just drive over to Paris?!?

Those pictures are beautiful by the way... remind me of the good ole days...
There isn't even 1 (real) Mom & Pop VG store here in town anymore, and none of the ones I used to frequent in Toronto carry imports anymore either...

[TheRedEye]

I thought this was going to be about a videogame port of the Paris Hilton sex tapes. :(

[hydr0x]

I was in Italy last year for 3 weeks and all I found was pirated Fami-clones.. why didn't I just drive over to Paris?!?

lol, you know it's a 16-hours drive?? paris is only 5 hours away from where i lived until last year (and my family still does), but i still wasn't there, it's a shame

[calthaer]

Europe's laws must make it pretty favorable for mom & pop stores. I'm not sure what part (if any) does that...wish they'd get some laws like that over here so that we could see small specialty stores like these.

[Saturn Sensei]

Europe's laws must make it pretty favorable for mom & pop stores. I'm not sure what part (if any) does that...wish they'd get some laws like that over here so that we could see small specialty stores like these.

I don't think laws have anything to do with it. England isn't this impressive for instance. These are very nice stores. Plus, the French, for some reason like to group their stores together. All the crafts stores or whatever in the same place. Brussels has a comic-book district for instance.

There are EB-like chain stores in Paris too but not in that district. But why go to EB when these stores offer so much more? Perhaps that is why they are flourishing.

Importing is obviously big too since all the stores in that district carry all regions of games for all systems, past and present, and EB doesn't carry imports or much retro. The French take their pop-culture seriously. Be it movies, comics, or games.

The French also dislike bland EB/Blockbuster-esque multinationals. I saw quite a few McDonald's restaurants and subway billboards scribbled with "Merde A McDonald's" for instance.

[evilmess]

My wife is planning a trip to paris next year! WEEEEEEE!

What is this district called and how can she find it?

And how are the prices on the older games?

[calthaer]

Europe's laws must make it pretty favorable for mom & pop stores. I'm not sure what part (if any) does that...wish they'd get some laws like that over here so that we could see small specialty stores like these.

I don't think laws have anything to do with it. England isn't this impressive for instance.

Laws have absolutely nothing to do with making things favorable or unfavorable for certain business models (i.e. - small vs. large)? What dream world are you living in?

England also isn't part of the EU. Germany is, Italy is, Switzerland is, and yes, France is, too - and I've seen lots of small stores / restaurants in all of those places. Having socialized medicene, the tax structure, etc. - all those things contribute to an auspicious environment where the small guy can survive. Location is a part of it, too...the whole village / town center structure (as opposed to the suburban / mall / strip mall structure) adds to that.

I don't know what exactly the laws are that make those sorts of things possible or likely in Europe, but I'd love for it to happen here, because I want to see more of those types of stores survive & thrive.

[Saturn Sensei]

Europe's laws must make it pretty favorable for mom & pop stores. I'm not sure what part (if any) does that...wish they'd get some laws like that over here so that we could see small specialty stores like these.

I don't think laws have anything to do with it. England isn't this impressive for instance.

Laws have absolutely nothing to do with making things favorable or unfavorable for certain business models (i.e. - small vs. large)? What dream world are you living in?

England also isn't part of the EU. Germany is, Italy is, Switzerland is, and yes, France is, too - and I've seen lots of small stores / restaurants in all of those places. Having socialized medicene, the tax structure, etc. - all those things contribute to an auspicious environment where the small guy can survive. Location is a part of it, too...the whole village / town center structure (as opposed to the suburban / mall / strip mall structure) adds to that.

.

First, England is part of the EU. Though not of the EMU. Meaning they don't have the Euro but otherwise partake in everything EU related(no import or export fees between countries, etc.).

Second. Switzerland is not part of the EU or EMU. They are completely neutral as well as very wealthy so they are not part of any such organization.

As far as your town center theory. The videogame district is quite a ways from the center of Paris. And as such would fall more into the suburban category. The more mainstream game stores such as Game, Micromania, FNAC, Virgin, etc, are all located elsewhere, more downtown, as well as in malls and such. The Mall Les Halles in Paris is one of the largest malls I have ever been in, and the FNAC store on Champs Elysees is probably the largest media store I have ever been in.

I think the district has flourished because of the tradition of putting similar stores together, and not by any laws. Afterall, why shop at a traditional independent store when you have access to a veritable Wal-Mart Superstore of videogames just a quick Metro-ride away?? This is the same reason why small-towns all over America fear the opening of a Wal-Mart, because it knocks out local small-business.

FYI: The tax structure is harsher on business in Europe than over here.

[hydr0x]

First, England is part of the EU. Though not of the EMU. Meaning they don't have the Euro but otherwise partake in everything EU related(no import or export fees between countries, etc.).

Second. Switzerland is not part of the EU or EMU. They are completely neutral as well as very wealthy so they are not part of any such organization.

yep, both things are absolutely true

FYI: The tax structure is harsher on business in Europe than over here.

exactly, btw why do u think if laws have anything to do with it it's european laws??? IF laws are the reason for this district, they must be french laws, you know, of course there are a lot of EU laws (import/export fees...) BUT most of the things are still in the hands of the single countries

i think the reason is just the french mentality, we don't have anything near as good as that district in germany. The situation in germany is so bad, i'm already happy about having EB games (about 10 ) and some rare Virgin Megastores (about 1-2 in germany i think) here. Finding real video-game-only stores in germany is anything else but easy!!

[Saturn Sensei]

Went to Paris again. Re-visited the videogame district and was once again blown away. Everyone should make it their mission to at least once visit this veritable mecca. Afterall, a dozen incredibly well-stocked videogame stores within one city block. Heaven.

The breadth of games and systems available is mind-boggling.

Once again, I found everything on my want-list. Everything!!

I ended up getting Taxi 3: Le Jeu for GameCube. Hopefully it will become as rare as Taxi 2: Le Jeu for DC.

The PS2 version of Taxi 3 was everywhere but I only found the GC version in two places. HERE is the GC cover btw.

Also got a bunch of Japanese MD titles, as well as US Steep Slope Sliders, and a few Jap Saturn games.

Also saw Metal Slug(home version cart) in 2 separate stores!!!!! I had never seen one in the flesh before.


HERE is a very impressive store-window. When was the last time you saw a PC Engine LT, NeoGeo CD, NeoGeo CDZ, and a PC Engine GT in the same place??

HERE is an impressive stack of available systems in one store. A Qube, Pink and blue Hello Kitty DC, Sakura for Internet DC, Resident Evil DC, etc.

THIS is a quarter of this store's Japanese Saturn games. They also had every imaginable shooter for the Saturn in stock. Kingdom Grandprix, Sexy Parodius, Steam Hearts, Radiant, Garegga, Strikers, Sengoku Blade, etc.

Oh and a few forumites on here wanted me to look for Taxi 2: Le Jeu(DC) for them but I found only one and it was so scratched up I didn't get it.

[maxlords]

Holy gods! That 's insane! Now the REAL question is...what are their prices like? Are they reasonable or obscene? Can you get DEALS on some of that stuff?

[Achika]

WHY WHY WHY? Why couldn't I get to this place when I was over there! I only grabbed one game while I was there, but I brought money just incase I found such a place as this.

In any case, those pics are impressive!

[Lost Monkey]

I was in Italy last year for 3 weeks and all I found was pirated Fami-clones.. why didn't I just drive over to Paris?!?

Those pictures are beautiful by the way... remind me of the good ole days...
There isn't even 1 (real) Mom & Pop VG store here in town anymore, and none of the ones I used to frequent in Toronto carry imports anymore either...

[TheRedEye]

I thought this was going to be about a videogame port of the Paris Hilton sex tapes. :(

[hydr0x]

I was in Italy last year for 3 weeks and all I found was pirated Fami-clones.. why didn't I just drive over to Paris?!?

lol, you know it's a 16-hours drive?? paris is only 5 hours away from where i lived until last year (and my family still does), but i still wasn't there, it's a shame

[calthaer]

Europe's laws must make it pretty favorable for mom & pop stores. I'm not sure what part (if any) does that...wish they'd get some laws like that over here so that we could see small specialty stores like these.

[Saturn Sensei]

Europe's laws must make it pretty favorable for mom & pop stores. I'm not sure what part (if any) does that...wish they'd get some laws like that over here so that we could see small specialty stores like these.

I don't think laws have anything to do with it. England isn't this impressive for instance. These are very nice stores. Plus, the French, for some reason like to group their stores together. All the crafts stores or whatever in the same place. Brussels has a comic-book district for instance.

There are EB-like chain stores in Paris too but not in that district. But why go to EB when these stores offer so much more? Perhaps that is why they are flourishing.

Importing is obviously big too since all the stores in that district carry all regions of games for all systems, past and present, and EB doesn't carry imports or much retro. The French take their pop-culture seriously. Be it movies, comics, or games.

The French also dislike bland EB/Blockbuster-esque multinationals. I saw quite a few McDonald's restaurants and subway billboards scribbled with "Merde A McDonald's" for instance.