People line up outside of the EB Games at 267 Yonge St. in Toronto last week to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2.DUANE COLE/The Globe and Mail
Hundreds of Nintendo fans – many dressed in clothes emblazoned with the Mario Brothers – stood under the flashing lights of Toronto’s Sankofa Square one night earlier this month in a line wrapped around EB Games’ flagship store.
Some fans sporting hats featuring Yoshi – a friendly dinosaur character from the Mario franchise – paced the sidewalk anxiously while others stood relaxed, chatting and beaming ear to ear.
They were lined up for a chance to get their hands on the new Nintendo Switch 2, which dropped at midnight on June 5 at retailers across the country, including 132 EB Games stores. The event marked not just the release of the highly anticipated console, but also the highly anticipated revival of EB Games Canada.
Established in 1977 in the United States, EB Games expanded into Canada, as well as Europe, until it was bought by Texas-based GameStop in 2005. Most of EB’s overseas locations also rebranded as GameStop after the company changed hands. But the Canadian stores only adopted the name in 2021 to capitalize on the meme stock craze, when stocks of certain companies soared on little more than online buzz.
In May, the 32-year-old Canadian operations were bought by Quebec entrepreneur Stéphane Tétrault, the founder of Montreal-based toy manufacturer Imports Dragon and co-owner of U.S. action figure maker McFarlane Toys. Mr. Tétrault also recently acquired a stake in the Canadian chain Mastermind Toys.
On news of the deal, the company announced it would change its name back to EB Games, describing the brand as “a beloved and iconic name many Canadian gamers still associate with their earliest gaming experiences.”
The midnight release similarly tapped into that nostalgia. In the late 90s and early 2000s, it was common for gamers to camp out for highly anticipated releases, but that experience has become a rarity in an era of home delivery and digital downloads.
“One of the great things about this launch is creating a real sense of community,” said Jim Tyo, president of EB Games, who has been with the Canadian operations for three decades. “You can see the line outside is incredible, they’ve been lined up since this afternoon.”
EB Games president Jim Tyo says the video game chain intends to relaunch 185 locations across the country.DUANE COLE/The Globe and Mail
Nostalgia for rituals like setting up lawn chairs outside the store hours in advance drew in customers like Brendan Wyatt and Jeffrey Day, who were first in line.
“I like having this experience, coming and meeting the people at the store,” said Mr. Wyatt, who has been playing on Nintendo consoles since the 80s. “Nintendo North America is here, all these fun people are here, its just an event so it’s totally worth coming down.”
At the Yonge Street location in Toronto, approximately 650 people lined up, and across Canada, more than 25,000 people turned out for the launch at EB Games stores, according to the company. The chain is now one of the few remaining brick-and-mortar video game retailers in the country.
For some younger customers, the wait was an entirely new experience. “I’ve seen people line up for games in the past and seeing people lining up for the Nintendo Wii way back in the past just made me want to experience that as well,” said Tanieka Daley, an undergraduate student, who recalls growing up with the Nintendo DS handheld.
As part of its plan to rebrand, the company said it will relaunch 185 locations as EB Games stores across the country.
After battling the tides of time, Ecco the Dolphin is making a comeback
Mr. Tyo said that there is an opportunity for revenue from toys and collectibles. EB Games Canada has the ability to drop new products daily, including trading cards, which can often be as big as video game releases.
“The brick-and-mortar component is really important to us because that’s really our strength,” he said. “Our strength is our relationship with our teams and our customers, it’s unlike anything else in retail.”
EB Games Canada intends to invest in store fronts by improving technology that will allow product shipment between stores. Mr. Tyo says focusing on this will create fewer out-of-stock issues and will open up store-specific inventory to customers across Canada. Additionally, the company intends to involve their store teams in marketing through product reviews and social media spotlights. It will also host more in-store events that celebrate gaming and collectible culture.
Toy sales in Canada are up 18 per cent this year, according to Jeff Bowes, an analyst for market research company Circana Inc. He said toys and collectibles, such as trading cards and action figures, are finding growing popularity among both children and adults.
Although online sales have grown in recent years, especially during the pandemic, there has also been a rise in in-store purchases. “Two-thirds of the sales in the toy industry are coming from in-store,” Mr. Bowes said. “So when we talk about the $2.3-billion market, there’s a lot to play for in that in-store space.”
That value for the GameStop Canada experience is something many video game fans value. “It’s nice to see who the other gamers are to build excitement together,” said Nintendo fan, Jakob Reinert. “Nobody remembers picking up a parcel from the post office. It’s the excitement that is shared with other players.”