{"id":12114,"date":"2020-11-16T14:10:07","date_gmt":"2020-11-16T14:10:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=12114"},"modified":"2020-12-08T17:08:45","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T17:08:45","slug":"12114","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gh360.ca\/?p=12114","title":{"rendered":"The 2020s: A New Era for Video Games"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content” full_height=”yes” columns_placement=”top” content_placement=”top” bg_type=”u_iframe” u_video_url=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v57IMA3ceTo” video_opts=”loop,muted” u_start_time=”1″ bg_override=”browser_size”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:60|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff” google_fonts=”font_family:Lilita%20One%3Aregular|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

THE 2020s: A NEW ERA FOR VIDEO GAMES<\/h1>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]T<\/span>he new generation of video game consoles by Sony and Microsoft have officially arrived! The PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X are taking video game consoles to a new level thanks to the advanced technology and futuristic appeal that they offer.<\/p>\n

It looks like Sony and Microsoft are butting heads once again with their new generation consoles being released only two days apart. The previous generation, the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One were originally released in 2013 (along with a few newer versions that had slight modifications that came out over the years as well).<\/p>\n

But what do the new generation consoles truly have to offer that\u2019s different from the previous? Or, better yet, what does each console have that their opposition doesn\u2019t? Here\u2019s a brief breakdown of the features that the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X have that gamers are excited about:[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

A comparison of the new generation consoles<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]\n

PLAYSTATION 5<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"PlayStation

(R: Digital Version; L: Disc Version)<\/p><\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]\n

XBOX SERIES X<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Xbox

(R: Disc Version; L: Digital Version)<\/p><\/div>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text][infogram id=”untitled-infographic-1hmr6g77dydlz6n?live”][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text][infogram id=”copy-untitled-infographic-1hxj48ppmkgxq2v?live”][\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

Are gamers excited about the new generation consoles?<\/h2>\nT<\/span>he PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X follow a long timeline of generations of video game consoles. It goes without saying that many gamers will be upgrading to the new generation consoles from their predecessors.<\/p>\n

Since the COVID-19 pandemic left many companies limited in their capabilities to market their products, Sony and Microsoft weren\u2019t able to promote their consoles as they would\u2019ve wanted to.<\/p>\n

Ali Khan and Alveen Ahmed have been playing video games their entire life. Khan and Ahmed say they will likely be purchasing them soon after their release date, but both agree that the excitement around this generation of consoles is somewhat different.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

\u201cI\u2019m excited. Honestly, I am. It\u2019s a bit different this time around. Like, the current circumstances and the environment\u2026 it\u2019s a different thing than what it\u2019s usually like,\u201d said Khan.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Khan, both major companies (Sony and Microsoft) have been very secretive about their products, their release dates, prices, and so on.<\/p>\n

Ahmed also said that the experience is different because Sony and Microsoft weren\u2019t able to host panels at major events like E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) to openly discuss what the new generation consoles have in store.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\n

Watch the full video with Ahmed and Khan:<\/h3>\n[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=k9qnDlNFSfw&feature=youtu.be” align=”center”][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]\n
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Is EB Games struggling to survive?<\/h2>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]V<\/span>ideo game stores seem to be following the same fatal end that other niche stores like Blockbuster and HMV did. That is, customers are turning either to online shopping or going to the large department store route.<\/p>\n

EB Games is a partner institution to the American company, GameStop. Several companies struggled to stay in business during the COVID-19 lockdown, and hundreds of GameStop locations in the United States were forced to shut down.<\/p>\n

Khan said that EB Games is no longer the same store it once was. According to Khan, after rebranding, EB Games seems to be more toys than video games, and that this is a sign that they are not evolving. But after speaking with an EB Games employee, marketing toys and collectible items is exactly what the company needs to survive.[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]\n

A conversation with an EB Games employee<\/h3>\n

\"Samantha<\/p>\n

Assistant Manager at EB Games Samantha Patel has had an inside look at what it’s like to work at EB Games during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patel works at the EB Games located in Woodbine Mall in Etobicoke, Ont. Patel is also a graduate of George Brown College’s game development program.<\/p>\n

According to Patel, all part-time employees were laid off while the managers had virtual conference calls to discuss the future of their EB Games locations once they can re-open.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had to sanitize everything. At first, when we first opened, after every single customer, we had to sanitize every single thing they touched,\u201d said Patel. \u201cBut as time went on, high-touch surfaces were sanitized every hour and we\u2019re not allowed to serve customers anywhere but at the plexiglass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, EB Games was evolving as a business because video gamers now have a number of avenues from which they can purchase consoles and games. As a result, EB Games began to branch out to three brands: EB Games, EB X, and EB Pop. They have begun to sell more toys and collectible items that would diversify their sources of income from just selling video games, consoles, and video game accessories.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely think that EB is doing a very smart thing by bringing in all of these collectibles and toys, because eventually, if we just don\u2019t sell our games, we will straight up just turn into a toy store and we will be perfectly fine, we will be perfectly profitable\u2026I don\u2019t think we\u2019ll ever stop selling games completely, but maybe they\u2019ll stop being showcased,\u201d said Patel.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

EB Games’ New Brands<\/h2>\n

Click on each photo to see each EB Games brand.[\/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”flexslider_slide” interval=”5″ images=”12797,12798,12799,12793,12794,12795,12788,12789,12790″ img_size=”full”][vc_column_text]\n

Click here to listen to the exclusive interview:<\/h3>\n\n