June 16, 2016 scottcjones 8Comments

lh3.googleusercontentWelcome to New Westminster, which is sort of like Vancouver’s version of late-90’s Williamsburg, Brooklyn. In “New West” (that’s what the locals call it, FYI) you’ll find one of the great used game stores in North America: Gamedeals.

I visited Gamedeals during the week before E3, and I got to meet Jade and Celeste. I’ll be honest with you: It’s beyond rare to find two women manning (woman-ing?) the counter of a used game store. We talked about games, collectibles, Platinums, blowing on cartridges, repairing scratched discs, boyfriends, virtual reality, game-making, modding, relationships, etc. etc. In short: It’s a good conversation, as you will discover.

Also, I continued my search for a copy of 2007’s Crackdown. Would I find it at Gamedeals? Click the pizza-shaped button below for the answer. Webside: http://gamedeals.ca

Screen Shot 2016-06-16 at 9.34.22 AMAlso, for the record, I live underneath the word “Vancouver” on that map over there. Gamedeals is located directly underneath the words “New Westminster,” on the Fraser River, which, I believe, is named after Dr. Fraser Crane who was a boozy, snobby regular on the TV show Cheers.

It takes about 20-25 minutes to get to New West via the Skytrain from downtown.


Also published on Medium.

8 thoughts on “Brief Conversations with Interesting People (GameDeals)

  1. Yeah, GameDeals! Nice choice!

    I always wondered why you and Vic didn’t shoot any reviews there… Mind you, they’re a competitor of EB aren’t they? Guess that would be a sponsorship issue.

    One suggestion for a future podcast is to try to get a chat out of the guy who runs MovieLand Arcade on Granville… The seedy little place with the peepshows in the back and the run-down old machines. I was just there recently getting in some Street Fighter III matches with random dudes who smelled like booze and B.O. – it was awesome. You can’t get that experience anywhere anymore.

    Word has it that the guy who runs the Arcade is very secretive… but he looks friendly when you walk in. I’d love to know more about it… how it survived all these years… those peepshows. Or maybe talk to one of the odorific gamers you’ll invariably find there.

    Great job on these Scott!

    1. Just stopped by there today. Grumpy Chinese guy in the front. He said he wasn’t the boss, and that the boss wouldn’t be in today. The entire place smelled like a urinal. One bug-eyed guy was playing Q-bert. Otherwise…it was quiet. Will try again, Steven.

  2. I just wanted to point out that the correct link to the store is:
    http://www.gamedeals.ca

    Oh, and Scott. For what it’s worth, I always took you for a New West kind of guy (whatever that means)… it’s like Vancouver’s older, more mature brother. With all of those bookstores and cafe’s… it’s literary, but without all of the pretense. It still wears the scars of it’s history wherever you go rather than trying to hide it. A bit dark, but in an honest and non-threatening way 🙂

    It’s interesting, and a nice place to live. I was looking at lofts by the Quay years ago… that would be really nice right about now. They’ve probably skyrocketed in price, but I digress.

    PS> we’re missing those weekly podcasts we used to listen to on late Friday night. These podcasts of yours would do nicely to fill that void…

  3. Hey Scott,

    Really enjoying these conversations, and happy to get some new content now and again from you. Any chance you’ll show up on some of Vic’s YouTube stuff? You guys had great chemistry.

    1. Thanks for the nice note. I think we’re just taking a break from each other for now. But maybe soon? Tell Vic, see what he says about it.

      1. Well, I don’t know him personally, but I’ll certainly put in a good word.

        Hope you’re enjoying life. I’m looking forward to your next conversation with an interesting person. If you ever feel like talking to someone gaming his way through a quarter-life crisis, give me a shout.

  4. So glad to have found your site! I’ve missed you since EPN went off the tv airwaves! (Still watch it on the web, but you’re conspicuously absent.)

    Also glad to read that you’re doing well health-wise. I recently got out of the stupid hospital (again) & feel better than I have since 2013!!

    I’ve bookmarked the site – keep up the fun stories!!

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