I’m the kind of gal who always has to cheer on the underdog.  The typical battle of David and Goliath can bring out obscene amounts of loyalty within me - often to the point of pure, blind devotion.  I will argue for the sake of arguing.  I will defend purely on the basis that the “other guy” has a better defence.  I suppose you could almost call it playing the Devil’s Advocate.  I like to call it fairness.

Take a look at your high street.  I bet it has an HMV, a WH Smiths, an M&S, a McDonalds, and maybe a Boots.  There’s probably one of the big five supermarkets near you too.  Now, take a look at the next high street closest to you, and what do you see?

You see the same, again and again and again.

Our high streets are rapidly losing their identity.  The small guys are growing smaller, and the big guys are growing bigger, muscling in on your pavement space and your wallet.

They have the pulling power to make the product you want just that little bit cheaper, get it into the store that little bit faster, with a location that’s often second to none.

All of these things are good things.  Great things.  From a consumer perspective, we get the product we want cheaper, faster and easier.

But sometimes you have to pull back from the consumer perspective and start looking at the bigger picture.

Sometimes you have to take that diversion, walk down that side road, and go into that little shop you always forget about.  Where passion for product runs equal to financial gain and the manager can actually recall your first name.

Yes, when the latest GTA instalment comes out, they may not get it as fast as Virgin Megastore does.

And yes, you probably won’t get any loyalty card points, or the best price, like you would in GAME. 

But I have found, nine times out of ten, it is the little guys who give the best customer service.  It is the little guys who know what they’re talking about, because they actually give a damn what they’re talking about, and they’re not working for a faceless, multi-national corporation.  They’re working for themselves.  And every so often, you’ll find a little treasure there that the big guys don’t stock.

Our little independent game retailers are dying.  Unable to compete with the big guns, they’re pulling out and shutting up shop and a monopoly never has been, or ever will be, a good deal for people like you and I.  The consumers.  We need choice.  We need that security.  We need this variation or else we’ll all end up with cookie-cutter high streets, where everything is the same, where there is no consumer choice, or healthy competition.

Please support your local independent video games retailer.  Give yourself some retail variety underneath your Christmas tree.  Because if you don’t, one day you may not have the luxury.  And I think that would a great shame.