Two upstate NY GameCrazy stores closing

According to a blog post on the online site of Albany New York’s top newspaper, The Times Union, GameCrazy plans to close two of its three area stores including stores at 818 Central Ave. in Albany and on Route 9 in Latham, NY. A store spokesperson confirmed that the Albany store will close after a liquidation sale that will begin on Saturday. This will leave only one GameCrazy store left in the area - in the 20 Mall in Guilderland, NY. The Latham store is slated to close Oct. 24, according to an unnamed employee at that location.

Earlier this week Movie Gallery announced that it would close nearly 200 of its stores. Thanks to our own Matt Nolin for the tip.

200 GameCrazy stores closing

According to a report in Home Media Magazine, game retailer GameCrazy is going through some hard times right now. The game store chain owned by video rental firm Movie Gallery (which is privately financed by Hollywood Video) operates about 680 stores around the country. Approximately 200 hundred of those stores at various locations will are slated to be shut down.

Workers at Game Crazy locations in Alhambra and Rosemead, Ca., confirmed the closures to Home Media Magazine, saying that their stores soon would begin 30 percent-off sales on all games and hardware next week.

“If you have a game on order, you better come pick it up,” said one employee at the Alhambra Crazy. “We’re done in three weeks.”

Analyst Michael Pachter told the publication that he thinks Movie Gallery just ran out of patience and money, but he sees the game industry turning around soon and expects that other video rental chains - like Blockbuster - that deal in video games will weather this economic turmoil.