By: Carson Werner
Canalside Chronicles Staff
Gamers from all over the world understand that each and every video game has worth regardless of its age and quality. Little do most know that there is a store on Brockport’s Main Street that holds all kinds of gaming treasure. Game Players Unlimited is the video game store offering college students and community members a mix of classic and current video games. From the earliest systems like the Nintendo 64 to consoles like PlayStation 4, Game Players Unlimited has it all.
The franchise beginning in 1999, has been owned and managed by the same man throughout its 19 years. Jason Graham, a Brockport native, is no stranger to any Brockport gamer. His collection of games and devices can support any video game players’ needs and then some. Anything that is gaming related can be found in the one-room-shop just over the canal bridge on main street. An example being Charlie Park, a junior at The College at Brockport, is a huge fan of Game Players Unlimited because of an incident occurring freshman year.
“I loved Mario Party 4 on the GameCube. It wasn’t a very common game so I figured it’d be hard to find around here,” Park said. “I was shocked to find it at Game Players Unlimited. But because of that game, I had made friends that I still have to this day.”
Once you walk in the store, you cannot help but feel overwhelmed. The walls are lined from top to bottom with colorful rectangles, each containing a new adventure. The video game discs range from first-person-shooters to racing games to sports and even some of the wildest action developments to date. But it is not just video games that fill the shelves and racks. Movie lovers, no matter what genre, would be satisfied with GPU because finding a rare throwback or fairly new production in stock is very likely. However, one of the main reasons customers fall in love with the store is because of Graham’s dreamlike prices.
The majority of all store content has been used at one point, causing value to drop from the item. That is not a reason to become discouraged or unsatisfied with Game Players Unlimited. All things that are sold within Graham’s realm are fully working and reconditioned. Thus, making it as if customers are buying a brand-new game or movie for a ridiculously low price.
“Most of my content here has been traded in from locals,” Graham said. “I used to collect and play video games quite a bit, but it’s like working at a pizza shop. You start off eating it all the time, but over time, pizza just does not appeal anymore.”
People of all ages have wandered into the outlet and have left with something they did not expect to purchase. There is just so much in the shop, it makes it difficult to leave before cleaning out your wallet.
“I’ve owned and been in this store since I was 19,” Graham sai. “I’m 38 now and the demographics for who comes in and out of this store has changed completely.”
The current marketing demographic for Game Players Unlimited is not what you would think. When the shop opened in 1999, there was rarely ever a female gamer to walk into the shop. Now, it is almost 50 percent of GPU’s customers! College students who typically are found populating the streets and local shops of Brockport, are somewhat of a rarity to find walking into the shop. Fathers, mothers, and grandparents from around the Brockport area who have all had kids that enjoy video games have strolled in at one point looking for a birthday present. However, the gaming store that has supplied several gift givers, saved multiple birthdays, and brought joy to hundreds will be moving to a different location.
The new location across the canal is conveniently just a two-minute walk from the old building. Neighboring the canal bridge and the Stoneyard Brewing Company, Game Players Unlimited will certainly adjust to its new home in no time. The increased foot traffic on the other side of the bridge will dram more attention compared to the older location that was constantly bombarded with traffic.
“We’re moving to a new location sometime before May 1st. I own the building and it’ll be much better financially to have a smaller shop. The one we are in now is too big,” Graham said.
Thankfully, the move for Game Players Unlimited will cause no harm to his business in the future. Beginning as a teenager, Graham has turned himself into an intelligent business owner. His franchise is expected to flourish following the switch and Game Players Unlimited will continue to supply the Brockport area with video games and movies. Graham encourages all fans to stop into the new building and check out the new setup once finished. There is always that chance they will find that long lost game sitting on a shelf.
