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A Japanese resident in Kyoto is expressing frustration over the declining state of retro gaming stores in the city, attributing the scarcity of retro games to foreign travelers. American researcher Oliver Jia shared images of his local Surugaya store, highlighting the limited stock available. Jia noted that the store, which once boasted two floors of games, now only has one due to high demand from tourists.
He witnessed individuals clearing shelves of stock, particularly targeting popular items like Famicom Disk System games and PS1 games. Jia expressed understanding for tourists buying games to play but criticized resellers who buy in bulk to sell online at a higher price, negatively impacting the local gaming community.
The Surugaya in Kyoto is a skeleton now.
A year ago there were tons of Famicom Disk System games, but this is all that’s left.
The PS1 section is half empty.
The tourists have taken everything. I don’t bother shopping for retro games in big Japanese cities anymore. pic.twitter.com/glu8pl6JMA
— Oliver Jia (オリバー・ジア) (@OliverJia1014) April 11, 2024
