Shop Small, Game Small

Edwin and I are big fans of small, independent gaming developers and some of our favorite games are smaller titles. With that being said we also love to shop small at anywhere that has to do with gaming. We love going to used record stores around the area that have movies, games, gaming toys and pretty much anything to do with pop culture! Used gaming stores are a great place to talk to fellow gamers about the industry and pick up some old gaming memorabilia, or even old movies. Another good place to check out is any local flea market or garage sales, where sometimes you can pick up some great deals and maybe even find some rare gems. Another part of gaming that gets sometimes pushed to the side but as of lately been a major focus is indie gaming. Independent gaming is when smaller developers self-publish their titles, and it has seemingly become easier thanks to the support from platforms like Xbox, Playstation, and Steam. A cool thing that Xbox has integrated to help small developers is “Independent Developers @ Xbox (ID@Xbox).” Which is a program that helps small developers by giving them development kits to aid them in their game development. Some of our favorite indie games of late have been from the ID@Xbox, like SUPERHOT, Jackbox Party Pack 2, and Oxenfree.  So at the end of the day, keep small business in mind and support the idea of your local game store as well as the latest indie titles.
 
If you are in the Cleveland area, check out some of our favorite places to shop
 
http://theexchange.com/
 
http://www.yourbuybacks.com/
 
http://www.jamiesfleamarket.com/
 

Our very own Exchange in Elyria, Ohio! (via The Exchange)

By Lee Marcussen