For most millennials, growing up a gamer meant trying to beat a rented title as quickly as possible before returning it to Blockbuster (RIP) or carefully combing through the pre-owned section of your local GAME to find an affordable gem.

Subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus and Nintendo Switch Online have slowly put a stop to all that, alongside the rise of digital-only consoles. So, while it’s no real surprise that the last three standalone GAME stores will shut their doors forever later this year, it’s still the end of an era for many.

Gaming content creator Genki spent three years on the tills and in the stockrooms of two of London’s most popular GAME stores (Hamleys in Oxford Street and Regent Street) between 2009 and 2012. Here’s what he remembers from the front lines of a video game institution.

Game recommendations were a serious business

One of the very first consoles Genki owned was an N64 and for the first year, the only game he had to play was Super Mario 64. Later, after getting a PS2, he used to go hungry during lunchtime at school and used the money he saved to buy Pro Evolution Soccer and Jak & Daxter instead.

“Most of the customers were parents looking to buy something for their kids. They had no idea what they were looking for. I knew that getting a sucky game was no fun, so I always tried to recommend something good – especially because that was the era of cash grab games,” with plenty of sloppily made titles and movie tie-ins created as cheaply as possible taking up space on the shelves. His go-to picks? The Legend Of Zelda, Uncharted, Mass Effect, Call Of Duty or, of course, Super Mario.

Celebrities needed shopping advice too

One of those confused parents was Jude Law, who needed some help with his Christmas purchases. “The Sherlock Holmes movie had just come out, so he was very famous. He was buying a bunch of toys but also wanted some Nintendo DS games as well. He didn’t really know what was good, so asked for my help and ended up getting New Super Mario Bros. He was a very cool guy, and very chilled,” says Genki. Being located in central London also meant the occasional millionaire tourist would pop in and go on a spending spree. “I remember, one time, loading 15 Xbox consoles into the boot of a very fancy SUV.”

He met Jonathon Ross and Rio Ferdinand while dressed as Mario

That’s not the only brush with a celebrity Genki had at GAME. During a special launch event, he was roped into dressing up like Mario because he was the only member of staff short enough to comfortably fit into the suit. For the next eight hours, he posed for photos and did his best impression of the plucky plumber. Some big names popped by the store including footballer Rio Ferdinand and TV presenter Jonathan Ross. “The problem was,” remembers Genki. “I could only see through Mario’s mouth – so all I saw were their feet.”

End of an era.

I actually used to work at Game in the UK during the Wii, DS, PS3 and Xbox 360 era.

One time I had to wear a Mario suit and do the Mario voice to greet people. I could only see through Mario’s mouth hole, so I couldn’t see people’s faces. Just their feet. lol.… https://t.co/t8x5knp5wq pic.twitter.com/MGbiDyqLuy

— Genki✨ (@Genki_JPN) February 3, 2026

“The suit was borrowed from head office, and it definitely had this funky smell to it. I guess it’s pretty hard to clean a giant Mario costume. I didn’t even get paid extra for the shift…”

The best thing about working at GAME was the demo stations

Management paid close attention to the number of accessories and console insurance workers upsold, which wasn’t much fun – but there were plenty of perks to working at GAME.

A fresh-faced gaming fan could get a sneak peek at how the industry worked, call first dibs on new releases (even though you couldn’t take them home before release date), try out the new consoles – and maximise the trade-in value for their old games by paying close attention to the backend system. Some of the more entrepreneurial members of staff took things even further – pocketing the stickers that GAME used to confirm a title was brand new to give their own pre-owned collection a higher resale value.

The very best thing, though, was getting to supervise the various in-store demo stations. “Motion control was very popular at that time, with the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move,” says Genki. “Getting to see kids and adults jumping around while playing those games was loads of fun.”

…but they attracted some problem customers

It was pretty annoying when shoplifters would pinch the worthless “gutted” display cases after mistaking them for brand new games but the most frustrating thing about working at GAME was the people who’d take advantage of the couches near the demo stations.

“You’d get people who’d just sit there all day after doing their shopping, not really playing the games,” says Genki. “They’d even bring in food and drink. We’d have to go over and politely try and get them to leave – but most wouldn’t listen. Eventually, they had to get rid of the sofas entirely because of that.”

GAME was a sanctuary that will be sorely missed

Whether it was a parent trying to get their kid the perfect Christmas present, or a teenager trying to get the most for their pocket money, GAME was a haven. “I grew up going to GAME long before I worked there,” says Genki. “They were always really good with trade-ins, returns and rewarding the customer with loyalty points. Then actually working at GAME was so much fun. Being able to immerse yourself in the world of video games, and having access to all the different consoles, titles, toys and accessories, was incredible – especially as a kid who used to love the smell of a game’s instruction manual.

“The fact there was still a store dedicated to video games on the high street was so cool. The closure of those final standalone stores is really sad. It really is the end of an era.”