I mean, he’s not wrong, either way he wins here. Either they say yes and it works and Ethan comes out the one showing initiative and helping others, Thad says no and a major competitor is gone.
And if he tried a polite approach, Thad wouldn’t believe it’s honest, anyway.
So this probably has better chance of working.
Esc
10 days ago
Megagame hits different in 2025. Like, it’s still a brick and mortar retail business. Is it a chain? Or is Thad a business owner in the community? I would kill for a store with all these games on the wall. What is so malicious about it? better than another empty storefront.
Considering Ethan and Lucas also have a game store that appears to be theirs and not a chain, I think we can reasonably assume “Megagame” is the in-universe equivalent to a GameStop?
And if that’s how we take it, then “what’s malicious” would be “all the things that have been wrong with GameStop”. Thad totally seems like the type to give you $0.10 for your used game only to sell it for $74.99 to people who don’t want to pay $79.99 for the brand new copy.
If that is an issue for you, buy from the developer. A sold item is a sold item, you don’t get to sell it twice. A sale is a transfer of ownership, you don’t get to decide what somebody else does with property you’ve sold.
Hate to break it to you, but the developer doesn’t get your money anyway. The publisher gets your money and keeps most of it to make obscenely wealthy executives even more obscenely wealthy, and the developers still make paltry wages if they haven’t been laid off or shut down now that their game has shipped.
Presumably they’re the Barnes & Noble to our heroes’ Waldenbooks/B. Dalton (I’m probably only a coupke years older than the author…. while maybe half the readership might now be scratching their heads and asking, “Who?”)
Megagame hits the same in 2025 that it did ten years ago, IMHO. It was always strange to see multiple successful gaming stores in the same general area, especially one as big as Megagame. Gaming stores were always struggling since the mid 2000s.
It’s just one of the key differences of the world of A+D and ours, that gaming is just a much bigger part of their culture.
Steve
10 days ago
I don’t recall Rob looking this annoyed with Ethan before. I thought he was usually just the big dumb galoot.
….Did he secretly snap? Recognizes Ethan as Analog but keeps it to himself for whatever reason?
I’d argue that Ethans current treatment of him is a reasonable cause for annoyance already.
And I doubt Analog is necessary to add fuel to the ever-smoldering coals of Ethans feud with Megagame
Jacob
10 days ago
Rob didn’t shout about the sniper in counter strike, I’m disappointed.
Eldest Gruff
10 days ago
You know, I never noticed it before….. but look at panel 4. Specifically, notice the hair. The ears. The chin. The build. There’s minor differences… but the similarities are so close, and the differences so consistent, that I can’t help but think that Thad was designed as a foil to Ethan – like, two sides of the same coin. I wonder if Thad sees Ethan as the same sort of villain that Ethan sees Thad. “Oh, look at me, mommy and daddy bought me my own game store, I just had everything I want handed to me, I didn’t have… Read more »
Daniel
10 days ago
It would be hilarious if MegaGame staff would refuse, since they practically worship the local videogame-themed superheroes, and sure that they will show up soon to protect their own
LooneyDango
10 days ago
can i ask what the odd line is that rob and thad have traversing from one side of their head (ear, maybe?) across their chest (nailed in place?!?) to mysterious depths below?
24
Master of diplomacy
He went in the Leeroy Jenkins way … all guns blazing 😉
It remains to see if Ethan has chicken…
W-Where did he learn to negotiate like that?
Slow clap for that quote! Perfect!
I suppose it was spoken in bad English?
I wonder.
I mean, he’s not wrong, either way he wins here. Either they say yes and it works and Ethan comes out the one showing initiative and helping others, Thad says no and a major competitor is gone.
And if he tried a polite approach, Thad wouldn’t believe it’s honest, anyway.
So this probably has better chance of working.
Megagame hits different in 2025. Like, it’s still a brick and mortar retail business. Is it a chain? Or is Thad a business owner in the community? I would kill for a store with all these games on the wall. What is so malicious about it? better than another empty storefront.
Considering Ethan and Lucas also have a game store that appears to be theirs and not a chain, I think we can reasonably assume “Megagame” is the in-universe equivalent to a GameStop?
And if that’s how we take it, then “what’s malicious” would be “all the things that have been wrong with GameStop”. Thad totally seems like the type to give you $0.10 for your used game only to sell it for $74.99 to people who don’t want to pay $79.99 for the brand new copy.
Its more none of the used game sale goes to the developers of said game. Gamestop keeps 100% of the resale.
I don’t see the problem with Gamestop keeping the sales from the secondary market. What uh.. Is the problem with that exactly?
Feels like being upset that Tesla does not get a cut when you resell your used car.
If that is an issue for you, buy from the developer. A sold item is a sold item, you don’t get to sell it twice. A sale is a transfer of ownership, you don’t get to decide what somebody else does with property you’ve sold.
Hate to break it to you, but the developer doesn’t get your money anyway. The publisher gets your money and keeps most of it to make obscenely wealthy executives even more obscenely wealthy, and the developers still make paltry wages if they haven’t been laid off or shut down now that their game has shipped.
It is definitely a chain, though I’ll agree that most brick and mortar gaming chains closing down makes it not work quite as well as it did years ago.
Presumably they’re the Barnes & Noble to our heroes’ Waldenbooks/B. Dalton (I’m probably only a coupke years older than the author…. while maybe half the readership might now be scratching their heads and asking, “Who?”)
You got mail!
Yes, Megagame is definitely the “Fox Books” to Ethan’s “Shop Around The Corner”…
…from “You’ve Got Mail (1992)”…
…with less illogical romance.
Or Chapters in Canada. And Coles.
Megagame hits the same in 2025 that it did ten years ago, IMHO. It was always strange to see multiple successful gaming stores in the same general area, especially one as big as Megagame. Gaming stores were always struggling since the mid 2000s.
It’s just one of the key differences of the world of A+D and ours, that gaming is just a much bigger part of their culture.
I don’t recall Rob looking this annoyed with Ethan before. I thought he was usually just the big dumb galoot.
….Did he secretly snap? Recognizes Ethan as Analog but keeps it to himself for whatever reason?
He got one word out before being interrupted, silenced, and called an underling. I’d be a bit peeved too.
I’d argue that Ethans current treatment of him is a reasonable cause for annoyance already.
And I doubt Analog is necessary to add fuel to the ever-smoldering coals of Ethans feud with Megagame
Rob didn’t shout about the sniper in counter strike, I’m disappointed.
You know, I never noticed it before….. but look at panel 4. Specifically, notice the hair. The ears. The chin. The build. There’s minor differences… but the similarities are so close, and the differences so consistent, that I can’t help but think that Thad was designed as a foil to Ethan – like, two sides of the same coin. I wonder if Thad sees Ethan as the same sort of villain that Ethan sees Thad. “Oh, look at me, mommy and daddy bought me my own game store, I just had everything I want handed to me, I didn’t have… Read more »
It would be hilarious if MegaGame staff would refuse, since they practically worship the local videogame-themed superheroes, and sure that they will show up soon to protect their own
can i ask what the odd line is that rob and thad have traversing from one side of their head (ear, maybe?) across their chest (nailed in place?!?) to mysterious depths below?
An earpiece to their walkie-talkie, I presume.
Ethan channeling his inner DnD character.
I love it.
This is what happens when us weirdoes get a little older and lose all G.A.F.
and it is glorious. 10/10 work, Ethan!