For decades, retro gaming has remained a strong and passionate hobby for millions of gaming enthusiasts. Despite the drop in the numbers of game-related retail stores such as GameStop, retro video game stores are still a prominent environment for those seeking a fun, nostalgic atmosphere of like-minded peers, rare console titles and aesthetically pleasing SEGA Dreamcast posters straight out of 1999. 

Just north of the Champaign transit station in the heart of downtown, a small but very detailed storefront invites gamers to check out titles from nearly every console generation ever made. Located at the corner of Market Street and University Avenue, Live Action Games is one of the only remaining video game outlets in Champaign. While big-box retailers sport the latest Xbox and PlayStation titles, Live Action Games remains the only place to find a PSP or Dreamcast system nearby. 

The store, owned by Adrian Astorina, has been operating for more than eight years. Astorina described running the unique establishment.

“Eh, it’s alright; retail sucks,” Astorina said. “No matter what you do, retail sucks. But it’s not that bad. I do whatever the hell I want here.” 

Astorina oversees an inventory spanning decades in material from the Sega Genesis to the latest PlayStation five titles. As his personal favorite game is “Final Fantasy Tactics,” he has made clear the business is a passionate one for him. Weekly updates on the business’ Facebook provide fans with information on its newest and weirdest trade-ins. 

The pandemic has affected every aspect of the economy, and the entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit sectors. Surges of tech consumption have driven up prices across games old and new, and there are technological chip shortages.

“Prices just skyrocketed, almost across the whole board,” Astorina said. “We thought everything was going to go into lockdown, we would start buying a lot of stuff cause people aren’t working, people need money. Buying stuff would drop down prices. The opposite kind of happened, people started buying stuff.” 

Tim Witek, senior in Media, has seen the impact of price surges on his gaming hobby.

“I don’t think consoles themselves have become too expensive,” Witek said. “They do provide a lot of entertainment value and all the major brands have more affordable versions if you don’t want to go all out. Games on the other hand have become a bit more expensive than I’d like. But that just means I’m more intentional about which games I buy and how long I wait after release to buy them on sale.” 

The surge of game demand during lockdown was a result of many people taking up video games for the first time. This caused the trade-in of used games and materials to come to a halt.

“It was a bit rough,” Astorina said. “We (used to be) able to have trades at the door; people drop off their stuff and we’d process it.” 

Once lockdowns began to ease, there was an influx but not significantly. This led Astorina to utilize more promotions and tactics to drive sales. 

“We adjusted, all we could do really,” Astorina said.

Despite the shutdowns of 2020 and inflation of the market, Astorina said the store has seen strong sales in recent months. 

“We experienced growth,” Astorina said. “Both in 2020 and 2021. It’s early this year but we are still ahead of last year.” 

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