I'm starting a Gaming Store

[FallenWarriorIV]

I'm starting a gaming store in June of next year. Most everything is set up, but I'm having trouble picking a name. Current ideas are Sleeping Giant Games, RPGeneral Store, and The Nerd Herd. Any comments and ideas are welcome!

[Maerok]

The Tavern?

According to the sig, 93% of all campaigns begin in taverns. :smallamused:

[FallenWarriorIV]

A very good idea. I'd just be worried we'd have people coming in thinking it was an actual tavern.

[Tengu_temp]

Wizard's Tower? Dragon's Den? Not very original, but memorable.

[Hootman]

A very good idea. I'd just be worried we'd have people coming in thinking it was an actual tavern.

Your sign, then?


|............The Tavern............|
|The adventure starts here...|


Speaking of which, a decent name for a dance club/bar would probably be "Headaches & Hangovers".

But more to the point, maybe you could try coming up with an alliterative "________ & _________" name?

[Shyftir]

Of course a place that was both tavern and game store would be epic. Unfortunately the industry depends too much of teen age gamers for that to fly...
You could call it Game Start.

[LostEnder]

Hmmm... How about The Captain & Jester? Or maybe Burn and Bubble? The tavern talk made me think of tavern names in the UK, which almost never sound like you'd expect.

[Daremonai]

This is a bit off topic, but seeing as how I'm surrounded by Red Lions, Bull & Bushes, and Saracen's Heads (and think it's perfectly normal)...what do they call pubs/bars where you are?

[Premier]

I'm starting a gaming store in June of next year. Most everything is set up, but I'm having trouble picking a name. Current ideas are Sleeping Giant Games, RPGeneral Store, and The Nerd Herd. Any comments and ideas are welcome!


Sleeping Giant Games - or in fact "[Anything] Games" in general - suggests a company that creates games, not a store.

RPGeneral Store - Too gimmicky, too obscure (your average passerby won't know what type of store it is, so he won't go in).

The Nerd Herd - I like this one because it's humorous, rhymes and short - it's catchy.


But whatever you go with, I wish you the best of luck with the store. My impression is that it's hard running a game store these days, hope you manage to stay on top.

[Driderman]

Hoard. As in dragons treasure hoard.

[TheSummoner]

Dragon's Den

is a good one, but I think a nice, classy "The" in front of it would make it even better.

[Erloas]

The Nerd Herd - I like this one because it's humorous, rhymes and short - it's catchy.
I dislike the last one, probably for all of the reasons you seem to like it. I don't see it as funny, I also see it as limiting your market, and depending where you live, making it harder for people that like the games. I would say maybe 1/3 of the people in my brother's shop (opened about 6 months ago) would not identify themselves as nerds. And, at least here, while people may identify themselves as nerds there is very little, if any, embracing of it like you see in other places. The last thing you want is a name that someone might be embarrassed or even just hesitant to say they are going there in mixed company.

RPGeneral Store... its sort of cute, and I don't think its too obscure for your target audience. After all, 99% of people that don't get it would probably never go into your store anyway and if they did they wouldn't be the type to buy anything. I think the main issue with it though is that it is a bit too focused... and depending on what market you are in that could be a problem. RPGs don't keep shops open, and in general they are hard to monetize. So if you are in a big city with decent competition you might come off as highly specialized so someone more interested in table top games or CCGs might go to another shop instead, and CCGs seem to be what keeps stores open.

Sleep Giant Games I like. I disagree that it sounds like a game production company, because many of the game shops I've seen (reference of Salt Lake City and Phoenix) have Games as part or the end of the name, and even game production companies are only about 50/50 in X Games naming. It gives you a general mascot of sorts for marketing. It has general fantasy association without being in any way controversial, it fits with all types of games, CCGs have giants, TT games have them, RPGs have them. You aren't going to have people mistaking it for a shop that sells billiards tables and poker chips.


The game store that opened recent a town away (90miles) is called Diversions. My brothers store is called Beasts and Barbarians (Games and Hobbies)

[Kurgan]

Of the ones you listed, I only really like Sleeping Giant Games.

RPGeneral Store - Don't know how many people would get the reference.

Nerd Herd - Meh, this might simply be because my friends and I were apparently called this in high school (or so I'm told at least), but I'm not a huge fan of this one.

Of the suggestions so far: Dragon's Den is pretty good, and I agree that making it The Dragon's Den would be pretty awesome.

If you still have no idea, think of something you like. For example, I know someone who opened a board game store back in '08, and he named it after his favorite character from Sailor Moon. Another place near me is called "Fat Cat Books", and its whole thing is that the people who run it like cats (and keep one or two in the store at all times).

After all, you are the one who has to live with the name, might as well be something you like.

[Triscuitable]

Bards & Noble Scrollsellers

You heard it here first.

[Maerok]

Well, what kind of gaming is the store supporting? Miniatures, tabletop RPGs, videogames, comics, board games, etc? (I say comics because it usually has a smoke-before-fire relationship. :smalltongue:)

Talespinner? The Rolling Bones? Imperial Gaming? Dragon's Den? Pen and Paper Presidium?

I like Mythweaver but it's already taken.

[Hyudra]

Also, what kind of atmosphere are you going for and where is your store situated?

Catering to Kids? Will there be computers in the back where people can play games for a small price? The Munchkin's Den.

Catering to adults, back alley store selling adult anime and half naked figurines? The Dragon's Tail.

Something in between? The Broken Sword, the Sleeping Giant, etc, etc.

[Dragonus45]

Of course a place that was both tavern and game store would be epic. Unfortunately the industry depends too much of teen age gamers for that to fly...
You could call it Game Start.


Not true, my local game shop is looking into a beer license right now. Im refusing to celebrate my 21st birthday till he gets it, even though im nearing 22.

[Xefas]

"A Gaming Store. Like Roleplaying Games and Board Games and Probably Some Magic The Gathering Cards and Stuff Of That Nature."

I don't see why a store's name has to be short and cute. I mean, people would certainly know what they're getting when they walk in. :smalltongue:

[Triscuitable]

"A Gaming Store. Like Roleplaying Games and Board Games and Probably Some Magic The Gathering Cards and Stuff Of That Nature."

I don't see why a store's name has to be short and cute. I mean, people would certainly know what they're getting when they walk in. :smalltongue:

"Gaming Store, the store for buying games".

[Maerok]

"Gaming Store, the store for buying games".

But gaming and store can be so hard to explain...

Maybe:
"Gaming Store, the store for buying games.

Gaming (noun), the playing of games. Store (noun), an establishment where merchandise is sold, usually on a retail basis. Buying (verb), to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, especially in money; purchase. Games (noun), a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators."

[psilontech]

What city are you planning on setting up in?

[Triscuitable]

But gaming and store can be so hard to explain...

Maybe:
"Gaming Store, the store for buying games.

Gaming (noun), the playing of games. Store (noun), an establishment where merchandise is sold, usually on a retail basis. Buying (verb), to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, especially in money; purchase. Games (noun), a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators."

Do it like so:


Gaming Store, the store for buying games.

Gaming (noun), the playing of games. Store (noun), an establishment where merchandise is sold, usually on a retail basis. Buying (verb), to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, especially in money; purchase. Games (noun), a competitive activity involving skill, chance, or endurance on the part of two or more persons who play according to a set of rules, usually for their own amusement or for that of spectators.
TL;DR, we sell nerd stuff

[LostEnder]

Re: Bar names

Bars around here are Jake's, Harry's and Brother's, etc. Pretty uninspired college dives.

[Deth Muncher]

If you go for something as played out as "The Dragon's Den" or "The Wizard's Tower" you're excluding a good chunk of the people you'd want to come in - namely the minis crowd. Minis = lots of money. You want lots of money. They also have the "overweight manchild" connotation to them, in my opinion. I'm sorry if that sounds unbearably harsh, and it probably is, but you have to think too about if you're going to get those young teens in and hooked on games, they're going to have to come with their parents, and their parents may well get the same idea I did when I first heard those names.

Go for something a little more upbeat, and a little lest musty and dusty sounding. You could go for something as simple as "[Your name]'s Games" or something a little more "intense" sounding, like "The Game Vault" or "Cards, Games and More."

I'll post more if I think of them.

And really, one more additional apology, I'm not trying to be a jerk with my first statement, I just know personally from helping run a game store that sometimes, not thinking your name out carefully will end poorly for you.

EDIT: Just so you know, the game store I helped run was called Red Zone. Tell me that doesn't make you think of something.

[Gnoman]

Every successful such store I'm familiar with simply had some variation of "The Game Store."

[banjo1985]

Where you're setting a store up, which country at a minimum, really affects what a good name would be. For example, here in the UK gaming stores with hobby-specific names have been the one's to succeed in my experience, whereas the more generically named ones have failed or struggled i.e. the opposite of Gnoman's experience.

Of your three names in the opening post I like The Nerd Herd the best. The Dragons Den is just asking for a C&D order from the TV programme unfortunately.

As far as I see it, gaming stores will aways appeal to a niche crowd, so there's no reason not to play up to that IMO. Deth Muncher bough up the "overweight manchild" arguement as a negative, but honestly, for most gaming stores this is the clientele you aim at. Guys in their 20's and 30's who do little else but game and have relatively large pools of disposable income due to not having much else to spend cash on. Trying to generalise and appeal to a wider audience might just succeed in driving these peopel away, which could be bad for business. Game stores are hard to get off the ground as the geek is an internet savvy and traditional creature; they'll tend to stick to one store they're comfortable with and buy stuff off the internet if they can't get it there. The game stores I know of have a core of these type of people who in the main keep the store going by spending a prodigous amount of money on stuff, because they like the shop as a nerds paradise that caters to their unusual needs. More casual gamers will come in a spend money at irregular intervals, but it's your gaming geeks that will bring the regular core of income in most of the time.

This is just my experience of the UK gamestore market, could be very different for others.

[Brewdude]

The key thing you want to avoid is people looking you up in the yellow pages/google/search method and calling you to ask if you sell video games or computer games. So make the name reflect the nature of your product.

Tabletop Adventures
Tabletop Game Vendor
Niche game store
Tabletop Fun
Mental Minutia
Dice Unlimited
The Game Table

[The Succubus]

The Dragon's Hoard, except it's where adventurers spend their loot. Also, if this store is going to be in London, I'd be interested in checking it out. :smallsmile:

[Dragonus45]

The name of the place i most often frequent is Organized Play, it fits rather well. They do fnm, warhammer and 40k, people play tabletop games there regularly and play heroclix as well. They also do comics and a large number of board games. What i will say though is that its the way the owner treats us that really made his store take off, good word of mouth from happy customers does wonders.

[Tyndmyr]

I'm starting a gaming store in June of next year. Most everything is set up, but I'm having trouble picking a name. Current ideas are Sleeping Giant Games, RPGeneral Store, and The Nerd Herd. Any comments and ideas are welcome!

Sleeping Giant Games sounds solid. I agree that literally almos every successful game store I know of(and I just visited another one in NC this weekend, I know a LOT) has "games" or "game store" in the title. Descriptive names appear to be made of win.

RPGeneral Store is perhaps acceptable for an online shop, but it is a bit off for a brick and mortar one. It tends to imply a specific market. You WANT the MTG crowd, etc, not just the RP one. CCGs have the highest profit/shelf space ratio. You can't really afford to exclude them in most cases.

The Nerd Herd is a central element of the popular TV show Chuck, and will probably get you sued. In addition to the other reasons not to use it, that's a fairly compelling one.

[Lord Seth]

I'm not sure "Nerd Herd" would be actual grounds for a lawsuit, but even ignoring that I'd still advise against it regardless due to its usage on Chuck.

[TheArsenal]

Some of My ideas:

The Plot hook

The Raging Goblin

The Big, The bad and the bard

Beardalicous

Games and Gnomes

[potatocubed]

"New Game Plus"

[Driderman]

Where you're setting a store up, which country at a minimum, really affects what a good name would be. For example, here in the UK gaming stores with hobby-specific names have been the one's to succeed in my experience, whereas the more generically named ones have failed or struggled i.e. the opposite of Gnoman's experience.

Of your three names in the opening post I like The Nerd Herd the best. The Dragons Den is just asking for a C&D order from the TV programme unfortunately.

As far as I see it, gaming stores will aways appeal to a niche crowd, so there's no reason not to play up to that IMO. Deth Muncher bough up the "overweight manchild" arguement as a negative, but honestly, for most gaming stores this is the clientele you aim at. Guys in their 20's and 30's who do little else but game and have relatively large pools of disposable income due to not having much else to spend cash on. Trying to generalise and appeal to a wider audience might just succeed in driving these peopel away, which could be bad for business. Game stores are hard to get off the ground as the geek is an internet savvy and traditional creature; they'll tend to stick to one store they're comfortable with and buy stuff off the internet if they can't get it there. The game stores I know of have a core of these type of people who in the main keep the store going by spending a prodigous amount of money on stuff, because they like the shop as a nerds paradise that caters to their unusual needs. More casual gamers will come in a spend money at irregular intervals, but it's your gaming geeks that will bring the regular core of income in most of the time.

This is just my experience of the UK gamestore market, could be very different for others.

This is very true for Denmark as well, at least and I'd hazard a guess that the gamer demographic is pretty much the same in all the western world at least.

[Gnoman]

The most successful store here, "Game Room Comics" doesn't even attempt to appeal to the niche market. The stores that did, failed. That may well be because the "nerd" stereotype pretty much doesn't exist in this area in the sense that it seems to elsewhere.

[DropsonExistanc]

Every single gaming store in my area I can name, including the one I work at, has "Games" in its name.

And yes, we get calls about electronic-type games fairly regularly. Just more business for the people in the area that actually do that sort of thing :smallwink: And they send us lost gamers in return.



As for nerd pride,
it can be a good thing. But its close neighbour, nerd elitism, can definitely drive even dedicated gamer customers away. Unfortunately the most extreme elitist hardcore gamers can be a trial for both the people who frequent the store and the staff. They may spend a lot (but often don't), but their habits of getting off on "pwning n00bs" and in general having fun at the expense of everyone around them can drive more customers away than they're worth.

[boj0]

New Game Plus gets my vote.

Also, try:
Bag o' Dice
TPK Connection
Plastic Warriors

[Tyndmyr]

As for nerd pride,
it can be a good thing. But its close neighbour, nerd elitism, can definitely drive even dedicated gamer customers away. Unfortunately the most extreme elitist hardcore gamers can be a trial for both the people who frequent the store and the staff. They may spend a lot (but often don't), but their habits of getting off on "pwning n00bs" and in general having fun at the expense of everyone around them can drive more customers away than they're worth.

Yeah, this is a fine balance. One of my local stores has this problem, and you definitely don't want to take that route.

If you have a nice diversity of product, and have at least some new shiny things from time to time, the demographic described(20-30s, lots of disposable income, willing to blow hundreds per month on game shops...ie, my demographic) will frequent the place. You need not let them be terrible people to do so...the few that enjoy being terrible people will cost you more business that they'll provide.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I suggest you try to give more to your future clients than just selling the games, the game store I frequent and shop at has a dedicated gaming room for everything, TCG (Magic and Naruto being the most popular), miniature games (Heroclix is the winner here...though Monsteapocalypse is gaining ground) and for TTRPG games. They also have one or two events per week, officially sanctioned tournaments and the like.

These kind of stuff is good for two reasons, one it can increase your income as you can charge fees for the tournaments (selling snacks is also a good idea) and two you can make relationship with your customers which in turn will make it easier for them to become regular customers.


As for names.... perhaps something that appeals to the stereotypes? How about _____ Dungeon? or something with some cultural baggage, for example the shop I am talking about is named The Pyramid which ties with the mesoamerican pyramids from México (if it is not clear I am from México)

[Squark]

Reccomendations; Try to get a gaming room if at all possible. You'll build customer loyalty that way. As a corollary, sell Food if you have a gaming room.


As far as names go, all 3 of the stores I visit semi-regularly had the word games in the title (Of course, 2 are small chains, and the other is a Hobbytown USA in name only*, so none of them had a real say in their name).


*He ceased selling anything but gaming supplies (and soda, frozen pizza, and some other small snacks) a long time ago.

[Alaris]

The Nerd Herd is a central element of the popular TV show Chuck, and will probably get you sued. In addition to the other reasons not to use it, that's a fairly compelling one.

Yeah... this... SO MUCH this. You will get sued. Badly. And you don't want that.

[Thanatos 51-50]

The Tavern?

According to the sig, 93% of all campaigns begin in taverns. :smallamused:

There's actually a bar in this city called "The Tavern".
There's another one called "The Pub."

[Mewtarthio]

As for names.... perhaps something that appeals to the stereotypes? How about _____ Dungeon?

That'll go over well.

Are you looking for a little adventure in your life? Come down to [Name]'s Dungeon of Endless Fantasy and give roleplaying a shot!

[late for dinner]

You need something that isnt a mouthfull to say...If people are gonna come play/buy games on the weekend or have others go to your store and buy them as gifts, its gotta flow."Bigby's Games" Is easy to Say and just subtle enough that the RPGers will know exactly what you are taking about.

So my Vote goes for Bigby's Games...and my votes always count as 2.
:smallbiggrin:

ps...my first suggestion was gonna be The plus 1 Gaming store of Awesomeness Then I got the "Easy to say" realization

[Acanous]

I vote for McNumpty's.

[TSED]

I was kind of fond of "New Game Plus", but that implies JRPGs and the like. Probably not the best name for it, despite being rather clever.

I would give some ideas, but my ideas would all be too obscure / layered / etc. in order to be an effective brick and mortar set up.

[Lord Seth]

Yeah... this... SO MUCH this. You will get sued. Badly.I actually don't think so. I don't think copyright would apply here because this isn't a fictional work. Trademark might, if they actually did trademark the term "Nerd Herd," BUT just because it has the same name doesn't mean it's trademark violation. Trademark is less about the specific term and more about the symbols used, and more importantly, if there would be any confusion. So for example, someone couldn't try to market something as "Pepsi" because it would lead to consumer confusion due to Pepsi being so ubiquitous. But as the "Nerd Herd" in Chuck is a fictional corporation and in a different kind of business anyway, it seems unlikely that any kind of trademark infringement would occur, unless you're actually copying the "Nerd Herd" logo, which seems highly unlikely.

I'd still recommend against it for other reasons, but, from my admittedly limited understanding (my knowledge mostly comes from a Business Law course I took), I don't think there's really that much danger of a lawsuit.

[Erloas]

I'd still recommend against it for other reasons, but, from my admittedly limited understanding (my knowledge mostly comes from a Business Law course I took), I don't think there's really that much danger of a lawsuit.
The other thing about a lawsuit is that someone that cares would have to find out about the shop. Unless you happen to want to be opening the store in the LA area, or put in a lot of effort for a decent web presence, no one that could even potentially sue you for the name would ever even know about it to bring the suite up.

As it is, there are already a lot of businesses with the same, or very similar, names all around the country and its never an issue unless they are in the same area.
After all, how many Joe's X places have you seen around, or Mexican food restaurants with Casita in the name, or ABC or AAA something?

[Brumski]

TableTop is the good local gaming store. I'd think twice about entering any cliche-named store, Wizard, Dungeon, Tower, Dragon, Magic anything is unoriginal.

Nerd Herd is just terrible, good lord.

[Brewdude]

+1 Games

That will put you in the front of the phonebook, if nothing else. :)

[Driderman]

+1 Games

That will put you in the front of the phonebook, if nothing else. :)

That's actually a pretty good name. It's generic enough not to ruffle any nerd egoes, it obviously states what you are selling and it has a nerdy reference, all in one little name.

[Erloas]

TableTop is the good local gaming store. I'd think twice about entering any cliche-named store, Wizard, Dungeon, Tower, Dragon, Magic anything is unoriginal.
Eh, I would say TableTop is a completely generic and unoriginal name too. It would be like calling a store Role Playing, or Collectible Cards, or Board Game.

I'm also not quite sure how most of your examples are cliche for gaming stores, for a book maybe, but I can't think of a single game store with any of those words in the title. Which doesn't mean they are good words to use, but I think pretty much by definition they couldn't be cliche.
And if you were going to go with just generic cliche terms from fantasy, you should also include ones from Sci-Fi, steam punk and any other larger genre of settings. Which in the end leads you to a fairly generic name. I also think +1 is about as cliche as anything else these days.

[Driderman]

Eh, I would say TableTop is a completely generic and unoriginal name too. It would be like calling a store Role Playing, or Collectible Cards, or Board Game.

I'm also not quite sure how most of your examples are cliche for gaming stores, for a book maybe, but I can't think of a single game store with any of those words in the title. Which doesn't mean they are good words to use, but I think pretty much by definition they couldn't be cliche.
And if you were going to go with just generic cliche terms from fantasy, you should also include ones from Sci-Fi, steam punk and any other larger genre of settings. Which in the end leads you to a fairly generic name. I also think +1 is about as cliche as anything else these days.

+1 is definitely cliché, in fact it's so cliché it might actually be humorous on a meta level :)

[Brumski]

Eh, I would say TableTop is a completely generic and unoriginal name too. It would be like calling a store Role Playing, or Collectible Cards, or Board Game.

I'm also not quite sure how most of your examples are cliche for gaming stores, for a book maybe, but I can't think of a single game store with any of those words in the title. Which doesn't mean they are good words to use, but I think pretty much by definition they couldn't be cliche.
And if you were going to go with just generic cliche terms from fantasy, you should also include ones from Sci-Fi, steam punk and any other larger genre of settings. Which in the end leads you to a fairly generic name. I also think +1 is about as cliche as anything else these days.

Yes it's generic, also successful. Do you want a successful store, or a story about a cool-named store you once owned.

Does taking something that's a cliche in one media (fantasy books), and applying it to something else (gaming store, perhaps specializing in fantasy games) make it not a cliche? Personally I would identify it as a cliche and consider it lame. Still might be a neat store, sure, but why give yourself any disadvantage?

[Erloas]

Yes it's generic, also successful. Do you want a successful store, or a story about a cool-named store you once owned.

The point was that your local store has a generic and rather lame name and it still managed to do well. It had most of the points you said a name shouldn't have.

Which in the end, I think, says as long as the name isn't really bad, its the quality of the store, not the name, that determines success.

[AtlanteanTroll]

The Dragon's Den is a bad name ... Sounds too much like The Lion's Den, which would be an unfortunate misunderstanding.

[Premier]

That'll go over well.

Are you looking for a little adventure in your life? Come down to [Name]'s Dungeon of Endless Fantasy and give roleplaying a shot!


Irony doesn't come across very well in writing, so I hope you're joking here.

Well, unless the OP really wants to have leather- and latex-clad, whip-wielding fetishists to show up. Because, you know, for the 99.9% of the people who aren't RPG gamers, "Dungeon" means something else.

[BiblioRook]

Bards & Noble Scrollsellers

You heard it here first.

No one else mentioned it, but I thought this one was pretty impressive. I also really liked '+1 Games" :smallsmile:

[The Succubus]

Irony doesn't come across very well in writing, so I hope you're joking here.

Well, unless the OP really wants to have leather- and latex-clad, whip-wielding fetishists to show up. Because, you know, for the 99.9% of the people who aren't RPG gamers, "Dungeon" means something else.

"Hold Person." :smallamused:

[Alex Star]

My Gaming Store name if I ever have the opportunity to open it is.

The Natural 20

[Calmar]

Roleplaying- and Trading Card Games Emporium (R.P.G.a.T.C.G.E.)
[Your Name]'s Gamestore
The Orc Pit

Ye Magickal Gaming Shoppe /yk