Gamestop Smells Bad

According to a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), 40% of gamers are female. That number seems a little high. One of my buddies said, "That number probably includes all the Wii Fit gals," referring to casual gamers.

But 40% seems about right after an encounter I had today with a co-worker who responded "I like playing Call of Duty 4 on my 360" to my unabashedly sexist question, "You play video games?" Still skeptical, I questioned her further, but all her answers were "gamer answers." My co-worker is certainly a gamer despite all my prejudices telling me otherwise.

So I guess 40% isn't so unbelievable.

With that in mind though, why do seemingly all Gamestop locations smell terrible? When I walk into a Gamestop, it's like I'm walking into a bathroom where someone finished defecating 5 minutes before: the source is gone, but the aroma lingers. They have that anonymous humid bathroom smell that sticks to you as soon as you walk in. And like the bathroom, sometimes you just gotta go in there; I'm all about cheap video games.

So, if nearly half of the gamer population is of the fairer sex, why are greater lengths not being taken to make these locations more aesthetically pleasing to a wider demographic?

Maybe there is a logical explanation as to why the Gamestops all smell like body odor and Fritos. Perhaps all the used-game boxes, with the countless owners, are covered with pungent grime. Why are the boxes sticky? It reminds me of an adult video rental store where all you can think about is what the previous owner did before handling the dvd case. Hmm. Maybe the employees of Gamestop should disinfect the boxes once they buy them back.

Maybe I'm again operating on my sexist assumptions, but I don't think women want to go into a store that reeks of snack cakes and armpits. But then again, maybe women don't mind the funk as much as I think. I was wrong about female gamers; I could be wrong about females and their affinity for dank store locales as well.