[Gaming] The Dearth of Online Gaming Stores in Manila

I was recently contacted by a representative from Big W for possibly advertising opportunities on the Geeky Guide, which led me to checking out their site and enjoying the Amazon-like nature of their business.

Online shopping is tremendously convenient when you get down to it and I'd totally go for something like that given the chance. And this is especially true for gaming options - I mean who wouldn't want to save on time visiting each and very branch of places like Data Blitz or something just to find the last copy of a game that you want?

In the Philippines, our online shopping options are severely limited. Sites like MyRegalo / MyAyala tend to be okay for the general stuff but for games and geekier items, we end up scouring places like the Multiply Marketplace and eBay.ph. And that works for the most part but it's not quite the same. And I know I'm just a frustrated online shopper with so few options here - I'd go nuts if Amazon ever established a proper shipping presence in the region.

You could point me in the direction of online services like Steam, but that doesn't help me find console games online (unlike finding PS3 Games by Big W, for example). And my partner and I are pretty into PS3 games, hence the reason we go to Data Blitz so much. And yes, I acknowledge that Sony also has their little online store, but the need to purchase the right store currency and the limitations of Philippine internet download speeds make me less than happy about that particular arrangement.

We're sort of lucky that Data Blitz has a store fairly near the house, but still doesn't address the opportunity for online sales in the country, or at least in the Metro. I'm sure there's a demand out there given how every other country has embraced eCommerce a lot more than we have. Heck, our fast food delivery systems are still catching up with the ease BIG W XBOX 360 games are ordered online over in Australia and delivered to homes easily enough.

Data Blitz already has a  good segment of the local gaming market and they certainly know how to effectively source and price console games to make it more desirable to buy form them versus most other stores. Whether it's PS3 Move controllers, XBOX 360 consoles or the collector's editions of new games, they do a pretty good job of sourcing quality goods and making sure their prices remain competitive.

So what can we do to petition Data Blitz, or any other stores like them, to brave the online waters and explore having an online store presence? Or are credit card adoption rates just too low in the country for this to be feasible? On a national average, I'm sure we're not quite there yet, but at the very least we should be able to manage something within Metro Manila, right?

Or maybe I'm aiming a bit too high.