The Video Hut, founded by Kim Atkinson and David Atkinson, has been a staple of this community for 20 years. Offering a full selection of DVD and VHS Rentals, among other items. However, that’s all about to change! Pretty soon you will not recognize The Video Hut that once was. People will say “do you remember when this was The Video Hut?”. After the passing of David’s beloved wife Kim, David was on the verge of pulling the plug on having a business at 142 NW 3rd Street in Prineville. But with some enthusiasm shown by John Swanson, an employee, a new vision was born, Games Galore.
While this adventure is new for David and John, they are big-time collectors of games and gaming memorabilia and have been for quite some time. Eventually, their collections became too large to manage and they were having to buy, trade, and sell to continue their hobby. It also became a bit of a competition; who could find the best item on any given day, with John driving hours for the hunt. So it made sense that Games Galore would come to fruition – almost as if it were meant to be. Games Galore will be a reflection of their passion.
So what exactly will Games Galore be providing and who is their target customer? Everyone! They’ll be catering to traditional, generational, and all ages; they will have games everyone can relate to. They already have an original Ms. Pacman arcade game you can walk right in and play. In fact, they currently have 4 arcade games that are set to free play (for now) – stop in and say hello.
Current Services and items for sale:
Pokemon Cards
D and D
Comics
Video Game Consoles and Games
Legos
Funko Pops
Cleaning and Maintenance of consoles
4 Arcade Games
Magic the Gathering packs
Goals for the future:
Robust options for arcade games
Ability to host birthday parties and other events with the option to rent the entire store out for private parties
Virtual Reality
Pinball machines
Lounge type atmosphere
Magic and boardgame tables
Console rental by the hour
Pool, shuffleboard, foosball, and air hockey
Skateboard decks, wheels, bearings, and scooter parts
Food and Drinks
When asked what the goals of Games Galore are they replied that it’s really for the kids, they want it to be a comfortable place to be with a relaxing and welcoming atmosphere. In the 80’s David spent some of his youth hanging out in a place similar to this vision and hopes that people love Games Galore so much that they don’t want to go home.
You may be wondering how we as a community can support this blossoming business. Well, what they really need right now is to get out the current merchandise that does not fit into the future of Games Galore. This includes all of the DVD’s, Blu Rays and clothing. DVD’s are selling for $1, Blu Rays for $2, and Lularoe clothing from $5 to $10. The sooner we as a community help them to clear the space the sooner we will have this amazing place for our community to be, laugh, love, and enjoy.
Another way you may be able to help is to donate old arcade games, signs, or memorabilia collecting dust. They would be happy to take any donations of items that fit into the Games Galore genre. David is also open to having people volunteer their time as well – so if there is a skill you would like to offer please stop by or call the store to let them know.
David and John both love chatting with people and making connections so head down, show your support and do what you can to help them get the place cleared out. They look forward to having this business flourish and providing a safe space for kids and our greater community to be. Keep a look out for a grand opening and ribbon-cutting event as the official launch of the business approaches in Spring of 2023.
