For years most gamers were forced to the search the internet to purchase their basic gaming tools and equipment, we’d scour the bowels of eBay searching out that rare card, traverse spam and bogus ads to get our hands on a very specific rulebook and after all that we would then have to wait days or even weeks for our treasure to get shipped to us – there have always been a few shops scattered across the nation but they’ve always been few and far between.
A few weeks ago the @rcade was wandering through Dublin aimlessly until we were stopped in our tracks by a store we hadn’t seen before – Gamers World. Finally we’d found a place where everything our little gamer heart could desire was stocked ‘ Warhammer/Card Games/Role playing Books/Board Games the walls might as well have been stocked with gold dust. Greeted by a friendly member of staff, we just browsed for a little while but we had to find out more about the shop. After some serious investigative journalism (thank you Lord Google and Master Facebook) we found out the great mind behind Gamers World is Martin, and he was kind enough to take time out of his day running the store and gaming to talk to us and answers some questions.
Outside the sun is shining in the capital but inside the walls of Gamers World, the shop is brimming with gamers and customers alike. Martin is organising some stuff from eBay when we meet him. He shows me into the backroom, just off the shop floor – tables and chairs are arranged, at the end of the room a group of gamers are setting up for a card game and at the opposite room another two are discussing the latest rulebook for a new edition of Warhammer. Offering me a seat Martin tells me it’s going to get even busier in a little while as there are a few different games going on today ‘ resisting the urge to ogle over the rest of some fantastic miniatures we get straight into our chat…
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in gaming?
My name is Martin, I am the owner of Gamers World here in Dublin. I’ve been gaming for the last twenty one years, it was actually an uncle who got me into the whole thing and now I play as much as I can.
Why did you setup Gamers World?
I was sick of working in hotels, gaming was where my passion was and I was always ordering stuff and my wife just said if I was that sick of working out in City West that I should start my own business and what better to get into than something I loved – so that’s where Gamers World came from.
For someone walking into the shop for the first time what can they expect?
Well the first thing is they will be greeted by a member of the staff, either myself or one of the others who work here. Then there are the displays and all the games stacked up around the shop, from the miniatures, the card games, board games, rule books and role playing guides. The staff here are really helpful and if you don’t know what you are looking for or not sure about a certain game or product they are more than happy to help you out and walk through the game and its rules.
What sort of gaming items do you stock?
We stock everything – miniatures, Magic the Gathering, Yu Gi Oh, Role Playing Books, Rule Books. If there is something you are looking for that we don’t currently stock then we can get it for you. Generally if that happens I’ll order two copies of the item, one for the customer and one for the shop, if it sells then we get more of it in. We’re more than happy to get you the item you are looking for.
Can you tell us about the tournaments and the events the shop hosts?
One of the great things about the store is that you can come down here and play any of the games – we hold card game tournaments, Warhammer events, right now some of the guys are setting up to play a few rounds of Warhammer and some of the others are getting a few card games setup.
The gaming community in Ireland has always been small, why do you think Irish people are so reluctant to take up gaming?
It’s really not small when you think about it – we as a country have a small population so the amount of gamers would be considered small but there are loads of clubs out there. People come into the store to play games and it’s always busy – there are groups all over the country, Limerick, Cork Galway, everywhere. In the early 90’s it was a lot harder to meet people interested in gaming and a lot of the clubs were underground and if you didn’t know someone already in one then you didn’t know about the club. Nowadays though the gaming community is larger and more open and it’s easier to get together and play and arrange times to play.
For a novice gamer who wants to explore other types of gaming, what kind of game would you suggest for them to get into?
That all depends on the type of gamer – are you looking for something to play with a group of friends, painting figures, developing strategies – we have something for everyone and it all depends on the type of game you want to play.
What plans do you have in store for Gamers World? Where would you like to see the shop go?
I want the store to keep going the way it’s going – we are moving from strength to strength and it’s great. I mean if it gets to stage that we need to move to a bigger place to accommodate our customers and business then that’s what we’ll do but right now I am happy how it’s working out.
Finally if you were trapped in an arcade for eternity what game would you play to pass the time?
That’s a tough one…it depends on who I am playing with…so either Magic the Gathering or Warhammer.
With our chat over, Martin shows me back into the main shop area and an even bigger crowd has gathered, more people showing up to game for a few hours. We part ways and Martin goes back to getting things organised for the games about to take place but before we leave we can’t help but take another look around the shop – the miniature displays setup are by far the most eye catching we’ve ever seen.
If you are searching for some new cards or miniatures or you are simply curious about other types of gaming then Gamers World is the perfect spot to visit.
Gamers World is located on Jervis Street in Dublin city center.
Opening Hours: Seven days a week: 10am – 6pm
Late Nights: Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday/Friday
Contact information: info@gamersworlddublin.com / 087 9299392
You can also check out the Gamers World Facebook page and official website for more information.
