Strap yourself in for surely the strangest trailer you’re likely to see all year: The Last Video Store is promising pure PlayStation VR nostalgia – potentially to a psychotic degree. This social sim is built around the experience of shopping at VHS rental stores, so if you were born any time beyond 1994 or so you probably don’t even know what we’re talking about.
This author vaguely remembers Blockbuster: the stained carpets, the smell of popcorn and paper, and the cracked Mega Drive cases – it was definitely an iconic establishment. And this game aims to bottle that experience, as you hang out in surrounding parking lots and shop for crummy 80s movies. You’ll then be able to watch said films in two virtual spaces: a living room or a movie theatre.
The trailer shows a copy of Bruce Campbell’s Evil Dead, complete with its worn VHS slip cover. But we’re not sure how this is going to work without the developer individually licensing all of the movies it wants to include – and that’s not financially feasible, is it? In fact, we’re half assuming this is a gag – especially after seeing the scene where the dead-eyed avatar starts dancing around the video shop.
RareBird Games, the developer, is the same team behind Sinfeld Remastered – a fever pitch of a project that started life in Dreams and is poised to release on PS5 at some point in the future. Whether any of these projects will ever see the light of day is up for debate, but at least we’ll always have this trailer etched into our memory now.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 47
They are watching VHS tapes on a flat screen television hehe
I’d legitimately play this. Although it needs a crap CRT to really be the true video experience. I think I’m probably the very last generation to actually remember VCRs, we had Toy Story and stuff and then also my mum had big boxsets of Buffy, Angel and Roswell on tape.
This won't ever come out on PSVR, especially with Sony shutting down Playstation Video and that N64 Demo Station in the trailer. It could come out on PC with some form of VLC or MPC-HC built in to play videos from users hard drive. Hulu used to have something like this and Sega Genesis Classics Collection has a kind of emulator built in. Yeah, like they said above there is way too much they would pay in licensing, especially for an unproven studio.
Hmmm... They must be banking on cinemas closing due to some form of covid. Even then, who actually goes to the cinema for social experiences??? That's like the only activity I have never met anyone at... Pub? sure. Theme park? Sure. Gym? Sure! Cinema? Nope. Pretty sure people don't like it if you distract them from the movie lol On a side note, never knew the guy that directed Evil Dead was also the same as the one who did the Tobs Mcguire Spider-Man trilogy.
@Jayofmaya Its always fun going to the movies with friends and having a drink after. 😁
Vaguely remembers Blockbuster?! Way to make the rest of us feel old!
I had flashbacks to Home's theater area. Evil Dead is a classic. It made Bruce Campbell a god as Ash. Mac and Me? A knock off E.T. sponsored by McDonald's? Not so much.
When I was in college and PlayStation and Saturn released, I rented both from Blockbuster to see which I liked better. I wound up buying the PlayStation. No regrets.
I remember Blockbuster's Grand opening about 1/2 mile from my house. They had a 1948 Tucker car on display in the store. I was a weekly renter of movies from them. There was another Blockbuster that stayed open long after the franchise closed a few miles away.
I would 100% buy this day one
I went to the last Blockbuster in existence yesterday. Its in Oregon. Surreal experience.
I guess the sequel will be the Last Movie Theater
@nessisonett i have 36" crt tv its like 300 lbs
@bbauer36 Dropping that on your foot would probably send your foot directly into Satan’s lap.
@UnlimitedSevens i think they are making a documentary about that blockbuster
If I had VR I think I might have picked this up. Seems super goofy in all the right ways! Makes me a little nostalgic for the movie theater in Playstation Home back in the day.
I'm old enough to remember a time BEFORE Blockbuster, when video stores were all just local places. Waxworks and Movie Warehouse. Blockbuster kind of ruined video stores for me.
I remember before Blockbuster too. I was a member of Ritz video rentals and when Blockbuster came to town in the late 80’s, they took it over, along with any other rental shops. I do remember thinking their popcorn was much better though. Haha.
@Deadhunter
Same. Local small shops were the best and friendly . I used to rent 3 movies every week and they would even photocopy the covers for you. Crazy times haha.
Man I miss the video stores, used to rent films at least 3times a week as well as going to the cinemas.
What this needs is a option whereby a member of staff who's a complete movie buff / stoner who follows you round and gives you trivial facts about the film you're holding in your hand.
N64 for PS4 confirmed!!
@JJ2 me too, in the local shop I went to I remember they had the VHS boxes on a wall above a freezer cabinet, plus our VHS was a top loader!
Also, as its Playstation, maybe they could add Betamax.
'Dave's Video Mobile Library' was some bloke who used to turn up at estates in a big box van like an ice-cream man, renting videos. He wasn't even arsed about renting 18 horrors to us kids.
The moment I saw the VHS box of Andre I was sold! Nostalgia hit super hard there in that split second.
Day 1! xD
My mate worked at the local J&K supermarket (a smaller and more local version of SPAR).
He managed to snaffle out a VHS copy of "Miss Adventures at Megaboob manor", my first porno, at 14!
What with it being a supermarket porno back in the early 80s, it was quite soft (the film, not my young teenage virility).
I remember going to Blockbusters, there was also a couple of local video rental shops within walking distance of my house. I don't ever remember dancing around the shop though...
The Evil Dead footage looked like a trailer, so this'll probably be how they get around all the licensing issues (do you need licensing for trailers?)
Video stores were a thing til atleast 2000...
@DANNYBOYESI haha that would be brilliant.
Les Fleurs by Minnie Riperton- what a tune!!
aside from "its not really happening" there's two ways I can see this going:
1: the movies are mostly a bit rubbish and don't incur much in the way of licensing costs
2: the "game" is actually free to play - and the movies are bought/rented with microtransactions (comparable to renting a movie from Amazon or elsewhere)
possibly even both
Hmm be interesting to see how this turns out. From the trailer non of that looked like it was taken from vr...let alone psvr. And it makes it look like you can get together with friends in a virtual theatre to watch movies at the end...I'd assume this is to just watch the trailers to films. It will be interesting to see how they handle that...nobody is gonna wanna wait 5 mins to load into a psvr Cinema to watch a trailer.
It looks interesting though. The last blockbusters is a real place in America. I remember watching a avgn video on it.
My mum was an assistant manager at Blockbuster (formally RITZ), so i was laughing with free game/video rentals and have fond memories.
I don't want to play this though.
after almost 20 years of Paul Rudd showing up at Conan O’Brien, bringing with him that one clip again and again, i finally know where it is from ) me and mac
I'm from Scotland (UK) and worked in a Global Video store for 2 years. I loved it there, at times it was rough (some customers could be absolute arses) but overall enjoyable. When Blockbuster opened in the UK they ate away at Global Video's market and then we closed down. I work as an Usher in an Art-house cinema now (as well as DJing) and love the movies I get to see each week...
@Flaming_Kaiser Friends or partner, yeah, but I never meet anyone there lol I doubt there will be too many friend groups who get this one, though! In the UK restrictions are loosened. I think the other idea could be that the movies offered are old and not played in cinemas now and that there are friend groups who are distant in miles or have too many obligations for a trip to the cinema. Obviously there's just the late 80s early 90s experience itself, I just think it's all too niche.
@danlk1ng That's what I thought, perhaps a VR movie rent platform. Wonder how that would work with the competition. Now I think about it, if the movies could go full screen it could be ok, but since all of them would be old and cheap to license there would be no 3D at all and that is the only reason I've ever used my VR head set to watch movies.
@WolfKingk87 I think the last time I visited one was when I was 7 before it closed down, so 1999! You're right.
@Profondo Always good to support the art house cinemas! I try to make sure I’m going to the GFT rather than Cineworld if I can help it, they show much more interesting movies and the theatre is beautiful inside.
@bbauer36 They already did. It's called The Last Blockbuster and it's quite good.
@nessisonett
"Always good to support the art house cinemas! I try to make sure I’m going to the GFT rather than Cineworld if I can help it, they show much more interesting movies and the theatre is beautiful inside"
It's actually GFT I work in! Been here for 7 years and absolutely love it, I do like my blockbusters (especially 3D) but my heart is really with Art-house. I Iove the breadth of movies we do and Festival time is a fantastic time and buzz with all our Premieres and guests. Frightfest is also a favourite and I make sure I'm on the rota to do the whole thing (two exhausting 12 hour shifts but the movies make it worthwhile!)...
@Profondo Brilliant, I love that cinema! Definitely looking forward to next year’s festival as fingers crossed, we’ll be properly back to normal. It must be great working in such an institution that means a lot to loads of Glaswegians.
Yeah, I remember the time before Blockbuster too. I loved the little video rental stores. They would buy 5 copies of the latest movie, and 2 weeks later would sell them for £10! Thus started my collecting addiction of movies! I still own a couple of VHS movies that aren't available to buy in other formats. I was never a huge fan of Blockbuster, although they had good deals once they went bankrupt and had to sell everything!
@Jayofmaya I know its not like you go to the movies to find new friends but as a adult its difficult already.
This game takes me back, might give it a whirl if it's ever on PS Plus or dirt cheap.
@Jayofmaya
Yeah, Bruce Campbell also had cameos in the Raimi Spidermen trilogy (famously giving him the Spiderman name). Wonder if he'll be in Dr Strange 2 as well!
@Gooseman42 haha yeah. Seen the trilogy a few times and watched the hilarious meme edits on youtube. "What's your name kid?" "The Human." "The Human? That's it? That's the best you got?" "Yeah." "Ahh, that sucks!" "The sum of $3000 will be paid to the terrifying, the deadly, the amazing... Maaaaan!" "But my names The Human!"
Not sure about that! I know doc Oc is returning from SpiderMan 2 and possibly Tobey and Andrew in the newest SpiderMan.
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