GameStop has declared three beloved gaming systems “historic artifacts” — and said it would give customers trade-in credit for the relics.
In a playful statement shared on social media Tuesday, GameStop “issued an official declaration” that the Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii U are “officially retro consoles.”
“The ruling was reached following careful analysis of multiple indicators, including: the presence of component cables, the lack of Fortnite, and the realization that they launched when George W. Bush was still president,” GameStop said.
Along with the declaration, GameStop announced a “Retro Trade-In Bonus” through March 21. Customers who bring in Wii U, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or any older consoles, games or accessories will receive an additional 10 percent trade-in credit.
GameStop said it would also accept defective retro consoles, which customers can trade in even if they are non-operable, missing accessories or “aesthetically unfortunate.”
The gaming chain said it will accept these “historic artifacts” as long as they can power on.
“GameStop would also like to remind the public that while these systems are now officially classified as retro, they are still very cool, and anyone who owned one at launch is absolutely not old,” GameStop added.
Despite the chain’s reassurance, millennials flooded the comment section to lament that the new classification made them feel old.
“Bro they called them historic artifacts. Why you gotta do us dirty like that,” one X user responded to the announcement.
“I’m 27 feeling like I’m 57 reading this,” another X user chimed in.
“I genuinely feel bad for anyone who didn’t get to experience this era of gaming,” one X user said. “You really did just have to be there man.”
The video game retailer has made headlines in recent months over mass closures of nearly 500 locations across the country, including 30 in New York state.
GameStop shuttered 470 locations by the end of January, in addition to 580 U.S. stores that closed last year.
Once a staple in malls across America, GameStop now has fewer than 2,000 locations left.
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