Which American video game retailer was founded in 1984 in Dallas, Texas? The answer is GameStop.
GameStop traces its origins to Babbage’s, a software and video-game retailer founded in Dallas in 1984 by James McCurry and Gary Kusin. Its first store opened at NorthPark Center, with early backing from Ross Perot. The business initially sold computer software but soon concentrated heavily on video games, including Nintendo titles.
Babbage’s merged with Software Etc. in 1994 to form NeoStar Retail Group. After further ownership changes, the company adopted the GameStop name in 1999. That means “GameStop” is the accepted modern answer, even though the original 1984 business operated under a different name.
A common mix-up is EB Games: it became part of GameStop through a 2005 acquisition and was used as a brand in several countries. GameStop is headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, near Dallas—not in Dallas proper today.