Video Paradise

Jo always said the store was just paying the bills. Now it's yours: shelves half empty, a fax machine that won't stop ringing, and a town full of people who rented from him for years. Keep the lights on, keep the tapes rewound, and pay attention to what flickers past on the screen. - The daily ritual. Unlock the door, empty the return box, rewind what came back unrewound, patch up damaged tapes, and restock before the first customers walk in. - Run it your way. Order new releases and back-catalogue titles from the weekly catalogue, set rental and late-fee prices on the DOS terminal, arrange shelves, and clear old stock through the discount bin. Price too high and people will put the tape back. - A town that remembers. Dozens of regulars have their own tastes, moods and memories. Waive a late fee, recommend the right film, or hand someone a chewed-up tape, and they won't forget it. - Jo's lost film. Rare fragments of unfamiliar footage turn up in rewinds and returns. Collect them, pin them up, and show them to the people who knew Jo to learn where each piece belongs. - After closing time. Take late-night calls from a shady dealer and meet him at his caravan, bid on mystery lots by fax, dig through storage units, and haggle with collectors hunting for their grail tapes. - Merchant or cinephile. Grow into a drive-thru operation with hired help, or become the town's keeper of rare films. Each path opens its own opportunities. - More than movies. Add console game rentals and arcade cabinets as the store grows, and get ready for seasonal events like Halloween, the busiest week of the year.