Alienware Launches Its First Retail Store

Alienware Launches Its First Retail Store

Thursday, July 23, 2009 - by Joel Hruska
Alright, it's more of a kiosk and less of a storefront, but Alienware is invading a Micro Center located in Paterson, New Jersey. In honor of the event, the Dell-owned company is hosting a LAN party, giving away a fair amount of free swag, and showcasing their various systems on Saturday, July 25. There's no word on whether or not its a BYOB event, but Alienware is promising to have plenty of its own machines around for enthusiasts and gamers to oggle. To be honest, this seems an odd move for the boutique computer OEM. While it's true that parent company Dell has cut deals with Walmart, Office Max and Staples to sell retail systems, the systems themselves are mostly the lower-end Infineon models, not high-end to ultra-high-end desktops or laptops. Alienware's typical pricing doesn't lend itself to anything less than carefully-planned investment; the company's kiosk might draw a lot of foot traffic if it's designed properly, but it's hard to imagine anyone walking into a Micro Center to buy a router and walking out with a $1500 PC.

Despite potential limitations, Dell is backing this initiative 100 percent. "Having an expanded retail presence to showcase Alienware’s design, performance and power is extremely important to us and our fans," said Michael Tatelman, vice president of sales and marketing for Dell’s global consumer business. "We’ve designed this event to give our gaming fans an outstanding experience worthy of the Alienware name."


Alienware Kiosk Concept

That's actually the problem. Love them or hate them, Alienware systems cost a pretty penny and don't actually contain any sort of secret sauce to make a game run faster. Put X components in Y box, and you get performance level Z, whether that box is a cheap Enlight circa 2005 or a tricked-out, custom-painted rig. The market for these systems is basically "gamers who don't know anything about hardware, don't know anyone who does, and have money to burn."  That said, the end product is often obviously a very well built machine, with top shelf components and performance of course.  Regardless,  putting Alienware in the retail market in any form is an interesting idea, even if we're dubious about the company's ability to make any money at it. Dell is sensibly limiting its exposure by launching a kiosk instead of a store, but it may prove difficult to transition Alienware from an online brand to one that's in Aisle 7, next to the networking cables.

Via: Alienware | News Archive | Tags: Dell, retail, Alienware, Aurora, Area 51, micro center
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Comments

By Super Dave on Jul 23, 2009

Now that is something I would really like to check-out! Too bad it isn't close to where I live.

By mentaldisorder on Jul 23, 2009

It's actually not that far from me.  This may be a worthwhile drive with a buddy of mine.

By Super Dave on Jul 23, 2009

Will ya swing by and pick me up, buddy?

By Dave_HH on Jul 23, 2009

Rrrrrrroad Trip! :)

By mentaldisorder on Jul 23, 2009

Hear that?  Davo is driving!

By Super Dave on Jul 23, 2009

I'll buy the beer!BeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeerBeer Hope you guys are thirsty, too!Big Smile



By tanka12345 on Jul 24, 2009

I reckon the Dell guys in there will be able to "persuade" a customer with no knowledge from buying a router into buying a fully tricked out gaming machine Surprise

That's the reason I don't like Alienware (or Dell). They'll make it hard for customers who don't know anything about comps to know that they're paying more than the PC is worth, and that a company like Cyberpower, Velocity Micro or Vigor etc. could get you the same system for a lower price. If you really want an awesome machine go for Falcon Northwest Big Smile

With that said, I wouldn't mind visiting to drool at the hardware Stick out tongue

By digitaldd on Jul 24, 2009

I'm not far but also not making the trip. I prefer the Mircocenter in Westbury anyway.

By mentaldisorder on Jul 24, 2009

Hrm that means you're close by...I live about 20minutes away from that Microcenter.

By nelsoncp21 on Jul 24, 2009

aw man. I would love to check it out. Wouldn't buy anything but I would love to browse around. I was just up in NJ a couple weeks ago too. Why couldn't they do it then. Although, I serously doubt the wife would have been happy making a pitstop in there on our 1 year aniversary weekend. Yeah that would have went over well. but still I would have love to stop there.

By Darkray16 on Jul 25, 2009

I went into their private customer service forums and took a bunch of pictures of what it looks like(hint; tons of pissed off customers). Take a look for yourself. You aren't able to access their forums til after you buy their computers.

http://gametopiaplanitia.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-you-should-know-about-alienware.html

By mentaldisorder on Jul 25, 2009

Well Darkray16, I gave it a read and it does not surprise me.  This is a great example of how outsourcing hurts a company.  I personally want to get rid of my HSBC accounts for this reason.  No offense to the international community and Indians, but I don't trust some guy on the other side of the world with my banking info.  Before Dell outsourced, they were phenomenal!  When I was in Middle school, my family got our second computer and it was a Dell.  Given it had some hickups (software wise,) but our floppy drive died once.  Their solution?  Send us a new one no questions asked and said to put the old one in the box and return ship it.  Bam problem solved, 10min on the phone with Dell.  Today?  Polar opposite...My friend has a dell family computer and one day the cd-rom died.  I told him to call Dell and they'll send him a new one, boy was I wrong.  They dragged on about how it was the software, they used some more software to browse his computer.  I didn't understand how they diagnosed it as software seeing as how the cd-rom couldn't read cds anymore, the drive was dead and he told them that, but they didn't listen.  Resolution?  Told my friend to give up and I gave him a cd-rom.  Problem solved.  Well this turned into a rant fairly quickly, however I would still like to see their computers.

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