The truth behind Game Skins.

If you are an avid gamer like myself you have no doubt been into GameStop and seen a “Skin”. A thin adhesive backed vinyl that essentially dresses up your game console, handheld, or Ipod.

Well I have yet to see any skins in GameStop other than “Gamer Graffix”. Now my first thought about the name “Gamer Graffix” is that somewhere in an office in nowhere america a 50 year old white guy tyring to be “hip” must have named this company. I was just about dead on. Now why I only to see this one brand beats me. Infact I remember seeing a commercial on TV for “Skinit.com”, A mall kiosk selling “Skins”, and an ad for “Decalgirl.com” in I think a nintendo power magazine. Now all of these asside I remember seeing a Booth at e3 (2005/2006 I dont recall) for a company called “Defcon Skins” and I recall this because on most forums and most games my handle is Defcon or Defkon.

So this got me curious and I started to research.

DecalGirl.com is still up and running.

Skinit.com is still up and running

Obviously Gamer Graffix is up and running.

But get this. There are about 35 other companies doing the same!

Now the burning question…Defcon Skins…Where did they go?

Defcon Skins Press Release: CLICK

Now here is what got me very interested…
On Gamer Graffix Website:

“Gamer Graffix is estimated to control approximately 90% of the retail market for the videogame skin accessory industry in 2007.  The company experienced more than 100% growth in annual sales revenue from 2005 to 2006.

Founded in April 2005, Gamer Graffix is privately owned and headquartered in Providence, RI.”

Ok so that’s cool…but Defcon Skins was founded in 2004. After further research I find out that Defcon Skins was a Branch of “Defcon Designs”  that infact had been producing  single color skins since 2002.

Upon search I found many happy reviews of the Defcon Skins and I must say most of them put Defcon Skins as the number one choice. After seeing some pictures I can see why. Without the use of licensing for design Defcon Skins President Everett “Dale” Gresham Hand created 95% of his designs. How do I know this? I tracked him down to see what the deal was.

Who else did I track down? That’s right , the President of the opposing company “Gamer Graffix” Him being Chris “Whitey” White

Why Just these two you ask? My motives are simple. One is doing well, the other ended up disappearing.

This is where my investigative journalist emerged.

More to come as i dig! Stay Tuned.

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