GAME - Gamestation, about to fold?

[Auntie Mabel]

Due to all the reports of people who only buy online, I think its worth pointing out that buying games/dvds/cds online is soon to become more expensive, so the high street shops will no longer seem quite so uncompetitive. The legal loop hole that allows companies to avoid paying much tax by distributing goods from the channel islands is to be blocked soon. Its all been signed off by the goverment. I'm sure online will still be cheaper than high street prices, but the gap between them will close.

 

[blitzwing85]

Trade ins will be a thing of the past soon enough, its already happened on the PCs and consoles are moving to the same system...it will be much more restrictive in the next gen.

Havent got a problem with it myself, you buy a game and you shouldnt be able to trade it in or get it second hand. the publisher gets zero of that and its a pointless system as it doesnt help growth in the actual games industry at all.

It is indeed going this way, and it's one of a few reasons why i'm unlikely to move onto next gen to be honest - not until about 3 years into it.

I probably buy about 20-25 games a year. If I can't trade them in i'll buy about 2-3 at most. I'm willing to buy games I think are 'ok' or 'average' if I can get 60%-70% of the money back.
I love games but find only about 5% of all games released are worth owning for my tastes. The rest just fall into the 'play, don't mind, never play again' catagory.

I always think they forget about exposure.

Look at the music industry. I've downloaded 100s of albums for free. Some i've liked enough to keep, others i've deleted and others i've loved and bought. However, I love gigs and so do my friends, partner etc. So from me downloading some albums for free, 5 people ended up at the bands gig, and will go to anoymore they do.
These other poeple may have never heard of them, and neither would I if I had had to buy it as there is no way I have time to pre-listen to all this stuff.


I do a lot of surveys during my lunch break at work and have had quite a few about the gaming industry lately...particularly DLC, Used Games and the like.
I've seen suggestions such as offering a trade in for games you bought and downloaded and all these suggestions come from the games companies themselves and are seeing what the market thinks of these.

Such as buy a new game, download it for £40, then a month later you can trade it in and get 50% off another game or something. Or 25% off if it's 3 months later...things like that.

So I'm not sure they will get rid of the trade in thing completely..but likely look at a way to gain control of it directly and use it as a % off deal if you make more purchases etc.
I think that's a nice idea and would certainly be happy with that.

At least they are getting peoples feedback.

Of course, this doesn't help shops such as GAME - but as I don't think it's fair to take away the consumers ability to sell something they are not 100% happy with, and neither is it entirely fair that companies do not get paid for their work, then it's a fair solution to all if this whole system is put under the control of the people making the games, using a system not unlike that mentioned above.

 

[Supercow]

Due to all the reports of people who only buy online, I think its worth pointing out that buying games/dvds/cds online is soon to become more expensive, so the high street shops will no longer seem quite so uncompetitive. The legal loop hole that allows companies to avoid paying much tax by distributing goods from the channel islands is to be blocked soon. Its all been signed off by the goverment. I'm sure online will still be cheaper than high street prices, but the gap between them will close.

I don't think it applies to games in most cases

"Currently, retailers are allowed to import items valued at less than £18 from ..."

New games generally cost a bit more, unless the £18 is referring to retailer cost price?

 

[Plainsong]

I haven't read through this entire thread so forgive me if it's been mentioned before.

A further nail in the coffin for highstreet retailers will be that, I should imagine, this and the next generation of consoles would move more towards digital distribution - to mirror the success of Steam etc - by including larger HDD space and / or purpose-made external drives. Games are getting big now and with the higher resolutions, textures and complexity I am sure file sizes are going to grow massively. Those with slower connections will suffer here though, so I guess hard copies will still be available for a while yet.

I do occasionally use Game - went to a midnight opening for Battlefield 3 - but I do think that their sales tactics, knowledge (or lack of) and their prices are pitiful.

I'd be neither surprised nor sorry to see them go.

 

[eyyaz]

Hate GAME now for their prices. Went in last week to sell a brand new copy of mw3 on the xbox and they only offered me £17, went to the CEX down the road and they gave me £33.

 

[Plainsong]

Hate GAME now for their prices. Went in last week to sell a brand new copy of mw3 on the xbox and they only offered me £17, went to the CEX down the road and they gave me £33.

And you just know they're going to stick it back on the shelf for £37. Such a rip-off!

 

[AWPC]

They are so obviously going under after this xmas @ retail anyway online will probably solder on longer but their retail operation is so out of touch with reality on pricing & customer service its a forgone conclusion. When they relaunched their website a few months ago it has become much worse than it ever was & will put many people off even buying online as its hard to find some items & search does not even work properly.

They had a good run but its obviously mis-managed from the top down The real shame is how they forced other better/friendly independent game specialist shops out of business in many towns

Ha ha just off to trade my MW3 in for £37 what a joke I only paid £32 for it

 

[eyyaz]

I think i saw them going for the £40 region at game, CEX were doing them for £45 but i had a word with the staff member and he said were really just brand new copies people like me traded in.

 

[Beasty]

It would be a shame, but one I expect and can't really complain about having bought minimal stuff from their retail shops in recent years.
I remember them first popping up along with Electronics Boutique! Nottingham has 2 of them and a Gamestation before recently both of the GAME shops were very large but one has moved and downsized now. Can't see them all staying open sadly.
The Gamestation has also downsized, it used to have an upper floor with lots of merch that doesn't seem to get used any more.

The manager of the Gamestation is a nice guy so would be sad to see them go.

EB was great though, I remember buying the SWhantom Menace game their on PC and the guy telling me and my dad how to check that the game would run ok on my pc first before buying it, these days places take your money and run a mile.

 

[topshot]

Trade ins will be a thing of the past soon enough, its already happened on the PCs and consoles are moving to the same system...it will be much more restrictive in the next gen.

Havent got a problem with it myself, you buy a game and you shouldnt be able to trade it in or get it second hand. the publisher gets zero of that and its a pointless system as it doesnt help growth in the actual games industry at all.

what next ban the sale of second hand cars?

If i buy a game why shouldnt i be able to sell it? im more than likely to use the cash to buy another new title?

 

[TommyV]

The GAME store close to me has a GAMESTATION right next door. Don't really see the point. I haven't been in them since like 2008. I drive 20 minutes up the road to Bristol, Cribbs Causeway. Now some of the staff are total retards it's not even funny but the manager is pretty clued on and so are some of the other staff. Generally seems like a good atmosphere in there tho they are so slow behind the tills.

As for trade - in. I got £4 quid for Bad Company 2 on Xbox back in September, £2 for Fifa 11 and £6 for Black Ops. I almost knocked the t**t out when he said that. Criminally insane.

No matter what time of day, or what day of the week I go into this store, it ALWAYS stinks of B.O, I know one of the lads who works in there (real skinny short lad with black curly hair), very clued up about current releases etc, from what I gather.

 

[TommyV]

Trade ins will be a thing of the past soon enough, its already happened on the PCs and consoles are moving to the same system...it will be much more restrictive in the next gen.

Havent got a problem with it myself, you buy a game and you shouldnt be able to trade it in or get it second hand. the publisher gets zero of that and its a pointless system as it doesnt help growth in the actual games industry at all.

I don't speak for everyone, but I'd not spend £40 on a game if I knew that I'd not be able to trade it in/sell it.

This is one of the great things about consoles currently, for me at least. From which, that cash in 9/10 cases (guessing here) go towards buying a new game, thus generating revenue for whoever developed/distributed the game.

If anything, it'll increase piracy, I'd imagine?

 

[Nexus]

what next ban the sale of second hand cars?

If i buy a game why shouldnt i be able to sell it? im more than likely to use the cash to buy another new title?

It's not about not being able to sell on the game you've bought, it's the practise that games retailers are using that is the issue.

For example, a brand new game has an RRP of £45. Game sells the brand new game at £42, however they offer pre-owned copies, right next to the brand new copies, pretty much taking up more shelf space at £37.

The person who comes into buy it, looking for the best price picks the £37 version and the store makes 100% profit on it.


That practise isn't allowed with film and music sales in this country, so it's something Game's Publishers are trying to push to change.

 

[Pestilence]

It's easy to see that they're on their last legs, yet they still steadfastly refuse to really compete. It's a shame, as I do generally enjoy browsing video game stores but it's fast becoming a thing of the past.

 

[topshot]

It's not about not being able to sell on the game you've bought, it's the practise that games retailers are using that is the issue.

For example, a brand new game has an RRP of £45. Game sells the brand new game at £42, however they offer pre-owned copies, right next to the brand new copies, pretty much taking up more shelf space at £37.

The person who comes into buy it, looking for the best price picks the £37 version and the store makes 100% profit on it.


That practise isn't allowed with film and music sales in this country, so it's something Game's Publishers are trying to push to change.

who in their right mind buys a preowned game for £37? the scenario you refer to would be a tiny % of sales. Most would buy online (Which is happening) or just buy the brand new and trade a game in towards it.

The minute trade ins are stopped people who would normally buy a non AAA title for full price knowing they can play and trade will stop and people will only buy game for full price if its a massive title they know will be good.

 

[Davey_Pitch]

If trade ins are no longer allowed then that will have serious repercussions for companies like Lovefilm who do game rentals, and to be honest, I just don't see it happening. At the minute they're locking down the multiplayer side to either require a code from a new purchase, or a new code if you buy the game 2nd hand. They can't lock single player games down, as the only way to do that would be to require some kind of online activation, and they won't put that in as it would effectively be discriminating against the gamers who don't have their console online (or parents who don't want them online). I just can't see that happening, it would be a PR disaster as so many people would be against it.

 

[Supercow]

And you just know they're going to stick it back on the shelf for £37. Such a rip-off!

Ah right, so they should put it on the shelf for less than they bought it.

Are you a Banker perhaps?

 

[Nexus]

who in their right mind buys a preowned game for £37? the scenario you refer to would be a tiny % of sales. Most would buy online (Which is happening) or just buy the brand new and trade a game in towards it.

Thousands of people do, which is why the Pre-Owned market has boombed to the way it is now.
Do you really think the business model of giving people a discount on a new game by trading in would work if people didn't buy the games that have been traded in?

You say MOST people buy online, but that's simply not the case, the majority of games sold are still bought in bricks and mortar shops. So when people browse the shelves and see that they can get a copy for £37, which is essentially brand new and guaranteed against any issues, versus the brand new copy right next to it for a higher price... which do you think most people are going to choose? You've also go to remember that many games are bought by clueless parents for children and they are always going to want the best deal.

 

[topshot]

Thousands of people do, which is why the Pre-Owned market has boombed to the way it is now.
Do you really think the business model of giving people a discount on a new game by trading in would work if people didn't buy the games that have been traded in?

You say MOST people buy online, but that's simply not the case, the majority of games sold are still bought in bricks and mortar shops. So when people browse the shelves and see that they can get a copy for £37, which is essentially brand new and guaranteed against any issues, versus the brand new copy right next to it for a higher price... which do you think most people are going to choose? You've also go to remember that many games are bought by clueless parents for children and they are always going to want the best deal.

preowned trade has boomed yes, but preowned games being sold for £37 is tiny in comparison, I bet the majority of preowned games are under £20. Most people i know dont pay more than £25 for a preowned title with most being under £20. If its worth buying near release i will buy it new.

With the introduction of online passes i dont see how people can argue that trade ins are damaging the sales of new games.

 

[lokiss]

Heh

Last time i spent any serious money in game was a couple of years ago, bloody mother wanted a ds/prof lattern for christmas, or atleast i was told.. she did

Being honest though, if your any kind of savvy gamer, you ain't going anywhere near game anyway, no point in calling them names, questioning their operating practices, their a highstreet seller for highstreet buyers.

Going back in time though 17 something years, i was there and so was everybody else, they were the marketplace. Here and now though, it's more where your audience is... now if it were just sunshine shy games that click on everything droping the highstreet there wouldn't be a problem. Step forward the facebook generation, the masses, games old customers all now online getting everything shoved in face.

Im still a go in town guy, social experience, me and i like to do.. i fear the day when life is reduced to sitting on your backside clicky clicking. Sadly though id be a fool not to realize that digital distro will consume the highstreet.

In truth though, kinda miss the old small retail shops, we had a great little shop in nottingham up in hockley, one man band, let you try the games first, i bought tons from him through the dragon 32 to the megadrive.