GAME - Gamestation, about to fold?

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i waited and waited and managed to get fifa for half the price it was at launch brand new a few weeks later. probably a 1/3rd of the price it was in game at launch.

sainsburys had fifa 12 with the FUT stuff for £28.99 on release day which was about £20 less than game at the time. After i got bored of it i traded it in to tesco about 2 months later for £30. :D
 
online shopping is the future, companies make more profit also online, it makes more sense for everyone apart from the people who need to have the game in their hands on launch day.

While it works for you, and for myself, you are naive to think that you are the only market. There are all kinds of people from different walks of life, with different disposable income, knowledge and shopping habits that buy games, and will do so in a physical shop.


I think another important thing to remember is that we are now in the game industry's self imposed annual slump. Apart from Jan & Feb being low for spending as it is, you've got to see that major game releases are few and far between. Looking at my preorder list, the only titles being released before the end of the year are Mass Effect 3 and SSX, Im sure SSX will be great, but it won't be a AAA best seller.

Games companies have all shifted to releasing in late November now to capitalise on Xmas. The one that I found most amusing recently was Colonial Marines, it must be ready by now, but instead they've shifted it for the potential revenue increase.

This is effecting the retailers, especially those who specialise in games and with a lack of any new hardware of accessory to push this past Xmas, they've really struggled.

As a gamer myself, it's annoying that all the great games last year came in one huge clump. Consequently, there were some I never even played with friends because there was too much choice, or they sold them to play another.
 
I had an esperience at lunch time with them.

I was flogged every service under the sun, asked if I want to look through the pre-order book to see if any up and coming titles were coming out I wanted to pre-order. Asked if I wanted a Vita, got shown the one they had in store, played Uncharted (which to be fair, it does look nice, I'm just not in the market anymore for a handheld).
 
I had an esperience at lunch time with them.

I was flogged every service under the sun, asked if I want to look through the pre-order book to see if any up and coming titles were coming out I wanted to pre-order. Asked if I wanted a Vita, got shown the one they had in store, played Uncharted (which to be fair, it does look nice, I'm just not in the market anymore for a handheld).

Surely they're doing jsut what normal shops do? Trying to get you to buy things?

You get that from anywhere! Walk into Comet or Currys tomorrow and see if someone jumps you and asks if they can help. It's standard.
 
The news have reached Norwegian papers now so must be bad :p We only have about 10 stores here.
Although apparently they aren't affected as bad on what's happening. Can still pre-order etc.

Funny thing is that people really like GAME here and prefer it to the other games shops we have. Also I guess it's because they don't have to rival the supermarkets when it comes to price.
 
Surely they're doing jsut what normal shops do? Trying to get you to buy things?

You get that from anywhere! Walk into Comet or Currys tomorrow and see if someone jumps you and asks if they can help. It's standard.

I'm not saying it was an abnormal thing (I have worked in retail for about 7 years), there is doing that, but then there is going over the top and talking to me about everything that there is possible to talk about!

I accept help and guidence as I think it is a good thing, but don't go over board.
 
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I had an esperience at lunch time with them.

I was flogged every service under the sun, asked if I want to look through the pre-order book to see if any up and coming titles were coming out I wanted to pre-order. Asked if I wanted a Vita, got shown the one they had in store, played Uncharted (which to be fair, it does look nice, I'm just not in the market anymore for a handheld).

GAME in my experience are terrible for doing this, I went in one time bought a game and just wanted to go out and the whole process whilst putting it thru the till they just kept going on and on want this? want that? I said NO for about 5 mins and in the end I was like look mate im not interested in any of this!

Supermarkets are better tho imo, a lot cheaper priced than stores like GAME etc so I just buy from them. Couldn't care less if GAME folded.
 
I also don't think it's fair to beat on them for the above reasons... many high-street stores offer this now. The big electrical retailers do, as do other music/film/games retailers. Infact, I remember being offered disc scratch insurance last time I bought a game in HMV!

Of course Supermarkets can be cheaper because they have huge buying power and can sell games at a loss on the basis that it gets you in the store buying food items.

Whether you shop at Game or not, it folding isn't good for anyone. Less competition is never a good thing for the consumer.
 
GAME in my experience are terrible for doing this, I went in one time bought a game and just wanted to go out and the whole process whilst putting it thru the till they just kept going on and on want this? want that? I said NO for about 5 mins and in the end I was like look mate im not interested in any of this!

Supermarkets are better tho imo, a lot cheaper priced than stores like GAME etc so I just buy from them. Couldn't care less if GAME folded.

For my experience the massive Tesco near me is awful for games generally, always full price, and the selection is small, with the preowned games laughably expensive. Maybe I need to go Asda or something more often?
 
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-01-ea-concerned-at-financial-health-of-major-european-retail-partner

EA boss John Riccitiello has voiced concerns about the financial health of a "major European retail partner".

Speaking during an investor call earlier today, Riccitiello didn't name the company in question, but explained that the situation could affect the publisher's next set of financials.

"We are concerned with the financial condition of one of our major European retail partners, which could lead to both increased bad debt and lost sales," he said.
 
These are stopgap measures. Short of a major re-think on their UK strategy they'll hit the buffers. It's just a question of how soon and how fast.
 
Does game ever turn away trade ins?

I bet they are lumbered with absolutely loads of virtually unsalable stock.

That's crossed my mind as the major risk in second hand sales. At some point you are left holding loads of stock that you can't move. What do CeX and Game do with all the old Gamecube, XBox and PS2 games? There comes a point at which they are basically worthless and unsellable. I assume that you attempt to balance things out in the sense that if only 1 in 10 copies of Super Mario Sunshine are going to sell then you make sure that the margin between your selling price and your trade/exchange price is enough to cover that, but at some point it has to become non-viable.

I know that CeX will sometimes say that there are things that they don't want, so I guess that they have some policy on not accepting things if they really don't think they'll be able to move them. Game probably do as well, but I don't know as I've never tried to trade that much in with them.
 
Good point Vonhelmet. If they can't shift copies in store though, what stops them say, making an eBay account and getting rid on there? Yeah they won't make as much profit because of packaging/shipping but at least they'll get rid and free up some space and someone out there is bound to buy it anyway.
 
Good point Vonhelmet. If they can't shift copies in store though, what stops them say, making an eBay account and getting rid on there? Yeah they won't make as much profit because of packaging/shipping but at least they'll get rid and free up some space and someone out there is bound to buy it anyway.

I imagine it probably comes to something like that, but probably via a third party. There's probably people out there who will buy nigh unsellable games pretty much by the kilo, and then list them on ebay or Amazon.
 
This generation has gone on for so long that there are tons of unwanted PS3 and 360 games too. 2010 sports titles etc, old launch games, no one is going to buy those now.
 
Hmmm, I'd rather GAME didn't close tbh. I actually like to buy my consoles from there, because in the past whenever there's been a fault and it's in warranty they grab a new one and give it to me there and then.

And I would have thought GAME closing would certainly negatively impact the gaming market. Afterall it is the biggest gaming shop in the UK.
 
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