Bye Bye Game!

tals · 29 Mar 2012 at 06:47

[TW]Fox;21561854 said:
It would seem from news stories the 277 stores closed were those not making a profit. This would imply all remaining stores are profitable, which should vastly increase the chances of finding a buyer. Nobody would have wanted to take it on with a liability as big as 2000 staff in 277 unprofitable stores.

I never understood how they just left 2 stores in a town. But they have now ended up closing both stores in some cases. So for example in Southampton their is a game store which is in a key location and they have closed it - could have been a rent issue but they also closed the other store about 200 yards away that wouldn't have been a rent issue. I'm sure leaving one would have kept it profitable even if as 2 it wasn't. Anyway in the south they've virtually wiped the store out ie non in Southampton, Winchester, I believe Portsmouth has gone. Interesting decision making

Huw · 29 Mar 2012 at 07:24

Inazuma said:
Saw GAME today in Middlesbrough town centre. Still open, but shelves were starting to empty. And yet, the posters said "Spring cleaning sale!" rather than "Goodbye" or something to that effect. Why still lie?

How are they lying? At this point, any stores that remain open may well be bought and continue to trade.

Qel · 29 Mar 2012 at 08:19

CaptainRAVE said:
Same firm, but things certainly changed when the name changed. The GAME of today is nothing like Electronics Boutique used to be. GAME has been going downhill for a long time, and their inability to adapt to the changing market is just one of their many problems.

It is just a shame how few people will discover PC gaming these days. It was so prevalent back in my day - these days it is a struggle to find PC games anywhere!

Agreed, used to love going to EB, especially the one at Bluewater had a nice layout good variety of stock for all platforms and knowledeable friendly staff, but I never did see why they kept both that store and the Game store not even 1 minutes walk away within the same shopping centre once they rebranded EB, and well once they abandoned pc games I had no reason to go there, that and their prices being ridiculous compared to the internet. Sorry for the people losing their jobs obviously but not sorry in the least to see Game gone.

TheMightyTen · 29 Mar 2012 at 12:21

I was working for Future Zone when they hit difficulties and were taken over by EB who were looking to expand past their US market, I jumped (back to Uni

) before I was pushed as EB were laying people off left right and centre but managed to get the business up and running again. EB made a big mistake with the purchase of Game and Gamestation and the subsequent Retail foot print duplication. It will be sad to see some of the history of British games retail dissapearing off the High Street but it is a sign of the gaming times and was inevitable.

4T5 · 29 Mar 2012 at 12:23

My local store is still open. :cool:

Has Untold steering wheels for sale 2nd hand in the window when previously they've had none, What this signifys though is beyond me.

TheMightyTen · 29 Mar 2012 at 12:41

4T5 said:
Has Untold steering wheels for sale 2nd hand in the window when previously they've had none, What this signifys though is beyond me.

Administrators trying to realise liquid assets from stock in closed shops.

3dcandy · 29 Mar 2012 at 13:50

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-to-exit-administration-tomorrow-rbs-consortium-wins-race/093563

WingZero30 · 29 Mar 2012 at 13:59

3dcandy said:
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-to-exit-administration-tomorrow-rbs-consortium-wins-race/093563

Nice to hear some good news (if true).

Although I am thinking some of those stores that have been closed; if GAME management had been flexible in offering competitive prices (more sales maybe) and keeping a nice PC section, then overall all these stores would have been much more attractive to customers.

My $0.02

3dcandy · 29 Mar 2012 at 14:04

good and bad news if you read carefully. RBS rejected the OpCaptiva bid that would have safeguarded most of the jobs so it could bid itself. Surely that's wrong when the bank is virtually nationalised?

melchy · 29 Mar 2012 at 14:24

The Game and Gamestation store here are directly across the street from each other. Gamestation has closed, Game has stayed open. They also have a written wibeboard in Game stating that they are open for good, which suggests they know there has been a buy over.

tonyt3rry · 29 Mar 2012 at 14:28

melchy said:
The Game and Gamestation store here are directly across the street from each other. Gamestation has closed, Game has stayed open. They also have a written wibeboard in Game stating that they are open for good, which suggests they know there has been a buy over.

or maybe a marketing scheme to get the customers in, shops gonna close I dont want to buy something and not be able to get it fixed repaired etc.......

clartymarty · 29 Mar 2012 at 14:42

The local GAME shop closed about a year or so ago, the next one was around 20miles away Middlesbrough/Tees-side park. I havent been there l8ly so cant say if they are shut or not.

SlipperyNinja · 29 Mar 2012 at 16:45

The one in my town closed about a year ago too. It was always too expensive, especially its peripherals.

chrismscotland · 29 Mar 2012 at 18:13

3dcandy said:
good and bad news if you read carefully. RBS rejected the OpCaptiva bid that would have safeguarded most of the jobs so it could bid itself. Surely that's wrong when the bank is virtually nationalised?

Do we really believe that OpCapita wouldn't have done or had to do exactly whats happened in terms of store closures?

3dcandy · 29 Mar 2012 at 18:33

OpCapita's bid was supposed to be much better in terms of keeping staff and stores open. However, I doubt we shall now as it was dismissed almost straight away. I've heard it mentioned they wanted to close just over 200 stores, mainly by keeping 1 store in each town/city. Biggest problem I see is they wanted to avoid administration or go the prepack route, both which are preferable to full blown administration as has happened now. RBS and Game management both dismissed it because it wasn't in their best interests, but it now appears RBS had a (not so) hidden reason. All I'm saying is, that indirectly all taxpayers have bailed out RBS, so a redundant Game employee has been screwed twice by RBS effectively...

3dcandy · 31 Mar 2012 at 22:10

BBC reporting OpCapita are buying Game
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17575500

Evoss · 31 Mar 2012 at 22:29

All GAME and Gamestation shops shut in Bournemouth now.

3dcandy · 31 Mar 2012 at 22:31

chrismscotland said:
Do we really believe that OpCapita wouldn't have done or had to do exactly whats happened in terms of store closures?

The BBC is reporting that the OpCapita bid will safeguard the remaining stores and jobs...so in answer to your question it appears they would have done exactly the same...

Flickeh · 31 Mar 2012 at 22:38

3dcandy said:
The BBC is reporting that the OpCapita bid will safeguard the remaining stores and jobs...so in answer to your question it appears they would have done exactly the same...

Wouldn't the difference have been that if OpCapita had bought GAME before administration then all the staff who were entitled to redundancy would have got it?
As it stands a large bulk of ex employees have received no redundancy due to administration and it's just been found that some have to claim their last wage, which could take up to seven weeks.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/former-game-workers-furious-at-late-wage-admission/093715

3dcandy · 1 Apr 2012 at 02:24

well yes, which is why some people questioned RBS' motives. It appears, from the outside at least, that even the administration has been mismanaged, at least from the game side.