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Rumour: GAME stores to close?

Well, I'm sure the ridiculous in-store prices don't help.

I don't get this criticism. They exclusively sell games so have to charge RRP to cover staff wages, business rates, store rent, utility bills, etc... Game stores and Game Online are two completely different entities.

Online shops can sell games cheap because they have one big warehouse so overheads are relatively cheaper compared to having stores in every town.

Supermarkets sell games at cost or a loss to get your business and they can do it because games aren't their primary income.
 

Liamc723

Member
I don't get this criticism. They exclusively sell games so have to charge RRP to cover staff wages, business rates, store rent, utility bills, etc... Game stores and Game Online are two completely different entities.

Online shops can sell games cheap because they have one big warehouse so overheads are relatively cheaper compared to having stores in every town.

Supermarkets sell games at cost or a loss to get your business and they can do it because games aren't their primary income.

They don't just sell games, they sell phones and tablets too.

Grainger Games only sell games, DVD's and phones, and their prices are always lower than GAME's.
 
Game's problem is that they treat online as a different entity. Most other retailers who are doing well at retail treat stores as part of the online experience. John Lewis, doing great off the back of click and collect, in store returns. Can make all the excuses you want for game they have struggled to change.
 

Dunkers92

Member
Game's problem is that they treat online as a different entity. Most other retailers who are doing well at retail treat stores as part of the online experience. John Lewis, doing great off the back of click and collect, in store returns. Can make all the excuses you want for game they have struggled to change.

Uhhhhh, GAME also do this. Click and collect more recently but in store returns have been a thing for ages
 

MegaMelon

Member
Whilst probably an isolated case, the limited edition Monster Hunter Generations new 3ds xl is £210 at game:

http://www.game.co.uk/en/m/monster-...rView&searchTerm=Monster hunter&top_category=

And the same price on the Nintendo uk store.

http://m.store.nintendo.co.uk/new-n...hunter-generations-edition-case/11281167.html

And yet the uk store comes with a free charger and monster hunter themed carry case. If you were interested in getting this, which would you go for?

EDIT: It doesn't help that Game is charging £40 for the game whilst you can pre-order it for closer to £35 elsewhere. The Nintendo uk store has it for £40 as well but that at least comes free with a figure of a monster which is a tad tricky to get a hold of. There's no reason for Game to be charging £40 for a 3ds game when they could be charging the normal £32-35 that everyone else charges.
 

Pixieking

Banned
This reminds me, I have £44 worth of unused credits in a gift card. Problem is, I don't want any games since I own everything I want and I have even pre purchased some of the games coming out later this year.

Got a PC? Know someone who has? Try and buy Steam Wallet cards with it?
 

Moozo

Member
Cannibalising Gamestation was the worst thing they ever did. The artificial competition was probably more beneficial for them than they realised.

It seems like they haven't learnt from 2012 at all. Rip-off merchants.
 
I don't get this criticism. They exclusively sell games so have to charge RRP to cover staff wages, business rates, store rent, utility bills, etc... Game stores and Game Online are two completely different entities.

Online shops can sell games cheap because they have one big warehouse so overheads are relatively cheaper compared to having stores in every town.

Supermarkets sell games at cost or a loss to get your business and they can do it because games aren't their primary income.

Next sell clothes but their prices match online
JD sells sportswear but their prices match online
Thortons sell chocolate but their prices match online
..

In fact, rather than waste my time listing all the retailers that match their online prices (pretty much all of them) tell me a retail store that has a online presense that does not match their online prices.

Because all I can think of is GAME. Even the bloody Louis Vuitton store matches their online prices.
 
Q

Queen of Hunting

Unconfirmed Member
Funny thing bout game and online is. Their prices online are cheaper. If u click and reserve they have a disclaimer to say the price in store for u.

They never use to give that notice and they got alot of shit for it.

They are shady as hell sometimes
 
"We have been informed by a GAME employee that the future for the company relies on E3. He asks to remain anonymous but said:

“Staff are fearing for their jobs as we don’t know what the future holds. We have been told it all relies on E3 and what the companies announce, along with demand of up and coming games. We have had a poor few years as the transition to next-gen for consumers did not happen as quick as anticipated”

If your "source" is a store till monkey I think you really should work on your journalist skills. I can walk not any gaming retailer and get some exclusive "Inside" the "Industry" stories.

Game are fucked and the current owners know this, they are in it just to milk the reanimated corpse for all they can before cashing out. We're all going digital if it's ready or not.
 

Badger

Member
Game Belfast is a sad cesspool of a store and make me embarrassed of the hobby. Currently aside from Amazon and the great selection of online retailers, I'd just go to Smyths for games since their online price and in-store price match and their game selection isn't cluttered with garbage merchandise. If Game shut down many people wouldn't miss it one bit.

Everytime I'm in town, I dander in, do a lap, giggle at the prices and then leave. I know it's tough for Game to compete with the likes of the supermarkets but it's just such a poor value proposition.
 

blastprocessor

The Amiga Brotherhood
They also recently acquired Ads Reality this month in fact.

Also a comment from the article,

Well I’m a store manager for GAME and have to say this is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever read. Sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee stirring it if you ask me. Of course times are tough – show me a company or business for whom it isn’t right now – but we’re in no danger of ‘mass closures’, the company have actually been increasing the number of physical properties in their portfolio. You need to stop printing this stuff without credible sources, concrete facts and ‘if’s!
 
As someone who lives in Oxford...

ZYJrHaz.png


... oh dear.

Never thought I'd see Thrapston on GAF...
 

Arun1910

Member
Not surprised at all, their prices are fucking ridiculous.


New releases in game are about £45, go online you can get new releases for £38 these days.
 
Again, every Sony game since the administration has had this sticker on. It's nothing new. People need to stop latching on to this one

Literally the first time I have seen it on a game case that I have bought from GAME. Admittedly my ratio of buying games from there compared to other places is something like 1:10, but I traded some stuff into my local store. In fact I thought it was that strange, I took a picture of it at the time, only remembering about it when that post reminded me of it.
 

Pixieking

Banned
They also recently acquired Ads Reality this month in fact.

Also a comment from the article,

Well I’m a store manager for GAME and have to say this is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever read. Sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee stirring it if you ask me. Of course times are tough – show me a company or business for whom it isn’t right now – but we’re in no danger of ‘mass closures’, the company have actually been increasing the number of physical properties in their portfolio. You need to stop printing this stuff without credible sources, concrete facts and ‘if’s!

But increasing physical properties (which I assume is more bricks-and-mortar retail space) is partially how Game got into trouble last time. Sheffield, for instance, doesn't need 3 or 4 Game stores. It's a large city, sure, but anyone who's got money to spare on gaming will either go into town, or got to Meadowhall. If you've got those places covered (which they already have), then they're sorted. Every extra one those stores is just repeating what the others do - same stock, same financial burdens.

Waterstones have the right idea - one store in town, and two at different points in Meadowhall. Those two in Meadowhall might seem one too many, but they're placed at each entrance, so their footfall must be massive. But Game already have massive footfall at their Fargate store, another store is just diminishing returns.

Or, tl;dr - their business strategy is f'd up 5 ways from Sunday.
 

Son Of D

Member
But increasing physical properties (which I assume is more bricks-and-mortar retail space) is partially how Game got into trouble last time. Sheffield, for instance, doesn't need 3 or 4 Game stores. It's a large city, sure, but anyone who's got money to spare on gaming will either go into town, or got to Meadowhall. If you've got those places covered (which they already have), then they're sorted. Every extra one those stores is just repeating what the others do - same stock, same financial burdens.

Waterstones have the right idea - one store in town, and two at different points in Meadowhall. Those two in Meadowhall might seem one too many, but they're placed at each entrance, so their footfall must be massive. But Game already have massive footfall at their Fargate store, another store is just diminishing returns.

I know what you mean about excessive stores. Plymouth has 2 and they're both within 5 minutes walk.
 

Dunkers92

Member
Literally the first time I have seen it on a game case that I have bought from GAME. Admittedly my ratio of buying games from there compared to other places is something like 1:10, but I traded some stuff into my local store. In fact I thought it was that strange, I took a picture of it at the time, only remembering about it when that post reminded me of it.

That's fair enough, but I can assure you those stickers have been around at least since 2012. I have worked for GAME since then and every Sony published title has the sticker on it.

Also regarding the GAME manager who commented on the article, he puts it well. And there isn't actually a loss making store for GAME in the whole country.

Yes they still have a lot of stores but they have cut a lot, if not all the dead weight
 

Floody

Member
Literally the first time I have seen it on a game case that I have bought from GAME. Admittedly my ratio of buying games from there compared to other places is something like 1:10, but I traded some stuff into my local store. In fact I thought it was that strange, I took a picture of it at the time, only remembering about it when that post reminded me of it.

I've never seen it either and I've bought a few Sony games from them since the went into administration. Maybe it just depends on were the store is located? The closest game to me is in the city center, so maybe the are given the batch that GAME have bought, whereas if it's a smaller one they aren't? Not really sure on how it works.
 

Pixieking

Banned
I know what you mean about excessive stores. Plymouth has 2 and they're both within 5 minutes walk.

Why would you do that? Presumably one used to be Gamestation? Which would make sense - try and steal customers away from the competitor. But now? A literal waste of money. :/
 

Kysen

Member
Manged to convert £100 Game wallet funds to steam prepaid cards last week. Looks like i'm going to have to go back and convert the remaining £60.
 
I stopped going there, was tired of being bombarded with season pass, DLC, special editions, guide books whenever I just wanted to buy a game. The pre owned offers, garbage. I feel for the staff, I do, only doing what they are told. I go to a place called grainger games, much better.
 

Son Of D

Member
Why would you do that? Presumably one used to be Gamestation? Which would make sense - try and steal customers away from the competitor. But now? A literal waste of money. :/

I'm assuming that's the case. Exeter had a Game and Gamestation in that same distance before Game absorbed them (although in this case they actually closed one of the stores).
 

Daffy Duck

Member
Went in today as I'm thinking of picking up Uncharted 4 and I was at the retail park, they wanted £49 for it new or £47 used.

Nope, I'll buy it from Simplygames for £35 and just wait for it to be delivered.
 

Floody

Member
Why would you do that? Presumably one used to be Gamestation? Which would make sense - try and steal customers away from the competitor. But now? A literal waste of money. :/

Yeah, that's how it was in my area too, they had like 4 (2 on the same bloody street) that took about 5 minutes to visit them all at one point, I think 2 of them where originally Gamestations though.
 

marmoka

Banned
What the hell? I have a 7 euros card to spend because I sold them Nintendoland. I was considering to but The Witcher 3 for PS4 second hand later. Maybe the time has come.
 
They also recently acquired Ads Reality this month in fact.

Also a comment from the article,

Well I’m a store manager for GAME and have to say this is the biggest load of crap I’ve ever read. Sounds like a disgruntled ex-employee stirring it if you ask me. Of course times are tough – show me a company or business for whom it isn’t right now – but we’re in no danger of ‘mass closures’, the company have actually been increasing the number of physical properties in their portfolio. You need to stop printing this stuff without credible sources, concrete facts and ‘if’s!
Lol. When Best Buy were closing down do you know what staff said to people when rumours were flying about?

"We are safe."

This is someone who sucks from the teat of Game overlords and is trying to project that it's all o-ok.
 
Lol. When Best Buy were closing down do you know what staff said to people when rumours were flying about?

"We are safe."

This is someone who sucks from the teat of Game overlords and is trying to project that it's all o-ok.

Man says GAME are doomed: "oh my God it's true!!!"
Man says GAME are fine: "well yeah they would say that."
 
Man says GAME are doomed: "oh my God it's true!!!"
Man says GAME are fine: "well yeah they would say that."

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle, as it so often is. Credit ratings getting downgraded and publishers pulling support and all that obviously isn't a sign of good things, but it's also the sort of thing that in the end can not amount to much, depending on the situation. Things can be turned around fast, etc.

I will say this, though: These are exactly the sort of comments that came out of GAME employees in the month or two before they entered administration last time, and it only seemed to set in what was actually happening when they actually fully entered admin. I remember store managers going mental in the comments of sites like MCV, saying they were corrupt and that it was all lies & wishful thinking, etc. Then a few months later it actually came to pass.
 

Englebert3rd

Unconfirmed Member
Never thought I'd see Thrapston on GAF...

Is that the English release of Truxton?

As this isn't fully confirmed, I'm sure something will happen to Game stores much like what happened before the rebrand.
I miss the old Game shops, especially the one in Wimbledon and the two old ones in Kingston.
It's obvious that online retailers are affecting Game stores and their prices aren't helping. Even their preowned stuff is pricey. I can get the same games at CEX but cheap.
 

Zafir

Member
Wha'? They've already got one on Fargate and one (or is it still two?) in Meadowhell. Where are they opening it? Crystal Peaks seems like the obvious answer, but in my 12 years in Sheffield, I went there once, on my way back from work.

Edit: Currently out of the country, otherwise I probably would've seen them kitting it out myself.

I really do dislike Game. They should never have taken Gamestation over (the government shouldn't have allowed it). It's what's created this situation where the pubs and console manufacturers need a High Street presence for new stock, and Game are the only player in town. When the restructuring happened with the bankruptcy, the government should've come in and seen that an essential monopoly in high street video-games was a bad situation, and forced the new owners to sell off the extra stores to someone willing to open a competing video-game chain. As it stands, it's a symbiotic partnership between the industry and Game, and that's not good for the consumer. Either Game continue being an effective monopoly in video-game-only stores on the High Street, or they go bust, and the consumer loses a store-front and the industry loses a retailer.

The Moor apparently, I've not been down to have a look, so not sure where specifically.

There used to be one inside Debenhams on The Moor a long time ago, and I think the Gamestation one which wasn't far off got shut down(it isn't listed anymore?), so I guess it isn't that surprising they might want one around there again. Even if it only takes a 5mins walk from their other one on Fargate. :X

Crystal Peaks is where they should have put it really. The only game related shop there is in the market, so it would make sense... But since when did GAME do smart things?
 
Next sell clothes but their prices match online
JD sells sportswear but their prices match online
Thortons sell chocolate but their prices match online
..

In fact, rather than waste my time listing all the retailers that match their online prices (pretty much all of them) tell me a retail store that has a online presense that does not match their online prices.

Because all I can think of is GAME. Even the bloody Louis Vuitton store matches their online prices.
Tesco? There are some product lines that if I go to the Tesco Express store I will paying more than I would if I were to go to Tesco extra.

As for the stores you bought up they all sell stock exclusive to themselves, right? So no competition. Whereas GAME have to compete and competing is lowering prices (and in the online space competing against people who don't have to make as much money as you due to owning no stores or having other things actually sell). If you need this effect in motion see what happens when they get exclusive on a special edition, website and store both RRP.
 

Zelias

Banned
The Moor apparently, I've not been down to have a look, so not sure where specifically.

There used to be one inside Debenhams on The Moor a long time ago, and I think the Gamestation one which wasn't far off got shut down(it isn't listed anymore?), so I guess it isn't that surprising they might want one around there again. Even if it only takes a 5mins walk from their other one on Fargate. :X

Crystal Peaks is where they should have put it really. The only game related shop there is in the market, so it would make sense... But since when did GAME do smart things?
The Gamestation on the Moor shut down years ago. It ended up as a The Works store, but they moved a short while ago and it's currently unoccupied.

But yeah the number of GAME and Gamestation stores in Sheffield was daft.
 
As someone who lives in Oxford...

ZYJrHaz.png


... oh dear.

Swindon used to have 2 GAME stores around the corner from each other, and a gamestation a few roads from that.

Reading had two stores a few years ago both within a 10 minute walk, there's 3 close together just south from Reading, too.

It's stupid.
 

Demain

Member
Everytime I'm in town, I dander in, do a lap, giggle at the prices and then leave. I know it's tough for Game to compete with the likes of the supermarkets but it's just such a poor value proposition.

It's sad because this is exactly what I do. It's a shame because the staff in Belfast seem (at times) genuinely interested in games / tech. The last time I shopped there at Christmas, I bought a PS + sub, the girl behind the til gave me an Xbox live code instead. Didn't realise til I got home and went back the next day and they refused to change it because it was a digital code.

Kicked up a fuss about it because I did not ask for an Xbox code, a "manager" told me it couldn't be changed or refunded until the actual manager came out, apologised and actioned it for me. Most frustrating time I've had in a retail shop as they were trying to make me out to be a liar.
 
No surprise. After the last time this happened what did they do to fix things and make sure didn't happen again? Nothing. Just carried on like usual.

Uhhhhh, GAME also do this. Click and collect more recently but in store returns have been a thing for ages

GAME C+C is dogshit, you see a price online, reserve it to collect and when you get there they tell you that you have to pay the store price.

I know what you mean about excessive stores. Plymouth has 2 and they're both within 5 minutes walk.

2 minute walk between two of them in Romford.
 

Dunkers92

Member
GAME C+C is dogshit, you see a price online, reserve it to collect and when you get there they tell you that you have to pay the store price.

The click and collect I was referring to is where you pay the price online and the product gets sent to the store to pick up
 

Pixieking

Banned
The Moor apparently, I've not been down to have a look, so not sure where specifically.

There used to be one inside Debenhams on The Moor a long time ago, and I think the Gamestation one which wasn't far off got shut down(it isn't listed anymore?), so I guess it isn't that surprising they might want one around there again. Even if it only takes a 5mins walk from their other one on Fargate. :X

Crystal Peaks is where they should have put it really. The only game related shop there is in the market, so it would make sense... But since when did GAME do smart things?

Man... I suppose with the renovation that The Moor is getting (especially with the mini-mall/cinema coming soon), I can see it. Still, just throwing good money away - I can't see the costs of rent/rates being worth the extra sales at all.
 

Dambrosi

Banned
So, if GAME go down, that only leaves Grainger Games/Trade Nation and CEX as specialised video games shops on the UK high street, right? And supermarkets, of course, but you won't find any special or limited editions there.

Edit: Bloody hell, top o' the page to ye all.
 
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