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[cormack12]

Source: https://news.microsoft.com/2020/10/...ltiyear-strategic-partnership-with-microsoft/

Through this partnership, GameStop will standardize the Company’s business operations on Microsoft’s cloud solutions and hardware products to deliver rich new digital experiences to customers, creating the “ultimate gaming destination” for gamers in its vision to be the premier omni-channel customer access point for video game products.

[..] a multi-year strategic partnership agreement with Microsoft Corp., further advancing its strategy to expand its physical and digital video game offerings...

Plenty more at link, looks like its essentially becoming an apple store for Microsoft, establishing a retail footprint.

 

[tommycronin]

Unprecedented.

 

[Nikana]

Wow. They even turned the Microsoft Retail Stores into a service.

I don't see the long term of this being great for anyone but clearly they see something I don't.

 

[Rawdirt]

Makes sense after closing their own Microsoft stores.

 

[Piku_Ringo]

This is how they beat Amazon.

 

[TacosNSalsa]

Gamestop:

 

[ZywyPL]

I bet Reggie has a lot to do with it.

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[Grinchy]

Very interesting. So they are using the established storefronts of a dying business to create a fleet of Microsoft-Lite stores almost overnight.

 

[MrS]

A better move for Gamestop than MS. Wise of them to hitch their wagon to a company as gargantuan as MS.

 

[manfestival]

MICROSOFT NOW HOW GAMESTOP. SONY IS FINISHED

 

[Fart Knight]

 

[Pejo]

Was this Reggie's idea?

 

[ToxicPhantom]

Here comes the "terrible business move by Microsoft/GameStop" comments. I mean everyone's all of a sudden a business person and knows what's best.

 

[kruis]

So when you want to buy a PS5 game at Gamestop, you can't leave the store until the sales clerk has asked you whether you've already bought the more powerful Xbox and that it provides much more value than the PS5 became of Gamepass. "Gamepass has so many great games that you won't need to visit Gamestop stores anymore"

 

[Entroyp]

So Gamestop is the new MS store?

 

[Alebrije]

Microsoft smells the dead...the weak...the opportunity....

 

[DeepEnigma]

So when you want to buy a PS5 game at Gamestop, you can't leave the store until the sales clerk has asked you whether you've already bought the more powerful Xbox and that it provides much more value than the PS5 became of Gamepass. "Gamepass has so many great games that you won't need to visit Gamestop stores anymore"

You know that shit's going to happen, and if you sign up for the Power Pro or whatever the hell it's called, I bet it will eventually come with a GamePass discount or free month or so. Repeated to every, single, customer ad nauseum.

 

[lock2k]

They need to rename them Gamepass.

 

[Ten_Fold]

Not a bad idea, close Microsoft stores an just ride with GameStop an sell Xbox/surface shit an let people know how good gamepass is for the Xbox series X/S.

 

[ethomaz]

Seems like a really good deal for MS.
Not so much for GameStop... but there were zommbie already.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

When you can't win with developers and publishers, buy more.
When you can't win at retail, buy retail too.

Microsoft modus operandi since the mid 90s, at least.

 

[nyr88nyg]

Sony about to acquire blockbuster

 

[DeepEnigma]

When you can't win with developers and publishers, buy more.
When you can't win at retail, buy retail too.

Microsoft modus operandi since the mid 90s, at least.

EEE?

 

[TheContact]

Reading the article, looks like a net win for everyone. GameStop is a terrible place to work and shop and it looks like MS will make it better. I never really wanted to see GS die I just wanted them to stop sucking so much.

 

[Knitted Knight]

Good move by MS to be honest.

 

[Paulxo87]

another problem gamestop had going against it was the cringe of being inside of one. The upselling they try to do to you..the snot nosed emo fuckface behind the counter. The fat stinky nerd customers.. etc. As I grew up it just felt so much better to grab a game at best buy lol... plus you could check out all the other toys while you were in there... Or even walmart where you could shop for other items instead of making a dedicated trip to a game store.

 

[Andodalf]

A lot of GameStop's business is online now and their web services are buns. A partnership with a could giant is huge, and MS can use it as a tech storefront since they don't have that anymore. makes sense.

 

[R3claimer117]

When you can't win with developers and publishers, buy more.
When you can't win at retail, buy retail too.

Microsoft modus operandi since the mid 90s, at least.

Everything is not a conspiracy for your console wars these are businesses making business moves. No corporation loves you they love their profits event the ones you love that’s why they exist to make money if they were so terrible they wouldn’t have the largest market cap clearly there’s smart people there making good decisions.

 

[ChuckeRearmed]

Sony fanboys will go to Microsoft stores to exchange their disks

 

[GustavoLT]

Microsoft will get a cut on Sony´s sales! hardware and games

 

[IntentionalPun]

Plenty more at link, looks like its essentially becoming an apple store for Microsoft, establishing a retail footprint.

WTF are you talking about? lol

This is about Gamestop adopting Azure/Microsoft products for their backend, and point of sale in store systems.

This literally has nothing to do with Gamestop changing anything they are selling, etc. It has nothing really to do with Xbox.

Microsoft as a company has a retail division that focuses on technology for retailers... this is that division selling Gamestop on their tech.

The same tech could be sold to a beauty supply store and you'd read the same news.

Literally nothing to do with turning Gamestop into Microsoft stores, or anything about selling Microsoft or Xbox products.

They mention the fact they already sell Xbox All Access in the PR.. but that paragraph isn't even the news here at all.

 

[danielJackson]

Gamestop bankcrupted / quit all their stores in nordics, must be bad business if they cant hold their ground outside of US

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Everything is not a conspiracy for your console wars these are businesses making business moves. No corporation loves you they love their profits event the ones you love that’s why they exist to make money if they were so terrible they wouldn’t have the largest market cap clearly there’s smart people there making good decisions.

Oh hello letterposter with only a few months on GAF. Perhaps you have mistaken me for someone else.

Clicking the Magnifying Glass in the corner of your GAF page and searching my posts should answer any questions as to what brand or console I am or am not loyal to, but don't let me get in the way of your canned response, including the assumptions about who I love.

 

[Northeastmonk]

GameStop is finally becoming a business. I mean, what business doesn't work with Microsoft products on a daily basis? Servers, Azure, and etc.

• As part of its transformation, GameStop plans to roll out Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams to its stores, empowering more than 30,000 store associates with enhanced productivity and collaboration tools. With Teams, store associates will more easily be able to ask questions and share insights with one another, enabling them to provide a better customer experience. Associates will also benefit from enhanced security and identify management capabilities.

 

[Soapy Wooder]

Shopping at Gamestop for me is like browsing the web without a pop up blocker.

 

[Estocolmo]

MS are really on the offence, positioning themselves at strategic locations and partnerships, no matter where and whoever.

 

[MiguelItUp]

I guess this makes sense considering what happened with the Microsoft stores. Gamestop, while going through a ton of shit and losing a lot of stores, STILL have a lot of open locations. So it's an easy way for them to have a foot in a physical retail store in some way.

 

[Rubik8]

Sounds like the death spasms of GameStop to me.

 

[reksveks]

When you can't win with developers and publishers, buy more.
When you can't win at retail, buy retail too.

Microsoft modus operandi since the mid 90s, at least.

Someone sounds a bit hurt

 

[oagboghi2]

When you can't win with developers and publishers, buy more.
When you can't win at retail, buy retail too.

Microsoft modus operandi since the mid 90s, at least.

It's so weird. It's like MS entered the industry actually trying to compete and offer an alternative, they failed to gain overall market share, so now 15 years in they just woke up one morning and decided "fuck it, we will just buy our way into controlling the industry."

The last 10 or so years was a waste of time

 

[ToxicPhantom]

Well, all the Sony stores closed up years ago. Where did they go? Oh wait.

 

[TheMay30thMan]

What’s the percentage of sales that GameStop takes from each console sold? Will Microsoft be getting a portion of every PS5 sold? That would be pretty funny if they did.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Someone sounds a bit hurt

You've got the wrong target, random letterposter.

 

[Bernkastel]

When you can't win with developers and publishers, buy more.
When you can't win at retail, buy retail too.

Microsoft modus operandi since the mid 90s, at least.

I havent heard of the EEE conspiracy outside of /g/ for years. Guess someone was digging up decade old conspiracies to support his philosophy. Inb4 you say that its a trillion dollar so anyone who does not eat up your nonsense is a shill.

 

[DigitalScrap]

WTF are you talking about? lol

This is about Gamestop adopting Azure/Microsoft products for their backend, and point of sale in store systems.

This literally has nothing to do with Gamestop changing anything they are selling, etc. It has nothing really to do with Xbox.

Microsoft as a company has a retail division that focuses on technology for retailers... this is that division selling Gamestop on their tech.

The same tech could be sold to a beauty supply store and you'd read the same news.

Literally nothing to do with turning Gamestop into Microsoft stores, or anything about selling Microsoft or Xbox products.

They mention the fact they already sell Xbox All Access in the PR.. but that paragraph isn't even the news here at all.

Have you forgotten that almost no one here ever reads a linked article before responding?

You’re right of course. Aside from the sales associates now having MS Surface devices in store, nothing material will change at GameStop (aside from GS employees having access to Teams for internal company communications).

This is really about GameStop as a company moving to Azure and Office 365.

 

[reksveks]

WTF are you talking about? lol

This is about Gamestop adopting Azure/Microsoft products for their backend, and point of sale in store systems.

This literally has nothing to do with Gamestop changing anything they are selling, etc. It has nothing really to do with Xbox.

Microsoft as a company has a retail division that focuses on technology for retailers... this is that division selling Gamestop on their tech.

The same tech could be sold to a beauty supply store and you'd read the same news.

Literally nothing to do with turning Gamestop into Microsoft stores, or anything about selling Microsoft or Xbox products.

They mention the fact they already sell Xbox All Access in the PR.. but that paragraph isn't even the news here at all.

Who was the big retailer that also formed a partnership with Microsoft? Was it Walmart?

Edit: yep.

Walmart establishes strategic partnership with Microsoft to further accelerate digital innovation in retail - Stories

Five-year agreement will leverage a broad base of cloud, AI and IoT solutions for enterprise-wide use BENTONVILLE, Ark. and REDMOND, Wa. – July 17, 2018 – Today, Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced it is establishing a strategic partnership with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) to...

news.microsoft.com

 

[IntentionalPun]

Who was the big retailer that also formed a partnership with Microsoft? Was it Walmart?

Edit: yep.

Walmart establishes strategic partnership with Microsoft to further accelerate digital innovation in retail - Stories

Five-year agreement will leverage a broad base of cloud, AI and IoT solutions for enterprise-wide use BENTONVILLE, Ark. and REDMOND, Wa. – July 17, 2018 – Today, Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) announced it is establishing a strategic partnership with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) to...

news.microsoft.com

Yup; basically the exact same PR blurb too lol

And had absolutely nothing to do with anything really visible to customers.

Microsoft has a retail division; they focus on both technology and retail strategy / marketing (how to design storefronts that sort of thing):

Consumer Goods Solutions and CPG Technologies | Microsoft Industry

Find the latest technologies for the consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry. Discover strategic CPG solutions to help meet evolving business needs.

www.microsoft.com

There's actually a pretty big market for selling retailers tech as most of them are on ancient shitty systems.

 

[zeorhymer]

Looking at the press release, it's not a big deal.

*Under this agreement, GameStop will standardize its back-end and in-store solutions on Dynamics 365, Microsoft’s portfolio of cloud-based business applications and customer data platform, empowering associates with integrated experiences across its business operations including finance, inventory, eCommerce, retail and point of sale. -- GS is going to drop their existing software and use Microsofts' applications to run everything. This will allow people to use MS app store to possibly order hardware online and be able to pick it up at any GS store if people wanted.

*Additionally, associates will be equipped with new Microsoft Surface devices that will transform the in-store experience and help unlock new retail experiences in the future. -- Last time I checked a GS store, the employees were like running with 10+ year old equipment.

*As part of its transformation, GameStop plans to roll out Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams to its stores, empowering more than 30,000 store associates with enhanced productivity and collaboration tools. -- Basically updating their tools.

Overall, I think it's way overdue for Gamestop to modernize. Whether or not it'll save the company, we'll have to see what they are trying to do with all the new equipment. It may be a good opportunity for Microsoft to be able to directly offer Game Pass to the walk-ins. Other than that, there is no roadmap on what they are going to accomplish.

 

[Elginer]

This may make life even more hellish for GameStop employees. Best of luck mates