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[kulapik]

Some letters sent to GameStop employees that have surfaced on the Internet say that the company is going through a collective dismissal and closing of all of its shops. They will try to transfer some stores to another retailer, so some of the jobs can be kept. No official information has been released, though. Here are the letters. The first one is a formal letter announcing the collective dismissal to the employees. The second letter is more personal and will be translated (roughly) below.

MAIL SENT IN THE NAME OF ANTONIO GONZALEZ (Managing Director Gamestop Iberia)

To all the workers,

Gamestop has taken the hard decision of leaving the spanish market.

After nine years supporting and investing in Spain in order to build a profitable business and despite all of your efforts, we couldn't make it.

Right now we are working on the posibility of transfering a group of stores to another retailer, thereby achieving that the jobs of the employees of this shops can be kept.

In the next days you'll recieve more information on the process, and I ask you that, within the delicate situation this assumes, among all get that the control of the business and the product be an added value to use in the negotiation of the trespassing of some of your stores.

I attach the formal communication letter of the start of the process, and I'm yours to clear up your doubts.

Regards,

Antonio Gonzalez
Manager Director
Gamespot Iberia.

Consider Game has 266 stores in Spain, while GameStop has a little more than 100.

 

[Laconic]

Spain wins: Fatality.

 

[hwy_61]

¿Que?

 

[BeforeU]

I thought people over there hate Game but like GameStop.

 

[Xando]

Was Gamestop relevant in Spain?
I know they have a few shops here in Germany but i know no one who has bought something at Gamestop.

 

[Jamie OD]

Seems like Ireland is the only European country where GameStop is doing well. Not like we have much else. HMV, Argos and a few toy shops are the only others I can think of.

 

[Bomber Bob]

Well Spain is piracy land so there's no really need for gamestops

 

[shink]

100 stores is still quite a big number.

 

[10k]

The manager of Iberia? So he runs Portugal too. I wonder how they're effected?

(I ask because I'm Portuguese lol)

 

[NickWright]

Was Gamestop relevant in Spain?
I know they have a few shops here in Germany but i know no one who has bought something at Gamestop.

Umm, not quite. Most GameStop stores were in shopping malls where a Game store was already located, and games were more expensive there. So nobody went there.

At least, I know of one particular store in my city that had to close not too long ago (maybe a month?)

And yes, Spain is piracy land, so we don't need that many gaming shops here haha

Spoiler

;_;

 

[Mindwipe]

Piracy proving it's a victimless crime and isn't destroying the media industries again, obvs.

 

[not_so_special]

yes...im pretty sure they are playing pirate copies of ps4.xbox one and 3ds games on spain

 

[HighResTomato]

After all the re-selling used games at full price (rarely buy used), retail can die for all I care. Amazon or nothing for me now.

 

[Newblade]

Well Spain is piracy land so there's no really need for gamestops

Yeah, that must be it. The unemployment figures and an increasingly lower disposable income don't come into play.

 

[mario_O]

I don't think it's only because of piracy, it's people going digital too and buying physical copies online from other shops like Amazon etc.

 

[MUnited83]

Are people really blaming piracy here? I mean, we are talking about a store that sold new games for like 95$ and the used versions of those games for 92$

 

[not_so_special]

Yeah, that must be it. The unemployment figures and an increasingly lower disposable income don't come into play.

and the abusive prices even on second hand

 

[MichMasteR]

There's Gamestop in Spain? that's new to me lol

 

[Sakujou]

i dont know, but some people without knowledge are buying tons of games at gamestop while avoiding online shops or ebay, when it comes to used games.

its so die hard expensive i seriously would like to know if most people are just dumb enough or simply naive. (germany)

i thought its a matter of time that these shops would close....

but i read yesterday in the newspaper, that gamestop stocks are rising and rising thanks to their "new" business models... what the fuck!?

 

[Acidote]

Yeah, that must be it. The unemployment figures and an increasingly lower disposable income don't come into play.

and the abusive prices even on second hand

And atrocious mismanagement in general, second hand prices are part of that. You can't ask 65.95€ for a second hand game you can find in the same store brand new for 71.95€ and everywhere else for 50€

 

[Atolm]

Playing the piracy card already?

Gamestop closes for two reasons: bad management and huge, inflated prices. WHY would I buy Destiny on Gamestop for 70€ when Amazon sells it for 60€ delivered to my home?

 

[Starwolf_UK]

Seems like Ireland is the only European country where GameStop is doing well. Not like we have much else. HMV, Argos and a few toy shops are the only others I can think of.

How about Italy and Germany? Though in Germany I found the big electronic stores had a broad selection of titles (maybe that is just me not realising how bad GAME is in the UK).

 

[Acidote]

Playing the piracy card already?

Gamestop closes for two reasons: bad management and huge, inflated prices. WHY would I buy Destiny on Gamestop for 70€ when Amazon sells it for 60€ delivered to my home?

Or for 50€ in Fnac if you preordered it two months in advance.

 

[Alx]

Seems like Ireland is the only European country where GameStop is doing well. Not like we have much else. HMV, Argos and a few toy shops are the only others I can think of.

I think they're still very active in France through the Micromania brand. Although it's hard to tell if they're healthy or not, Game and Virgin seemed to be fine here and one day "poof" they just disappeared.

 

[JonathanPower]

Seems like Ireland is the only European country where GameStop is doing well. Not like we have much else. HMV, Argos and a few toy shops are the only others I can think of.

Speaking of Europe, Gamestop is doing well in Italy as well. This may be something related to Spain only.

 

[Kain]

Yes of course piracy is the problem, nothing else. You speak like our politicians, kudos.

 

[LiK]

That seems pretty drastic. Guess the business there is nonexistent.

 

[SuperÑ]

I'm sorry for the employees buy their price policy here was terrible, much more expensive than Game.

The good thing is that my wallet is ready to grab those liquidation deals.

 

[RalchAC]

I thought people over there hate Game but like GameStop.

GameStop is miles better than GAME in Spain. The last time I bought a game there I was 14.

I may be one of the reasons why this is happening though. In the last 2 years every game I've bought was at Amazon or Shop4es.com. The latest thing I got there was my lovely Vita and maybe a second hand cheap game.

If this is true I'll have to go and buy some stuff before it closes. U may find some nice deals.

Shane though and feel sorry fit the employees.

 

[Fare Godmace]

Umm, not quite. Most GameStop stores were in shopping malls where a Game store was already located, and games were more expensive there. So nobody went there.

This right here. Game is the specialist retailer in Spain. Gamestop was late to the game, and at least in my city (Málaga) they're always close to a Game, which usually has better prices (by an admittedly very small margin, truth to be told) and Game stores don't charge you 10 fucking cents for shitty-ass small paper bags either, which is a big plus IMHO

Spoiler

I know that has nothing to do with the chain's demise, but I just can't deal with it

Gamestop had better console bundles overall, but that's it. I'm sorry for everyone that will lose her/his job, but I won't really miss Gamestop. Hopefully we get some bomba prices out of this!

 

[seph1roth]

For all the people out of Spain (specially USA people)

Imagine launch games at 72€, in USA if we make the 1$=1€ conversion, because the proper equivalency would be 90$ per game more or less.

Offers? They don't know the meaning of that word.

Pre-owned games only 10€ less than its price as new games...

They buy your games/consoles/smartphones for ridiculous prices...for example, if you go to GS to sell your PS4, they give you 120€ for it, and then...they sell it for 370€.

That's Gamestop in Spain...add then all our problems with unemployment (around 25%), political corruption, base salary for a graduated from college is around 700€ per month, etc...

 

[Ensirius]

That seems pretty drastic. Guess the business there is nonexistent.

It is nonexistent for Gamestop. Game stores are always filled with people when I walk by.

 

[Arcanine55]

The comments regarding piracy couldn't be more true. Sure that Amazon and other online retailers hurt Gamestop and Game, but the piracy here in Spain is a really big problem.

 

[Minister of the Dog]

1. Very expensive second hand games.
2. An extra ~5€ on most new games just because.

But sure, let's go aboard the Spaniards are all pirates bandwagon.

Right now we are working on the posibility of transfering a group of stores to another retailer, thereby achieving that the jobs of the employees of this shops can be kept.

More stores for GAME?

It is nonexistent for Gamestop. Game stores are always filled with people when I walk by.

It's the same in my area. There are a few GAME stores around here and there's always tons of people, particularly kids with their parents looking for some DS/Wii/3DS game. The GameStops, on the other hand...

 

[Kaworu]

Gamestop Spain was horribly mismanaged, they were late to the game and pricier than the competition. Nobody in the big cities would rather buy there than in FNAC, ECI, etc and in smaller places you can find GAME everywhere.

 

[Kyougar]

Are people really blaming piracy here? I mean, we are talking about a store that sold new games for like 95$ and the used versions of those games for 92$

yeah thats a really stupid fake reason.
walmart never could set a foot in Germany and sold all of its markets and warehouses. Must be because of Foodpiracy here in Germany *rolleyes*

Thing is: If you dont adept to local customs and buying habits, you wont be successfull.

 

[Nosgoroth]

Welp.

Adding to the circumstantial evidence pool: my nearest Gamestop is always close to empty, while the three GAME stores it's sort of surrounded by are usually close to full. I can't really say anything about their prices because I went digital, and whenever I've bought anything from a store I've used GAME (last I remember was my second-hand Vita and my 3DS XL Zelda)

 

[seph1roth]

The comments regarding piracy couldn't be more true. Sure that Amazon and other online retailers hurt Gamestop and Game, but the piracy here in Spain is a really big problem.

South america has more piracy than Spain...but it doesn't mean in Spain piracy is nonexistent, it's a big problem, but it's not as much as years ago.

The piracy in PS1/PS2 was standard in this country...even with DS, but now i think it's not the same situation.

 

[cacildo]

How can piracy be the problem if there isnt pirate games for PS4, XboxONE, WiiU or 3ds?

Or am i out of the loop here?

 

[Xater]

For all the people out of Spain (specially USA people)

Imagine launch games at 72€, in USA if we make the 1$=1€ conversion, because the proper equivalency would be 90$ per game more or less.

Offers? They don't know the meaning of that word.

Pre-owned games only 10€ less than its price as new games...

They buy your games/consoles/smartphones for ridiculous prices...for example, if you go to GS to sell your PS4, they give you 120€ for it, and then...they sell it for 370€.

That's Gamestop in Spain...add then all our problems with unemployment (around 25%), political corruption, base salary for a graduated from college is around 700€ per month, etc...

Sounds like Gamestop in Germany. I have no idea why anyone would shop there.

 

[komplanen]

How can piracy be the problem if there isnt pirate games for PS4, XboxONE, WiiU or 3ds?

Or am i out of the loop here?

It's the old fashioned piracy. Gamestop shipments have been plundered on too many times.

 

[MUnited83]

How can piracy be the problem if there isnt pirate games for PS4, XboxONE, WiiU or 3ds?

Or am i out of the loop here?

It has jackshit to do with piracy and everything to do that it's one of the worse, most mismanaged and terrible stores on the country.Inflated prices that were higher than basically any other store on the country, used games that were cheaper by a couple of euros. And they remain those prices even after the new versions get a price drop.


There was never a good reason to shop there with games cheaper everywhere else. With online shopping even, you could sometimes even get the same game for half the price.

Gamestop is closing because they don't know how to run a competitive business and that's it.

 

[Fdkn]

Gamestop is not closing because of piracy

Gamestop is closing because is the most expensive retailer by far in Spain and they haven't tried to adapt and compete in years.

 

[Tenki]

I don't think I've ever entered Gamestop. Everything is so fucking expensive.

 

[Arcanine55]

South america has more piracy than Spain...but it doesn't mean in Spain piracy is nonexistent, it's a big problem, but it's not as much as years ago.

The piracy in PS1/PS2 was standard in this country...even with DS, but now i think it's not the same situation.

The xbox360 and the ps3 had a lot of piracy too, along with the PC.

 

[seph1roth]

The xbox360 and the ps3 had a lot of piracy too, along with the PC.

Compared to old generations? There's a lot of difference...

Online games rule in Spain, CoD, Battlefield, Fifa, PES etc...with piracy, there's no online gaming.

That forced all rat-kids from Spain to buy games, that situation was unthinkable 10 years ago.

On PC, Steam has changed that situation too...

 

[Fdkn]

keep that elitist bullshit about rat-kids for meristation pls

 

[LordCiego]

Not really sad to see them gone if this is true. In my opinion, retailers like Gamestop or Game are the worst places to buy games or consoles here in Spain. Places like Fnac, Mediamarkt or even supermarkets are better places to buy them.

 

[Bomber Bob]

rat kids?

 

[Joey Ravn]

Sucks for the people who are losing their jobs, but, welp, cry me a freaking river. Major retailer doesn't want to adapt to the market? Good riddance.