funkystudent
Member
So are there any still open in the Republic of Ireland.
Seems all the ones in dublin have been closed.
Seems all the ones in dublin have been closed.
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UK Retailer GAME is dead | Brera's Lament
- Thread starter CrunchinJelly
- Start date
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Q
Queen of Hunting
Unconfirmed Member
In bromley they closed gamestation. Yet there is a game in the glades shopping centre. the rent to be in there is extremely high. Theu should have closed game n kept gamestation which is outside
Limerick City one is gone. (it was shit tho)
I was more surprised to read that they only had 20 to begin with. My local game in Bangor was one that closed
You're right with both of those! Game Exchange was there for all of 5 minutes. I know a bit of Preston cause my GF lives here like I said, I actually live in Cheadle but spend my week like a 50/50 split over both places.
Just been to Sainsburys and popped into Game Deepdale with the intention of picking up some points or something cheap:
They were taking down every sign of pre-order this or that:
£10 more expensive to than the Sainsbury's I just bought my shopping at:
Bomba reductions:
The really sad part was a girl who worked in there was asking the manager/supervisor something and he really snapped at her and told her to stop asking questions because he just doesn't know. Obviously he's highly strung and maybe so with the stress of it all. You could really cut the atmosphere with a knife, I stopped browsing and walked out, it wasn't nice.
I was more surprised to read that they only had 20 to begin with. My local game in Bangor was one that closed
Thats my local one too!
[Bangor Bro fist!]
That's really sad.
ChimpanzeeThat
Member
Am I the only person kind of perplexed as to the lack of media coverage this is getting? I would have thought this would have been bigger news, it's arguably the biggest retailing disaster since Woolworths shut down and I really haven't seen a whisper of it on the news.
Android18a
Member
But video games aren't an important industry right? Nah, course not.
It's surprising that it's been so glossed over. As for me, I noticed Leicester was on the list. But does that mean the Game in the Highcross mall, the one two minutes away near the clock tower or the Gamestation down the road?
Zeouterlimits
Member
Apparently:
And apparently another in Cork.https://twitter.com/#!/clairenoble_ said:
awanderingsoul
Member
You've not been looking in the right places then as it has had coverage on BBC and SKY tv channels as well as constant coverage and updates on their websites.
Woolworths was much bigger news due to its 100 year history and giant distribution arm which also took down the likes of Zavvi with its collapse.
N
NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
Nope
Psychotext
Member
There's no Gamestation in Cardiff. 2 Games though. (3 before yesterday)
Neither of the two stores in the Livingston shopping centre seem affected either. Seems the stores in central belt malls are getting away easy.
glaringradio
Member
Thats my local one too!Staff were quite good in it too compared to the newtownards one, which they are keeping open for some reason[Bangor Bro fist!]
I was going to make a joke about how people from Newtownards/Comber are all knuckle dragging troglodytes who are only now discovering video games, but I think that's a bit too mean. Seriously though, I used to work in the Newtownards store... Fuck me sideways, you'll never know true stupidity until you're met by several customers who are convinced that a game exists when it doesn't.
Bangor-GAF, the superior County Down-GAF
It was on the National TV News last night here in Ireland and we only have eight stores, I think.
It's made the Beeb's front page (albeit not as a headline) several times over the past week or so, and there was an article in the Metro this morning as well as the nationals picking it up (I only read the paper online, but I would guess the same articles made it into the business sections of the Telegraph etc?). Hell, it's on Time's website today!
Talk on boards.ie is that staff from a bunch of the Irish stores are organising sit-ins over redundancy pay.
http://www.imgur.com/bbzlj.jpg
Large pic of the sign outside the Ilac Centre store in Dublin.
http://www.imgur.com/bbzlj.jpg
Large pic of the sign outside the Ilac Centre store in Dublin.
grandmastashi
Member
Was just chatting to the sales assistant at Game in Chester; she was saying it was mixed emotions for the staff there today as whilst they'd survived they were still looking over their shoulders.
She also said it was really difficult to show relief when staff from the now closed Gamestation across the street were delivering stock from their store.
Whilst browsing I'd managed to find a new copy of the Witcher on PC for £4.99 so we had a little joke about it being the best bargain in the fire sale. Whilst processing the sale she asked me whether I was ok with no refunds or exchanges available, but also said it was easier to say than all the offers she was used to pushing.
She also said it was really difficult to show relief when staff from the now closed Gamestation across the street were delivering stock from their store.
Whilst browsing I'd managed to find a new copy of the Witcher on PC for £4.99 so we had a little joke about it being the best bargain in the fire sale. Whilst processing the sale she asked me whether I was ok with no refunds or exchanges available, but also said it was easier to say than all the offers she was used to pushing.
Katana_Strikes
Member
I was in a similar situation 2 years ago when the chain of independent stores I worked at went into administration and shut down, losing my job. It was my first ever job and one I went on to manage and successfully work and run for 10 years. So I know and understand how much of a crappy situation this is for those concerned. Of course it's all down to how badly run the business is behind the scenes from the higher ups. They all deserve their comeuppance but it's the staff that worked hard and put on the brave faces that are left in the shit, without a job.
My store did eventually reopened back up and I was asked to go back but I'd never again work for those people who put so much crap on you and treated you so bad. Thankfully I managed to find a much better job, with better pay. So best of luck to all those people.
My store did eventually reopened back up and I was asked to go back but I'd never again work for those people who put so much crap on you and treated you so bad. Thankfully I managed to find a much better job, with better pay. So best of luck to all those people.
Hmmm. From a quick read of Government guidance, surely the administrators have told them the correct approach? Statutory redundancy pay should always be claimed from the state. They're not owed anything else.
As for wages that were due prior to administration, then they would be payable by the administrators but only if there's money in the pot after the secured creditors etc. have been paid out. So surely it doesn't matter if the company is still trading - if there's no money to pay employees then if anything it's better for them to keep going so that they can hopefully raise some more money to pay off debts before paying employees.
I was a bit confused by the talk of GMG having saved up enough money to make sure everyone gets paid - surely it doesn't matter what they might have earmarked some money for, it doesn't matter in the end as it's all going to go to pay off debts anyway?
That's my local too, and it's sad to see all 3 gone, I thought at least one would've been kept.
Having the Gamestation and one of the Game stores literally next to each other probably didn't help. My I hope all those who have lost their jobs and those unsure of their futures are able to land on their feet. Whatever happened to this being a pre-pack? At the moment I think it's 50/50 on the entire thing being wound up at this rate.
Pie and Beans
Look for me on the local news, I'll be the guy arrested for trying to burn down a Nintendo exec's house.
In situations where staff aren't getting paid, I never really understand why rampant thievery doesn't break out. "Oh, well they said they weren't going to pay my £800 wage so I grabbed 4 PS Vita's on my way out for ebay."
One of those "its not okay to rob corporations, but it is okay not to pay thousands of retail workers!" moral ethic breakdowns where I kinda watch from the sidelines wondering what I'd do in that situation.
One of those "its not okay to rob corporations, but it is okay not to pay thousands of retail workers!" moral ethic breakdowns where I kinda watch from the sidelines wondering what I'd do in that situation.
Damm Woolwich Gamestation is gone that is a mega downer. Staff were magnificent in there really great guys and girls in there. Sad to see them lose their jobs.
So now we just have Argos and Sainsurys piss poor selection. I noticed at the weekend that the HMV near me is now a Poundstretcher.
There a going to be a lot of annoyed parents around a lot of their kids relied on exchanging their old games to get new ones.
Unluck to them.
So now we just have Argos and Sainsurys piss poor selection. I noticed at the weekend that the HMV near me is now a Poundstretcher.
There a going to be a lot of annoyed parents around a lot of their kids relied on exchanging their old games to get new ones.
Unluck to them.
Knock over the magazine rack, at least.
Are you sure? I thought that GAME was only there about a generation? I remember buying my first Wii there on launch night. Prior to that, that GAME was in a different place in the shopping centre and was previously an EB Games. That's where I bought my N64 and GC.
I meant prior to it moving a couple of doors down as well. It did move around the start of this gen but I still kind of considered it the same store. I remember getting my GBA SP from there on launch day.
One of my coworkers used to work at Music Box or whatever it was called years ago when that went into administration. When they weren't sure whether they were about to get paid or not, she (being the manager) opened the safe and just gave everyone their wages in cash to those who wanted it. One guy was all "ooh, no, better not, don't know what might happen", and as far as she knows he just didn't get anything in the end.
We have an entire strategy guide spinner - it's heavy but it'd be good for effect!
I'm honestly surprised she wasn't brought up on criminal charges. Not because I think what she did was wrong, just that after being involved in a lot of "going into administration" situations, I know how retarded people (management/the administrators) tend to be.
One of the times I lost my job, a colleague of mine smashed a monitor and legged it
EDIT: Oh and a bit of ‘just so you know’ for anyone here who is affected, any benefits (as in Job Seeker’s Allowance) you receive is subtracted from your statutory redundancy payment, so be sure to factor that in to any budgeting you are doing.
awanderingsoul
Member
I cannot believe that the Solihull GAME are trying so hard to act like everything is OK instore. Preorder boxes still up at the front of the shop and they are telling customers that the gift cards and reward cards are only down due to a problem with their tills today and to come back soon and they should be working again.
I can understand them not wanting to deal with the grief customers are going to give them but to just lie to the customers is not the way to handle this situation.
I can understand them not wanting to deal with the grief customers are going to give them but to just lie to the customers is not the way to handle this situation.
Perhaps they are assuming that they won't have to bullshit customers for much longer because they'll be shut down and it won't be their problem anymore?
GarthVaderUK
Banned
All the stores in Ireland are closed, just 5 left up here in the North (including my local GAME in Newtownards - didn't expect that!).
awanderingsoul
Member
I'm sorry but I have worked in customer facing roles before and I know the shit they have to deal with, however I would always be honest to customers because I expect the same from any business I would deal with. Just imagine how pissed off/disappointed those customers are going to be if/when the shutter goes down on that store. They will certainly not trust GAME again, or any company born from its ashes.
I didn't really have the time, or the interest to ask them but I wonder if they are stupid enough to be taking customers money for these preorders? I know the store is a profitable one so they probably have some pipedream that whatever happens they will be safe but they are just being very sneaky in their business practices.
I don't agree with it and it'd be a crappy thing to do but they're bound to be as pissed off as the customers are right now.
As of last week my local Game were taking £20 deposits in order to absolutely guarantee a pre-order. I wonder how those people feel now :/
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Shades of GameCrazy/Hollywood Video. Most stores close, other told it's all good.. later.. gone.
frankie_baby
Member
Or why dont the staff just take the money they are owed from the til and leave a receipt
Rawket Lawnchair
Member
lol, awesome
Resistance100
Member
You're only entitled to Redundancy if you've been with a company for a certain amount of time. (2+ years)
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/RedundancyAndLeavingYourJob/Redundancy/DG_10029836
Administration protects them from legal liabilities such as this, I believe.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
The staff can still apply for Statutory Redundancy Pay from the government...
all this info is on Direct.gov.uk, it's a really interesting read.
Thats my local one too!Staff were quite good in it too compared to the newtownards one, which they are keeping open for some reason[Bangor Bro fist!]
Bangor Game had decent staff, sorry to see it go ...... ain't going anywhere near Ards to get my midnight launch titles (Deliverance by the lough).
Thanks, I didn't know that. I'd walk out if I worked there. Loyalty has gone by this point and there's no guarantee of money
Yep, because as ever, those in the best position to absorb the loss are protected at the expense of those least able.
Resistance100
Member
They're still legally entitled to their wages for all hours that they work.
Redundancy pay is seperate to that.
Replay, yeah it still exists ....... but their stock of new games is non existent.
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