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UK Retailer GAME is dead | Brera's Lament
- Thread starter CrunchinJelly
- Start date
- Status
This confused me today. Gamestation were doing a bundle where you got Uncharted for £30, but GAME weren't. The manager of GAME called me up during the day to confirm we were doing that deal, because she didn't have any such deal at all. I'd have thought the deals would work between stores but they had different ones.
I've said it a couple of times and I mean it as an ex-employee (first sales assistant and then Senior Sales/Assistant Manager), I feel sorry for the staff because they are good people. Every store I've worked in and every member of staff I met was a good person with only a few exceptions - if you're reading this, I'm referring to a certain cunt called Phil who used to work for Gamestation in the North West area. I feel for the staff because nobody deserves to lose their job and get crapped on with reduced hours and low pay but there ARE options out there for staff. Run away and go somewhere. Game do not deserve your loyalty or support. They deserve to die. But Game like to manage through fear and persuade staff that they are stuck there and have to put up with their shit. I truly hate them.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
To be fair, this is how a lot of retailers treat their employees.
Actually, my first job since I left games development had me similarly amazed. Although nothing like to the extent you're saying here.
Psychotext
Member
Anyone else seen this? From another forum:
In short, Sony don't trust that Game are going to stay in business and are ensuring that if Game go into administration they will get their stock back. Crazy times indeed.
In short, Sony don't trust that Game are going to stay in business and are ensuring that if Game go into administration they will get their stock back. Crazy times indeed.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
GAME to close Gameplay.co.uk next week and 35 stores.
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-to-close-gameplay-co-uk-and-35-stores/091608
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game-to-close-gameplay-co-uk-and-35-stores/091608
FUCK, Gameplay.co.uk is actually a good place to get games.
Big Papa Husker
Member
Damn! After the Last Story LE BS, I will stay away from them from now on. I will have to go elsewhere for my UK Importing needs.
Azure Phoenix
Member
Doesn't surprise me. When people start blaming Game, know that the sales staff are trying their best, but it's entirely in the hands of those higher up in the chain.
For reference our store actually received a delivery of back catalogue games today, not exactly anything people on GAF would want to buy, however it was the closest we've been to the regular deliveries for quite a while. Hopefully they continue to roll in, I don't feel comfortable going to work every day with unemployment constantly hanging over my head.
Shotgun Kiss
Member
Actually, I'd say that's the reason they want people to believe, as they don't seem to give a shit how much staff know about games (I work at Gamestation, and there's a GAME near us); they only care if staff are willing to badger customers and pimp stuff. Game Group want salesmen, not gamers.
ScreenSplitter
Member
Yikes, looks like they're going down the tubes faster than expected.
And if the quotes from the above interview are true (the ones about "We never tried to sell games the cheapest"), it's just telling that they aren't going to change any time soon. We need, nay, deserve better. I feel bad for those losing their jobs, but then that indirectly is also GAME's fault for having such god awful business practices.
And if the quotes from the above interview are true (the ones about "We never tried to sell games the cheapest"), it's just telling that they aren't going to change any time soon. We need, nay, deserve better. I feel bad for those losing their jobs, but then that indirectly is also GAME's fault for having such god awful business practices.
Starwolf_UK
Member
You-know saying another 35 stores will be shut by 2013 when it staring to look doubtful the company will last that long seems to be a mistake. Then again any other business would start going "seriously?" at scenes like this (A floor down is a second, smaller store; its not a 2 story store, its just there) many years ago (which is repeated up and down the country, instead it'll be Gamestation that goes due to having the least management speak target hit) rather than only considering it at the whole thing is crumbling apart (yes even when they initially considered it nearly a year ago things were looking a bit grim*).
*-New releases basically being unprofitable etc...
Sadly those upper management people will be the first ones to receive payment and compensation for stress of job loss and the like as the administrators claw apart the business when it fact it can argued they are the cause of the downfall. It is like it in any industry sadly...
*-New releases basically being unprofitable etc...
I'm speechless. The writing is on the wall in blood, the police are outside with a cordon and they're going "oh its fine. business as usual". Shame Eurogamer didn't press them on The Last Story but if they did we would lack the brilliant end line of "...vote with their feet".
Sadly those upper management people will be the first ones to receive payment and compensation for stress of job loss and the like as the administrators claw apart the business when it fact it can argued they are the cause of the downfall. It is like it in any industry sadly...
That would make for a drinking game...
Since GAME bought them out its been the same service as GAME (same warehouse and stock but site is management differently) under a different name occasionally with slightly different prices. Usually slightly less due to having slightly more delivery so like TheHut and Sendit or maybe they changed that.
Not even close, they have the funding in place until next year.
They have most likely got the sale of international to GameStop.
So its more like the rebirth.
noooo, I used that site a lot
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
The end is near. Love it.
Hope something much better replaces it. You can't get much worse.
Hope something much better replaces it. You can't get much worse.
SiegfriedFM
Member
I got my Vita there today. They said they had too few copies of Rayman Origin which was promoted as a free preorder game, so they offered me to either wait or to get Lumines instead (which they also tried to sell me for half the price). Maybe I was stupid to wait.
checkeredknight
Member
I'll actually kind of miss Gameplay. I used them for games pretty much my entire time through University. The first items I bought from them were Jak 3 and Ape Escape 3 on PS2. 
Cheesecakebobby
Banned
I used to get my dad to order N64 games for me over the phone from Gameplay. At that time - or maybe even before N64 times - they used to give free gifts, such as PC games which would still be spread over several floppies. Sad times
checkeredknight
Member
Rayman is worth waiting for.
Really hoping they get some in soon for you.This sounds like a great idea though. It's about time! Hopefully it'll simply be a case of "Sorry, we're out of stock at the moment but if you'd like I can order it for you now and it will arrive in 2 - 3 working days." I can imagine that being a big help to both GAME and GameStation; providing it actually works, that is.
IdreamofHIME
Member
They have no room for new games coz 80% of the store is dedicated to used games.
RocketDarkness
Member
I was extremely annoyed they cancelled my Last Story LE pre-order. But fortunately, Last Story was announced for NA today, so now all that's left is a bit of schadenfreude and a hope that we'll get a LE as well.
dreamcastmaster
Banned
Gamestop will buy them out by the end of this year. What Game are doing now is streamlining the business in order to make the sale.
s_mirage
Member
It may have been better for them to have sold the Gameplay name instead of shutting it down. It still has a recognized name and does not have the bricks and mortar overheads to go with it, so it may have been attractive to someone and generated some much needed capital for Game. But no, that would have created a competitor and Game couldn't have that: they have to own the entire market even if they choke on it.
I think the best we can hope for at this point is that when the company goes into administration, and it looks like it will given how incompetent the morons running it at the moment seem to be, someone will buy the name as well as some of the stores and rebuild the company into something resembling the pre buy out Game.
I think the best we can hope for at this point is that when the company goes into administration, and it looks like it will given how incompetent the morons running it at the moment seem to be, someone will buy the name as well as some of the stores and rebuild the company into something resembling the pre buy out Game.
tomakasatnav
Member
Anything on the Gamestation site worth getting using the £5 gameplay credit?
MarshMellow96
Member
It's £10 minimum spend guys.
woo and indeed hoo
Banned
I couldn't see anything for me but ymmv. Minimum spend of £10 and ends sometime in March.
My brain feels violated after browsing the Gamestation site so I won't be shedding any tears for them.
Gameplay has been dead to me since they fired everyone from Leeds and moved it down south. I use to know a lot of the guys there from the Wireplay days (hence the logo) it was sad to see them all go. They had amazing post launch support getting people Wiimotes and the like when everything went out of stock in the blink of an eye.
twisteddeeds
Member
Gameplay was brilliant.
I shortly moved to Play.com after that (which eventually lost its edge), and then moved to Amazon for my game purchases.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
It's not surprising when my local GAME is charging £40-42 for new 3DS releases.
That's trying to rape your customers.
It's not that people don't want to pay, they don't want to pay too much.
twisteddeeds
Member
The only way GAME and similar companies can save their business now is to be competitive with online retailers..
It's no real surprise that they can't compete on price and they can't keep all their shops stocked given the fact that they have about 6x as many stores as they need, it blows my mind that nearly every highstreet in the UK has 2 GAMES and a Gamestation at the very least.
How they manage to chose just 35 to close I really have no idea, probably need some kind of reverse x-factor to judge between the most pointless ones.
Seems like a classic case of a business being afraid to 'stagnate' but ignoring the fact they they've totally saturated their core.
Shame about Gameplay, I think back in the day they were one of the first online retailers to take Maestro cards which meant teenagers like me without proper debit cards could shop there that Gameplay died a long time ago though.
How they manage to chose just 35 to close I really have no idea, probably need some kind of reverse x-factor to judge between the most pointless ones.
Seems like a classic case of a business being afraid to 'stagnate' but ignoring the fact they they've totally saturated their core.
Shame about Gameplay, I think back in the day they were one of the first online retailers to take Maestro cards which meant teenagers like me without proper debit cards could shop there
that Gameplay died a long time ago though.JustAnotherOtaku
Member
I'm actually really sad that Gameplay is closing. I fondly remember starting using them for PS1 and Saturn games way back when it was all phone/mail order, the ads in the gaming mags of the day with the yellowish background was one of the first things I looked for when I bought a new magazine in those days.
Continued using them online up until a few years ago when they would only accept credit and not debit cards though.
Continued using them online up until a few years ago when they would only accept credit and not debit cards though.
Coppertracks
Member
Haha I used to shop there when I was at uni! I first presumed they had a joint stock room or something but I quickly learnt there was a sort of (friendly I'm guessing) rivalry between the two.
Totally pointless. However on Wii launch day I was able to get mine with no queue from the downstairs one whilst there was a huge queue in the upper store. So it wasn't all bad.
fadetoblack
Member
So, I'm guessing I should use my Gamestation credit as soon as possible, huh?
Yup.
but they can't be. They have a much larger work force (logic tells me this right?) and they have hundreds of stores to staff and power. They then have distribution costs.
twisteddeeds
Member
That is why they are in the position they are in really... too many stores, charging high prices etc.. practically monopolising the Retail Games market over the last number of years (retail stores)
If they closed 1 shop in most towns they would still be able to survive and be competitive.. (i have 4 GAME stores locally (within a 2 mile radious).. it makes no sense to me.
Even if they dropped their prices by £5 they would be more in line with reasonable pricing..
MarshMellow96
Member
They employ way too many people, too. There were 5 employees just standing around in both Game stores yesterday.
Ninja Moomin
Banned
My Game Experience Yesterday:
Went to store, asked for 2 Vita Bundles - one 3G and one Wifi. They came with Uncharted and 8GB sticks.
Assistant tries to sell: Case, Screen protector, insurance/warranty, pre orders for vita games - all before picking up my stuff.
He then tells me the offer is a 4gb card, despite a large sign next to him.... and despite the sign, he has to go ask a manager.
Then he comes back and tries to tell me that I should get two 3g systems as "They have better wireless capacity to stream PS3 games"
okay
then he goes to get my stuff and has a little chat with a colleague on the way.
He comes back and none of the offers work on the till. He has to put each bundle through seperately and get a calculator out to work out the discount. The calculator is like an alien object in his hands and he has to ask another colleague to work it out.
Finally I come to pay £650 for all my items. I put my pin in and the till crashes.
We go through the whole process again and the till crashes again.
Hold on to that for later
They say it's my card that's the problem.. even though i know its fine.... so I go and get cash.
I come back with cash and another assistant asks me all the same sales questions and is really pushy on the warranty sale.
She finally processes my order with cash.. except, yet again their till says 'transaction declined' - it seems there is a fault.
She fetches the manager. He shrugs and says "it's not working"
I say: I have £650 in my hand - are you going to take it?
He says: I can't do anything.
I inform them they have lost a customer and that I will spend my money in another store.
My Game Experience Today:
Last night I needed to pay a bill online - checked my account and thought it was odd how little was in it.... called the bank and there are two pending debit card transactions for £650. The bank says to wait till morning as the transaction may be reverted.
I get up.... low and behold my statement shows two transactions for Game for £650. Their till charged my card for both transactions.
In Short:
Store: No record of transaction
Game HQ: phone number on website connects to an automated message saying you cannot be connected to call centre
Bank: we can help, but you need to wait at least 5 days to see if they return the money and then it could take a few weeks.
Finally got through to game HQ after digging around for a number online.... they say call bank and get authorisation code.
Bank: we don’t give those out.
Call game again: Sorry, not authorisation code, approval code.
Call Bank again: here you are.
Game – hold time 35 mins: ok thanks for those, do you have the number for us to fax this back to the bank?
Me: No you didn’t say you needed it – what department?
Game: It depends on your bank.
Call Bank AGAIN: Not sure what they mean – they need to be specific.
Game.... hold forever again: Ah – we’ll just get it from someone elses form.... which bank?
Me: Will it be done today?
Game: Yes
Me: Can you send an email confirming the transaction is an error and you will give me the money back?
Game: No, we don’t have access to email.
Me: So what assurance do I have that I will get my money back today
Game: None, I guess.
I hope that go bust, get smallpox and burn in hell.
I am currently £1300 out of pocket.
Went to store, asked for 2 Vita Bundles - one 3G and one Wifi. They came with Uncharted and 8GB sticks.
Assistant tries to sell: Case, Screen protector, insurance/warranty, pre orders for vita games - all before picking up my stuff.
He then tells me the offer is a 4gb card, despite a large sign next to him.... and despite the sign, he has to go ask a manager.
Then he comes back and tries to tell me that I should get two 3g systems as "They have better wireless capacity to stream PS3 games"
okay
then he goes to get my stuff and has a little chat with a colleague on the way.
He comes back and none of the offers work on the till. He has to put each bundle through seperately and get a calculator out to work out the discount. The calculator is like an alien object in his hands and he has to ask another colleague to work it out.
Finally I come to pay £650 for all my items. I put my pin in and the till crashes.
We go through the whole process again and the till crashes again.
Hold on to that for later
They say it's my card that's the problem.. even though i know its fine.... so I go and get cash.
I come back with cash and another assistant asks me all the same sales questions and is really pushy on the warranty sale.
She finally processes my order with cash.. except, yet again their till says 'transaction declined' - it seems there is a fault.
She fetches the manager. He shrugs and says "it's not working"
I say: I have £650 in my hand - are you going to take it?
He says: I can't do anything.
I inform them they have lost a customer and that I will spend my money in another store.
My Game Experience Today:
Last night I needed to pay a bill online - checked my account and thought it was odd how little was in it.... called the bank and there are two pending debit card transactions for £650. The bank says to wait till morning as the transaction may be reverted.
I get up.... low and behold my statement shows two transactions for Game for £650. Their till charged my card for both transactions.
In Short:
Store: No record of transaction
Game HQ: phone number on website connects to an automated message saying you cannot be connected to call centre
Bank: we can help, but you need to wait at least 5 days to see if they return the money and then it could take a few weeks.
Finally got through to game HQ after digging around for a number online.... they say call bank and get authorisation code.
Bank: we don’t give those out.
Call game again: Sorry, not authorisation code, approval code.
Call Bank again: here you are.
Game – hold time 35 mins: ok thanks for those, do you have the number for us to fax this back to the bank?
Me: No you didn’t say you needed it – what department?
Game: It depends on your bank.
Call Bank AGAIN: Not sure what they mean – they need to be specific.
Game.... hold forever again: Ah – we’ll just get it from someone elses form.... which bank?
Me: Will it be done today?
Game: Yes
Me: Can you send an email confirming the transaction is an error and you will give me the money back?
Game: No, we don’t have access to email.
Me: So what assurance do I have that I will get my money back today
Game: None, I guess.
I hope that go bust, get smallpox and burn in hell.
I am currently £1300 out of pocket.
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