Whitcher 2 Xbox 360 special edition says hi
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UK Retailer GAME is dead | Brera's Lament
- Thread starter CrunchinJelly
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Whitcher 2 Xbox 360 special edition says hi
McBradders
NeoGAF: my new HOME
Nooooo!
Little Old Man
Member
It's funny. All the trouble they've had the past few months, yet they're pulling more of the crap they're infamous than ever before.
Can't say I'll miss them.
Can't say I'll miss them.
I remember hearing about this Gamefest in one of their stores and just thinking, why? As you said, they shouldn't have been spending the money on it in the first place if they're letting staff go, but I doubt it was even a success for them. Who went? I don't even remember reading a single news story about it.
At our Gamestation yes, although no-one even bothered to pre-order it so I'm not surprised.
I went to Gamefest. Thought it wasn't bad for a first effort. It was worth it alone to play Dark Souls a month early and watch a presentation from one of the developers about the game. Also while everyone was queuing up for MW3, it gave me a chance to check out other games like Arkham City, F1 2011, Battlefield 3, Sonic Generations etc..
Also it was absolutely packed for the whole weekend, I heard the queues for MW3 took 3 hours, madness.
Starwolf_UK
Member
I think the idea behind it was to try and make money off the managers conference (i.e. publishers show managers games to sell in Q4, the only quarter of the industry
) they do anyway. All that happened is they needed a bigger venue and they annoyed developers (as builds you show to the public vs closed doors are rather different things).Also, they timed it too close to the Eurogamer convention (don't know if they were trying to compete with that but they back-footed and said it was "fun for all the family" or something...)
But don't worry. It will go ahead this year. They've tweeted that. Again, lenders deserve to lose money if they can see this as a higher priority than actual stock people have pre-ordered.
checkeredknight
Member
Ditto. A few people are still picking it up though. There is some extra gubbins in the form of a DLC code too; been giving them out to buyers today as a little extra. Still need to try it myself, enjoying Jak and Daxter HD at the moment.
-Cally- said:
I went on the Friday. It was busy, but I hear the weekend was much worse. I really enjoyed it, I'll be going again this year if it happens.
JonathanEx
Member
I suppose there's some logic in having the event: some money in on tickets, and get people excited about more games and so they'll preorder/buy more games, more long run profits on a form of advertising the games, get some good PR for the brand, possible event sponsorship too etc.
That's all theory. How the ever brilliant GAME management did with it (all the stuff Starwolf) mentioned is another matter entirely.
That's all theory. How the ever brilliant GAME management did with it (all the stuff Starwolf) mentioned is another matter entirely.
StalkerUKCG
Banned
Anyone with Mass Effect 3 CE or Street Fighter X Tekken CE had any updates about their order? Normally i get an email around now saying
But iv had nothing yet, getting a little concerned about my ME3 preorder
Game said:
But iv had nothing yet, getting a little concerned about my ME3 preorder
Seen as it doesn't come out for 11 days, too soon.
heliconsoul
Member
Bit early for that, expect to see it on Friday/Saturday. They usually start processing the big games about 7 days before.
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.
Game hasn't had stock of any of their own Vita pouch/cases or the official Starter kit since like last Thursday. I tried to give them my money for such items in Leeds, Sheffield, and Liverpool this weekend. None of them had stock of THE most important accessory for a handheld system. In its launch week.
Gee, I wonder why they're going out of business.
Gee, I wonder why they're going out of business.
StalkerUKCG
Banned
Okay, ill wait just a bit nervous iv had emails up to 14 days before in the past, the money is waiting in my account but im worried something will go wrong with stock at their end
Azure Phoenix
Member
Yeah, like 3 copies on each format. Honestly though that's about in line with what I'd expect even if the company weren't struggling - absolutely nobody pre-ordered and I never even saw a single customer look at the display boxes. In fact I'd say they should have saved the money and not stocked it at all since we haven't sold a single copy yet.
Agreed on the own brand cases, our store got a large number of the official starter and travel kits though - more than at the 3DS launch. Problem is that almost every customer wanted one since you can't protect the screen without it, at the 3DS launch most customers didn't want one due to it being a clamshell.
Maybe because it's 15 quid cheaper on other sites? :lol
Are you one of Game's company directors?
It's exactly this kind of thinking why Game is going down the pan. They are (meant to be) a specialist store, and so should stock the niche titles.Are you one of Game's company directors?
I can't imagine bothering even to look for something that isn't a AAA title in Game anymore, chances are they won't stock anything I'm interested in.
Seriously, Asda are the better game store at this point.
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
I went in to GAME today for the first time in bloody ages. Even the pre-owned stuff was double the price of CEX over the road.
Interestingly someone was trading in a Vita! Couldn't believe it.
Interestingly someone was trading in a Vita! Couldn't believe it.
MarshMellow96
Member
I guess he saw the bubbles and thought..
Gah, I'm not even going to bother. That's just silly.
MmmSkyscraper
Unconfirmed Member
When NinjaFusion snaps and gets happy with the matches.
Diablohead
Member
the main reason game is still alive to this day is due to idiots trading in there without realising you can get more elsewhere or with a little effort.
One time I have seen a guy bring in a bag of like 30 ps2 games and his console to trade towards I think the ps3, each game was valued at about £1-2 but he shrugged and sold the lot. Some of those games were on the shelf behind him for ~£15 each.
Ninja Moomin
Banned
Psychotext
Member
Ugh.
So I went into the Game in my hometown yesterday (Liverpool One branch) and it was actually a bit scary, the difference compared to before Christmas. In Game usually they have the big sellers on top face out, and older/niche games shelved by the floor - but they've all gone and been replaced with tat like DS covers. There were a couple of PRE-ORDER NOW! points by the door for (I think) Luigi's Mansion and another 3DS game but other than that, nada.
Even the AAA games on the shelves were hardly available and the newer stuff was pre-owned (seriously though - Darkness 2 Limited Edition: new: £39.99, preowned: £37.99 - tf?).
The big dedicated pre-owned shelves themselves were a bit sparse too - just old tatty boxes or out-of-date games like FIFA 10.
In defence of GAMEFest, it wasn't a bad little show this year and iirc it was only a tenner to get in. It'd be nice if there were more shows like that :/
Even the AAA games on the shelves were hardly available and the newer stuff was pre-owned (seriously though - Darkness 2 Limited Edition: new: £39.99, preowned: £37.99 - tf?).
The big dedicated pre-owned shelves themselves were a bit sparse too - just old tatty boxes or out-of-date games like FIFA 10.
In defence of GAMEFest, it wasn't a bad little show this year and iirc it was only a tenner to get in. It'd be nice if there were more shows like that :/
Ninja Moomin
Banned
This whole thing is making me realise just how little I need GAME. I buy games. I buy a lot of games across a lot of different formats and yet, not once have I needed to use GAME. I might be lucky living in a city with 4 or 5 non-GAME retailers (that aren't supermarkets) but, even then, I'd say 80% of my games are bought through digital distribution, not those retailers.
I'm going to struggle to miss them, to be honest.
I'm not kidding.
I'm going to struggle to miss them, to be honest.
If I were you, I'd be doing a sit-down protest, in-store.
I'm not kidding.
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.
Well see this is the issue. Anyone with half some sense is either going to turn to Amazon deals in advance, or one of the big supermarkets during their crazy deal seasons. Then you also have digital distro for the absolute lazy.
But the one time I'm caught out and want to buy somet physical accessory on the spot, right away, turn to Game or Gamestation across THREE MAJOR CITIES and they have no stock all week long -- digging their own grave. "Oh no, how did it get to this point?!" You were absolutely shit for years.
Ninja Moomin
Banned
If i wasn't so busy with work I'd be there now.
Light at the end of the tunnel though: Apparently the longest a transaction can be pending in the card network is ten days. After which the money gets put back in your account. So assuming they don;t actually claim it, then i should have it back by default on Friday. If they claim it then I can take my bank statement into the store, shit on the counter, wipe it in the manager's mouth, and demand a refund.
None of this changes the fact that they are incompetent fucks though.
Anyone who shops there deserves what they get IMO. Useless.
Should've just waited a day and gotten it from Amazon.
Ninja Moomin
Banned
You do realise the only reason they do that is to stop people cancelling their orders in the week or so prior to a game coming out?
Never had amazon charge my card early no matter how big the title - the invariably do it one or two days before shipping.
Little Old Man
Member
Damn, thats meant to be one of the flashier and bigger stores too! Did you visit either Gamestation?
Azure Phoenix
Member
Are you one of Game's company directors?
Nah, sales assistant. I'm just bitter because The Last Story and Hyperdimension Neptunia Mk.2 didn't get sent to stores even with pre-orders on the system and yet Binary Domain was sent despite having no pre-orders.
In an ideal world we'd get sent at least 2 copies of everything, but quite frankly at the moment until the company is out of the hole it's in they really need to focus on fulfilling all pre-orders (i.e. guaranteed sales) rather than stocking something which we'll never shift.
Are you one of Game's company directors?
Its not mutually exclusive though. They can be a specialist store, I.E. Windows Music Ltd here in Newcastle and sell less niche stuff even though they are meant to music specialist store though.
I think the flashier one is the one in Clayton Square, not the one in Liverpool One which is just like a "normal" one, isn't it? Clayton Square's takes up a big chunk of the top floor next to where Virgin was.
I didn't go to Gamestation (was trying to get rid of my points) but I did walk past Grainger Games and it looks like a slightly scallier CEX - I guess they'll be the ones to fill the gap if Game die.
The problem is, within a ~500m radius you've got 2x Game, 2x Gamestation, 2x CEX, a HMV and now Grainger.
It's total overkill. Liverpool's not a huge city and they just cannibalise each-other.
Little Old Man
Member
Wait, what? I didn't even think the Clayton Square one would still be open, given its odd location tucked away in the corner upstairs! I assumed they'd closed it down!
I dunno, it takes a lot to outdo CEX in terms of scalliness! I reckon half the phones in there are nicked. But yeah, way to much, especially given most of that is in/next to L1. I miss Zavvi though.
Meus Renaissance
Member
This is the reason I've abandoned them. They'll offer you on average £10-15 for a game 5-6 weeks old and they'll sell it for x3 that amount, often as much as £38. They were doing this for EA games as well which didn't have an online code as they were pre-owned. I understand the need to profit but I felt they were insulting me with those figures.
MarshMellow96
Member
Nobody ever goes in the Clayton Square one. It's like no one knows it's there.
The reason why people go into Grainger? Their prices are often pretty darn good. £30 on most top-tier Vita titles, for example. £39.99 around the corner in the One.
Just been into my local store here in Chichester for the first time in ages. Overpriced pre-owned stock everywhere. Even more overpriced new stock in very limited quantities. Masses of Zumba and excercise games. Tons of useless periferals and accessories. It always seems busy, but then this and HMV are our only options. And I would say that HMV has much more new stock, a wider range and slightly more reasonable prices. : /
Also, the staff are just terrible. I was almost impressed once, during a mission to obtain a particularly elusive DS game, when one of the sales assistants produced their personal copy of Chibi Robo DS, a game that was not released in this country, to see if I wanted to buy it. An assertive, informed assistant with good taste in games, I thought! Then she asked for £35 for it.
Also, the staff are just terrible. I was almost impressed once, during a mission to obtain a particularly elusive DS game, when one of the sales assistants produced their personal copy of Chibi Robo DS, a game that was not released in this country, to see if I wanted to buy it. An assertive, informed assistant with good taste in games, I thought! Then she asked for £35 for it.
checkeredknight
Member
The trade-in prices for Vita's are good. Perhaps, too good. CEX gives around £200 for a WiFi model. At the moment in GameStation, the WiFi model is £210 cash and £220 trade. It's basically if anybody decides they don't like it for whatever reason, they can trade it back losing only £20 max.
We've had four or so Vita's traded in already. I've a sneaky suspicion people are buying from ASDA / Morrisons and are trading them in for cash. One woman wanted to trade in two at once for cash. Apparently they had been used and were unwanted gifts, but everything was still brand new and sealed. :/
Jason Raize '75 - '04 said:
True and untrue. Most games at my place trade in at £35 for as long as they're £39.99 and up. If the game is cheaper pre-owned, then it's bound to be less. Also take into account a game may be £39.99 at the moment (see: Saints Row the Third) but it WAS £19.99 before Christmas. Obviously the trade-in price (currently £15 for cash) reflects on what it was in the sale. The credit price is still £20 though, so... penny profit! I think to say £10 - £15 "on average" is a very unfair statement. If you're ever in doubt, ask for a price beat against CEX.
MarshMellow96 said:
What top-tier Vita launch titles are £30 at Grainger; just out of interest?
MarshMellow96
Member
Sorry, I used that term very loosely to describe everything that isn't RR, Reality Fighters, or any of the cheaper retail games.
Titles like Virtua Tennis, Rayman and Lumines were £30 in Grainger when they were £39.99 in Game. Uncharted was £35 in Grainger and £44.99 in Game.
Starwolf_UK
Member
Given GAME have only done it recently (unless I'm wrong) its more like "we're so stripped of cash we have to take yours early to buy your stock so we can actually send it to you".
Azure Phoenix
Member
Explains the one that was traded in at the weekend, the guy mumbled something about buying a couple of bundle packages at HMV but wanted to sell this system for cash - which was brand new and unopened - when we questioned him about it. Ironically it also had one of those "Property of Sony Europe" stickers on the box too.
If Game are stupid enough to offer cash above the selling price elsewhere and expect 2nd hand units to sell at £225 then they are idiots. Clueless, stupid, hopeless, idiots. I'm tempted to sell mine and then just buy it back from Amazon. The difference will pay for a game or two. I did it with the 3DS
Wipeout and Everybody's Golf were definitely £30 - picked up Wipeout straight away when I saw it was £34.99 in Game/Gamestation and HMV. Did a quick check of all stores and Grainger were cheaper than Game and Gamestation for every Vita game, even Uncharted. They beat trade in prices from CeX and Game/Gamestation too, so for me they're the best place to shop if I want to buy games at retail at the moment.
ScreenSplitter
Member
Wow. And not to mention that the cash you usually get for consoles? Is pathetic. I think you get £30 for a DS nowadays?
Family Fry
Member
Another classic Manager is Special picture.
Another classic Manager is Special picture.
:lol
show me your skeleton
Member
judging by the pos, that looks like blockbusters*. i'm probably wrong though.
*which would explain the terrible price
edit: only just realised why this was posted, d'oh.
*which would explain the terrible price
edit: only just realised why this was posted, d'oh.
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