Do you honestly think you'll make any money here? Things are getting worse and worse for Game Group by the day. Especially not stocking any EA titles including Mass Effect 3, that's a huge sign that things are not well at Game and they'll struggle massively to get better.
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UK Retailer GAME is dead | Brera's Lament
- Thread starter CrunchinJelly
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APZonerunner
Member
Mr. Luchador
Member
This interests me. When do you open?
Mr. Luchador
Member
Its a good idea, to be honest. Reminds me of the transition bookshops had to make, certainly fits in with the 'social' aspect of gaming that is key this generation (and certainly next).
This is such an ignorant view. It's very difficult to stock every title at retail because of the costs involved. We've just been spoiled by the long tail offered by the internet.
I went shopping for a camera yesterday, I went to both Comet and Currys, spoke to staff was able to have a go of about half a dozen cameras between the two shops before making a decision. I think for things like cameras, TVs, Stereos etc. there's still a value to being able to go and have a look at and try out the thing before you buy it. I wouldn't really want to have spent £400 on a camera without being able to take a shot with it first.
That's a different market though, for games, where the consumer doesn't really get any benefit from going to a B&M shop over ordering online, I struggle to see a way back for highstreet retail.
The advantage of high street retail for games is:
i) You can browse and pick up something on impulse;
ii) You have it there and then.
The problem being, of course, that the first point is negated by the fact that there's never any stock of anything you'd actually want to buy on impulse, and the second is offset by the enormous savings you make online and the fact that, with a little forward planning, you barely even have to wait 24 hours these days if you buy from ShopTo or use Amazon Prime.
Even HMV shops stock obscure CDs, why can't Game do the same with games?
I'm in America at the moment and while I was in a Gamestop I was pointing out Xenoblade Chronicles to my partner and one of the employees came over and started talking to us by telling us it was an exclusive. I said that I was aware of that and then we chatted shortly until he mentioned about Game going under and that Gamestop MIGHT be buying them out.
I'll assume that this rumour is probably in this thread somewhere, but thought that it might be worth mentioning just in case.
EDIT: Question: What does this mean for Gamestation? I read a while back that they might be owned by the same company now and Gamestation used to be the more niche game shop years ago, from what I remember, until it became the almost duplicate to Game that it is now.
I'll assume that this rumour is probably in this thread somewhere, but thought that it might be worth mentioning just in case.
EDIT: Question: What does this mean for Gamestation? I read a while back that they might be owned by the same company now and Gamestation used to be the more niche game shop years ago, from what I remember, until it became the almost duplicate to Game that it is now.
To be fair, it probably came from this thread, if said person actually cared about Xenoblade
Ravensmash
Member
Not sure, but from my trip the other day, my local HMV is a better games retailer than the GAME next door at the moment. Lots of choice and a good selection of new/preowned titles.
I ended up getting SSX in Blockbuster (yep, but it was closest and I was rushing), so I'm actually quite worried about my gift card now, especially since no ME3 and not sure what the next release I'll want is.
Because the very nature of how suppliers sell CDs is different to games.
Also this reminds me of the bank collapses and why and media companies shouldn't be reporting this. If you report you think a bank/shop/business is going on, people thinking it goes under, leading to it actually going under.
So you ended up getting SSX at Blockbuster, when Game was doing play this for £5 if you trade in before 15th March?
How is it different? Genuine question.
I'm not stupid enough to think there aren't serious issues with the company but at the same time I can't see it disappearing off the High Street just like that! GAME have support from a lot of distributors who do rely on GAME for sales.
Nearly 2000 stores world wide is a lot of store space to sell your shit. GAME is doomed is as silly as Nintendo is doomed. GAME will become smaller and more profitable long term and return to it's glory days.
Let's not forget that the whole industry is down this year, Nintendo, Sony, MS etc are all hurting for sales and in turn, GAME is as well as it is so large a part of the industry.
My view has always been the same. The company is priced at bargain prices right now. It's going through a lull in sales but with the uptake in 3DS, release of Vita and WiiU this year and XBOX720 and PS4 next year, we're looking at the good times again!
Just look at Vita sales. GAME accounts for 50% of Vita sales. UBI Soft saw the writing on the wall and came running back. EA is next!
Nearly 2000 stores world wide is a lot of store space to sell your shit. GAME is doomed is as silly as Nintendo is doomed. GAME will become smaller and more profitable long term and return to it's glory days.
Let's not forget that the whole industry is down this year, Nintendo, Sony, MS etc are all hurting for sales and in turn, GAME is as well as it is so large a part of the industry.
My view has always been the same. The company is priced at bargain prices right now. It's going through a lull in sales but with the uptake in 3DS, release of Vita and WiiU this year and XBOX720 and PS4 next year, we're looking at the good times again!
Just look at Vita sales. GAME accounts for 50% of Vita sales. UBI Soft saw the writing on the wall and came running back. EA is next!
The fact that Mario Party 9 hit no3 in the UK sales this week without GAME's support just goes to show that the market over here has changed drastically over the past few years, and they're not as essential as they once were...
Apologies if you've already posted this but do you have a source for that stat? I've only done a limited bit of Google but it's hard to find relevant results using "Vita" and "Game" in the same search terms.
Joel Was Right
Gold Member
Is it legal to tell people outside the store to go to rival retailers instead of GAME? If I could be arsed, I would be handing out leaflets advertising ShopTo, telling them its often cheaper there. Just to spite GAME after they spread cheeks and rammed it with insult with their pre-owned prices
Psychotext
Member
As long as you're not on their property you can pretty much do what you like.
Mr. Luchador
Member
Pretty much. HMV used to do this all the time outside the Virgin I used to work in, since the high street is a public street. Think its something daft like 10 yards away from the main entrance is fair game.
I like Brera's conviction that Retailers and Distributors are out to help each other and need each other. Its a nice idea. Idea.
Not trying to defend Brera at all, but whilst Mario Party 9 did chart, numbers were way down across the board for all charting titles - not a good sign at all.
Brera does have a point in that there is always a lull in the twilight years of the generation. The problem is, GAME has done so much to damage themselves on top of the lull that they most likely will not be able to pull through.
Well I'll try and to explain it based on on other distribution models.
A retailer may wish to obtain certain levels of inventory that it could not otherwise finance, and the vendor may be able to obtain certain sales that it would not otherwise have by agreeing to take some level of the delay and risk associated with the resale of its goods. The two types of legal structures involved in a conditional sale: the consignment or the "sale or return."
Consigment distribution the the one that CDs tend to be used with. A consignment is not a "sale" in the true technical sense of the word since it does not consist of the passing of title from the seller to the buyer for a price. Rather than constituting an actual sale, in the consignment, the "buyer" is actually an agent for the vendor with an option to take title to the goods in the event the goods are sold to a third party. Thus, technically, the goods remain the property of the vendor (consignor) until they are sold by the consignee to some third party. Until such a sale occurs, and in the absence of an agreement otherwise, the consignor has the right to terminate the consignment and retake its goods.
Sale or Return, generally used with books. A "sale or return" is a much different animal. It is in fact a true sale, with the passage of title from a seller to a buyer for a price. The buyer in this type of transaction is therefore a true purchaser, unlike a mere consignee. However, the sales transaction differs from the traditional sale in that:
(1) it is made in contemplation of resale.
(2) it accords the buyer a right of return should the property fail to resell.
The Games industry, however, uses neither with a focus on the retailer buying the goods outright and letting them sell at any price initially. Game had good credit buying games from suppliers, but when suppliers demanded the money before they sold the game - has well fucked 'em.
Q
Queen of Hunting
Unconfirmed Member
never use pc world for pc repairs please.
my friend works in there and is in the middle of taking the company to court over how they operate.
they are getting probed by watchdog and other places too.
watchdog was at my local pc world and two guys brought this laptop in because they both needed a 320gb hard drive for there laptop.
one was charged £118 the other was charged £16.
they went in a different times throughout the day aswell
my friend works in there and is in the middle of taking the company to court over how they operate.
they are getting probed by watchdog and other places too.
watchdog was at my local pc world and two guys brought this laptop in because they both needed a 320gb hard drive for there laptop.
one was charged £118 the other was charged £16.
they went in a different times throughout the day aswell
Mr. Luchador
Member
If you've ever worked in retail and wondered why you had to do an inventory check at least once a year - this is why. Its Head Office wanting to count how much crap they have that they can return to the vendor.
Used to do weekly recalls when I was working in retail. Head Office don't like it when your recalls aren't accurate (or you return incomplete items) as they can't claim back the money/have to pay for the goods.
Used to do weekly recalls when I was working in retail. Head Office don't like it when your recalls aren't accurate (or you return incomplete items) as they can't claim back the money/have to pay for the goods.
I've not seen the numbers yet, but on the face of it, the fact that a game that wasn't being sold at "The biggest specialist retailer" still managed to hit the upper end of the chart is still testament to the lack of impact their ability to sell it has had.
not denying that point at all. This gen has gone on too long for their liking, I think that's obvious. Couple that with the attitudes of a lot of people with regards to pricing etc, and it's sealed their death warrant.
In other words, what Sony did with their stuff recently?
Kinda Sony wants all hardware distribution to move to consignment so yes.
Mr. Luchador
Member
Regarding Pricing...
Games are cheaper now then they were 10/15/20 years ago. I remember SNES games being £50-£60, likewise N64 games. Old school PC Games with their 30 floppy disks and 10 stone manuals were pretty expensive too.
Games are cheaper now then they were 10/15/20 years ago. I remember SNES games being £50-£60, likewise N64 games. Old school PC Games with their 30 floppy disks and 10 stone manuals were pretty expensive too.
Well, everyone was loaded back then. Now everyone is skint as fuck they should lower their RRP's appropriately.
JosephManderley
Member
This is true - I can remember OOT being £70 in Dixon's!
Likewise though, I remember the golden days of my childhood where I could get a budget Spectrum game every Saturday morning with my pocket money for £1.99, or I could save for a couple of weeks and get a full-price game for £7.99.
I'm pretty sure I paid £49.99 day one?
This week should be interesting. Mario Party 9 is only on a single platform, but this Friday we're seeing a big *multiplatform* release that isn't selling in Game.
I really think it'll top the charts, even without Game.
I think there's no doubt ME3 will be number 1 - it sold 3000 copies in one hour, and that was just at ShopTo.
I was walking past a Game store today and saw a sign outside advertising upcoming preorders and at the very bottom of the sign it said that they will be be accepting trade ins of Mass Effect 3 for £38 on release date.
You know, for all those people who complete Mass Effect in a day and instantly want to trade it in.
You know, for all those people who complete Mass Effect in a day and instantly want to trade it in.
Something like that just screams to me that they're implicitly supporting thieves. Because, honestly, that's the most likely group to "trade-in" a game on its release day.
Anyone got any data regarding the share of sales made up by online sales in the UK over the last few years? I assume it grows, but it would be nice to see.
I've been using mail order since the mid-80s (back when it was price lists in magazines and a credit card read out over the phone or a cheque in the post) but it would be interesting to see where the tipping point was for the casual customer.
I've been using mail order since the mid-80s (back when it was price lists in magazines and a credit card read out over the phone or a cheque in the post) but it would be interesting to see where the tipping point was for the casual customer.
Is it *possible* to have, well, a 'run' on Game? Should people worry about that?
I wonder if GAME have enough stock to cover the massed amounts of virtual funbucks on various peoples' cards.
N
NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
I want to get Batman:AC for PS3 but they ran out of stock even after putting the price up to £32.99. I'm having trouble finding anything I want on their site, everything is 'Out of Stock'.
ScreenSplitter
Member
If you could find Mass Effect 3 for cheaper anywhere, you could make a small profit I guess?
ScreenSplitter
Member
Welp, another title I won't be picking up from work :,(
CrunchinJelly
formerly cjelly
I'm sure a GAFer was running a tournament on launch day in the GAME he works in.
I'm sure he can grab a copy from Tesco on his way to work.
I'm sure he can grab a copy from Tesco on his way to work.
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