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[kaizoku]

This mess reminds me of the foresight I had as a kid in highschool. I knew online stores had the retail side sewn up so in a 'report' I talked about how retailers like GAME had to pursue the experience.

Shops had to emulate independent shops, staffed by experts, strong sense of community and social experience and on top of that events. Come here to hang out, play games, make friends and meet experts.

Now I look around my city and the pay to play places are booming. Loads of people pay to play games with friends and so on.

Game went the other way, mass expansion, mass corporate culture

 

[PaulLFC]

Ben Parfitt ‏ @BenParfitt
Interestingly it was put to me recently that, according to a number of metrics, Gamestation is the stronger brand than GAME

 

[dose]

The story full well says that it's a plan, describing it as one of four options? What's wrong with that?

Well, the headline says ' Gamestation to be sacrificed', despite there being no decision made, so it's at the least very misleading.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

god, of the 2 why sacrifice gamestation? =/

GAME is the bigger brand yes but its also the one that will attract most attention to the average joe with its administration troubles, and you chose to save that brand? yea -_-

 

[zomgbbqftw]

The story full well says that it's a plan, describing it as one of four options? What's wrong with that? A plan being taken pretty seriously with such ramifications, even if not final, is well worth reporting on surely.

Honestly it reads like a regurgitation of what I and other informed members on GAF have said about it.

Saying that the plan is one of four options, an outright buyout, a white knight, voluntary administration or forced administration is not big news. That has been known since the start of the saga.

Of those the latter looks like the likeliest scenario as the banks would want to install their own administrator and get the current board out and asset strip to get their money back. I don't see how the board would defend choosing their own administrator, the banks would want to ensure that they have their own people in there.

The end of Game is coming soon, and I don't think that article has properly spelled it out for investors (unsurprisingly, given that MCV have no investment expertise), employees or suppliers.

Also, the idea that Game are going to rely on a supplier funded bailout is a complete fantasy. These are the very same suppliers that couldn't wait to watch Game fail and are waiting for a pre-packed sale of assets to Gamestop or another investor with a more realistic business model.

 

[acm2000]

olded

what a mess

 

[checkeredknight]

Arent there a couple of Gaffers who work at gamestation?

Yup. Though I'm starting to wonder for how much longer, heh.

@BenParfitt
Interestingly it was put to me recently that, according to a number of metrics, Gamestation is the stronger brand than GAME

I've been thinking this too, honestly. GAME has had a lot of bad press, but quite a lot of people still think we're separate companies. People generally seem to dislike GAME more than GameStation. I think the GS brand still has quite a lot of potential (especially if it would go back to the days of not having plan-a-grams, more in-store gaming tournaments and far less strict "killer questions.") What a pity if this speculation becomes true...

 

[Brera]

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Yup. Though I'm starting to wonder for how much longer, heh.



I've been thinking this too, honestly. GAME has had a lot of bad press, but quite a lot of people still think we're separate companies. People generally seem to dislike GAME more than GameStation. I think the GS brand still has quite a lot of potential (especially if it would go back to the days of not having plan-a-grams, more in-store gaming tournaments and far less strict "killer questions.") What a pity if this speculation becomes true...

Me about a week ago:

"I have been speaking to some informed people who say that a pre-pack administration sale of Game's profitable stores to an outside investor is the best avenue for RBS to recover (most) of their money. From what I have heard 8 out of 10 of the profitable stores are ex-Game and Gamestation locations, only 2 out of 10 profitable stores are from the ex EB Games locations (which is what Game actually is).

They said a pre-pack sale of about 250 locations nationwide and another 200 locations in the rest of Europe would fetch up to £90m."

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=35927770&postcount=2578

 

[shock33]

Baffling if true, I also think the Gamestation brand is better, and I much prefer all of the Gamestation stores I've been in vs any of the Game ones. The Game stores are usually tiny with piss all stock while generally the Gamestation ones are larger, with better layouts, and seem focussed on making sure as much product is available to browse.

 

[Omikaru]

ARE YOU OKAY??

 

[JennyTablina]

Also, the idea that Game are going to rely on a supplier funded bailout is a complete fantasy. These are the very same suppliers that couldn't wait to watch Game fail and are waiting for a pre-packed sale of assets to Gamestop or another investor with a more realistic business model.

Well if the reports are correct, management seem to believe that suppliers MIGHT be willing to pitch in with this new plan. Though if I were EA or Nintendo, I think I would be offended at being asked to pitch in to save their butts from their own incompetence. Having a serious plan to change things is the ONLY way I can see Suppliers being willing to pitch in. But not sure that would work with current management

Also welcome back ZombieBBQ - hope your doing okay, you were missed!

Of course maybe they are so desperate to save the company that they are trying any remote possibility at this point. The sad thing is that this move could just prolong the whole mess, if the new company is just GAME under a new name, it will last a few more months at best I feel.

 

[Kareha]

 

[Brera]

NO!

I've got £250 in GMG as a last ditch gamble...my gf is gonna beat my ass now!

 

[PaulLFC]

Brera, I hope you're ready to sell at 8am tomorrow so you lose as little as possible. The share price will only go down from here.

Edit: Wait, what? I hope you're trolling. The company will not exist by Monday. They've admitted as much themselves.

 

[checkeredknight]

"I have been speaking to some informed people who say that a pre-pack administration sale of Game's profitable stores to an outside investor is the best avenue for RBS to recover (most) of their money. From what I have heard 8 out of 10 of the profitable stores are ex-Game and Gamestation locations, only 2 out of 10 profitable stores are from the ex EB Games locations (which is what Game actually is).

They said a pre-pack sale of about 250 locations nationwide and another 200 locations in the rest of Europe would fetch up to £90m."

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=35927770&postcount=2578

I think I understand what you're saying. In our town, GAME is at an ex-EB location whilst our store, GS, is on the high-street. Are you saying that there is a good chance our store may be kept? I can imagine it will be down to which is more profitable, but judging by that info the ex-EB one most likely will not be?

Also good to see you back.

 

[Brera]

Yeh, I'm sticking in a sell now.

 

[PaulLFC]

I think I understand what you're saying. In our town, GAME is at an ex-EB location whilst our store, GS, is on the high-street. Are you saying that there is a good chance our store may be kept? I can imagine it will be down to which is more profitable, but judging by that info the ex-EB one most likely will not be?

Also good to see you back.

I hope the Gamestation stores are sold to someone else if Game's plan does happen. This way the store staff's jobs are kept, or at least most of them, and Gamestation should be able to differentiate itself from Game again and get back some of the individuality it had before the takeover.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

I think I understand what you're saying. In our town, GAME is in at an ex-EB location whilst our store, GS, is on the high-street. Are you saying that there is a good chance our store may be kept? I can imagine it will be down to which is more profitable, but judging by that info the ex-EB one most likely will not be?

Also good to see you back.

I don't want to give you any false hope but from what I have been told Gamestation is the only valuable part of the company and there are some interested parties who would buy almost all of the GS locations in a pre-packed sale.

 

[Brera]

MCV have seriously broken some rules relating to using that leaked information. The RNS system is there to stop shit like this!

 

[King of the Potato People]

This would mean the sales would calm down as stock is reintegrated into whatever the new stores are?

Don’t know if want...

 

[Salvadora]

Stop feeding the troll.

 

[PaulLFC]

This would mean the sales would calm down as stock is reintegrated into whatever the new stores are?

Don’t know if want...

As in shares? No. According to the article GMG would be delisted and a separate company would be formed.

 

[Suairyu]

So are the games cheap yet?

 

[cyberheater]

So are the games cheap yet?

That's a bit insensitive mate.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

That's a bit insensitive mate.

Don't mind Suairyu, he has a job now, the Tory scummer looks down on the hard working folk in retail.

 

[JennyTablina]

So are the games cheap yet?

Nope, try Monday *maybe*

Though if this plan works (hah) - there may not be much of a price drop I'm afraid

 

[Suairyu]

That's a bit insensitive mate.

Excuse me?

They're not the least bit sensitive to my interests - why should I be sensitive to theirs?

I'm a consumer - I go where the games are cheapest. I am looking for an opportunity to grab a bargain or two. I am not beholden to the interests of GAME, GAMESTATION, their respective employees or their shareholders. They've overpriced their stock for years and I'm looking to see if this entire fiasco will finally offer some games at a decent price from them.

It's not insensitive; it's the consumer-retailer relationship.

Don't mind Suairyu, he has a job now, the Tory scummer looks down on the hard working folk in retail.

Work experience. I'm sub-retail worker right now!

 

[checkeredknight]

That's a bit insensitive mate.

Sounds more like ignorance than insensitive to me. :X

Games were at their cheapest at the beginning of the sale a week or so ago. Might be best to check Monday as JennyTablina suggests, but you may have missed your chance unfortunately... Still finding some gems at £1.98 and £2.98 myself though, so it's worth checking.

 

[Suairyu]

Games were at their cheapest at the beginning of the sale a week or so ago. Might be best to check Monday as JennyTablina suggests, but you may have missed your chance unfortunately...

If by cheapest you mean "the same price as online retailers", sure. I asked if the games were cheap, not standard

 

[zomgbbqftw]

Work experience. I'm sub-retail worker right now!

Work experience in an office right?

 

[Brera]

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/game...-new-company-emerges-from-game-s-ashes/093064

Fuck MCV and their anti-GMG bias!

GMG have called them and told them to STFU!

 

[checkeredknight]

If by cheapest you mean "the same price as online retailers", sure. I asked if the games were cheap, not standard

It depends what you're after. I've never seen Fallout 3 for £1.98 online, nor have I ever come across Heavenly Sword for 48p. Neir was £2.98 too. Dodonpachi Resurrection Deluxe was £9.98 new, which is also the cheapest I've ever seen it. Really should have bought that one whilst I could... :X

If there's anything in-particular you're after I can always have a look tomorrow for you.

 

[Suairyu]

Work experience in an office right?

In an exciting, international media corporation where the workers where jeans and I get given free slices of cake!

 

[Misfits]

If by cheapest you mean "the same price as online retailers", sure. I asked if the games were cheap, not standard

I bought alot of games for dirt cheap the first week of the sales. They have since put prices up line stranglehold was 98p when I bought it, it's now 4.98p.

 

[zomgbbqftw]

In an exciting, international media corporation where the workers where jeans and I get given free slices of cake!

Yeah, that's better than a retail job. If you can get a full time position there after your work experience it would be full of win.

 

[Suairyu]

I bought alot of games for dirt cheap the first week of the sales. They have since put prices up line stranglehold was 98p when I bought it, it's now 4.98p.

Yeah but that means you bought Stranglehold.

Yeah, that's better than a retail job. If you can get a full time position there after your work experience it would be full of win.

I don't think I'll get a job out of it, but they are being super helpful and can probably push me in the right direction so when I come back to them I will be ready to take a job.

 

[Misfits]

Yeah but that means you bought Stranglehold.

Haha. It's good, but I wouldn't pay more than 98p. So i got my moneys worth.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

I bought alot of games for dirt cheap the first week of the sales. They have since put prices up line stranglehold was 98p when I bought it, it's now 4.98p.

yeah i saw that, was raging. Was thinking of picking it up and then the price went up by 5 times.....yea ummm, no.

 

[Brera]

That article has caused a meltdown on the financial forums!

good on GMG to stamp in quick time and quell this non story. Ben Parfitt...You caused me a lot of pant shitting you prick! Confirm your news before posting! MCV is a respected paper/site not a forum or twitter!

He's had a lot of heat on twitter as well.

 

[Patryn]

That article has caused a meltdown on the financial forums!

good on GMG to stamp in quick time and quell this non story. Ben Parfitt...You caused me a lot of pant shitting you prick! Confirm your news before posting! MCV is a respected paper/site not a forum or twitter!

He's had a lot of heat on twitter as well.

I'm willing to bet he's dead on, though. Just because it's news you didn't want to hear doesn't mean it's not true.

Well, I think he's too optimistic about the voluntary administration. The company is toast on Monday.

 

[Starwolf_UK]

Stock prices affected by rumor and speculation who would have thought...nobody was complaining when it was the "Walmart make buy it via Blueshore at 12p a share" then again...thats quite different to "the stocks worth nothing in 6 days time".

Though if the company is in such a dire state that they are believable...

MCV have seriously broken some rules relating to using that leaked information. The RNS system is there to stop shit like this!

The what? Hmm let me wiki...

RNS System is a deep brain stimulation treatment for epilepsy patients. The RNS system uses the method of vagus nerve stimulation via a brain pacemaker and a neurostimulator.

???

Oh right this RNS...

 

[Brera]

An army of GMG investors have descended upon the twittersphere and Ben Parfitt is getting torn a new one... It's a good read but apparently some threats have been made!

GMG investors are passionate people!

 

[AssassiN]

That article has caused a meltdown on the financial forums!

good on GMG to stamp in quick time and quell this non story.

They're hardly going to come out and confirm it as the truth are they? We'll see for certain at the end of the week. It's not a matter of If Game go into administration, but when.

 

[Brera]

They're hardly going to come out and confirm it as the truth are they? We'll see for certain at the end of the week. It's not a matter of If Game go into administration, but when.

Silence would be a confirmation!

By refuting the claims, but being vague, it buys me time of offload!

 

[zomgbbqftw]

GMG investors are passionate people!

Insane is a more accurate description.

 

[glaringradio]

An army of GMG investors have descended upon the twittersphere and Ben Parfitt is getting torn a new one... It's a good read but apparently some threats have been made!

GMG investors are passionate people!

This is what happens when they listened to someone that they shouldn't have been listening to in the first place. Ben Parfitt has been shilling shit articles founded on rumours and sourced from the Sunday Times behind its paywall for months now. The guy's a hack, the fact that you even posted articles from him at times and pissed your pants in excitement about it shows that you really shouldn't even be in the business of buying and sell shares in the first place.

He doesn't deserve any of the attention he's getting now because he shouldn't have even been paid any attention in the first place.

Funny seeing people getting all stroppy about it though, fools departing with their money now looking to place the blame on another fool.

EDIT: Actually, having looked at a lot of the insults, wow. Everyone comes out as a fucking idiot in this whole thing. Jesus.

 

[kafiend]

Game sticking signs outside offering trade-ins for stuff like Mass Effect 3 is really going to help in their negotiations with their suppliers.

They have been basically fucking up the sale numbers of brand new titles to their own advantage for a long time.

Suppliers know this and I expect that the stopping Game from buying practically brand new games back in for profitsssssss would be a high priority issue if they want any kind of help.

 

[Salvadora]

Game sticking signs outside offering trade-ins for stuff like Mass Effect 3 is really going to help in their negotiations with their suppliers.

They have been basically fucking up the sale numbers of brand new titles to their own advantage for a long time.

Suppliers know this and I expect that the stopping Game from buying practically brand new games back in for profitsssssss would be a high priority issue if they want any kind of help.

It will be interesting to see what happens to the used game market in a post game world.

 

[glaringradio]

It will be interesting to see what happens to the used game market in a post game world.

Extremely well stocked CEX stores I'd guess.