GAME Group what next?

[LegoMan1031]

They sold a lot of exclusive collectors editions of games.

 

Would they have to pay a lot for exclusivity? If so that probably didn't help finances unless they got a big return of profits from them?

[Ellmeister]

It is feasible they could either transfer the lease to someone else who wants the space or they can end the contract with a penalty which may still be beneficial in the long run to save some money.

 

That or they may be renting anyway in which case the cancellation period is unlikely to be too long.

[Debug Mode]

- Sell 65% of stores. Including Gamestations.

- Reduce stock of popular titles, increase stock of indy titles, reduce prices.

- Open up tester units of all major platforms

- Add rear play room, pay to access to the room, you get to play games in there for X amount of time, if member. Etc.

- Add a coffee bar

- Become a social gaming environment, build relationships and loyalty.

- ????

- Profit.

 

Talking about ideas for them, I noticed something very peculiar whilst in Liverpool city centre the other day.

 

Down in the south when it comes to game specialist stores, the ones that dominate the high streets are mainly just Game and Gamestation which feign competition when the reality is anything but. People shop in other places that sell games, but a store that's business is just games still nets in customers looking for an opinion when they're just browsing and don't have anything specific in mind. That's a problem, because it lets them get cocky enough to jack up the prices, despite the fact some people are starting to realise this and take their money elsewhere.

 

But up in the north, there's an oddity, Grainger Games. The one in Liverpool is pretty good, good range of new and used games and very competitive with their prices. So competitive in fact, just a week before the 3DS launch, they decided to offer it at £210. And pretty quickly, whilst regretting the fact I pre-ordered with Gamestation who were charging £230, they rung me saying they were going to match the price (I was pretty surprised they actually rung me without me contacting them about it).

 

Interesting week this week, the Vita came out. I look in Gamestation and pretty much laughed at the offering. £45 for Uncharted, Fifa and the like. £40 for WipeOut, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 and such. Console was £230 which I already knew about.

 

I go into Grainger Games, literally 3 shops away and shit gets hilarious. Uncharted and Fifa priced at £37, UMVC3 £33 and Wipeout is £30. Console is also £10 less. Three fucking shops away. It's not a new shop, it's been there for a year and a half.

 

You could say they can't afford to match the price considering the situation they're in and well, they don't deserve to survive in that case. Competition is good, the prices come down and the customers are happier and buy more. There's always going to be casualties but a company that big failing is just pathetic. I feel so bad for the people working for them.

[Agent Gibbs]

yeah we have Granger Games in Leeds and they are just the same

First one i noticed moved into a small shopping centre in Cross Gates, Leeds in the same centre there is a Gamestation, and the pricing is the same as you've described @debug_mode.

 

I used to love the Gamestation in Cross Gates it was my nearest games store! they originally were outside the main shopping centre inside Blockbuster (until they were bought out) and were so good back then. I always loved the window displays of old consoles or rare ones like the Virtual Boy they had or the Sega Multimega

 

once it moved inside you could see the difference, the retro stuff was relegated to a cabinet 1/4 of the previous size, there was more space allocated to advertising displays of games coming soon, and prices increased.

 

Granger Games have expanded quite rapidly and its due to the second hand market! the pricing is what Gamestation's used to be before they got greedy. whats more if they buy it from you for an amount its put on the shelves for about 1/4 more at most, compare that to gamestation where they mark up what they pay people by 100% and you can see how they appeal to people.

 

Simply put they lost their way and jacked up all prices.

[EEVILMURRAY]

This is what you get when you keep selling Super Mario Bros Wii for £35 and £33 second hand.

Guess i will have to settle for something else, though i really resent using up points on something i dont really want.

See if you can get something you can flog to someone. Might as well try to get something back for it.

'Sell the stores' wouldn't really help, they would have to keep on paying the lease on the contract for the store until it runs out, you might as well keep a store open taking in money rather than paying for a lease on an empty shop. I would take a good gamble the leases are pretty long term as well.

It's not just the lease that would need paying if they stayed open, you've got all your electric, employees, heating, cleaning, etc. It may be better for GAME to cut their losses with some stores.

[flameboy]

yeah we have Granger Games in Leeds and they are just the same

First one i noticed moved into a small shopping centre in Cross Gates, Leeds in the same centre there is a Gamestation, and the pricing is the same as you've described @debug_mode.

 

I used to love the Gamestation in Cross Gates it was my nearest games store! they originally were outside the main shopping centre inside Blockbuster (until they were bought out) and were so good back then. I always loved the window displays of old consoles or rare ones like the Virtual Boy they had or the Sega Multimega

 

once it moved inside you could see the difference, the retro stuff was relegated to a cabinet 1/4 of the previous size, there was more space allocated to advertising displays of games coming soon, and prices increased.

 

Granger Games have expanded quite rapidly and its due to the second hand market! the pricing is what Gamestation's used to be before they got greedy. whats more if they buy it from you for an amount its put on the shelves for about 1/4 more at most, compare that to gamestation where they mark up what they pay people by 100% and you can see how they appeal to people.

 

Simply put they lost their way and jacked up all prices.

 

Yes I remember that Gamestation the way it used to be and missed it so much! Remember goin back and being very confused as to why it had moved and got sh!tty! Didn't realise you were from Leeds...even though it clearly says it on side bar.

[Will]

I remember working in EB back in the day, it was after they had bought Game but before they started merging the businesses. It was actually a great place to work and I really enjoyed it. Then they started merging things and it all began to go downhill. I left pretty shortly after due to forum related slagging of Game on the old Edge forums - more good times.

 

I'm not at all surprised they're in the position they are. They've not exactly moved with the times or created somewhere that's a good experience for anyone to shop in. As a customer with a bit of insight it's been clear they're not really doing anything to ensure continued success. When I left the UK I was buying games online and consoles from Supermarkets, there was just no point in shopping at Game.

 

I still get lots of the UK numbers sent over to me and they make for pretty grim reading. I seriously doubt Game will make it to Christmas.

[Debug Mode]

It's not just the lease that would need paying if they stayed open, you've got all your electric, employees, heating, cleaning, etc. It may be better for GAME to cut their losses with some stores.

 

This. A few of us were actually discussing how ridiculous their concentration of stores are in some places in the news board. They really need to evaluate these area's quickly and get rid of one or two. There's 3 within 5 minutes walk of each other in my home town and it's a pretty small town!

[ReZourceman]

I lose count (Okay, I don't lose count but I can think of three) instances where you can see GAME from GAME. That really does strike me as being ultra-fucktarded.

[CoolFunkMan]

This. A few of us were actually discussing how ridiculous their concentration of stores are in some places in the news board. They really need to evaluate these area's quickly and get rid of one or two. There's 3 within 5 minutes walk of each other in my home town and it's a pretty small town!

 

I agree. They have two stores in Wolverhampton (last time I checked, it's been a few years since I last went), and on the same high street. It's literaly not even a minutes walk between the two! Merry Hill shopping centre has two GAME stores as well, again, a few mins from each other. At one point, GAME even closed down one of the Merry Hill stores, then reopened it again a few months later, it's ridiculous! I think that, in these densely populated areas, they should close down stores, especialy with them now owning Gamestation.

 

As for the entire situation itself, it is a shame. GAME used to be good, until they went ott with pricing. Thing is, with supermarkets and online stores having competitive prices, and plus the fact we're still in a recession, things look bleak for GAME. Unless they can pull thier finger out and come up with some good ideas. Some of the ideas mentioned in this thread are pretty good, making it a more social space (tester units, gaming rooms, etc.)

 

But perhaps it's too little, too late. To be honest, I see GAME completely closing down by the end of the year.

[flameboy]

I lose count (Okay, I don't lose count but I can think of three) instances where you can see GAME from GAME. That really does strike me as being ultra-fucktarded.

 

When you take into account Gamestation and play I can see GAME and Gamestation from GAME it's even more stupid.

 

- Sell 65% of stores. Including Gamestations.

- Reduce stock of popular titles, increase stock of indy titles, reduce prices.

- Open up tester units of all major platforms

- Add rear play room, pay to access to the room, you get to play games in there for X amount of time, if member. Etc.

- Add a coffee bar

- Become a social gaming environment, build relationships and loyalty.

- ????

- Profit.

 

The HMV flagship store and the one in Manchester have areas just like this. I think its a good idea problem is 90% of stores aren't big enough to have anything anywhere near this. I mean the two here in Harrogate maybe one could kind of fit such an area but not big enough for what you want...

[Agent Gibbs]

Yeah the locations of stores is crazy

 

In Leeds City Centre there is a Game on The Headrow, less than 2 min walk away there is another equally large store next to a star bucks

Then there is a Gamestation by the markets, 5 min away from them!

 

In the White rose shopping centre there currently is a GAME, however during Christmas last year they had 2 Stores! AND.... a Store inside the Debenhams! Look the building up on google its not that large!

 

Then out at Birstal, another out of town shopping centre they have a Gamestation, and until Boarders went bust a GAME inside there!

 

Madness they need to re-evaluate the situation drasticly

[Ellmeister]

Okay so we all think there are too many stores. Too many overhead costs without enough revenue being brought into the company.

 

Any other pitfalls?

[Raining_again]

we only ever had one game in Ballymena, but gamestore etc never came over here to be bought over in the first place... Would be great to see a revival of retro shit but its a bit of a niche market with a very small market, not forgetting the fact you can buy old games on ebay for pence!

 

I won't be sad to see them go... better get in and spend my £15ish points before they die :p

[Ashley]

Okay so we all think there are too many stores. Too many overhead costs without enough revenue being brought into the company.

 

Any other pitfalls?

 

Not enough me.

[Ellmeister]

Mass Effect?

[Cube]

Ashley, can you get a job at Apple next?

[Jamba]

Ashley, can you get a job at Apple next?

 

He just mocked my iPhone

Steve would never do that...

[Fierce_LiNk]

You guys are completely missing the point.

 

There's massive differences between GAME and Gamestation.

 

GAME is light. Very white. In fact, I think I've been blinded on occasion by walking inside there.

 

Gamestation is dark. Sometimes, I don't even know what I'm buying in there. It's most likely any old crap.

 

See. Completely different. What a sick world we live in if we can't have both.

[Mokong]

Ashley, can you get a job at Apple next?

 

Or how about Sony and MS? haha

 

Just so long as you make sure to turn down any offer Nintendo may make you no matter how good the pay :wink:

[Fierce_LiNk]

Ashley was obviously the glue that held GAME together. He left, and look what happened. Meltdown.

[Ashley]

Ashley, can you get a job at Apple next?

 

I did try actually but the Kool-Aid left a funny taste in my mouth.

[Ellmeister]

I'm doing my part to keep GAME going.

 

Just went and spent the £45 worth of trade in credit I'd swapped with my sister and used it to buy a Kinect..for my sisters.

 

Whilst I was in there at the till, a lady went to the counter saying play.com are doing FIFA cheaper than GAME will they price match it and a guy just said "No." So she walked out.

 

THEN, a lady came in asking what was the new mario game out and whether they were doing it and the same guy said "No."

 

Way to make a sale!

[Jamba]

Guardian are predicting that Game will lose profits of £2-2.5m by not stocking ME3.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketforceslive/2012/mar/01/game-falls-further-mass-effect-dispute

[Jimbob]

@Ellmeister. If only GAME would match to online stores, they'd make a sale and probably live a little longer as well.

 

Guardian are predicting that Game will lose profits of £2-2.5m by not stocking ME3.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marketforceslive/2012/mar/01/game-falls-further-mass-effect-dispute

 

Dear oh dear, and EA couldn't see past financial difficulties for this