Beanie Posted March 14, 2006 Posted March 14, 2006 Well i shall visit town less when it happens. It's not just Game as I could not find the Gamecube 'New' shelf anywhere in Gamestation today. Sure, they had a shelf of previously owned games, but there were no new ones. A bit surprised I was. Oh well, last 2 games I think I'll be buying brand new are Zelda and Baten Kaitos 2 A few weeks ago I went to my local Gamestation where a couple of friends work. I bought VJ2 and asked how much their Freeloaders were, and one said "£2.99". I asked why it was so cheap (usual price is about £12) and they said they were phasing GC out. So yeah, maybe it's a national thing...I just thought it might have my local store. Game, though, have had a tiny section near the back for ages. I can put the odds on Gamestation keeping the prices high still, the robbing buggers. £27 for a second-hand Batallion Wars!
pdhq64 Posted March 16, 2006 Posted March 16, 2006 Right. I'm just going to clear a few things up. I'm an ex-employee of GAME, so I know what goes on. And, so you know, I'm as disappointed as most that GAME stopped stocking the GameCube. (They got a memo yesterday saying they're allowed to stock preowned games again) Game suck ass anyways. They always charge more than say Argos, Tesco or Asda etc. ....have you not heard about GAME's price match policy? As long as the other shop is in town, GAME will match their price (on new...not preowned, but I think that's up to the store manager). So you get a cheaper price AND the reward card points. and as for sony paying game huge amounts of money for shelf space... that should not be legal Why not? At the end of the day, its just advertising space. Great a ton of PS2 shelves with games sitting there until they gather dust very good move.. Correct. It is. It was extremely rare to sell a single GameCube game in a day. However, many many many PS2 games were sold. It's logical that you have less of what people don't want, and more of what people do... Sony isnt paying them to do this nor are they paying them for shelve space- it just happens that the European home console market is Sony's bitch. Actually, no. Some shelves, publishers pay for. Chart positions, publishers pay for. The EA tower that GAME used to have? EA paid for it. Posters in the windows? Paid for. Special mentions in the GAME magazines? Paid for. You get the idea. This doesnt bother me in the slightest, I NEVER buy games from Game anymore for the simple reason that whenever bought a game from there, they dont even bother giving you the manual or other things your SUPPOSED to get in the box. (mumbles about a lack of VIP card in Mario Sunshine). I've only ever had this happen to me once, and that was also for a Nintendo VIP card (Doshin the Giant). You could have asked for whatever you're missing. If you get home and find a manual is missing, take the game back. They'll replace it under the "no quibble 10 day return" policy. And if you kick up a fuss about it, chances are the manager will go into the back and grab a few freebies for your trouble. Demo discs, T-Shirts, keyrings, and other random promo items. The people who run the stores are right ****s and blackmail companies like EA for discounts otherwise they wipe all of their games off the shelves. Hahahaha. It's not blackmail. It's business. "You pay us more, else we won't promote this game". Not a good thing, but it happens. Ever wonder why, for the first few weeks of release, The Sims 2 was only found in the chart? NOWHERE else in the store. Head Office sent a memo specifically telling stores to comply with this. After a few weeks, EA saw how many sales they'd lost, and they promptly kissed and made up. With GAME's market position (number 1 games retailer in the country), they can afford to do this. Why can gameplay charge less then? Because the only overheads they have are a warehouse. GAME, GameStation, Argos, Asda, Tescos etc... all have shops. That's - rent, water, gas, electricity, all kinds of taxes. They all have to be paid for... (As Ash said). At one GAME Store, I bought my mum Another Code, brand new, as a gift. However when it was turned on, there was already a save file on it. This leads me to believe that the employees were playing the game before selling it, which technically means the game wasn't even new anymore. Pathetic. You'll probably find that it wasn't the employees that played it. You know when you do a 10 day return, what happens to the game? Why do you think GAME insist it's in the same condition as when you bought it? They put it back out as new. Sure, technically it's not new, and it's something I questioned my managers about quite a few times, and I never got a straight reply. So I can't answer that one. You can go almost anywhere else and find games for cheaper than in GAME. You'd be suprised. Sure, full price stuff is horribly expensive, but as soon as you start getting promotions, offers, and deal of the week's, thats where it starts to get good. For example, some games get put on Deal of the Week a week after release. If it's a PS2 game, you'll normally find that a £40 game goes down to £20 for that week. GameCube is often £25, and Xbox, £20. The way I've always told customers to do things is, to trade stuff in at GameStation (their trade in prices are much better), and then buy from here. You'll often find GS's cash price is better than GAME's standard trade in price. How can GameStation do this? That's part of why they're around. GAME's reason, however, is (no matter what you think) to sell new (as in..not preowned) games as cheaply as possible. It's their way of keeping the custom. And, to be honest, it's working. I've often had to go and do competitor checks, and you normally find, when there are 20-30 people in GAME, there are 5-10 in GameStation. The only problem here is dealing with acne infested clerks that know zero about games that aren't for PS2. Ok, people always complain about this, but I've never experienced it myself. Never. Not at GAME, GameStation, or anywhere else. (Tescos, Asda, Argos not included). When a manager hires staff, they do so on the basis that the person will be able to benefit the store. They need to KNOW about games. What the latest releases are, whether there are any Horse Racing games on the PS2 (you get the idea...they need to know about the back catalogue as well), and they also need to be friendly and attentive, as you would expect any person working in retail to be. If you don't think the staff know what they're talking about, go and speak to the manager. Take your CV in, and get a job there. You're obviously much better at the job... And those morons at GAMES forget that their GC games will be played on the Revolution! So you know, not all GAME staff are on the internet 24/7 looking for the latest rumours and news, etc.. Many people have lives (shock horror!), where they go out and socialise. Perhaps you could take a few tips from these people, eh? And, if your excuse is that "oh..but they should have been told by GAME". Well no, actually. GAME only need to send out information about a console when a rough launch is announced. For example, 2 days ago my local store got their PS3 preorder stuff sent through. Yep, that's a day before the "November" announcement. Retailers only start taking orders for products when they know a release timeframe. So..when is the Revolution coming out? I don't solely shop at GAME. I'm a student - I shop where ever is cheapest. When I find a game I like the look of, I'll walk round town going into every shop that sells games until I find the cheapest price. I'll get on the internet using my phone, and check Froogle. The manager at GAME in my town hates me for it, but at the end of the day, I'm the type of customer each store wants. Every store has it's loyal customers, who ONLY shop at that store. I'm not one of them. I know how GAME works (at store level), and I know how much better it works than competitors. So, please, before saying "GAME is shit, GAME sucks", etc. Think about what they're actually there to do. The company doesn't care if you like the game you bought. It's a business, and that's all it'll ever be. On store level, you'll find that staff actually do care if you like a game. We take customer recommendations very seriously. If a customer comes in and says "Yo, dis fiddy cent game is wack. I wanna return it.", we'll tell other people (if they ask how it is) "Oh. We had a customer in earlier returning it. He didn't like it". Likewise, if we remember the customer bought Gun, while they're at the checkout, we'll ask if they liked it. (You get to remember faces quite quickly). Not only does this provide a good level of customer service (the customer walks away thinking "Yeah. They remembered me." and feels good about it), it also allows staff to gauge how good a game is. I know this might come as a suprise to you all, but GAME staff aren't made of money. We can't necessarily afford to buy every new release. We're only human, afterall.
KKOB Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 i better pick up my copies of odama and chibi robo pretty soon after they come out then :S:S:S
AshMat Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 i better pick up my copies of odama and chibi robo pretty soon after they come out then :S:S:S http://www.gameplay.com http://www.game.co.uk http://www.ebay.co.uk EDIT: pdhq64, that was a great post, cleared up a lot of stuff.
BlueStar Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 You'd think "Lowest price guarenteed" meant that they sold games for the lowest price, not that they sold them £10 more expensive than other shops, but if you can be bothered to go to the other shop, find out the price, walk back to Game, then you can have it for that much. It's aimed at confusing Game's target audience, people who don't know any better like kids parents, into thinking that Game keep an eye on competitors and keep their price as low as them. i.e, "don't bother going round the corner to that other shop, pet, it wont be any cheaper!"
ShadowV7 Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 I went out last week to a GAME and they were still selling games for GC full price
Ashley Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 You'd think "Lowest price guarenteed" meant that they sold games for the lowest price, not that they sold them £10 more expensive than other shops, but if you can be bothered to go to the other shop, find out the price, walk back to Game, then you can have it for that much. "Lowest Price Guarantee", with that wording, could mean they are selling it for the lowers price they can sell it for, doesn't necessarily eman they are selling it for the lowest price compared to everyone else. It's aimed at confusing Game's target audience, people who don't know any better like kids parents, into thinking that Game keep an eye on competitors and keep their price as low as them. i.e, "don't bother going round the corner to that other shop, pet, it wont be any cheaper!" GAME do keep an eye on competitors prices, not only at a higher up level but also each store is required to do a daily (or weekly, can't remember) competitors price check of local stores.
Towers Posted April 8, 2006 Posted April 8, 2006 Used to buy from Game.. Then I got wise and only buy from the net. I'm not saying Game are bad, just over priced. I don't buy games from any store now though, unless I just so happen to notice a special offer or something. Play, Gameplay and Simplygames are my stores of choice
Tellyn Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 This could be a good move, because when Revolution is out it will be classed as a new console, not just a new GameCube or GC2.
Nintendork Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 I agree with almost everything pdhq64 has to say. I shop in GAME for consoles, but usually get games off Amazon/Gameplay. With regard to GameCube what do you expect? it's the same situation with Macs.. niche market, it'll cost you an extra £50 to buy one in a store than it does to buy one from Apple.com, minus the 2 week wait for delivery. Shame-ola. The high street is in crisis, it's a shame.. I think they are at more of a threat from the supermarkets than websites though, because at a supermarket you get the price of the website.. and the service of a shop. Tesco price match anything and their customer service policies go beyond what is expect and reasonable. As few as 50% of the houses are online.. that's still a pretty big market.. I know most people who play games are younger, have more money and more likely to have the internet than the old people of the country so that statistic is slightly flawed.. but it's still a big market. But those people STILL go to supermarkets. That is where the high street retailer is at risk, because GAME's policy does not extend to supermarkets unless they are in the town centre. (usually only controller by Marks and Spencer's and Sainsburys)
Antoin Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 I don't really mind this much. But the thing that annoys me is the fact they sell new GC games for £37.99 yet sell new PS2, Xbox and basically any other console (bar the Xbox 360) for £29.99. If they're phasing it out they need to drop their prices
Tellyn Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 If the prices go to a tenner or below, then I'm grabbing a load for when I get the Revolution. The thing is, the prices were too high and I had to rely on gifts to get gmes.
Jay Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 A few weeks ago I went to my local Gamestation where a couple of friends work. I bought VJ2 and asked how much their Freeloaders were, and one said "£2.99". I asked why it was so cheap (usual price is about £12) and they said they were phasing GC out. So yeah, maybe it's a national thing...I just thought it might have my local store. Game, though, have had a tiny section near the back for ages. I can put the odds on Gamestation keeping the prices high still, the robbing buggers. £27 for a second-hand Batallion Wars! My local Game charges £34.99 for a second hand batallion wars... From my experience Gamestation are a far more reasonable shop than Game pricewise, particularly when it comes to trade-in prices. Their staff also tend to have more of an idea about Games and be friendlier (One time I was trading in some stuff and I was a few quid short of what I wanted, the guy behind the counter said he'd use his discount on it so I could get it ) I used to buy only from Game, then I started going to Gamestation and discovered cheap pre-owned games and then after an incident where the manager at Game refused to sell me Die Hard Vendetta as I had no ID (I was 15 at the time) I stopped buying from them at all. Sounds ridiculous now but at the time I was quite offended Anyway I normally shop online now, its far cheaper although I do trade stuff in at gamestation as by the time I've taken off listing costs and postage it often works out the same as eBay, sometimes I get a better deal and obviously its a far quicker process and you can get some bargains with pre-owned games. I have recently started going to a lot of independent games shops as well as they're good for bargains. Shopping around is always the best way
Mokong Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 my local game store (Gamestop) seems to have its GC stock on a yo-yo string. In the last year (more since last August maybe) First it got seriously reduced shelf space, then it dissappeared, then it came back but only pre-owned, then it dissappeared again, then it came back 98% pre-owned, 2% new (what ever the releases were at the time...Mario Football was one i remember so what ever came out round te same time), then the new games are gone. I went in one day and was looking if there was any decent pre-owned games and the staff told me they just got a load of "new" pre-owned games they were just gonna put out if i wanted to take a look through... and then 2 weeks after that the GC section is once again AWOL, and still is about 2 months later I'm actually afraid to ask if they are gonna stock Zelda:TP or not in case they say, "Sorry, No" DS section is fairly small aswell....
Zero Seven Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 No surprise that Gamecube is getting Phased out as I know the GC is as lively as the good friday agreement here in Northern Ireland, I know very few people who own a GC here and when i tell someone I own a GC they say "oh thats the little purple box console isnt it?" the fact is we all know the "promote the console yourself" just doesnt work as the point is, too many casual gamers after a good few years of the GC's lifespan describe it as "that little purple box console" or the "The Kids Console" Im glad Nintendo is taking a bolder approuch with the Rev, its well needed... It still saddens me even to this day that the GC didnt do half as good as it could of because games like Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros, Wind Waker (short but c,mon!!) Piss down the nostrils of many games on PS2 and Xbox and this is coming from a person who owns an Xbox and actually really really likes it!
Nintendork Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 PS. Anyone want to sell me their little purple box? I am really after a GameCube right now. Tried getting them of several people on the forums because they are often left gathering dust in the later years of their life. Give it a new home! (me) After a GameCube, Official GameCube controller in matching colour and one of the larger official GameCube memory cards. + Any decent games. I've been scowering eBay but I figured it would be best to buy from a forum member first. [/stops whoring the thread] All of this seems ridiculous because when the Revolution comes out people will want to play the better GameCube titles.. it would be wise for stores to keep some of the first party games.
Mokong Posted April 12, 2006 Posted April 12, 2006 Actually i only just remembered this, A few weeks ago in college at lunch, somehow i started talking about games with a classmate of mine, she said was interested in a GameCube cuz it had more "kiddier" games (she likes those kind), she named a few...all i can remember however was when she mentioned Mario... Anyway, i actually recommended that she wait for the Rev and try to find GC games on the net for cheap prices, i could have up talked the GC, but i realised come on lets be honest here. But she did think that was a good idea, but said she prolly would still try find a GC now, then trade it in when the Rev comes (althought I not sure would shops take GC's in on trade in against the Rev?) Oh and Nintendork...there is a whole board for that (Trade/Bargins board)
Recommended Posts