The UK "Game" store is not doing very well financially, I found out why!

[Seraj]

Courtesy of Squall5005 from HUKD for the picture.

Recently I read [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115952-UK-Retailer-Wont-Sell-Ubisoft-Titles-For-Vita-Launch] on the escapist that "Game" considered itself as "the only specialist store in the UK".

No. no. no. no. "Game" is where old people go to buy their grandchildren games and get ripped off. It is cheaper to get games from pretty much *ANYWHERE* else in England (not including the other shops GAME owns, such as Gamestation).

Was in game and I saw an old duffer with what I assume was his grandson buy Jumper: Griffins Story on the 360 for £44.99 a while back (was about 5 quid every where else) couldn't believe my eyes as the shyster Sales assistant basically conned him by saying it was a highly rated BRAND new game.

Black Ops was still going for about £40 when MW3 was released at £45. Is it really a surprise they're going out of business?

Here's another awesome deal from GAME (although I suspect this one was just bad maths on the managers part)

You make a GRAND amazing saving of -£0.75.

Yes, that is minus £0.75. You pay an extra 75p to buy 5 games. Well done "Game", deal of the century!

Seriously though, if the manager can't do simple maths, how on earth did he get that job?

/Rant.

Personally, I can't wait for "Game" to go bust and we see the independent game stores that "Game" elbowed out of business ~8 years ago come back.

And I hope they have more imaginative names than "Game"...

 

[Seraj]

Game was once a decent game store you know... Another company, "Electronic Boutique" bought Game, and decided to change all its store names to Game (EB sounded so much better).


At first prices were still reasonable and they were putting small stores out of business, once they pretty much owned the brick and mortar game store business I guess they decided scamming the ignorant was a much better marketing move than trying to attract gamers.

 

[spartandude]

Game was once a decent game store you know... Another company, "Electronic Boutique" bought Game, and decided to change all its store names to Game (EB sounded so much better).


At first prices were still reasonable and they were putting small stores out of business, once they pretty much owned the brick and mortar game store business I guess they decided scamming the ignorant was a much better marketing move than trying to attract gamers.

i remember only a few years ago i could walk in and get really good deals, really good prices but not i almost never go there.
thankfully if their website is cheaper (a little) if you're buying new games, but used? pfft amazon is the best bet

 

[Seraj]

Game was once a decent game store you know... Another company, "Electronic Boutique" bought Game, and decided to change all its store names to Game (EB sounded so much better).


At first prices were still reasonable and they were putting small stores out of business, once they pretty much owned the brick and mortar game store business I guess they decided scamming the ignorant was a much better marketing move than trying to attract gamers.

i remember only a few years ago i could walk in and get really good deals, really good prices but not i almost never go there.
thankfully if their website is cheaper (a little) if you're buying new games, but used? pfft amazon is the best bet

yeh, Amazon is usually the best place for games nowadays, but just in case, I always check with idealo.co.uk sometimes, you can find cheaper than Amazon.

 

[spartandude]

Game was once a decent game store you know... Another company, "Electronic Boutique" bought Game, and decided to change all its store names to Game (EB sounded so much better).


At first prices were still reasonable and they were putting small stores out of business, once they pretty much owned the brick and mortar game store business I guess they decided scamming the ignorant was a much better marketing move than trying to attract gamers.

i remember only a few years ago i could walk in and get really good deals, really good prices but not i almost never go there.
thankfully if their website is cheaper (a little) if you're buying new games, but used? pfft amazon is the best bet

yeh, Amazon is usually the best place for games nowadays, but just in case, I always check with idealo.co.uk sometimes, you can find cheaper than Amazon.

never heard of that place. thanks il check it next time im looking

cheers mate

 

[Derek_the_Dodo]

The last time I went to Game it was to buy skyrim for the midnight release at oxford st. (Free soft dovahkiin hat and guide! Woo!) and that was only because of the free stuff.

Actually cancel that, I did go a little bit ago to my local one whilst killing time in town with the mind to buy some decent ps2 games to play multiplayer with my housemates. Some of them were only a quid or two, but a fair few games, bear in mind some of these were released about a decade ago, were still going for about 6 or 7 pounds.

I'd actually really like to work there so that I someone could actually get good service in Game for once except I'd probably get fired in the first week for telling the confused old guy that £50 is not a good deal for the smurfs movie game and that he'd be thanked a lot more for getting his grandchild something a whole host cheaper.

Actually on the service note, has anyone else noticed that they are really pushing the friendly interested salesman idea so far that you're hassled by about 7 or 8 different employees asking what you'd like.

I'm in the process of trying to learn and remember this bit to use next time I'm there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiHjzGKc8tA
skip to about the minute mark for the bit I mean.

 

[putowtin]

Game was once a decent game store you know... Another company, "Electronic Boutique" bought Game, and decided to change all its store names to Game (EB sounded so much better).

EB were the biggest set of lying bastards you will ever meet, I should know I was one of them!

1: The price promise: EB promised to match other stores prices (as long as said store had said item in stock) we would ring the store to confirm the price then lie to the customer, saying the price had changed or they had sold out!

2re-Owned: if a store only had one or two copies of a game that was being dropped in price to £15 or less, we were told to buy the game(s) (with a manager discount) for £1, then trade in for £1, then put it out for £19.99, developers get nowt, EB get it all.

3:Kid?s: If a parent came in with a kid to trade in what were obviously the kids games (back when I worked for them you had to be 16 or older to trade in) we would offer less for the trade in, but then offer more (the actual trade in value) if they were buying certain games (you know, brand new, just out this week £50 games!)

4C Gamers: EB?s theory toward PC gamers (which were greater in number when I worked there) was f*@k em, no support, no returns (even if it was proven that the software was faulty). This was back in the day when EB sold PC hardware, graphic and sound cards. If a customer asked about the hardware we were told to lie and tell them that they were the only ones that would run all the current games on the market.

I was there for 9 months, I know for all the evil deeds I had to do in the name of that place I will be going to hell, that special section reserved for retail evil!

 

[Tharwen]

Wait... they're going bust? I'll have to spend this £70 voucher I've had sitting around for the last 3 years soon!

 

[Scrustle]

But Game is the only specialist store in the UK. There's no other chain dedicated purely to gaming.

But yeah, the prices Game has for old and pre-owned games are a joke. They are okay on prices for new games, but if you're lucky enough to find they actually do stock a game that came out more than a few weeks ago then you will find they still price it as if it did.

 

[The Lunatic]

Wait... they're going bust? I'll have to spend this £70 voucher I've had sitting around for the last 3 years soon!

With their pricing, you might be able to get an old PS2 Game with that much.

 

[Seraj]

Game was once a decent game store you know... Another company, "Electronic Boutique" bought Game, and decided to change all its store names to Game (EB sounded so much better).

EB were the biggest set of lying bastards you will ever meet, I should know I was one of them!

1: The price promise: EB promised to match other stores prices (as long as said store had said item in stock) we would ring the store to confirm the price then lie to the customer, saying the price had changed or they had sold out!

2re-Owned: if a store only had one or two copies of a game that was being dropped in price to £15 or less, we were told to buy the game(s) (with a manager discount) for £1, then trade in for £1, then put it out for £19.99, developers get nowt, EB get it all.

3:Kid?s: If a parent came in with a kid to trade in what were obviously the kids games (back when I worked for them you had to be 16 or older to trade in) we would offer less for the trade in, but then offer more (the actual trade in value) if they were buying certain games (you know, brand new, just out this week £50 games!)

4C Gamers: EB?s theory toward PC gamers (which were greater in number when I worked there) was f*@k em, no support, no returns (even if it was proven that the software was faulty). This was back in the day when EB sold PC hardware, graphic and sound cards. If a customer asked about the hardware we were told to lie and tell them that they were the only ones that would run all the current games on the market.

I was there for 9 months, I know for all the evil deeds I had to do in the name of that place I will be going to hell, that special section reserved for retail evil!

Yes, so they haven't changed one bit.

Also, I meant the name "Electronic boutique" was better than the name "Game".

 

[Bebus]

Personally, I can't wait for "Game" to go bust and we see the independent game stores that "Game" elbowed out of business ~8 years ago come back.

I hope they wait until after March 9th to go bust, they owe me a ME3 collectors edition!!

Otherwise, I totally agree with you. Game is a horrible place.

Which is very strange, considering that Gamestation, owned by the same group, is actually pretty damn good. The 'new' prices are still a bit high, but the staff, in my experience of several branches, are a lot nicer, more knowledgeable (real game geeks) and have in the past told me openly when things might be cheaper elsewhere. My local store has a girl working there who will fix your scratched discs for free if you ask her very nicely (£2.50 most places...), and they did me a great deal on goodies, Live and games when they realised I was going to drop £200 on a pre-owned Xbox 360 setup.

 

[Seraj]

Personally, I can't wait for "Game" to go bust and we see the independent game stores that "Game" elbowed out of business ~8 years ago come back.

I hope they wait until after March 9th to go bust, they owe me a ME3 collectors edition!!

Otherwise, I totally agree with you. Game is a horrible place.

Which is very strange, considering that Gamestation, owned by the same group, is actually pretty damn good. The 'new' prices are still a bit high, but the staff, in my experience of several branches, are a lot nicer, more knowledgeable (real game geeks) and have in the past told me openly when things might be cheaper elsewhere. My local store has a girl working there who will fix your scratched discs for free if you ask her very nicely (£2.50 most places...), and they did me a great deal on goodies, Live and games when they realised I was going to drop £200 on a pre-owned Xbox 360 setup.

I prefer CEX when it comes to buying used from brick and mortar stores, not quite sure why, the staff there seem a lot more helpful than the staff at my local gamestation.

(although my local gamestation is small enough to be called a stall)

 

[Bebus]

I prefer CEX when it comes to buying used from brick and mortar stores, not quite sure why, the staff there seem a lot more helpful than the staff at my local gamestation.

(although my local gamestation is small enough to be called a stall)

I have a local Cex which is awesome for price, but is always so busy you don't really get a chance to actually talk with the staff about things sadly! I guess these things vary depending on where you live.

They have an amazing pre-owned PC game selection, my girlfriend loves it because they have copies of all the old Sims game expansions for about £1 each when they are about £15 on Origin.

 

[Scarim Coral]

Consider the recent news that none of the stores had the Wii game "The Last Story" yesterday (the release date in Europe), I will be sad to see it go. It's even worse that they only knew about it on the day before release.

Tiem to move on since there are still other games store online.

 

[SLy AsymMetrY]

My lasting impression of it, is that if your're a gamer with only half a brain, that half will quickly realise it would rather go someplace else.