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

[ipop@you]

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.

Thirded (is that a word?)

CEX are generally awesome for me, especially when compared to GAME. I spent the last £9 on my card rewards card on getting Just Cause 2 for 30p and now I'll probably never go back, especially considering I'm getting a good pc soon so I'll be able to use steam for pretty much anything I want.

 

[weker]

There are way to many places to buy video games online with many better offers, not to mention the likes of preowned games seem to not only increased in price but reduced the amount you got for giving them in.
I used to get almost 20 25 when I traded in now I am lucky to get 10, and picking up a preowned game? well I would be surprised to see more then a 5 pound difference.

 

[StBishop]

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.

And then there's people like myself who work in retail and genuinely care, who go out of their way to track down hard to find pre-owned games, try to make sure people know what they're getting into when purchasing games (explaining the stupid ratings system Australia has to grnadmothers looking for MW3) and then you get that reaction and it literally ruins your day.

Or the people who assume I get a commission and tell me to fuck right off because they think I'll try coerce them into buying the expensive shit that they don't want.

But you know. What ever.

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

They expire after 12 months. Usually.

 

[Jake Lewis Clayton]

Likeing the shout out to HUKDs

and game is utter rubbish to be honest. I only ever had one good experience and that was when wrath of the litch king came out (burn't onto a new less opaque disc which older dvd readers couldn't read, took about 20 minutes to get a refund though, [nothing stated on the box about it except required disc speed])

 

[Xyliss]

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

Yea the only time I buy from Game now is for pre-ordering a game, because it's the same price everywhere, more or less, on release day and also because they usually send them out a day early. Other than that I tend to go for gamestation (Which isnt much cheaper) or CEX which has some good deals on used games

 

[Toilet]

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 two Game stores in my town, one Gamestation and one CEX and I always go to CEX despite it being a pit run by unpleasant people, the deals there are just really good.

 

[Albino Boo]

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"...

The REAL reasons why game are in difficulty are


1 They over leveraged buying the game stores. EB bought at the top of the market which has since crashed making the repayments that much harder.

2 Last year the UK games market fell by 60%. Any retailer would have significant problems with a 60% fall in sales, let alone one maxed out on debt.

3. Unfair business practices by Amazon. Amazon UK pay exactly £0 in UK corporation tax. They use a tax dodge throughout the EU by which the Amazon in each EU country only provides a delivery service at cost to Amazon Europe which owns the product. Amazon Europe is based in Liechtenstein which is a tax haven. Game have to pay 28%.

There is not a chance in hell of independent games shops returning to the high street in face 28% difference in tax rate with Amazon in the UK.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

The only redeeming factor for GAME I have is I had an awesome conversation with an incredibly beautiful girl in the Lincoln store when I bought my 3DS! We chatted quite a bit!

But that is it's only redeeming factor... a single stunning employee... other than that I am not impressed! Independant retailers are 1000 times better! The Games Exchange near to my home is the best I know! They are incredibly helpfull, and a lot cheaper than GAME!

 

[vrbtny]

3. Unfair business practices by Amazon. Amazon UK pay exactly £0 in UK corporation tax. They use a tax dodge throughout the EU by which the Amazon in each EU country only provides a delivery service at cost to Amazon Europe which owns the product. Amazon Europe is based in Liechtenstein which is a tax haven. Game have to pay 28%.

There is not a chance in hell of independent games shops returning to the high street in face 28% difference in tax rate with Amazon in the UK.

I thought Amazon's Tax dodge was Jersey? And I know for sure that tax dodge has been closed, it was on the Radio that they weren't allowed to use it anymore.

Mind, I may be thinking of a different Tax dodge. Only god knows how many Tax dodges amazon are using.... I'll still buy their insanely cheap games though.

 

[fix-the-spade]

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

Grainger Games?

Ok, they're a bunch of arses and they only have stores in the north. BUT, the 'north' is still part of the UK and they're still much better than GAME is in their pricing and behaviour, even if they are a bunch of arses.

 

[wooty]

I'm lucky enough to have a GAME, Gamestation, HMV and a CEX in my town...yet I mostly only go to GS.

Game is too expensive as is HMV and I refuse to go to CEX anymore after the way I was treated when I worked there. I do shop at Gameplay.co.uk too, but I hear thats getting shut down too.

 

[Flailing Escapist]

This is why I have THREE game stores that I use: Gamestop and 2 in town stores.

Gamestop: exclusively for pre-orders

Gamesource: Its a small game store that only exists in town - I sell all my used games there for about two to three times as much as gamestop would give me plus they carry Nintendo 64, Sega and since then parts and games, usually very cheap. A year ago I bought a gamecube, two controllers, Twilight Princess, Smash Bros Melee and Resident Evil 4 for less than $60.

And Entertainmart: A large movie/game/music store that has the largest selection of games from this and last generation in town - their used games are much cheaper than gamestop.

Not to mention ordering online or renting games. I guess you could say Gamestop is a fail all around but they do get those delicious pre-order exclusives... and it's right next to where I live... so I don't have to go far to get there.

Just remember children, as long as you know Gamestop is evil they can't eat you.

 

[VonKlaw]

There is not a chance in hell of independent games shops returning to the high street in face 28% difference in tax rate with Amazon in the UK.

Except independant stores can use old fashioned things that GAME tend to ignore like...customer service, say?

 

[Albino Boo]

3. Unfair business practices by Amazon. Amazon UK pay exactly £0 in UK corporation tax. They use a tax dodge throughout the EU by which the Amazon in each EU country only provides a delivery service at cost to Amazon Europe which owns the product. Amazon Europe is based in Liechtenstein which is a tax haven. Game have to pay 28%.

There is not a chance in hell of independent games shops returning to the high street in face 28% difference in tax rate with Amazon in the UK.

I thought Amazon's Tax dodge was Jersey? And I know for sure that tax dodge has been closed, it was on the Radio that they weren't allowed to use it anymore.

Mind, I may be thinking of a different Tax dodge. Only god knows how many Tax dodges amazon are using.... I'll still buy their insanely cheap games though.

That was Play.com way of dodging VAT which, as you correctly state, has been closed. I don't think Amazon used it because the they would pay VAT at Liechtenstein rates due to dodging Europe wide corporation taxes. Its a given, that as a consumer you would go for the cheap prices, you would be stupid not to. The issue is one a regulatory nature, Amazon have an advantage by not having a bricks and mortar shops and thats fair enough. But why should they have tax advantage on top of that? They benefit from operating inside they UK why shouldn't they pay Tax on those profits arising from the UK. Personally I own some property in Hungary which I rent out. I pays taxes in Hungary from the profits and I don't have problem with that but why should Amazon be any different.

There is not a chance in hell of independent games shops returning to the high street in face 28% difference in tax rate with Amazon in the UK.

Except independant stores can use old fashioned things that GAME tend to ignore like...customer service, say?

I dont see how thats going to make 28% more money than amazon, which they have to do achieve the same level of profitably and thats ignoring the costs of running a bricks and mortar operation.

 

[Susurrus]

SNIP

Incorrect, they did use it. I used to get all my games from Amazon via the retailer "Indigo Starfish", and that was based on Jeresy. The tax dodge was recently closed.

HMV are going bust for much the same reason. It amazes me that they're still in business. I walked in with a gift voucher I got for Christmas for HMV recently. I couldn't find anything at all in the boxed set section (often they had season 3 or season 6 of something, but hardly ever did they have season 1).

So I went to look for old stuff - I looked for Futurama. Again, they only had 1 season, and it was season 4. Fine, whatever. Looked at the price tag. £45. For a single season of futurama. A show that ended in 2003. I mean, I know amazon can do it cheaper, and they have no bricks and mortar to finance, and the staffing is much lower, I know all of that. But I hate waiting for deliveries, especially when I might not be in to take it, and have to trek for miles to get to nearest post office. So I'm prepared to pay a little over the odds. But for the same price, on amazon, I can get seasons 1-4 of futurama (£29.99) AND season 5 of futurama (that's the new one, with all the episodic movies) (£15.99) for the same price as HMV want to charge me for 1/5 of that.

I mean, why would I pay that?

And given that BOTH sellers MUST know that the majority of their audiences are younger people, and therefore more likely to be au fait with technology, and thus REALISE what a rip-off everything is, how can they HOPE to stay in business in the long term? It's ridiculous.

Ok, they need to make say a 28% mark-up. Bearing in mind that season 4 is £11.49 on amazon, that should mean they need to charge something like: £14:80. So lets say £15:00. I would have paid that for a season of Futurama. The actual percentage increase they were trying to charge was a massive 400%.

TLDR:
Season 4 Futurama at HMV - £45.
Seasons 1-5 Futurama at AMazon - £45.

(Season 4 individually on Amazon: £11.49 - 400% increase if buy at HMV).

 

[MetaKnight19]

While the prices are usually ridiculously high, (L.A. Noire for £45 in GAME, £20 in local supermarket) the staff were nice enough and I always had a decent chat with them. The manager is a huge Oblivion fanboy so I jokingly told him it's overrated, he spent the next 10 minutes trying to convince me Oblivion is epic.

Admittedly, I sometimes had to tell them about new game announcements and so on, I was thinking 'Surely it's your job to know about this stuff...' I went to pre-order The Darkness 2 and they said it didn't exist...

 

[vrbtny]

-Snip-

I'm pretty sure Amazon used it in some capacity too. Mainly because anything I've ever bought from Amazon (as in sold by Amazon, or Indigo Starfish, which is also Amazon) always comes from Jersey. The letter always comes with a return address on the envelope, and that is always for somewhere on Jersey.

Just In case your interested, In America right now, Amazon are getting into a bit of a tussle in California, mainly for tax-dodging(or, not paying any taxes on sales they make, mainly because they aren't based in-state) The people of California want to force Amazon to pay sales tax to California(mainly because California is broke, and they want a way to fill the gap)

You may already know, but just wanted to share some gossip.

 

[Matthew McDonald]

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?

I think you did the maths wrong. The total price of those games is £34.25, which is a saving of 75p. It's a crap deal for sure, but you're not paying £35.75 which is what I read when you say you're paying an extra 75p.

It's no different with Game here in Australia. They have a sign up saying they'll price match, then when you go in they say 'oh we can't price match that because we would lose money at that price'. This has happened for everything I have tried to price match there.

 

[Total LOLige]

I shop at HMV when buying games on release date because they give awesome trade in prices and the occasional trade in Game X and get Game Y at for 9.99. For other games I've been buying from amazon more and more lately, because you can buy a new copy of a game for the price of a pre-owned copy at GAME.

 

[The White Hunter]

Fucking hate Game. Amazon is always massively cheaper.
I got vouchers for game for Xmas and I'm not happy about it, I went to go use them on The Darkness 2, which has been out, what, two fucking weeks, and my local game is sold out of PS3 copies.

But then again my local Game has 90% of the store dedicated to the fucking 360, half a shelf of PS3 stuff, a shelf of wii stuff, preowned only on the DS, no PSP, no 3DS, half a shelf of Vita, and no fucking PC games.

So yeah. Fuck Game, I do actually hop[e they fucking go under so maybe we can have some competition in our games market and then I can buy a game from a fecking shop.