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Game in Trouble


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HOLA441
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HOLA442

Wouldn't have thought there will be any takers. The business model is finished. Only worth now is in the stock and buildings (so none, given the debts involved).

"In trouble" is not a phrase I would have used! They are FINISHED! :blink:

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HOLA443
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HOLA445

Game lost a lot of ground to supermarkets and online/second hand retail in recent years, but still surprisingly sad to hear of this. Could this be part of another video game bubble burst? Like with Atari roughly three decades ago?

Edited by Big Orange
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HOLA446

Digital delivery seems to be their holy grail, mainly to block second hand sales as far as I can see. Wouldn't be much fun with my broadband connection though. I've tried cloud solutions and they don't work for me.

There is still a huge distance to go in terms of graphics and experience. I'm going to stick my neck out and predict the continuation of console based gaming, hard copy, and second hand. Game was just a bit too greedy, and not niche enough to justify being niche.

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HOLA447

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=36344733#post36344733

Yesterday, I was informed by management (I work at a Gamestation) that we're not opening at 9am tomorrow. Instead, we're waiting for a conference call that will say which stores stay open and which ones close. Any stores closing will do so immediately, and staff will be sent home.

I'm willing to bet only one store will remain open in each area; that being the most profitable one.

My store isn't the most profitable in the area, and we're located dead-opposite a GAME, so I think my store will be closed. Though it's been sounding likely that all Gamestation stores will be closed, with the exception of a select handful (probably those not located near a GAME), which will be turned into GAME stores.

A game employee was heard to say that European stores were told to 'fend for themselves' ie. you are getting no more stock and you ain't getting paid unless you flog what's already in the store.

Edited by Saving For a Space Ship
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HOLA4411

Could this be part of another video game bubble burst? Like with Atari roughly three decades ago?

If anything, the video game industry will keep growing, all thats happened is that distribution has changed from bricks and mortar to online downloads as increased broadband speeds mean you can buy and download games without leaving your den... You can also find much better deals online than in stores.

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HOLA4413

GAME and Gamestation closures - the complete list

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/store-closures-begin-at-game-and-gamestation/093365

Irish GAME staff sit-in due to redundancy dispute

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/irish-game-staff-considering-sit-in-due-to-redundancy-dispute/093375

Some staff from GAME's 13 Irish stores are reportedly considering a sit-in protest over unpaid redundancy.

Administrators PwC have told staff they will pay them their March wages but nothing beyond – including their April pay from their notice period and any redundancy compensation.

Instead, PwC has told staff to claim official state redundancy from the Government.

UPDATE: We are currently receiving reports that a sit-in is under way at one of GAME's Dublin stores.

Edited by Saving For a Space Ship
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HOLA4414

'PwC also said that all gift cards for Game and Gamestation had been suspended, meaning that customers would not be able to use them to buy merchandise and no cash exchange would be offered.'

When promises turn to dust...

Gift vouchers are such a con. You replace money you can spend all over the place, with money you can only spend in one shop (if they don't go bust).

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HOLA4416

GAME and Gamestation closures - the complete list

Are there any Game stores left

Speaking locally, two Sheffield city centre stores are going but it looks as if the one at Meadowhall will survive, along with the one at Parkgate Rotherham.

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HOLA4418

Interesting how quickly fortunes change in the 'new' economy.

At the start of 2009 - post-Woolworths collapse - they were still a retail darling of the stockmarket.

This from mid-2008: http://www.retail-week.com/game-profits-rocket/1292849.article

They should just allow everything, apart from supermarkets and online, to close rather than this prolonged High St death spiral. I imagine once the void rates top 25% and things like under-performing Argos branches start closing their doors in number it will be impossibly hard for anything much left behind. I don't think high transport costs will be anywhere near enough to reverse the decline.

Some of the, redundancy money burning a hole in their pockets, numpties that opened coffee shops, and the like, must be running out of house equity to secure life-support business loans against. Someone in shopfitting - which has had a bit of mini-boom off the back of the newly redundant - was saying the other day it seems to have slowed down.

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HOLA4419

They've shut the 3 in Manchester Arndale and Trafford Centre (which have enormous footfall) and kept open the one in Manchester Fort (which is miles from anywhere).

Bonkers. Due to the Rent I suppose.

I'm not 100% on how the administrators choose - would assume anywhere that's clearly profitable is kept. Typically anywhere that a landlord is confident they can re-let on similar or better terms they won't entertain making concessions so - this view may change with time though - are confident they can happily say goodbye to Game.

Probably, what remains is a mixture of, what were, clearly profitable branches and shops where landlords know they're staring at best a charity shop or at worst a local art installation in the face and will accept virtually any lease deal as an alternative.

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HOLA4420

They've shut the 3 in Manchester Arndale and Trafford Centre (which have enormous footfall) and kept open the one in Manchester Fort (which is miles from anywhere).

Bonkers. Due to the Rent I suppose.

Only one in Trafford has gone, there were two, one on each floor.

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HOLA4423

Popped into the game store in Fleet this morning. It said on the BBC that the closures were immediate, and they weren't joking. Store was definitely closed for business, with staff inside busy clearing the shelves. A hand written note attached to the window explained the situation, and pointed me in the direction of their nearest store. Farnborough in my case.

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