It's sad news but the fact is activision and ubisoft are now the only two big players they are left with and who's to say they won't do the same next time they have a big release, if game make it that long.

 

im being dumb here im not fully understanding it. Game are buying/renting/loaning the games from the publishers to sell in their shops? So its not publisher saying Game please sell our games and Game are taking a cut, if no shop they are loosing sales so loose out, why would they do that?

 

I think it boils down to why bother. If the publisher can sell 2 million units to Amazon there and then or let Game "borrow" 100'000 units to sell and have some returned unsold in the future, what's the point? All it means is that joe public will have to get their stuff cheaper online instead of getting robbed in store with inflated collect now prices that are often later than the posted out new releases anyway.

People say that high street stores are dead, but if you can't compete with online prices for whatever business model you have then you are bound to fail. If the industry will discount for bulk buys to an extent that will make it not worth running an independent store, then unfortunately its the industry that's killing the smaller stores, not the internet/customers. Corporate greed far outweighs anything consumers will do.

 

Looks like game are having a firesale starting tomorrow . Ds's for £20, wii's for £39. In our local game microsoft points are £2.90 for 800 points.

 

sounds like they are deffo in the brown stuff, quite imminent from the news today.
need a new buyer/investor and pay the rent or go under...

 

Shares dropped 48% on that announcement

Down from £.70 to 1.7p per share..

as for a firesale, more like a diresale

went into my local store saturday...


usually heaving... almost empty

best reduction was on some second hand games, but none stood out.

all the new stuff was at premium pricing


It all went pete when they bought gamestation, it should have been the other way round imho

Mart

 

I hope someone takes it over as I like having a game store to browse on the high street, it's not the same looking in supermarkets. I know there's hmv but it would be nice to see another chain emerge from it all.

 

I picked up fallout 3 for £1.98, apart form that most of the cheap games were a load of tosh. I suspect most of the cheap xbox points were snapped up by the staff to sell on when they are on the dole.

 

well they have filed for administration today apparently

 

sure I saw that a few 'vultures' were lining up to pick at the bones? Or there was talk of Comet buying them?

There was some kind of firesale happening in their stores although they called it a spring clean. Saw it advertised on Hot UK Deals - went down and they had nothing left!!

Had heard they were selling DS's for £19.99 and DSi's for £29.99, PS3's for £80 - all second user but good value nonetheless!

 

Another shop off the high street then, looks like buying Gamestation was a bridge too far.

 

i think they will be back, games problem has always been too many shops in too small location, nottitngham for example used to have 3 of them. a single big one will cut cost and prob do better.

 

Can they compete with huge supermarket chains and online retailers though? That's the question. The likes of ASDA can afford to practically give away games to get publicity while the rest of their business carries on regardless, but a specific game retailer? I'm not sure we'll see one again. At least one that's profitable. But who knows... will have to wait and see.