Game Nears the Brink

[Evo]

Below is a copy of my post on The Reticule, but the word on the street is the UK games retailer, GAME, is edging ever closer to going into administration in the next couple of weeks unless something drastic happens. The hope amongst the industry seems to be a takeover by GameStop in some shape or form.

The one plus side though? They are having a massive sale right now to try and get some cash churning through the tills.

The recent escalation of issues at leading UK games retailer GAME Group are nearing a head with reports emerging this afternoon that senior management are bracing themselves for the group to enter administration. GAME Group, which runs GAME and GameStation stores up and down the country, has had several big blows recently with the inability to stock Mass Effect 3 for today's launch the most striking for gamers. There is currently amassive sale now on at GAME on new releases, pre-owned titles and hardware, part of an attempt to generate some cash flow with administration possibly on a couple of weeks away.

It is difficult to see a way back know for the company unless a takeover package is put together by US giant GameStop, if that fails to materialise we could be witnessing the death of a key player in the British games industry. Best of luck to all involved.

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

I won't miss them.

 

[Evo]

Most of my purchases are from Steam/Amazon these days, but it is going to cause so much damage for the exposure of gaming in the UK if/when they go under. Pushing everything into supermarkets/online is a sure fire way to cut out a large amount of revenue for publishers/developers which aren't releasing FIFA/CoD every year.

 

[Bob_Marley]

Yeah, they're pretty stuffed - they couldn't cough up for EA's releases this month and Capcom have dumped them as a distributor.

TBH after thier profiteering business practices (particularly the policy of always pushing used over new) it is entirely unsurprising that publishers are dumping them when they see the opportuinty

 

[Pi Mu Rho]

Not to mention their attempts to stop publishers from using Steamworks.

 

[Munro]

I gave up Game a long time ago. My local stores seem to have changed into second hand 'pre-owned' stores with a tiny section in the corner with only the newest 10 releases for each platform. The prices are usually at least 50% cheaper online as well.

 

[Krynn72]

Someone else will just take their place. There's still a demand for their service, but apparently they just suck at providing it.

Also this has nothing to do with the game Brink, so **** you for capitalizing the B in brink and making me think it was going to be some funny lawsuit.

 

[Ren.182]

I've not used GAME since Gamestation appeared on the scene. When GAME took them over I stopped using Gamestation since their prices were just the same as the ones at GAME and they stopped stocking PC and retro games.

It's all either on Steam or online now for me!

 

[Laivasse]

I read a few days back that it was negotiations over the Aussie arm of GAME which were holding up the Gamestop takeover. Gamestop reportedly don't want the Australian stores.

 

[ríomhaire]

Are controllers on sale? I need a wii remote plus. I've had Skyward Sword since Christmas and I still can't play it.

 

[NeptuneUK]

These stores rejected PC gaming as a viable platform years ago. It is indirectly their fault for allowing steam and other online delivery platforms to take the market so quickly by failing to adapt to changing times. I won't miss the overpriced half-shelf they have dedicated to PC gaming over the past 4-5 years.

 

[Evo]

Also this has nothing to do with the game Brink, so **** you for capitalizing the B in brink and making me think it was going to be some funny lawsuit.

A habbit I have of capitalising most letters in the title of a post

I read a few days back that it was negotiations over the Aussie arm of GAME which were holding up the Gamestop takeover. Gamestop reportedly don't want the Australian stores.

Yeah I understand that GameStop already own their own network of stores in Australia, so obviously they don't want to double up like GAME managed to do when the bought out Electronics Boutique and GameStation.

 

[kazsymonds]

Guys, they have Deus Ex:HR for £7.99, I just bought it!

Hooray for corporate failure!