Game Group's share price nose dives

By Robert Purchese Published 23 November, 2011

Worth 90% less today than a year ago.

UK video game mega-chain Game Group is worth 90 per cent less today than a year ago.

Game's shares today cost around 6 pence. A year ago, they cost around 71 pence.

Multiply share price by share volume to calculate a company's market capitalisation.

Today, Game's market capitalisation is £22.58 million. A year ago, that number was £261.46 million (assuming there were the same number of shares available).

In the year ending 31st Jan 2009, Game made a record pre-tax profit of £117 million. In 2010, that number was £84.21 million. In 2011, that number was £23.10 million.

Half-way through 2011, that number was minus £51.47 million. The full-year forecast is a pre-tax loss of £0.06 million.

Last week, Game lowered its revenue (money made from overall sales) forecast for the full year, blaming "extraordinary" economic times.

Whichever way you plot those numbers, the graph slopes sharply downwards.

Game's current RiskGrade is 914, which makes it "highly risky".

But there are some points worth considering. The general economy isn't in great shape, to say the least. And the video game market - money made across all UK shops, presumably - is down around 12 per cent on last year.

What's more, supermarkets continue to undercut specialist video game stores, and online the competition is fierce.

It's worth also remembering that while Game's share price is low, it still employs over 10,000 staff in over 1300 outlets, and turns over more than £1 billion each year.

Game also now sells Xbox Live and PlayStation Network digital content - initiatives it trialled and then rolled out this year. Game also tried something new with its inaugural Gamefest game show this year, in Birmingham.

Game remains the favoured launch partner for huge games such as Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3, too.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or getting whupped at FIFA.

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Comments (114) Latest comment 7h ago

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  • bobdebob #1 1d ago

    Not really a good thing is it.
    Supermarkets only have the top 30 and while online websites get good deals its not like looking around a game shop accidently finding hidden gems.

  • roz123 #2 1d ago

    It's not surprising they can't keep prices level with tax dodging websites.

  • MikeP #3 1d ago

    "It's worth also remembering that while Game's share price is low, it still employs over 10,000 staff in over 1300 outlets, and turns over more than £1 billion each year."

    Not for long, if you extrapolate those profit numbers.

  • MrFlump #4 1d ago

    Its not just that. Why would you pay £10 more for a game from a retail store when you can often buy it online and cheaper and often have it delivered before the day of release so you're ready to play when a game does launch. Hell, pre-ordering well in advance can save you a small fortune as well.

    Yes there's an overhead with running a store but Game need to realise that the majority of gamers don't need (nor want) the staff telling them what's new to pre-order or badgering them to buy strategy guides at the till and in all honesty their stores should at least be able to offer the same prices as their website.

  • Arsecake_Baker #5 1d ago

    I still can't get over the pic of the soldier wearing gardening gloves, talk about knocked up in haste from an army surplus store! :P

  • Craven #6 1d ago

    It's worth also remembering that while Game's share price is low, it still employs over 10,000 staff in over 1300 outlets, and turns over more than £1 billion each year.
    That's a hell of a lot of staff, do they really need that many staff and stores? That'd be one of the things i'd be addressing if i was one of the higher ups at Game group.

    On a more personal note, as the article says the pricing of their products is a major issue for me. I'm not expecting them to match online retailers as even i realise that's foolish, but they must be competitive with the supermarkets in order to survive.

    Case in point, last week i was able to purchase Saints Row The Third from Asda for around £37 when in Gamestation i believe it was about £43. £6 is a big difference and that's where the main problem lies with them.

  • cyacomini #7 1d ago

    GAME made the mistake of not trying to compete with it's competitors instead choosing to buy them out. I'm thinking of both Gamestation and Gameplay.

    The 'house' of GAME is enormous and needs some serious slimming down.

  • Toothball #8 1d ago

    @bobdebob

    That's true, but it has been getting progressively more difficult to find new games outside the top 30 in Game as well. I do like looking for those hidden gems, but it's been getting harder to look for those as they sink progressively deeper under the weight of last week's new releases that have been traded in already. I did have a chuckle when I saw a second hand rack in Tesco the other day.

    Still, I'd rather see Game on the high street than not.

  • Daeltaja #9 1d ago

    They could save a tonne on wages, anytime I walk into a GAME shop, there are a bunch of staff standing around chatting behind the counter and 1 or 2 more on the floor floating about.

  • abigsmurf #10 1d ago

    So each store location is only worth £19,000?

    The stock alone must be worth more than that.

  • the_dudefather #11 1d ago

    If only I bought that strategy guide!

  • TheLastProphet #12 1d ago

    All GAME need to do is be competitive on price - forget all the pre order bonuses, loyalty schemes, exclusive content, and limited editions. Clearly these marketing ploys aren't working. Simply sell games at the cheapest price, price match supermarkets and websites, and profits will go up.

  • Craven #13 1d ago

    @TheLastProphet Problem is i don't think they can price match websites what with the overheads of the stores. I do think they should match their own website though, must be confusing to the average customer when told they can't have the same price as what the game website says. I do think price matching non online outlets is a must though.

    On a secondary note, i also feel they'll have to start being competitive on pre owned prices and trade ins too, what with Asda, Tesco and HMV also offering the service. Obviously that can only be a good thing for the consumer.

  • Ryze #14 1d ago

    @TheLastProphet

    Well... the issue they have with me as a customer, is that I just don't even get as far as visiting Game, even to see their prices before walking away in disgust.

    E-commerce and supermarkets mean that when I'm looking for a game, it's Google shopping, HotUKDeals, eBay, Zavvi and Shop.to.

    When I'm forced to go to a shop, it's usually a supermarket for FOOD, but I normally walk through the game section just to glance at what's there.

    When do I visit Game? I really don't, nowadays.

    If I'm at a shopping centre for any reason, such as Christmas or buying clothes, then I may have a browse, but I don't really want to be pestered.

    If I knew that there was something decent in there to do, or that the staff were really [part of gaming culture, then I'd want to visit.

    Many hight street stores are going to need a social reason to visit as time goes on, if they want to keep the enthusiasts coming through the doors, rather than just using the best priced online stores.

    HMV have sort of got the picture with their 'Gamerbase' sections.

    They need a more 'casual' 'arcadey' section though, for 'normal' people to hang out in.

    HMV Manchester have REALLY got the hardcore in there, playing SFIII, CoD, BlazBlue, GT5 etc. Paying them and buying snacks also.

    They should expand those sections, and make them into small cafe/bars, with things like posters and T-Shirts for sale also.

    That way I'll be interested in visiting. Not interested in some Game berk trying to sell me this week's bollocks at £10 more than I can find it elsewhere, or their 'token cute girl' hovering around, with nothing to tell me that I didn't learn 3 months ago.

    Dinosaurs. Evolve or go extinct.

    If you die, then it'd be nice to take HMV's Gamerbase, Gamestation and a Pub/Bar/Snookerhall, and combine them into a kick-arse social gaming store.

    /blog

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 13:10

  • CamoChris #15 1d ago

    Where I'm from there's a Game and a Gamestation within a minute's walking distance, and I know it's the same in loads of other places too. I know it would be an unpopular move for them to shut down a whole bunch of stores, but I think it's unsustainable the way it is at the moment. If I were in charge I'd probably shut all the Gamestation stores that are within a couple of miles of a Game store, and re-brand the others so all their stores were Game branded. I'd shut down the Gamestation and Gameplay websites too, and just have the Game one. Yes, some people would lose their jobs and that's terrible, but, the way they're going at the moment, everybody will be losing their jobs if they don't take action.

  • LaFlamaBlanca #16 1d ago

    They offered me £6.00 trade in for Crysis 2, they can fuck off

  • Ryze #17 1d ago

    @CamoChris

    ^ THIS, but keep Gamestation and dump Game.

  • university_zippy #18 1d ago

    I feel that is video is quite apy about now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzuUOCwecro

  • Craven #19 1d ago

    @Ryze All about brand identity though, i'd hazard a guess that more people know about Game then they do Gamestation. As radical as CamoChris's plan is, it's a good one.

  • TeaFiend #20 1d ago

    It's almost like doing their Starbucks style agressive expansion strategy failed. I now either get my games from Amazon or Sainsburys. The only exception is for a special edition that is rather attractive.

  • sega #21 1d ago

    My main problem with Game is it's just so bland as a store. If I go in there to look at what they have on the shelves, I know I'll only find the most popular titles (i.e. the dull crap that constantly tops the charts). Then there's the fact all these games have been opened and stored in a drawer - making them kind of feel a bit second hand. Considering the high prices, I'd expect better.

    I used to love going in video game stores - looking for a hidden treasure. A cool game you didn't think you'd find or at a good price. Now it's just whatever is in the charts and a tatty second hand selection of shovelware. Gamestation still has it, just, but they need to make it an interesting experience again. Basically I want to be surprised by what they have and not know before I walk in the door.

  • captain_Carl #22 1d ago

    At last, some news to brighten up my day

  • ElNino9 #23 1d ago

    @captain_Carl I'll second that.

  • Iron_Napa_76 #24 1d ago

    The problem for GAME, Gamestation and any other Retail premises that are located in the middle of a Town or City, is that we are going through a major change in history at the moment.

    Im 35, I have a 3 and 7 year old child. By the time my 2 children are my age I dont belive the High Street will exist anymore.

    The demise of the High Street has started already, I just wish councils would see this coming and stop ploughing millions into renovating Town Centres.

    They are a thing of the past.

    Web Sites and Supermarkets (most are becoming Hyper Markets) are slowing twisting the knife on High Street Retail, this is where most people will do there shopping for everything.

    If you look at most high streets then they are full of Pensioners and Young Groups of Trend Setters, all on there i-phones.

    By the time the current crop of pensioners have saddly passed away, then that will leave a very small number of young people, and force even more shops into closure.

    Sorry GAME, you was great once, but like with most things in life, you have to keep changing things to keep things fresh, and you have to move with the times.

    Its a very fast paced world we live in at the moment and its only going to get faster.

    I would like to see GAME slimming down as well, in my local city we had 5 game outlets last year, now 4. There are 2 towns within driving distance, and each of those has 2 each. Thats 8 GAME outlets within 30 mins of my house, crazy.

    Edited by 3 at 23/11/11 @ 13:40

  • Xboxfanuk #25 1d ago

    no one has mentioned the CEX affect, cheapest on trade-ins and used games. Surely they are GAME's #1 competitor.

  • Toothball #26 1d ago

    @sega

    That was my favourite part about shopping for video games. Hunting for lost treasures, or simply checking a few shops to see what one had that others didn't.

    Gamestation were never quite the same after they were bought by Game. The prices and stock slowly became almost indistinguishable between the two, and the used games section expanded. They kept some retro games around, but they didn't circulate all that much and after a while felt like a token offering to attract more of the core gamer audience.

    Pity really, as I used to enjoy just going in to chat with the staff and see what was interesting.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 13:36

  • Iron_Napa_76 #27 1d ago

    @Xboxfanuk

    The problem with CEX outlets is that they always smell of piss.

    Dont know why, but they do, you know im right.

  • George-Roper #28 1d ago

    Good, fuck 'em. The prices they charge on the highstreet are nothing short of daylight robbery on the grannies and unsuspecting parents of the UK. And lets not even talk about how they put 2nd hand games up at 2 quid less than new.

    Feel bad for the staff, no doubt but the company? Good fucking riddance.

  • Iron_Napa_76 #29 1d ago

    @George-Roper

    Sometimes when they have a sale on a game that has been out for a few months, then they forget to drop the used prices and you end up with the following scenario:

    Brand New: £25
    Used: £28.99

    Fucking Crazy.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 13:43

  • woodyrulesok #30 1d ago

    @Iron_Napa_76 The high street is going no where.
    Sure it'll change but there will be a balance between high street shops and online retailers.

    Lots of people enjoying 'going shopping' whether it's food markets, clothes shopping, browsing around department stores, meeting friends for a coffee. When ever I go into town on a saturday it's always rammed with all sorts of people, not just pensioners. Specialist shops like Game and HMV will struggle more due to the way we consume media but the high street is more than them.

  • BigDannyH #31 1d ago

    They will close down most of their stores or simply disappear completely. It's sad that lots of jobs will be lost but the average Game employee must be a student working part time for peanuts. The head office guys have been ripping off publishers by pushing second hand sales so aggressively so I don't think it's as big a blow to society as all that.

    Bring on the 100% download market. Will be fine as long as it's competitive. Although that's not guaranteed.

  • BonzoBanana #32 1d ago

    Cost of parking doesn't help the high street. Often you have to spend pounds just to park. That is a massive dis-incentive to visiting the high street. I'm reasonable local to my high street so can walk but don't do it that often. Buying online is cheaper and out of town sites like supermarkets are free to park and more likely to tempt you with videogames than Game. I don't know how inefficient the game operation is but they have a high turnover and very minimal profit. The idea that they can sell games they currently sell for £38 for £30 probably isn't realistic. Game will probably start reviewing their stores now and start closing the loss making stores. I don't know what the answer is for Game but I hope they can turn around their business.

    The game industry is self destructive anyway. The way game prices just collapse after a few weeks after release is ridiculous. So few games hold their value. Publishers have basically taught people to play the waiting game and wait for discounts. If prices actually stabilised at £30 a game whether it sold in great numbers or not it would make more sense. Does a £10 bluray suddenly become £2 if it didn't sell 4 million when it was first released?

  • beastmaster #33 1d ago

    Also, I think the pre-order bonus "only at Game" are rubbish too. Not enough incentive at all.

    Rememeber seeing the Skyrim Collectors Edition and seeing the price. Who are they trying to kid?

    Edit: This massive tumble even with their agressive second hand policy. The writing is on the wall methinks.

    Edited by 2 at 23/11/11 @ 13:53

  • 32768Colours #34 1d ago

    I personally think Game have been instrumental in damaging the industry they're a part of. Even if they're an easy scapegoat for the online pass initiative, its not without good reason. Game's overbearing devotion to the used game market has made their stores more like a Cash Convertors than a games specialist.

    Their hard sell of additional products/services is off-putting and to hobbyist gamers their customer relations - and lack of product knowledge - is invariably patronising.

    How can they even be considered specialist when most if not all the products they sell can be found in Supermarkets? How many copies of Atelier Totori can be found in Tesco? Probably about as many as there are in your average Game: none.

    Even with more mainstream games, try going into a Game store to pick up a game that's more than several months old and you'll be very lucky if you find it new. Of course you might find a used copy but you'll probably put it back on the shelf with the same thought in the back of your mind that I always have: "I can get a new copy for cheaper than that online!"

    In the end, they've cut themselves out of their own market by showing a total disregard for both its customers and the industry it serves. You reap what you sow.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 13:56

  • brseg #35 1d ago

    Well, its all been said already. Very uncompetitive new prices, crazy preowned prices, dodgy practices of opening new copies etc. It wasnt always this bad - I recall getting some preowned bargains in the past. When I go in now, its just a question of how shocked I am at the prices.

    Perhaps they should do more games rental, rather than buy + quickly trade-in. Its more likely to work on the highstreet? Combine with some better/clearer loyalty rewards (that Game card thing - I actually had one once).

    But, I fear the worst, its simply about price for me, and I dont think they can survive. It would leave HMV slightly happier though, the only other major highstreet game retailer in my town.

  • Skooch #36 1d ago

    I do my shopping online, I bought my car online, I buy holidays online - GAME need to move to solely online. They've got the brand to carry it, but their prices suck and moving to 100% online they might be able to compete. Combine that with some marketing, grab some pre-order exclusives, maybe do some special 'get-it-day-of-release' guarantee type thing and try to differentiate themselves from Tesco, Asda, Amazon etc... They could do trade-ins and rentals via a LoveFilm type service through the post.

  • MrVengeance #37 1d ago

    There are a raft of problems with how GAME does business:

    - Pricing is uncompetitive with everyone.

    - New games are often sold unsealed - thus not new at all. Discs are scratched in the drawers and boxes get beaten-up on the shelves. There is a hole in the case for a security tag - why not use it? Would mean new games were actually new for the customer, and discs wouldn't go missing in the drawers and staff wouldn't have to spend all that time "gutting" games anymore....

    - Far too much emphasis on pre-owned. Where's the back catalogues gone for new games? They are practically non-existant. All you get its shelves full of overpriced and often scratched up second hand games. With free pubes in. Charming.

    - Staff need to leave people alone. Does a man in his twenties really need "help" five seconds after walking in the door of a game shop? Seriously? Its effing annoying EVERY TIME YOU GO IN. Leave me alone please! Fair enough a bewildered looking mother of young children, but come on! 99% of blokes know what they are doing, so leave them be - you will only put them off buying anything if you pester them.

    - Employees need to know and care about the product, so if I ask if they have a release date for Dondonpachi Resurrection or Disgaea 4 I'm not looked at like I'm a headcase.

    That would be a start. And if they implemented the above I would return to buying from them again - no problem.


    I personally wouldn't have any problem if the company went belly up as it is. Obviously I wouldn't like to see job losses, but GAME won't be missed if / when they do go to the wall. They are an hopeless organisation that have lost their way over the last ten years. Its such a pity as I remember GAME being superb back in the day. I suppose the people on the board are all cunts now, so there you go.

  • apoc_reg #38 1d ago

    @TheLastProphet Profits up, cost of sales up. Net it's the same.

  • arcam #39 1d ago

    People don't seem to understand that GAME simply can't match supermarket prices and survive, certainly not without massively pushing second-hand to make up the difference.

    People seem to want them to stop promoting second-hand sales, give better trade-in prices, and reduce the cost of both new and second-hand games, and suggesting that this will actually help their business! Crazy.

    Their prices are not insane, and they are still less than the publishers' recommended sales price - they are a few quid more than supermarkets and online, which is exactly what you would expect from a high street store.

  • AgeOfChaos #40 1d ago

    @Toothball

    With Game gone at least independent stores might stand a chance. So I would be happy for Game to be gone from our high streets.

  • ucankurbaga #41 1d ago

    This is good news. They can go bankrupt for all I care.

  • George-Roper #42 1d ago

    @arcam

    Their prices are not insane, and they are still less than the publishers' recommended sales price - they are a few quid more than supermarkets and online, which is exactly what you would expect from a high street store.

    Their prices are insane. They're uncompetitive and they strip-mine the 2nd hand market with ridiculous 'pre-owned' price tags barely under their own preposterous 'new' prices.

    Their online download 'service' for PC games offers the same release for £30 d/l that it does for £8.99 boxed.

    They need to fuck off and let proper specialists enter the street market, because their entire strategy has blown the fuck up, right in their smug, 'we control publishers' faces.

    So yeah, fuck 'em. 1p share company, that would do perfectly.

  • arcam #43 1d ago

    @George-Roper They're uncompetitive

    Compared to who?

    They need to fuck off and let proper specialists enter the street market

    We used to have proper specialists, but they all went out of business due to downward pressure on prices. There is virtually zero chance of a specialist with 'competitive' prices entering the high street now, because there is just no money to be made from selling new games at Tesco/Play.com prices.

  • coolbritannia #44 1d ago

    Fuck Game, I can't wait to watch them go bust.

    It'll be another in a long line of stores that have just never been competitive at offering value to customers. Woolworths, MFI, HMV, they're all the same.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 14:40

  • niteninja #45 1d ago

    The competition has stepped up the price war.
    Grainger games has a strategy to open as many shops next to a gamestation or game as it possibly can.
    Add to the fact that the supermarkets are stocking more games than they ever had before, it becomes clear that game is being left behind by the opposition.
    For example gamestation were doing new 360 250 gig with fifa or cod for 199.99
    grainger were doing the same deal for 169.99 with 30 pound in store vouchers.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 14:42

  • rockavitch #46 1d ago

    6 pence a share? I'll take 100... Worth a gamble for 6 quid, that's not even enough for 2 pints now days so it won't be missed.

  • Seoh #47 1d ago

    Simple thing is their prices are not competitive with anyone, almost all retailers are cheaper for games than game. Honestly i think they need to look at completely changing the way they do business maybe offering something new.

    If the stores were nice places to be then i imaging it would go a long way to helping as loyalty to a loved brand can bring in the money regardless of cost (Apple).

  • JohnnyNoir #48 1d ago

    GAME is lame. everything is £10 more expensive. even PreOwned is £5 more expensive than buying new online. Buying online you get your game early, straight to your doormat, unopened, clubcard points, cashback, online coupons. Fifa 12 costs £45 at retail still. I got mine for £26 (£40 new, 20% off for preorder, -£5 coupon, 8%cash back + store points) the day before release.

  • Xardan #49 1d ago

    When retail goes under dont expect digital content to get any cheaper. So support retail if you can i guess.

  • Caimbeul #50 1d ago

    maybe because they are greedy bastards?

  • Marshall2008 #51 1d ago

    They purchased Gamestation at the wrong time and have already started to shut many of them down.

    Too many trade-ins and not enough 2nd hand sales also cost them dearly. With the publishers tying in special deals and vouchers to day 1 sales this is only going to make things worse for them.

  • Forte22 #52 1d ago

    There seems to be a few things being missed here:

    If I remember rightly the report said even though GAME's like for likes are down they are not as down as much as the games market. That implies that their share is increasing. So actually GAME are taking a bigger slice of the pie. Its primarily that the pie has shrunk dramatically that is the main worry for them.

    I would wager that it would be impossible for a specialist to match their on-line prices in store. The margins would be too low to survive. If they match their store prices on-line then they'd be even less competitive there. So they can't do it. Pre-owned is a way they survive by getting margin back from that source.

    And remember the people on this forum are representative of a small chunk, and very well informed, part of the GAME base. The vast majority of customers don't give a toss about the obscure stuff. That's who GAME has to tailor more of its marketing too - the Triple A game buyer. Look at the queues at midnight for the COD launch. Should it make GS the more hardcore of the brands - yeah probably and that's something I'd do.

    Finally agree on store volumes - really need to shut a lot but its not easy. They'll be locked into a lot of leases that they can't get out of without a massive cost....

  • George-Roper #53 1d ago

    @arcam

    To who? Reread my post, to themselves for one. Buying a boxed copy of a game that has next to no postage cost, costs three times less than buying it via their own digital download service.

    And before you go onto one about Steam, Steam has regular sales throughout the year. Games digital distribution does not.

    They're consistently the most expensive street store, as percentages go by a good margin even when it is 'just a few quid' but lets not try and separate Game from Play. Game are in that market, high street or not and Game should do what it takes to be competitive. But they won't, because their brand image is 'family friendly' and they cash in on that 100%. It's not the savvy gamers that suffer, its the unsuspecting grannies and parents of the world, as well as younger gamers being mugged off to 'trade in' their week old game for 20 quid, only to see it go up on the shelf for 40 quid.

    Theyre rip-off merchants and our industry will be better off without them.

  • lockload #54 1d ago

    Some shopping centres seem to have two or more GAME stores in them, the whole company looks like a bloated mess

  • LFace #55 1d ago

    I'll tell you why I think Game is going down the pan. When I bought Skyrim on a whim, I went to town on my lunch (in Barnsley) break at work, went into HMV which is practically next door (or even is next door... cant remember, how bad is that!) and it was £37.99 for xbox. Went to check out Games price... £45 so for sake of 5 seconds walk they charge 7 quid more!

    Im surprised people even bother going in these days to be honest, unless theyre doing same as me and just price comparing and laughing as they walk out to go to a different store

  • Sharzam #56 1d ago

    For my totally uniformed view;

    I think the problem is that there is just no advantage in modern video game shops. Years ago you could find lots of diffrent games for all sorts and might find a hidden gem but these days the shelfs are just full of second hand and the latest top charters. If i wanted another generic fps i could go anywhere including (cheaper) supermarkets.

    This does not apply to Game but any specalised stores. My local independant store is just as guilty of this except they also sell alot of random toys such as Halo Warthogs. Neither of which compete with Sainsburys which is less than 2 minute walk away. Personally i do most of my shopping either via DD such as Steam or Amazon as i have a amazon credit card.

  • BOFH_UK #57 1d ago

    To be honest I prefer shopping on the high street rather than on-line where I can, I would after all quite like there to still BE a high street in the future that isn't just coffee shops, but Game have everything wrong.

    Not only are they really expensive but the stores are, for the most part, horrible and the shopping experience reflects that. Thin and long shops with the queue for paying often only able to hold two or three people before getting in the way of merchandise. Badly organised shelves, limited merchandise once you get out of the mainstream, staff who often don't have any knowledge of the products, fixtures and fittings in poor condition the list just goes on and on.

    I really think there's a place for gaming shops but they need to be bold and go against conventional thinking. Go for a site that lets people browse in comfort. Stock a wide range of titles, not just the big ones. Employ staff with enough knowledge (and the right attitude) to help people discover hidden gems. Take a leaf from the book stores and have a snack bar and comfy seats for people to meet up and do some multiplayer portable gaming. Have a proper demonstration area with a decent selection of games. Run regular events to get people in and build a community around the store. In short give gamers a genuinely nice, enjoyable experience and enough of us will be willing to pay a higher price for our games than we can get on-line to support that experience.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 15:26

  • chaywa #58 1d ago

    All supermarkets need to do is incorporate game deliveries in to online grocery orders and then Game should have its life support cut off.

    Can't complain too much though given that I got Shadow of the Colossus (Art Card edition) and Sly Raccoon for a fiver there the other week though!

  • Whitster #59 1d ago

    Despite all the hate and vitrol for Game on here I've actually had pretty good experiences with them recently. This season should have cost a bomb games wise, but due to Games trade-in deals I haven't paid more than a fiver for a home console game since Dead Island (remembering to use my online pass time, regardless of touching multiplayer, so the developers don't miss out), I've even reached an understanding with the staff in the Barking branch that they stop offering me strat guides and I stop giving the same, sarcastic answer of "it's ok I know how to use google" everytime.

  • Madder-Max #60 1d ago

    "This season should have cost a bomb games wise, but due to Games trade-in deals I haven't paid more than a fiver for a home console game since Dead Island (remembering to use my online pass time, regardless of touching multiplayer, so the developers don't miss out)"

    Yeah but you dont get to keep the games you trade in for long enough to get enough enjoyment from. the trade in thing is a con

    This bollocks of having to compete with tax dodging websites. pretty sure that Asdas is not a tax dodging website and anyway the loophole is being closed on companies based in Gurnsey etc.

    Game have noone to blame but themselves for not appealing to the gamer consumer and for not understanding them.

  • Aretak #61 1d ago

    My local shopping center has had two GAME stores literally within 50 metres of each other for about a decade now (one used to be an Electronics Boutique). It's always seemed utterly ridiculous to me for them to be paying the rent on two spaces and employing two sets of staff for two of the same store right next to each other.

  • David_Richardson #62 1d ago

    @bobdebob @Toothball

    How does one find a hidden gem at a game store? Presumably this would involve being ignorant to a title's existence in the first place and then judging its quality solely on the cover art and blurb, a terrible way to judge the quality of a product. It's not like a record store, which provides the opportunity to stumble across something limited or valuable - everything in Game can be bought online at a cheaper price and likely with a great deal more information with which you can judge quality.

    We really shouldn’t be romanticising a shop that has never done anything particularly valuable or memorable.

  • Sildur #63 1d ago

    GAME's biggest problem is simply that they consistently try to rip-off customers in the most blatant ways possible. Even if we weren't constantly reading about them doing things like buying 3DS consoles in Tescos to sell in their stores, or securing exclusive deals while strong-arming gaming companies preventing them from releasing the same content elsewhere, it's blatant to see that their prices are always more expensive than everywhere else.

    Why buy a new game for £44.99 from GAME when you can get it for £37.99 from any number of other places?

    GAME Also pay a fraction of the prices for second-hand games that other places pay. One of my friends recently traded a two-week old game at GAME and got £15... I traded my version the next day at HMV and got £35.

    GAME have caused this to themselves and their reputation amongst most gamers is shot because of it.

  • arcam #64 1d ago

    How does one find a hidden gem at a game store? Presumably this would involve being ignorant to a title's existence in the first place and then judging its quality solely on the cover art and blurb

    A good game store would have a demo machine, and would let you try out the game before you buy. Something you're unlikely to ever get in a supermarket.

  • kirankara #65 1d ago

    not surprised! I'm glad they are struggling. I walked into store today, as I had some bonus points on my card,. and wanted to pick up a second hand copy of fallout 3, as I I'm not really into rpg games and wanted to see if I would like it, and maybe pick up skyrim later. they wanted 13 pounds for it, when its 4 in cex. people only remain stupid about these things for so long

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 16:52

  • David_Richardson #66 1d ago

    @arcam

    That clearly isn't what they were referring to. And what is the chance of Game having access to a demo that you can't download on XBL or PSN?

  • coolbritannia #67 1d ago

    come on Arcam, when was the last time you ever saw anything other than COD demo'd at game?

  • cambison #68 1d ago

    Fuck them...robbing bastards, are easily the least competitive price wise on the high street. Now if only their stock value was measured by the average BO problem per staff member, they would be laughing

  • arcam #69 1d ago

    When I worked in a game shop we would whatever the customer wanted in the demo pods. They just have to ask. Same as when I worked in a music store.

  • David_Richardson #70 1d ago

    @arcam

    But you're talking like that is a unique offering and reason alone to keep Game around. It isn't.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 17:20

  • VeryLazyJedi #71 1d ago

    Ughh.. what terrible written English.

  • Incarta #72 24h ago

    I don't shop at Game because of their crap trade-in prices and high price of new releases. Used to be able to pop in now and again and something decent would be on offer, but that's such a rarity now. That really is the bottom line for me. There's no point to shopping at Game.

  • arcam #73 24h ago

    @David_Richardson

    Well, there's no demo pods in my Sainsbury's...

  • David_Richardson #74 24h ago

    @arcam

    So Game should be able to survive because they have a single demo pod in each store that may or may not be able to play a game of your choice upon request? Even though console demos have been freely available for a long time, their shops aren’t competitive in terms of price and are also entirely uninspiring in every other way? Maybe you should be on their management team.

    'We just need more demo pods, dammit!'

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 17:38

  • Pickster #75 24h ago

    @bobdebob

    "Supermarkets only have the top 30 and while online websites get good deals its not like looking around a game shop accidently finding hidden gems."

    The problem is, most GAME stores have an awful selection as well.

    If it was anything like 10 years ago I'd be happy to go in there and flick through the stock. However the situation is getting worse and worse.

    The only sections they have that tend to be worth flicking through is the preowned section. Which is no good to most of us.

    Edit:

    I also like my games sealed. Often the only chance of getting one of those is on a new release kept behind the counter.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 17:53

  • arcam #76 24h ago

    @David_Richardson

    I only brought up demo pods because someone said finding hidden gems by cover artwork alone is not a good idea. They are not the sole answer to GAME's problems but as I'm sure you're aware, I never said they were.

    But yes, demo pods are an example of the sort of thing a games specialist can do to differentiate themselves from supermarkets and online when it's not possible to compete on price.

  • PaulieWaulie #77 23h ago

    They might want to try employing people that are not akin to mobile phone shop staff. I'm a gamer, I know what high profile games, consoles and peripherals are coming out and if I state I don't want them I don't expect to be spoken to like a gaming illiterate that does not understand the "awesome" offer they have. On new years eve last year I wanted to trade my old PS3 for a slim before it died but the Manager at Game told me they were too busy and to come back in a few days. So I went to Gamestation who matched CEX trade in value, were just as busy but served me like I was an intelligent customer who does not respond well to smarm and pushy sales techniques. Same company in most ways but worlds apart in others, still feels like Gamestation staff are true gamers that don't patronise their customers.

    Also, why do ALL Game shops stink like sweaty feet? Been like it since they opened. It perplexes me how one stale odour can occur in all their stores.

    Oh and their trade in prices are getting worse, to the point where I'd rather give a game to stranger than get a fiver for it and then see it for twenty notes the next day.

  • David_Richardson #78 23h ago

    @arcam

    While I agree with your general point we are talking about Game specifically here. There are certainly things that specialist stores can do to attract consumers and set them apart from online retailers, but Game have consistently failed to make their stores interesting or particularly appealing. I always used to visit them as a last resort but I will shop there under no circumstances now. We can’t expect shoppers to use them just to keep a specialist gaming presence on the high street – they need to offer value.

  • arcam #79 23h ago

    @David_Richardson

    True. Shoppers are under no obligation to shop there, and if they don't offer value (doesn't have to be monetary value) then their downfall is all but assured.

    However I can't take pleasure in it, like many people here. As the last big games specialist, the loss of GAME on the high street would be a bad thing for gaming IMO. At least until digital takes over anyway. But if we have to wait ten years for digital to catch up while supermarkets become the main games retailers in the UK, everyone involved in gaming except the supermarkets themselves are going to suffer for it IMO.

  • Whitster #80 23h ago

    @Madder-Max You say that, but I completed the main plot of every game I sold, not every achievement but then I rarely do.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 18:30

  • superdelphinus #81 23h ago

    High street retail seems to be going the same way as the textile factories

  • Valland #82 23h ago

    Good riddance.

  • jabberwoky #83 22h ago

    I have some magical memories of GAME, and it would be a pity to see them go. I also think they are competitive with older titles considering they are on the high street, and when they have sales you really can pick up bargains. Its the newer ones that they charge a premium for. I would rather browse there than some souless supermarket. I suppose I'd better buy something from them before they go bust.

  • StooMonster #84 22h ago

    @Toothball That's true, but it has been getting progressively more difficult to find new games outside the top 30 in Game as well.

    I recently wrote in a EuroGamer comment section that recently I went into my local GAME store for the first time in ages, and was disappointed to find that on Xbox 360 outside the top 30 all other titles only appeared to be available as second-hand.

    I'd rather see Game on the high street than not.

    I agree, but it might well not be there before too long.

  • immateriaux #85 22h ago

    This is the concept that got me: "specialist video game stores"

    They're not, not in the least. I can't recall how often I've been in a "Game" store looking for a particular PS3, DS or PC game and they either don't stock it or they have five trillion empty boxes lying around the floor but none with the actual game in it and available. I actually despise Game at this point for the complete and utter empty promise of being a Game store they provide. Whilst I do want more choice where I can get games in general, I don't want to pander to the rubbish excuse of a retail experience Game provide.

    32768Colours, earlier, has it spot on but I felt I needed to rant out a bit of ire here too.

  • BraveArse #86 22h ago

    I went into my local GAME ( Dunfermline for anyone who knows it ) a few weeks ago for the first time in ages, I won't ever be going back. I don't like being pounced on in shops by smarmy sales people, I don't like repeatedly saying no when someone tries to up sell me to the limited edition and I especially don't like it when they finally accept my repeated refusals and still go on to insistently sell me a pointless game guide. I don't like being forced to be aggressive with anyone, but GAME sales policy pretty much makes it a requirement.

    So while I don't want to see GAME go down the tubes, and I actually know a couple of people who work at GAME stores ( i hope they get out now ) they are far from being on my "let's campaign to save them" list. They need to change the way they sell, they need to change a lot of what they sell, and they need to change how much they sell it for.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 19:32

  • secombe #87 22h ago

    The sad fact is I can walk into my 24hr Tesco at any time of day or night (free parking, too) buy from a pretty varied selection of games at a cheaper price than Game.

    The best bit? Nobody bothers me. Will stores ever work out that the vast majority of people want to be left in peace? Game often have two or three staff stood around, if I need help I can ask for it.

    Game don't even have choice on their side any more, the selection of new games is awful. Tesco have a top 40 full price chart and also a budget chart, pretty much the same as Game.

    Give me a reason to visit and I will, a varied selection of games to try in store, a decent back catalogue etc.

  • matseffect #88 21h ago

    I could see them getting acquired at some point down the line. As much as I don't like them its not good for anyone if the UK's by far largest game store company goes under.

  • immateriaux #89 21h ago

    @matseffect Not sure about that. Game are not a "game store", more a store that just happens to have games for sale. If they hit the wall, the bad part is people losing jobs. The good part is a recognition that being shit at what you do is not good enough. If they are UK's largest game store than that's even more important in a way. It could be beneficial to clear them out of the way and thereby open the field to someone decent (potentially).

  • DilutedDante #90 21h ago

    @Daeltaja

    I can only assume you're going to Oxford Street then. The base rota for most stores will give you 2 managers in all day, and another member of staff in for 3 hours, which covers breaks with an hour spare.

    Saturday will see another member of staff in peak hours, and Wed/Thurs you might get another to do marketing.

  • Dr.Buckles #91 21h ago

    If they are relying on the online side of the business to keep them going then good luck, their website is atrocious, one of the worst shopping sites I've ever used.
    "I'm sorry we made a mistake" emails that accompany pretty much 75% of orders from them offering a discount would be great, but the website that you redeem the discount on is Game, the one that makes ShopTo's site look positively futuristic.

  • respectyourelder #92 21h ago

    Personal experience on what many have said already... I walked through HMV to buy Skyrim, saw it was 38. Went into Game (where id preordered) and saw it was 43. Turned round & went back to HMV. A few extra loyalty points dont have the cash value of a fiver, and any retailer that is gonna refuse to be competitive in this climate is shooting themselves in the foot ultimately.

  • INSOMANiAC #93 20h ago

    As an owner of an Indie games shop I can see where it is all going wrong, it's happening to me on a far smaller scale. People are more Internet savvy and will buy their new games online. Then they want to trade them in a week later but expect 30 quid in exchange price, the game you've took in never gets sold or decreases in value or it gets swapped for something of a similar value so you make nothing. Noone is buying anymore its all swaps and trying to sell you stuff.

    Personally I offer 27 exchange on a new release and sell it preowned at 30. I make a measly 3 quid but even then people know they can trade in st cex and get more, but I'm not about to try and flog a used game for 38 quid.

    GAME have themselves to blame to an extend with their stingy trade in prices but ultimately people whinge and whinge about supermarkets taking over the high street, but they are straight in there with their wages. People, and shops, are cunts in equal measure.

    Edited by 2 at 23/11/11 @ 21:41

  • FireMonkey #94 20h ago

    @INSOMANiAC - I hope they have to close a load of stores and make more room for decent indies like yours.

  • David_Richardson #95 19h ago

    @INSOMANiAC

    You can't live with a free market economy and then chastise people for choosing the cheapest option. How can you expect the general public to willfully choose the more expensive option just to benefit businesses? Having said that, they then aren't a position to criticise the dominance of supermarkets.

  • dancingrob #96 19h ago

    you've just made the classic error of assuming that all anyone cares about is price.

    A decent indie accepts it can't compete on price with the big boys, and adds value in other ways, which is presumably just what Insomniac is doing (as I do as an indie in another industry)

  • Jon1292 #97 19h ago

    Stop Asking me to sign up for a Gamecard
    Stop Asking me if I want to buy a game guide with my game
    Stop organising your games cabinet like a heap of freshly cooked spaghetti

    Maybe then I'll consider it, but right now, I could find and download a game on steam faster than it'd take me to go to the Mall 15 mins away from me, locate the game - wherever they've decided to move the PC section to this time, queue up, wait for them to find the game again, and pay.

    And I wouldn't have to deal with the constant upselling either.

  • David_Richardson #98 19h ago

    @dancingrob

    Given indies, and even some high street retailers, are struggling in the face of supermarkets and online retailers I think it's safe to assume that, yes, most consumers care more about price than other types of value.

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 22:35

  • INSOMANiAC #99 18h ago

    Indeed, it is an error, all people DO care about is price. Sure you get your 'hardcore gamers' coming into my shop for a chat about the latest games blah blah blah, do they have any kind of loyalty to my shop? no, they are straight to Asda if a new game is £2 cheaper. I don't particularly take it personally or hold a grudge as people want (and in these times need value for money. You can never blame anyone for wanting to get the most out of there swaps etc, the trouble is when people see I give £2.00 less than Asda on a swap and think they are getting a better deal there, when in fact their preowned prices about a third higher than mine. In the end they are getting ripped off but can't see past their own eyes.

    But this romantic notion of little indie shops being a haven from the big boys, and that people would rather go there and supports a small shop simply doesn't exist.

    As for living in a free market and then bemoaning it, I'm not. I am simply stating what happens, people moan about supermarkets then go straight there for their shopping. I do it myself, everyone does.

    Quite a lot of my taking these days come from PS2 games simply because nowhere else sells them, well, you could buy one that looks like its been used artex a ceiling, from cash generator

    Edited by 1 at 23/11/11 @ 22:58

  • RobTheBuilder #100 18h ago

    Maybe if they had listened to us a bit more...

    (not bitter honestly)

    We gave them some great ideas.

  • Velios #101 18h ago

    I think that for all of the reasons that people have mentioned above: Price, choice, quality of service and that faint whiff of piss within every store...

    GAME's reputation with Gamers is completely fucked and there's no going back.

  • WizenWolfBain #102 18h ago

    I'm not surprised that they're going down the tube. In my experience, it used to be an exciting event to queue up at a midnight launch and get your copy the minute it's officially released. Free stuff is given out to attendees, and there's a general buzz about being involved. Even independant game shops make the effort to reward gamers that make the trip out at midnight to buy games (for Halo 3/ODST, I got t-shirts, pens, a backpack, poster and collectable cards).

    However, this year I went to a major London Game store for the midnight launch of BF3, and it was a cold, sterile, half assed event. There were no freebees (shirts, pens, posters etc) like there once was. There wasn't even any gameplay on the monitors. It was completely rubbish. It was literally a case of the employees opening up the doors, letting people in to buy the game, and then telling them to get out.

    Game is a specialist shop. It needs to do something special for its customers, especially in this harsh climate. They need to have more reasonable prices. They need to engage more with the large casual/competitive gaming community. They need to try something other than flogging overpriced games to gamers. And they should at least attempt to deliver preordered games for the release date. I preordered a Halo Reach console 3 months before it launched, and it arrived a day after it launched in the shops. I was gutted.

    It's a shame to see Game shops being muscled out by supermarkets. But they need to evolve.

  • Dr_Wadd #103 17h ago

    @Iron_Napa_76 Back when I used to shop in Game I encountered this situation, so I asked whether they could drop the price of the pre-owned copy to below the price of the new copy. They refused, their argument being that they then wouldn't make a profit after paying the previous customer their trade-in value. Utter nonsense as they would have still made a profit. Needless to say I bought the new copy. So I'm not sure it is always a case of forgetting to drop the prices of the used stock, as mad as it seems it appears to be deliberate.

  • JadedSoul #104 10h ago

    I have a real problem with Game's 'guttting' policy to new games. If I am paying those prices I want a shiny game in its wrapper, not a disheveled looking package hastily shoved in a box by someone who doesn't get paid enough to care.

    And their stock is a joke. Want Ico/Sotc? Tough.

  • SlackMaster #105 10h ago

    The main problem I see with Game is that they are supposed to be a specialist store but many of the things you'd expect of a specialist store are no longer present.

    The wall space given to new games has decreased dramatically only allowing enough space for chart games with the rest taken up by shoddy overpriced pre-owned stock, so if I want a new game there isn't much drawing me to a Game store over a supermarket or online retailer. In many cases chart games in Game are more expensive than anywhere else (Dead Island was £49.99 in my local Game stores).

    On top of that if I want to get something that is a few months old new, more often that not I need to look online as I will not be able to find it in a Game.

    I don't like the fact that they open the games and put the contents in a draw. Many times I've asked to look at a disc before they put their seal on the case and found that the disk is scratched. One time I even had a member of there staff initially refuse to show me the disk saying that it was new so what was the point.

    I also do not like being badgered to buy a pube infested pre-owned copy of a game I've taken to the counter to save a few pounds (literally). If I wanted a pre-owned copy I would have taken that to the counter.

    The only thing that draws me in is the sales but apart from that I rarely buy anything from them anymore.

    The lack of choice, high prices, unsealed (new) games, and being pestered by staff don't really draw you back to stores like that.

    Edited by 1 at 24/11/11 @ 07:39

  • DisneyJon #106 9h ago

    Hmmm whilst I am no fan of Game some of the "ideas" here are not well thought out - essentially the majority want internet prices, high trade prices, to not be upsold anything, and a massive range and specialist staff.

    ^^ Simply not possible as a business currently.

    The other factor being largely missed is that over half of the group's stores and staff are employed outside the UK, and that it is the UK part of the business that is the main problem, a sympton of the country in general being in trouble.

    Game is stuck in a cycle where high overheads, low new margins thanks to publishers trying to expand the market, increasing transport, fuel, staffing costs, increased competition on and offline, lead to greater pressue on staff and pricing, which in turn is backfiring and making the initial problems worse. Even DLC in store is nothing new as its just a way of selling smaller points values, and the margin on points is next to non-existent compared to the cost of setting the system up. Game isn't Gamestop, and don't have that kind of market hold, or savvy.

    Unsealed games is another one where a lot of people simply don't seem to get what the issue is. In the UK, if you put stock of any value out on the shop floor, that's small and resellable easily, then it will be stolen. The penalties for being caught are too small, and the margin on that stock too low. Current UK law means that you have actually done nothing the police can touch you for up until the point you leave that store with those goods having not paid for them. Store security can watch you, but not detain you, or even touch you up until you run out if you dont try to remove the security device.

    Only the biggest stores can afford security, because that all comes out of the profits. As it is, a lot of online retailers reseal games, or use machines that emulate the original wrapping, so what a lot of people think as factory sealed isn't. I'm not saying its great that stores, including Game, unseal new items, just that very few of us would want to pay more for that item to pay for the security needed to keep those games sealed everywhere in store.

    You know what the real irony of all this is? If Game listened to what the staff tell them, what customers tell them, then they could begin turning this shipwreck around....instead the company is dominated by upper management who have lost all touch with reality and the fact they have competition, with a blind belieft that having exclusives and the Game card makes up for everything, and that if you ask enough people the same questions about buying and preordering then you are bound to get some extra sales.

    From the look of those figures then you have to wonder why someone is not questioning those ideas....

  • SlackMaster #107 9h ago

    @Disney Jon... What happened to dummy cases. For some pre-release stuff they even photocopy inserts and put them into dummy cases. There is no need to put stock directly on the selves or for that matter open/gut your stock and put the boxes out.

  • RobTheBuilder #108 7h ago

    @DisneyJon The upper management do understand what is going on, they just haven't yet been brave enough to make the leaps they need to do to change things.

  • jrb #109 7h ago

    should you mention that game is also being a spoilt little shit when it comes to digital releases, and is lobbying publishers to prevent UK releases of PC games on steam so as to inflate its own sales?

    it's been backed in to the corner by its own inability to compete in a changing market, and is starting to lash out - to the detriment of genuine customers. It's a mirror of what's happening in the traditional media sales in the US with the RIAA and the MPAA. Sickening.

    Longer-term, i think the elephant in the room is that the xbox3, and ps4 will be likely be pushing digital downloads to a much much greater extent.

    Edited by 1 at 24/11/11 @ 10:28