GAME buy Gamestation
LewieP
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The Game Group's GBP 74 million acquisition of rival retail chain Gamestation is necessary for overall market growth, according to CEO Lisa Morgan. The deal, which was announced today, will give the Game Group a total of 1047 stores - and shrink specialist retail in the UK from two major chains to just one.
As reported on the company's website Morgan stated, "We've been a key partner, as has Gamestation, with our suppliers for some time now and we played an important part in developing and growing the marketplace. "We would hope that our suppliers will continue to work with us and be supportive of what we're trying to achieve here, which is ultimately to develop the market." Morgan denied that the acquisition is an attempt to defend GAME's position as a specialist retailer in the videogame market in the face of increased competition from supermarkets, entertainment stores and online outlets.
"We recognise that this marketplace is a growing marketplace and there are more competitors within it, but ultimately this is a strategic acquisition by GAME to develop a second brand on the High Street and ultimately appeal to more customers with a specialist offer, giving better service and driving improvements throughout the Group," she said. "We're competing for entertainment spend within the marketplace and it really does depend on how you actually define that overall market. Historically, when we've talked about market share at GAME it's been Chart-Track market share and that specifically just covers a specific segment of market."
In terms of integrating the two companies, The Game Group has made assurances that it doesn't want to see stores closed - although consolidation of Gamestation's head office in York with GAME's new facility in Basingstoke is likely. "We've always actively managed our store portfolio and we'll continue to do that. But this deal is not about closing stores. This deal is about enhancing our customer reach," offered group finance director David Thomas.
Morgan added: "Over time it's our intention that we will integrate the two head office facilities that exist presently into our state-of-the-art, purpose built centre at Basingstoke. Ultimately we see the future of the business having one central infrastructure to support both brands. This will take time and obviously is going to be subject to full consultation process, but it is one of the key synergy areas," she revealed.
Any Gamestation-branded concessions in previous owner Blockbuster's stores are to be debranded by the end of next month, and handed back to the movie rental company. "The Gamestation concessions are not part of the transaction and therefore, within the next couple of months, in fact by the June 30, they will be debranded and no longer trade as Gamestation and the ongoing business will be handled by Blockbuster," confirmed Morgan.
Now with a revitalised business and a swelling of stores Europe-wide, there is speculation that GAME could attempt to tackle GameStop, the company's biggest international rival. The company has yet to comment directly, but Thomas didn't rule out the possibility of further expansion both on home turf and internationally.
"We would take a three to five year view in terms of our future investment and we're very confident that we've got the capability to continue to make investment both internationally and in our home market," he said.
Capitalism fails the consumer again.
For those not in the know, in the UK, there are 2 major specialist games retailers. GAME and gamestation. Their used to be three, but GAME bought out EB, and went on to rebrand all EB's as GAME stores (including shopping centres with both a GAME and and EB...)
Gamestation is far far better than GAME, they have much wider range of games, and my local sells everything from NES upwards, even a few game gear games. They also have a massive selection of games in a 4 for £20 and 2 for £20 range at all times. It also often has random low prices, like Sonic Wii and Exctie truck for £20 soon after launch. GAME stores are rubbish, they sell pretty much everything at RRP, their trade in prices are worse than gamestations, and they mostly cater to a solely mainstream audience.
One potential benefit, anyone near a gamestation inside a blockbuster, lookout for mad clearance sales...
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'Benefiting the consumer' is absolutely a secondary consideration.
Not that I have lived in the UK, but I have spent time there and can attest to the superiority of Gamestation. A sad day.
Where Madness and the Fantasical Come to Play
They actually broke the street date on TDU and gave it me a couple of days early because I'd been in basically every week since it's first slated release date..
But as there's only a handful of Chips shops around the country I think the majority of us are screwed..
It was more of a 'gamers' game store, whereas GAME is all about the generic EA sports average joe consumer.
I guess that pays out though. HEres hoping they change Gamestation to GAME branding, then I will have 3 GAME stores all literally within spitting distance of each other near me.
there's one a fair drive away from me when I'm in Manchester, but at Uni, it's either GAME, Gamestation, and I guess HMV (My local has a tiny games section, and the PC section = the current top 5) or buy robbed stuff from cash converters...
Online only it is then...
Now everything I buy will be probably from amazon. A shame, because the only thing keeping me going to BM shops was the atmosphere.
My gamestation
I was in Hounslow Highstreet (near London) and from a few hundred feet away, I could hear music playing. I get closer, and start to recognise it as System of a Down.
When I get right up to gamestation, I can hear it playing really loudly from outside. 90% of people outside look annoyed by it, and the other nearby shop staff look pissed off. I go inside, and there's about 20 customers inside vaguely moshing whilst browsing the store. I ask whats going on, at the til, and the guy explains that "the manager is a big SOAD fan"
I find that they're superior not just for their game selection, but for their merch - I've bought two people multiple gifts from there, as well as stuff for myself.
I haven't shopped in a GAME since the Wii launch - when I ended up going to Gamestation anyway.
Edit: And the Cambridge Gamestation used to have Guitar Hero set up - I would trek half a mile just to rock out for a few songs, whereas the GAME in the precinct never has anything playing, or else the controllers aren't hooked up.
I didn't know the headquarters is here though, bizarre considering the store is tiny!
PSN: SirGrinchX
Oculus Rift: Sir_Grinch
The local Gamestation here sucks balls, they never have what im looking for and on top of that the store smells like a damp arse. Granted they do have some really old games for NES etc, but seriously smells of damp arse. The displays are also pretty fucking bad aswell, have to walk around the store in order to find the format im looking for.
GAME on the other hand 8/10 do have what im looking for, mainstream or otherwise, i don't trade my games in so i don't know about their prices. My local one seems to sell a few £'s under RRP most of the time aswell. I can also see where i need to go for the format of game i want as soon as i walk in
GAME is usually my first port of call for a game, with Gamestation being way last, did i mention it smells of damp arse in there?
Son of a bitch, I preferred working there to Game so much.
Edit: And not wanting to close stores is bollocks, it won't happen right away, but it will happen if it's not profitable enough.
I suppose you don't need to lower prices to compete with the 'net when you have a monopoly on the high street.
They don't compete with the net because net stores don't have to pay for individual stores, staff, etc. It's the reason their own online stores tend to be cheaper and offer different deals than their high street stores.
But yeah, monopoly, no worry of having to price match each other anymore either.
But near as I can tell, GAME/Gamestation aren't nearly as bad as EBStop, right?
GAME is not a bad place. The staff are good and their selection is okay. I just always, always went to Gamestation first.
Game has gotten worse since I worked there, they abolished their 10 day return policy and started selling their own insurance/warranty/whatever on the 360 (and I assume PS3).
So if it that means turning it into a GAME, it was a damn waste of time.
Are they owned by Dixons or something? I bet they are. Or Curries. One of those big guys.
Yeah, it is all cheaper on eBay, but I just plain prefer being able to walk into the shop, have a root around, and talk to the till bitches for 5 minutes. Gamestation feels more like individual shops than GAME. I hate the way they all look the fucking same like.
So you use it as a place to hang out rather than a place to shop?
Not that I know of, I think Games Stores is its own entity.
According to the statement they want to keep them open and seperate, but I'd expect their policies to slowly creep over. Ah well, now I'll get to explain the situation to some smug twat declaring "I got it cheaper at your rivals".
Aye. It looks like Dixons was rumored to be making GAME an offer in '99 but nothing came of it. In fact, GAME seem to be the ones making all the acquisitions. According to their Plc website, they own a few different gaming stores on the continent.
There was a rumour that Gamestop were going to use Gamestation as a way of establishing themselves in the UK, since Blockbuster UK wanted rid of them.
Eh, I know I could probably do with giving up brick and mortar, but still - Gamestation's second-hand prices are/were fairly decent, they had a good range of stock and even if I ended up getting a disc that looked like someone had been rubbing it with sandpaper if it worked, I knew it wasn't getting any worse in my possession. The GAME in Derby is... not good - John Q. Madden for the most part, average to bad selection of second-hand stuff at extortionate prices most of the year and a shitty corporate atmosphere to the whole thing, not to mention it's mostly full of harassed parents with screaming kids. Going to miss GS in the future, I'm sure.
EDIT: Of course, I've always got Forbidden Planet as long as I'm round this area. Crappy trade-in prices, but then I rarely trade anything in any more anyway.
Read my book. (It has a robot in it.)
I buy all my new titles online anyway, but it's a real loss, this
No, not really. I feel sorry for the pions. But seriously, fuck Game.
In my town there are two GAMEs already, and one Gamestation. It used to be EB GS GAME. But now I dunno what they'll do, close it down? There's no point having three separate properties within 300 yards of each other.
Gamestation was excellent too. I got a load of good deals from there, mainly the retro stuff and preowned things, they had a neat window display with loads of good stuff.
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Although other than used, both game and gamestation suck for new games now anyway, I go to Asda of all places, its cheaper, more convienient (for me) and I can get games at midnight if I really want them
We already have three GAMEs (two in the same fucking mall!) and 95% of the staff in there are sarcastic pricks.
Ah well, it's Forbidden Planet for me from now on. At least they let you trade in DS imports.
www.gameplay.co.uk is my store of choice. Cheap, swift, delivers the day before official release on pre-orders and has awesome customer service whenever I've had to return anything.
And really, anybody who bought second hand stuff or traded anything in to a highstreet store is a lazy fool. You will always get a better deal on Ebay. (Nearly)