The GAME situation… Where do we go from here?

Many of the major sites have posted articles giving us their opinion on the GAME Group situation. As gamers, especially in the UK, these are worrying times for videogames on our highstreet. Of course people have their differences with GAME, and with the recent boom of the internet becoming the number 1 source for gamers in the past few years, you would think GAME would take a different strategy than the one they are using now. The business structure they are using may of done them some good going back 4 to 5 years ago, but there has been a decline in GAME for the past 2 or more years, it depends on how you look at it.

This isn’t about our own opinions about their situation. Here at TheJoyPads, we want to give our readers a platform to give you a voice.

Below is what our readers had to say:

Munkee - “Game have been fucking publishers up the arse with their pre-owned market for a few years. Now the shit has hit the fan and Game are in trouble. EA (Nintendo & Ubisoft) are returning the favour.”

CheekyLee - “GAME have literally updated themselves out of business. They had a niche market cornered, and instead of focusing on this core group, they got greedy and went after the casual market. And whilst this new group didn’t mind paying over the odds, the previous customers, who were used to a certain level of service, suddenly found themselves being asked to pay more without getting anything extra from it. Unsurprisingly, we took our business elsewhere.

As to why GAME think that I am happy to save £2 to get hold of a pre-owned title that I could get for brand new cheaper elsewhere is a complete mystery. And, it gets even worse when I see a pre-owned title on sale right next to a brand new title that is cheaper. It is a mistake, because it lets me know exactly by what amount I am being ripped off.

Let me make this clear; I have in the past and will continue to pay slightly more than the online price to get something NOW, and have also been happy to hand over cash without thinking too much about it in independent specialists. If I can get an import title, for example, or something that I know won’t also be sat on the shelf at ASDA. But, the ‘specialist’ never stocks the ‘special’ games, only the blockbusters. I will NEVER pay £45 for a game that I can get for £26 elsewhere. Until GAME understand this, they will continue to struggle.”

Clockpunk - “As a holder of stock in the Game Group, I agree with Shepherd’s belief that the company will pull through its current troubles – if I did not, I would have sold my outlay 2 weeks ago when it was triple the price I paid. However, a complete restructuring of the business may be the highest order of the day – and that is always easier said than done, especially when it comes to those in the position to actually make/implement those decisions.

Can the rope Activision into a more pronounced relationship, or do they believe this might alienate a future reconciliation with EA? Either way, it would be a very silly move to rely primarily upon a single publisher (mega, though they may be), but they need to forge some sort of relationship that would allow them to reduce their higher-than-most-other-retailers pricepoint.”

Altaranga - “I don’t know what the siution is with GAME, and I don’t think ny of us will until they relese an offical statement. Yet, reading between the lines that are unwritten, I do get the feeling that things aren’t good.

Here’s the thing, though. I stopped caring about GAME as a retailer when they stopped caring about ME as a consumer. Their prices are way too high for the modern age and they are failing to compete with the internet. It wouldn’t be so bad if their trade-ins were worth it, but again they are way off the mark. They have failed to move with the times, and this is reflected in the fact that I haven’t bought anything from them in several years.

Don’t get me completely wrong; a part of me will be sad to see them go from the High Street (if this is what will happen) but this eventuality will not change my video game shopping habits in the slightest.”

Endless - “Personally I think it’s a good thing. Too long have high street retailers charged over the odds to uninformed and impulse buyers while robbing us blind to make a killing out of the second-hand market.

My only worry is that now the online shops dont have any competition they’ll hike their prices up to high street levels, simply because those that would have shopped on the street will still be willing to pay inflated prices online.

Games shops should become more of a ‘test’ zone whereby you can go in to try out games and then purchase them from an online store while you’re there. They could use the space to hold tournaments and competitions, add advertising like football pitches do etc. Filling a room full of boxes is a dead water idea imo. They need to use the space more wisely.”

Strong words and interesting thoughts. Do you agree? Drop a comment below and share us your thoughts.