GAME Group sees £51.5 million loss for first-half 2011

If they lowered their prices a bit – they might do more trade.

They have to be a bit insane to sell pre-owned games for £37.99!!

Who cares?! GAME simply cant compete with the online retailers. Their stores look more like a Blue Peter ‘bring and buy’ sale with too much focus on pre-owned so is it any wonder they are struggling?!

Of course, the crap line up of titles since the start of the year hasnt helped them either (both for new and pre-owned) and I cant remember the last time I actually bought anything from GAME, then again, I am a PC gamer, so its not really a surprise thanks to places like Amazon and Steam taking my dollar

i never go to Game, their trade in prices are scandalous and they overcharge for everything. I go to Gamestation every time and while they do trade in pricematching with CeX (who offer a lot more for their trade ins) they beat the trade in by a quid.

I’ve saved a fortune doing things like this.

I have bought two games from them recently, Driver and Gears3. I don’t have a problem with the store, for a high street game retailer their prices beat certain other stores such as HMV.

Also it’s the most local decent store for me and usually I can pick up a good deal. Not to mention their online store is good with deliveries, I would much rather go to them over places like Amazon and Play.

@3

Make me laugh, GAME and Gamestation is one group. Either way your giving your money to the same company regardless fella.

Just saying.

I hope this gives the company a kick up the arse they so sorely need with their pricing structure.

No one likes to see businesses go under as it means job losses and we don’t really want more of those do we?

@5: I’m not sure aseddon130 has any principles that make him want to choose something other than GAME, just that their trade-in prices are terrible. And he’s right, despite how they own Gamestation the latter often offer better deals.

Not only that, but the corporate culture still seems quite different; maybe it’s just my local branches, but the guys who work in Gamestation seem a lot friendlier, and a lot more knowledgeable, than the acne-ridden mouth breathers that drag their knuckles behind the counter at GAME.

I don’t see any problem with “giving my money to the same company.” If the GAME Group sees its Gamestation stores doing better than its GAME branches, it may take some lessons on board.

GAME has always felt like the ‘Dixons’ of gaming. Trying to create and upmarket image – well thats what they did when they were Electronics Boutique – just before they bought GAME around 1998 time.

Now GAME have swallowed up their only real competition on the high street because Gamestation kind of replaced the old GAME as ‘gamers choice’. Retail in general just isnt adapting to the changing way of shopping. More and more people go online because its cheaper(in most cases) and easier.

GAMEs download store is shocking and a total pile of shit and they will never get a single penny from me because of how they treat PC gamers. I’m even importing SWTWoW CE because GAME couldnt even get the early access codes right!!

I boycotted GAME four years ago when I was given a gift card from work colleagues as a leaving present, I found that I could only use it in the shops and not online and that online prices were cheaper. I politely wrote to GAME saying how disappointed I was and they responded with a [I paraphrase] “fuck off and deal with it”.
To be honest if that is your approach to customer value and service then your business model is unlikely to compete.

I would wish for them to rot in hell but then I think of their poor employees who will end up jobless……

The whole world is in threat of losing their jobs.. I couldn’t care less if Game employees suffer a mass redundancy. If the company can’t get with the times then they deserve to go bust.

If my directors were screwing over the company I work for, in whatever way, I’d damn well come up with a few ideas to turn things around.

I know Game are getting involved in the digital market, and plan on seeling DLC in-store.. blah blah blah. Just sort out your fucking pricing on GAMES, drop all of the hassling for store cards and extra shit at the checkout, and things’ll pick up.

@#1 : in France, a pre-value game costs 70€. Prices in UK are so attractive that a lot of french players order their games on Zavvi or else e-retailer. That’s why some publishers limit their game at one language, such as Eidos with DE: HR :/

I honestly can’t remember the last time I purchased from a store.

Oh wait, yes, it was Rock band the beatles limited edition from HMV. Because it was on offer for £50.

The problem is definitely pricing, most gamers are quite well aware there are huge savings to be had online, usually at the likes of shopto, amazon, thehut etc.

I always leave a store dissapointed at the lack of reasonable deals. A shame because I will impulse buy if the price is right.

‘…by using our unique specialist position to give customers the very best choice and value.’

Value? We’re ready for it when you are!

This news has made my day – Yay -
@ 2, 8, 10 & 11 I concur Smiley faces

I know I’m not the best at economics but I don’t understand how GAME can lose money. Their business model is just re-selling secondhand games at a markup.

Their rents must be phenomenal for them to lose money running a bring and buy sale…

How’s CEX doing these days ? Anyone know ?

@16, You have to remember though that business model is only good while you are selling the second hand copies. If they are just sitting on the shelves it’s simply unsold stock.

Let’s say they sell Game A for full price of £40, then someone brings back Game A for Game B and gets a trade in for £20, that second sale for Game B will only bring them a profit of £20. Unless they re-sell Game A, if not they haven’t gained anything. And even when they do, they only gain an additional £10 though Game A sale of £40, Game B sale of £20 and finally resale of Game A for, let’s say £30 which brings it to a total of £90 as opposed to full price sales of Game A and B which would have been £80.

That’s how I see it anyway with a layman’s look on things. While I understand that pre-owned sales is pure profit for them, as I said, it’s only good when it actually works. And I’m sure that they said pre-owned sales have dropped over the last year or so. I might be wrong on that though. I don’t think the pre-owned market is a bad thing to be honest. There are ways of getting the most out of your old games through eBay if you can be bothered to do it. Otherwise you’re getting an offer, which in my opinion and experience hasn’t been unfair, to get something for your old games.

And as I said, I’m no expert so feel free to correct my understanding if it’s incorrect.

I wonder how much GAMEfest cost to organise and set up?
I think those costs are potentially factored into the losses too.