Wed, Feb 22, 2012 | 18:15 GMT

Report – GAME to close 35 stores, shut down Gameplay.co.uk

MCV is reporting that GAME is to close 35 stores and shutter its online retail site Gameplay.co.uk.

All Gameplay customers will need to use Gamestation.co.uk starting on March 1. Gameplay was acquired by GAME in 2004, but was pushed out oft he limelight by customers when Gamestation relaunched its sites last year.

The store closures are part of the ones already announced by the firm and the 610 GAME and GameStation High Street stores will be reduced to 550 by Christmas 2013.

“So that all of our customers can enjoy the benefits of the new online platform that we launched last year, Gameplay customers will be served through Gamestation.co.uk from March 1st 2012, including customer support for their purchases,” said a GAME spokesperson

“All new orders will be directed through gamestation.co.uk from that date. We’re talking to our customers who access our online community through Gameplay about this today, and look forward to welcoming them to the growing community at gamestation.co.uk.”

The firm also has a plan in pace which will help customers find another local store and it will do its best to rehire staff at other locations – if possible.

To help organize the changed, the firm will be deploying a new IT system which will fully connect its online services with physical stores. More information on the new services provided by the new internal tech will be made available next month.

GAME confirmed to VG247 yesterday evening it wouldn’t be stocking Ubisoft’s Vita launch lineup, including Rayman Origins, Michael Jackson: The Experience and Lumines; and it also switched pre-orders of the special edition for Mistwalker Wii RPG The Last Story to standard editions ahead of its release in the UK on Friday.

The firm said it “cant stock” every game, but said titles currently unavailable to buy could end up on store shelves in the future.

6 comments

Dimaco
22/02/12, 7:21 pm

Darn, that’s no good news… I used to buy a lot from Gameplay.co.uk…

BeLGaRaTh
22/02/12, 7:45 pm

It all started going tits up when they changed from EB to Game, then whoever had the bright idea to open another franchise (Gamestation) and have it compete in the same high streets as Game itself, selling the same games for the same prices

Pure Genius …

freedoms_stain
22/02/12, 7:55 pm

@1, me too, but the quality of their pricing strategies notably degraded over the years.

Hunam
22/02/12, 8:42 pm

Gamestation was competition for years, till GAME bough them and ran them into the ground.

nikk900
22/02/12, 10:35 pm

Game do not own gamestation, they are both owned by the same share holders. I work at gamestation and both companies are treated pretty much the same. The only difference is the look of the stores, ones aimed at families and casual gamers and the other is aimed at hardcore gamers.

absolutezero
22/02/12, 11:03 pm

Gameplay used to be a wonderful mail order company. Im talking about full on mail order catalouge before the internet service, Special Reserve style. Thats how long I’ve been a customer there. I was pretty pissed when Game bought the site out and ripped the guts out of it. Now, because of their own shitty business its getting closed.

whelp.