The end of an era?

[Psychosplodge]

Apparently game looks like its going tits up link (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/889062-game-denies-stock-problems-as-finance-crisis-deepens)

With them being the major player including owning gamestation what will this mean if you can only get stuff online and at tesco?
I know their customer service is poor but I am prone to impulse purchase when I spot a bargain there.

What's the chance of another chain popping up that mainly does games with the highstreet in decline?

[eldargal]

Boo, I shop there as much as I can on principle. Mind you I do think the future of video game retail is digital download with things like Collectors Editions coming solely from online retailers.

[Psychosplodge]

I think the second hand market is speeding the download only era...

[DrLove42]

Well I preordered ME3 from GAME this morning

I used to work for game, and still know at least 20 people who do, and they're all still being paid and what not.

So I'm calling bull**** on this...

[Psychosplodge]

It's on MCV as well, and EA have passed comment on financial difficulties of a major european distributor...

[eldargal]

Bit late aren't you, pre-ordered mine nearly seven months ago.:p Hope you are right about GAME.

Well I preordered ME3 from GAME this morning

I used to work for game, and still know at least 20 people who do, and they're all still being paid and what not.

So I'm calling bull**** on this...

[Psychosplodge]

they apparently messed up a lot of ffxii-2 orders especially the special editions ,

but have agreed a new deal with the banks (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16868265) so probably safe for now...

[lattd]

They stopped taking mass effect 3 orders at xmas, they always stop preorders for big games a week early, to make sure they have stock. They are pretty terrible when it comes to people actually knowing about games.

[DrLove42]

They stopped taking mass effect 3 orders at xmas, they always stop preorders for big games a week early, to make sure they have stock. They are pretty terrible when it comes to people actually knowing about games.

So when I ordered it 3 days ago did that not happen? Did I just imagine preording it? Or are you talking total bull****

[Psychosplodge]

So when I ordered it 3 days ago did that not happen? Did I just imagine preording it? Or are you talking total bull****

Personally from what I've read you were lucky more than anything else...

[lattd]

No i was saying what I heard a manager told me back in December that pre-orders on the collectors edition would stop in the next week so by Christmas.

[DrLove42]

Thats got nothing to do with the stores being in trouble, thats because its a limited run item. And theres no good someone ordering it 2 weeks in advance cos there no way to get more copies out by then.

Everywhere stopped for tat reason pre-christmas

[Psychosplodge]

Sorry, one of the initial reasons I posted was this

Crystal Tipps
Hi GC, one very disappointed gamer here. As an avid Final Fantasy collector I eagerly pre-ordered the Crystal Edition of Final Fantasy XIII on the GAME website back in October 2011. I don’t usually pre-order but with the Crystal Edition likely to be in very short supply, and a bonus pack offered with this as well I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Come today, two days before release, I get an email from GAME informing me that my order has been cancelled.

No reason why, it’s certainly not due to lack of funds in my account, just a cheery ‘You order has been cancelled!' And yes it had an exclamation mark at the end.

So with two days left until release what are my chances of finding the game with someone else? Having searched the ‘Net, zero would seem to be the answer. Have emailed GAME but don’t expect an answer to be fair. I appreciate they are not doing well financially but this sort of treatment of customers is only going to make things much worse.
Chelski Blue (gamertag)
PS: If anyone knows where I can pick up a copy let me know! And I know the Collector's Edition is still available in places but it’s just not the same.
SOURCE (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/889228-games-inbox-game-over-dead-island-spoilers-and-twin-snakes)

But now reading this

Going elsewhere
RE: Chelski Blue. GAME did that to me too [cancelling a pre-order with no warning] with Uncharted 3. Considering I pre-ordered it as soon as it came on their website, which was roughly November/December time in 2010, I was not happy at all. And they said it was due to low stock. So someone somewhere, who could have pre-ordered a mere month before release date, may have ended up with a copy that rightfully should have been mine. Thankfully, good ol' Play.com had it in stock, and the panic was over.
Shelleythesnail
SOURCE (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/889404-games-inbox-king-of-lemmings-fightbox-and-super-mario-rpg)

I've obviously confused a separate financial issue from the initial article, and just general shoddy customer service. Which combined make the problem look a bigger one than it possibly is.
Unless of course that's one of the underlying issues causing the financial one...
Also I know our lass tried getting the crystal edition from game initially when it was first announced and they removed it from their website so she had to go to amazon...


However must be fair, todays letters also have an example of good customer service too...


Hats off to game employees (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/889536-games-inbox-xbox-live-cheating-and-narrow-minds)

[DrLove42]

As as interesting follow up;

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/23/game-to-close-35-more-stores-shut-gameplay-co-uk/


Britain’s biggest high-street games retailer, GAME, is to close 35 more stores than had previously been announced, as part of a major restructuring. The company will reduce its current GAME and GameStation shops from 610 down to 550 by Christmas of next year. They’re also shutting down forgotten website gameplay.co.uk, redirecting customers there to GameStation’s website.

A GAME spokesperson had this to say about Gameplay’s closure.

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

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 noises that have been coming from GAME since the beginning of the year haven’t been healthy: the retailer lost credit insurance from its bank and it has been alleged that this has created an inability to stock significant new titles, although GAME have denied that this is the reason for their absence on shelves. Over the past year, the company’s share price has dropped precipitously.

Reorganisation is needed to prevent the UK games industry suffering a major blow: it wouldn’t just be a chain of high-street shops that goes under, it would be the face of gaming on the high street: thousands of people’s jobs are at risk, revenue across all publishers would be affected. There’s a potential terrifying domino effect if GAME dies.

Good luck.

So Game aren't dead, just downsizing.

The concept of GAME, the last true dedicated gaming retail chain actually going under would change the industry to a massive level

[Psychosplodge]

"It's not dead, look I just saw it move. "

"No it didn't."

"Look there it moved again"

[Psychosplodge]

Doesn't look good. I know this (http://www.metro.co.uk/tech/games/891199-game-wont-sell-the-last-story-or-ubisofts-vita-games)combined with the ffxiiii-2 special edition preorder farce means I'll never pre-order again form them, you can't know if you're going to get it...

[lattd]

I would be extremely peeved if gamestation councils my collectors edition of mass effect 3 following these stories.

[Psychosplodge]

IGN has a copy of the internal memo from Game HQ.
(http://au.games.ign.com/articles/121/1219655p1.html)


URGENT! URGENT! THIS POST IS FU**ING URGENT!

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-02-29-game-not-stocking-mass-effect-3-or-ea-games-past-ssx

GAME AND GAMESTATION WILL NOT BE STOCKING ANY COPIES OF MASS EFFECT 3.

ALL PREORDERS ARE VOID. CONTACT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER OR YOUR STORE FOR INFORMATION. IF YOU PLACED A DEPOSIT IT IS REDEEMABLE ONLY AS STORE CREDIT

IF YOU HAVE A COLLECTORS COPY YOU ARE TOLD TO PRE-ORDER ELSEWHERE.

I think might be the end of that then...