GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2019

Anything to do with games at all.
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smurphy
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by smurphy » Sat Apr 14, 2018 1:00 am

In fairness they actually had some good bundles on lately for the Switch, unlike their usual irresistible deal of the console with Monopoly: The Game for £300.

Gemini73

PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Gemini73 » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:10 pm

Mike Ashley now in the Game driving seat as he becomes the company's largest share holder.

Game CEO once more confirms company moving away from selling physical media.


Yesterday GAME Digital announced that its largest single investor, US firm Elliott, had disposed of its entire holdings in the firm. That immediately meant that Mike Ashley, became the largest single investor in the company, according to The Retail Gazette this morning. And that's before control of Elliott's former holdings is discovered.


Ashley first took an interest in the retailer last summer, buying a 26 per cent share, and then invested further in GAME's Belong brand earlier this year - all via his wholly owned Sports Direct. Then came a deal to set up Belong arenas in Sports Direct stores along with possible GAME concessions.

Elliott, a major american investment fund, which is known for investing in troubled companies. Disposed of 37 per cent of GAME yesterday, we're trying to find out at present who bought up the holdings. It owned the holdings through its Duodi investment vehicle, and its member of the GAME board is standing down following the sale.

That leaves Mike Ashley as the biggest single shareholder, and it's he could take full control of GAME it seems if he so desired - with the Elliott's shares likely to be available to him.

Martyn Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer of GAME Digital, commented in a statement: “Elliott has been an engaged investor, and I would like to thank them for their support of GAME as we developed the operations and strategy of the business over the last six years. We have devised a strong growth strategy and are now well positioned to drive the transformation of our business, as we move from a seller of physical products to a provider of gaming experiences.”


https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.mcvu ... hareholder

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Preezy
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Preezy » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:16 pm

Gemini73 wrote:
as we move from a seller of physical products to a provider of gaming experiences.”

A what now?

Gemini73

PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Gemini73 » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:28 pm

Preezy wrote:
Gemini73 wrote:
as we move from a seller of physical products to a provider of gaming experiences.”

A what now?


I think he is referring to esports.

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Victor Mildew
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Victor Mildew » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:34 pm

A game shop not selling physical media in favour of overpriced digital codes. Seems like a sustainable long term business model.

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Wrathy
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Wrathy » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:47 pm

To be honest if GAME started becoming a place you could do MTG, YuGiOh and Pokemon card tournaments there could be hope for it yet. Trading card people waste loads of money at these kind of events.

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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Earfolds » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:49 pm

Wrathy wrote:To be honest if GAME started becoming a place you could do MTG, YuGiOh and Pokemon card tournaments there could be hope for it yet. Trading card people waste loads of money at these kind of events.

Most GAME stores have barely got enough room inside them for games.

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Wrathy
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Wrathy » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:51 pm

Earfolds wrote:
Wrathy wrote:To be honest if GAME started becoming a place you could do MTG, YuGiOh and Pokemon card tournaments there could be hope for it yet. Trading card people waste loads of money at these kind of events.

Most GAME stores have barely got enough room inside them for games.


Yeah. the fixed standing units with shelves of tat and tshirt racks are probably the biggest barrier. But I imagine they’ll be removing that stuff anyway so who knows.

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Floex
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Floex » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:53 pm

Wrathy wrote:To be honest if GAME started becoming a place you could do MTG, YuGiOh and Pokemon card tournaments there could be hope for it yet. Trading card people waste loads of money at these kind of events.


I know nothing of this scene but is it big enough to be nationwide? They should definitely try something like this to bring people into their stores.

Also, can you buy a mahoosive Game mug yet?

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Jenuall
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Jenuall » Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:58 pm

I went in to GAME here on Cheltenham high street for the first time in what must be 5+ years last week, it was surprisingly busy - to the point where you couldn't really get around the shop without bumping into people.

Despite that I got the impression that nobody in the store actually had much in the way of an expectation of buying anything - they all felt like people either browsing to kill time, taking kids in there to let them look at games and shut them up for 5 minutes, or people just browsing to get ideas for what they might buy online or in another shop. The staff all looked thoroughly depressed at being there as well! :lol:

I'm not sure how successful moving to concessions in Sports Direct is going to be. Outside of the FIFA/COD crowd there are going to be lots of gamers who wouldn't be that likely to head to Sports Direct to get their gaming fix - especially in places where the Sports Direct is out of town versus having a GAME store on the high street.

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Preezy
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Preezy » Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:02 pm

Jenuall wrote:I'm not sure how successful moving to concessions in Sports Direct is going to be. Outside of the FIFA/COD crowd there are going to be lots of gamers who wouldn't be that likely to head to Sports Direct to get their gaming fix - especially in places where the Sports Direct is out of town versus having a GAME store on the high street.

In my local high street GAME is directly opposite Sports Direct. I don't know where they'd fit a GAME concession stand in there though, maybe if they moved some of those horrible Lonsdale tracksuit bottoms out of the way perhaps...

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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Gemini73 » Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:11 pm

Earfolds wrote:
Wrathy wrote:To be honest if GAME started becoming a place you could do MTG, YuGiOh and Pokemon card tournaments there could be hope for it yet. Trading card people waste loads of money at these kind of events.

Most GAME stores have barely got enough room inside them for games.


They'll most likely bin off many of the high street stores once Ashley begins moving Game concessions into his ample sized Sports Soccer branches.

I used to manage the Cheltenham branch of Game for a short time and am confident, based on being part of my own indie store some time later, that the rates and rent would be astronomical for such a prime position. If they are ditching physical media then it would make financial sense for it to close and move whatever plans they have for the business into Sports Soccer.

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Wrathy
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Wrathy » Mon Apr 16, 2018 3:52 pm

Floex wrote:
Wrathy wrote:To be honest if GAME started becoming a place you could do MTG, YuGiOh and Pokemon card tournaments there could be hope for it yet. Trading card people waste loads of money at these kind of events.


I know nothing of this scene but is it big enough to be nationwide? They should definitely try something like this to bring people into their stores.

Also, can you buy a mahoosive Game mug yet?


It’s big and growing, and Game supply (overpriced) TCG stuff already so it seems like an obvious next step. The main problem is the need for people running it to be passionate and involved with the official side of things, because at a local level it’s voluntary and the rewards are not awesome.

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Victor Mildew
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Victor Mildew » Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:46 pm

Needs to be like games workshop but with videogames.

I'd still never shop there of course.

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Jenuall
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Jenuall » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:41 pm

Ad7 wrote:Needs to be like games workshop but with videogames.

I'd still never shop there of course.


Does Games Workshop still exist?

That's another shop that I struggle to understand how it survived - rent for these shops can't be cheap and there can't be that many people buying the stuff surely?

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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by jawafour » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:44 pm

Jenuall wrote:Does Games Workshop still exist?

That's another shop that I struggle to understand how it survived - rent for these shops can't be cheap and there can't be that many people buying the stuff surely?

:o . Don't let Garth hear you say that, man.

One of my nephews has bought some GW stuff. It's pretty expensive.

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Jenuall
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Jenuall » Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:57 pm

jawafour wrote:
Jenuall wrote:Does Games Workshop still exist?

That's another shop that I struggle to understand how it survived - rent for these shops can't be cheap and there can't be that many people buying the stuff surely?

:o . Don't let Garth hear you say that, man.

One of my nephews has bought some GW stuff. It's pretty expensive.


Oh I'm not doing it down in any way, I bought my fair share of 40K stuff from GW back in the day!

It just feels like a market that would struggle to survive in this day and age - same thing with things like model shops selling airfix and Hornby trains - great stuff for enthusiasts but a tough prospect for maintaining a high street presence!

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Hypes
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Hypes » Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:10 pm

Thing is with Games Workshop, you can really engage with the hobby there: play games, paint models, look at well painted models, chat about the game and strategies with the knowledgeable staff, all of which contribute to you actually spending money in the store. Don't think I've set foot in one for at least 15 years, but I still remember the first visit I made to one where the staff were extremely helpful, knowledgeable and engaging

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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by jawafour » Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:11 pm

Jenuall wrote:... great stuff for enthusiasts but a tough prospect for maintaining a high street presence!

Yeah, definitely, man. High Street rent prices remain, I believe, very high - even though many shops are struggling.

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Buffalo
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PostRe: GAME (as in the shop GAME): Retailer Of The Year 2018
by Buffalo » Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:23 pm

I’d still shop at Game if the prices were the same as online, and there was some semblance of real CARE taking place - with the literal stores, the staff training, the range of stuff available. I was one of the last ones here to stop, I think. It needs to exist, but in its current guise? Hell no.

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