Beginning of the end for GAME?

[hogso]

Mass Effect 3 has become the latest game they will not be stocking, either in store or online. A statement released today reads;

'We currently have a supply issue with regards to Mass Effect 3, which means that GAME and Gamestation will not be able to fulfil orders for Mass Effect 3 at this time. We want to give customers as much notice about this as possible and provide them with a range of options ahead of launch.

We appreciate that this is disappointing for our customers, and we apologise sincerely for the inconvenience that this will cause. We value the loyalty of our customers very highly and as a gesture of goodwill we are providing the following:

• Customers who have pre-ordered in store*, will have the opportunity to add £5 worth of Reward points to their card if they visit us from 1st March through to 16th March 2012

• Customers who have placed a deposit for the title* will receive a refund as well as the £5 worth of Reward points between 1st - 16th March 2012

• Customers who have pre-ordered online, will be provided with an online voucher to the value of £5 to be spent on any purchase on our sites

For more information we would advise customers to visit EA www.ea.com/uk/masseffect3update on how to get hold of Mass Effect 3.

*All customer must be able provide valid proof that they have placed a pre-order or deposit'

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This follows news that they won't be stocking The Last Story or Ubisoft Vita games. Worse still are reports that they won't be stocking any EA games after SSX this week. Which sucks. My ME3 pre-order is with them, and I often use them for pre-orders. Would be sad to see them leave the high street - I don't think my town will be the only one with just CEX as the nearest thing to a dedicated 'stockist' of computer games if GAME and Gamestation disappear

It's also claimed their won't be any further Nintendo games either - startng with Mario Party this week

[GarethRDR]

How can a computer games shop not stock computer games?

[villa89]

The end is nigh, goodbye computer game shops, hello digital distribution.

[Laivasse]

I don't know anything of the background behind this but I suppose it's publisher squabbles. Surely it can't be a coincidence that some of the stock problems are with two of the biggest arsehole publishers around, Ubi and EA, who each have rather... bold attitudes (always-on DRM, microtransactions on a huge scale, making features unavailable in second-hand copies, Origin exclusivity).

The decisions not to stock could have come from either side, though, I suppose. Could be EA whining about the in-store sale of used games, could be GAME not wanting to sell stuff which they see as promoting a competitor (ie. EA's digital delivery platform). Retailer/publisher squabbles over the latter have happened in the past.

I wouldn't worry about bricks-and-mortar retailers vanishing just yet. Even if GAME goes under some burgeoning company like Gamestop will fill the gap.

[Stevo985]

I wouldn't worry about bricks-and-mortar retailers vanishing just yet. Even if GAME goes under some burgeoning company like Gamestop will fill the gap.

I'd say it's more likely the Supermarkets will fill the gap, in the long term anyway.

Just like what's happned with DVD sales.

Apart from HMV (which is on it's last legs) is there anywhere else on the high street that you can buy DVDs?

[irreverentad]

I wouldn't worry about bricks-and-mortar retailers vanishing just yet. Even if GAME goes under some burgeoning company like Gamestop will fill the gap.

I'd say it's more likely the Supermarkets will fill the gap, in the long term anyway.

Just like what's happned with DVD sales.

Apart from HMV (which is on it's last legs) is there anywhere else on the high street that you can buy DVDs?

[villa89]

I'd say it's more likely the Supermarkets will fill the gap, in the long term anyway.

Just like what's happned with DVD sales.

This. You'll be buying your PSWiibox in tesco and getting all your content downloaded (or streamed like onlive) to your machine over the interweb. There will be no more Game or HMV or gamestop, Just tesco or currys or argos selling hardware.

[Laivasse]

I wouldn't sell Gamestop short. They are absolutely massive in the US despite all publishers hating their guts for making huge money off of used game sales. According to this they traded $3bn in the two months over Xmas and it also confirms they are interested in acquiring GAME. I'm not sure that supermarkets would be able to step into the used games market in the same way.

[Davkaus]

4 years ago, I ordered a collector's edition from them on their website, about 2 months before launch. The day before dispatch it was cancelled as they'd oversold it and run out of stock, and they didn't bother telling anyone before it was far too late to get one elsewhere.

I've been waiting a long time for this news.

...I'm not bitter.

[villa4europe]

i can remember the days when EA paid for GAMES christmas party, i always attributed the fact that they were so pally to the reason as to why GAME were the market leaders

id heard stores were closing but that it was mainly going to be the stupid almost greedy stores like the 2nd one in wolverhampton, with gamestation round the corner too it is utterly pointless keeping them all open

but now i dont see how any store that doesnt stock EA games could stay open

[hogso]

I've been waiting a long time for this news.

...I'm not bitter.

I'm quite surprised at the amount of similar sentiments I've heard. GC is a blaze with similar comments. I've personally never had any bad experiences with them, online or in store...but tbf most of the bad stuff I've heard is what 'gamers' have heard staff in stores telling people who blatently know nothing about computer games and are buying for their kids or whatever.

[bromsgrove_avfc]

We supply them and my gut instinct is they have had it. The reason EA won't supply them is because you can no longer credit insure them. Gutted because they were good customers and also have very good friends that work there. 6000 people added to the dole list with ripples through the industry closing down some smaller companies that depend on them. Not having a specialist on the high street is bad news all round I'm afraid. :-(

[Chindie]

EA were willing to supply, but the terms they offered Game were beyond what Game would be willing to accept, so they have decided not to stock EA items.

[bromsgrove_avfc]

Game are demanding 60 days EOM to help them out. That's a big ask I'm afraid when you can't insure it.

[hogso]

There seems to be an ever growing number of people who have had their Collector's Editon pre-orders cancelled with Game, and they now can't order it from anywhere else as the usually suspects (Amazon, Play, Zavvi) all appear to have sold out (for Xbox and PC anyway). The blogs in the community section on the Game website provides some laughs

peteTKD's Blog

Build up to Mass Effect 3

28/1/2012 10:21 AM GMT

Just pre-ordered the collectors edition of Mass Effect 3. This for me will be the game for 2012. Did another playthrough on ME1 and now just finishing ME2 in time for the release and trying to make the right decisions. Anyone else looking forward to mass effect 3?

GAME are you dumb or just stupid?

29/2/2012 6:17 PM GMT

I pre-ordered mass effect 3 CE in good time and you pull this stunt off? You're just stupid and made the dumbest mistake. This is no way to treat loyal customers. Me and many others will just buy/order games elsewhere. I'm sure bankruptcy and the adminstrators will welcome you with open arms!...

[P3te]

game stores will be no loss to the industry in the long run

they gouge the customer, they rob the industry of billions through second hand sales, and they do everything they can to annoyingly push their worthless "insurance" on unwitting buyers

the sooner they're gone the better

[jon_c]

I bloody hope they don't go, Second hand games and trade-in is how I afford to keep getting games. My internet is shit so I'm not downloading anything, and the only supermarket around for miles is Morrisons. Whose gaming section might as well be none existent.

[Chindie]

As someone who is employed by Game, I hope it isn't the beginning of the end.

[P3te]

I bloody hope they don't go, Second hand games and trade-in is how I afford to keep getting games. My internet is shit so I'm not downloading anything, and the only supermarket around for miles is Morrisons. Whose gaming section might as well be none existent.

buy online, save money

[The_Rev]

It doesnt really work when you rely on the cash you get for your old game to pay for the new one. I dont mind used game sales as much as you seem to Pete (though I rarely trade games in or buy used games myself) I think the practice is good for the industry in general as it keeps the cash flowing, but I do think that Game do go too far in trying to push used sales over new ones. I am aware of the difference in margins between new and used sales but I can see why Game, and Gamestop in North America, piss off publishers with their business practices. There is a happy medium and I think Game stepped past that point years ago, which could well be why they are struggling now as there are lots of people like me who wont shop there due to their off putting sales techniques.