Is Gamestop making its mark already??

flogen

Ok, this is all rumour at the moment, so dont quote me on it... but a friend of mine has told me that Game Grafton St is closing up as it cant pay the lease anymore...

The thing is, it could be a lie, maybe Im just being wound up, but I'll try and find out for sure asap.

If it is true then its a big kick in the metaphorical nuts for Game, as grafton st is supposed to be the HQ for Ireland... (on paper anyway).

btw, i used to work there, and the guy who told me still does, as I said, I'll be back once i get more info...

Flogen

honru

That's fairly odd, I always thought that that specific GAME store was the most viable Irish branch, but the fact that another GAME store is just around the corner may consolidate in the closing up.

While the Dawsons St. store is much nicer (quieter and spacious) compared to the one on Grafton St., it would be a bummer to see them go, was nice to have that little bit of variety only two minutes away from each other.

Honestly though, I doubt this has little to do with Gamestop, who I don't consider as great as I thought initially. Even though all three consoles have reached their peak, the prices at GAME have definetly improved since this competition showed up, hopefully they will be able to keep these prices up when the next generation of consoles arrive.

flogen

from what i now understand, it is to do with the lease being bumped up.

It would be odd if it was competition, given the nearest gamestop is liffey st and henry st (which would effect GAME henry st more, obviously). but it looks like its something out of the competitions hands too..... but perhaps Gamestop will give a nice big slap in the face and move in to their old slot....:D

Flogen

rabbitinlights

GAME just opened a 2 story shop in galway city center, so i think its the lease being so expensive, and not GAME in trouble.

MrPinK

Originally posted by flogen
it is to do with the lease being bumped up.

Not suprising they can't afford to stay then. Grafton Street was already the 10th most expensive retail location in world.

honru

Originally posted by MrPinK
Grafton Street was already the 10th most expensive retail location in world.

:eek:

That's something new to me.

MrPinK

Was pretty suprised myself. Average rent per square metre is €2,304

http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2003/11/23/story482179715.asp

DiscoStu

on the bright side that means a closing down sale. so all the crap in the back that has built up over the years will have to be shifted. just think off all the retro consoles and games that could be waiting there.

losing the grafton street store could be a big loss since it is such a good location even if it is a little cramped. the dawson street one may be bigger and have that really attractive red haired girl working there but it never could get a similar amount of random punters dropping in and maybe buying stuff as the grafton st. one would.

flogen

Dont count on it... any worthwhile stock there will be moved to another store, and the only retro console i found in my time there was an amiga 1200 which hadnt any cables...

have that really attractive red haired girl working there

LOL.... thats a made of mine.... Im tellin'!!!!!!

Flogen

Winters

Originally posted by DiscoStu
on the bright side that means a closing down sale. so all the crap in the back that has built up over the years will have to be shifted. just think off all the retro consoles and games that could be waiting there.

Come on Atari Jaguar...


I am happy to see it closing actually. Made no sence to have two stores within 3 minute walk of each other. Also its always nice to see a Game closing. Maybe they might reduce their prices now with that overhead gone?

Gamestop I think need to get a store close enough to Grafton Street I think. Maybe somewhere in Stephens Green center or something.

Len_007

I would of prefered the Dawson one to go. I know physically its a better store, but your one in there who manages the place is a Wagon. They guy's on grafton st were much more acomadating, I found.

flogen

'yer one' is gone... she was a little battle axe troll of a bitch... but shes gone...

The main manager in Grafton st is an asswipe... believe me... although he might have been nice to you people.... you possess the almighty dollar...

Flogen

Deadwing

I had an interview for Henry st once with some northy woman. She didnt give me the job. I didnt get it. Im bitter.

flogen

kinda bogg eyed girl?

Flogen

rainbow kirby

Originally posted by Deadwing
I had an interview for Henry st once with some northy woman. She didnt give me the job. I didnt get it. Im bitter.

She's my boss in Tallaght now!

Deadwing

Well tell her im still bitter!! and im boycotting game because of it!! Oh yeah..im stickin it to the man!!

Woden

Originally posted by DiscoStu
even if it is a little cramped

wonder why they closed the upstairs part they used to have a few years back, perhaps that was to cut down on the lease also?

Jim

Was in there today inquiring after BF: Vietnam.
The 15 year old behind the counter told me it wouldn't be in stock for 2 weeks. Whereas everywhere else had big promotional posters, preview boxes on display etc... for its release tomorrow.

Bad show.

RobertFoster

I've always found GAME to be overpriced and poor staff-wise.

Me: "Can you recommend anything for the GBA?"
Him: "Erm.... [long pause] ... no I can't"

:rolleyes:

super_furry

Originally posted by rainbow kirby
She's my boss in Tallaght now!

She's a snotty cow, really rude and abrupt with customers. The security guard working there is sound though - really knows his stuff when it comes to games too.

DiscoStu

the trick is know what you want before you go in. no fannying about(unless its that one in dawson street ), a surgical strike so to speak

in all fairness game are not nearly as bad as they were this time last year. while everywhere else raised their prices game have been pretty much static. plus that 10% off in the first week was a good idea.

flogen

wonder why they closed the upstairs part they used to have a few years back, perhaps that was to cut down on the lease also?

actually, that was something we never found out... but i doubt it was the lease, cos it was used as a stock room afterwards... maybe it was a staff cut back or something...

I've always found GAME to be overpriced and poor staff-wise.

Me: "Can you recommend anything for the GBA?"
Him: "Erm.... [long pause] ... no I can't"

and I will admit that during my time there (grafton) GBA was the one i knew least about, saying that i did my best to help (and from what ive seen of the staff that have come in since i left last year, I dont think they can spell GBA, let alone recommend a game for one, although thats unfair, because Ive never really dealt with any of them)

DiscoStu, you old dawg

Flogen

honru

It's such a stark contrast. Over in the US the staff in Gamestop actually KNOW their gaming. In fact they live by it. Of course, you would have differ in opinions but they're not completely oblivious to, for example, the GBA section, and do play far beyond the commercial dulge that only the people working at Gamestop Ireland (and more) would have a good opinion about.

I have decided that when I finish my education I am going to open up my own video game store. It shall be that something different that we really need here and will have trained staff.

smiaras

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RobertFoster

mushy peas: 60 cent
games: 60 euro

therein lies my reason for asking. Plus, by working there you'd know what games sell well and what doesn't, so he could draw from his experience. Also - there aren't thousands of products to know. You maybe know 5 or 6 of the most current titles on each platform, what's being hyped, what advertising you put in the window - I wasn't asking for an in depth review of the GBAs back catalogue, nor would I expect it.

flogen

when i worked there the games I knew alot about were:
the ones being hyped,
the ones i wanted to buy,
the ones that i knew were crap
that covered alot of titles, but as smiaras said, there are thousands to remember. A sales staff could tell you that a game is selling well, and just like a review, it doesnt meant its good. Tomb Raider sold well.... it still sucked.
Also, I am proud to say that despite being pushed by my manager, I never once gave intentionally bad advice. If someone came to me with a bad game and asked me about it, i wouldnt lie to them for the sake of a sale (its stupid to do that IMO, you just lose customer respect, and theyll bring it back anyway). Im sure i recommended a few titles that were crap, but i didnt know it at the time and went on the best information i had, which may have been a review or something like that

Flogen

smiaras

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flogen

my favorite customers/phone calls involved people asking me how to complete level 3 of something or other....

BUY THE GOD DAMN WALKTHROUGH, OR BETTER STILL, GO ON THE NET!!!!

Flogen

rainbow kirby

Originally posted by super_furry
She's a snotty cow, really rude and abrupt with customers. The security guard working there is sound though - really knows his stuff when it comes to games too.

He'd sell his soul to get his hands on a crystal xbox... we got them in but cant sell them till next friday. he annoys me because he bashes GC to all the customers.

my favorite customers/phone calls involved people asking me how to complete level 3 of something or other....

Had to explain how to beat thardus in metroid prime to someone last sunday...

super_furry

Seeing as your here Kirby, how has the opening of Xtra-Games affected you lot? They seem to be much cheaper on pretty much everything - especially pre-owned stuff.

rainbow kirby

Hasnt been that much of a hit, havent sold many GCs lately because theyre killing us on the deal. its funny this week though. they have a poster with 'get 007 EoN for €5 when you trade in titles', our one says 'get 007 EoN for €29.99 when you trade in titles'. Weve been complaining to our regional manager about this, but he doesnt seem to care if we get creamed by our closest local competitors. useless information: the manager and assistant manager both used to work in game in the square.

Gummy Panda

Originally posted by super_furry
Seeing as your here Kirby, how has the opening of Xtra-Games affected you lot? They seem to be much cheaper on pretty much everything - especially pre-owned stuff.

I heard from a guy who sets up most of the xtra-game stores that they are hammering GAME in tallaght. And that they stole managers from GAME to work in Xtra-game.

The Xtra-Game in blanch seems to be doing well. But the GAME out in blanch never seems that busy compared to other stores except at christmas.

Plus has anyone priced how much Xtra-Game give for trade-ins?

Absolam

hehehehe....

'yer one' is gone... she was a little battle axe troll of a bitch... but shes gone...

she is one of the ones that went to Xtra-Game.....

Absolam

I heard from a guy who sets up most of the xtra-game stores that they are hammering GAME in tallaght. And that they stole managers from GAME to work in Xtra-game.

Just wondering how he knows how Game are doing in Tallaght? I think there may be a little bias there....

rainbow kirby

Originally posted by clownboy
Plus has anyone priced how much Xtra-Game give for trade-ins?

Think they're higher than game. Some kid went to trade in 2 GC games, i could only give €12 total (one was cel damage, the other wrestlemania x8), apparently XG offered €32!

RobertFoster

what are the perks of working there kirby?

smiaras

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Absolam

Except the ones who ask inane questions to prove they know more than you do about products you couldn't care less about....:rolleyes:

In all the time I worked in game shops I could never figure why so many geeks have this inferiority complex about people who work in a shop..so much so that they need to prove their superior knowledge / skills to someone who works 10 hours a week for drinking money and really, honestly, absolutely, does not care.......

flogen

yeah... cant beat the specs geeks..

"erm, this is isnt working on my computer"
"oh, right, are you sure your PC met the min. requirements?"
"<snorty chuckle> please, Im running a CPU of over 12 million gigapoints with a HDFSA of next to 5 infinium chips.... i THINK it meets the requirements <snorty chuckle to self>"
"NERD!!!!!!"

then you get the ones who ask you if the game will run on their PC, just so you ask them about their PC, just so they can show off their specs....
on the flipside, theres the PC-illiterates who ask if a game will work, you ask them what theyve got in their PC and they say 'erm.... its got windows'.....

Flogen

RobertFoster

And then there's those in the middle who just go in and get what they want.

flogen

And then there's those in the middle who just go in and get what they want.

god bless 'em..... its surprising just how much of a rare breed they are.

Flogen

Gummy Panda

Originally posted by flogen
god bless 'em..... its surprising just how much of a rare breed they are.

Flogen

I'm one of them. I don't wanna talk to the GAME staff. Not that i think i'm better then them. i just want to grab what i want, pay and leave.

flogen

your a legend among men clownboy..
Im not game staff anymore btw, but when i was there was nothing more annoying than people who chatted to me during peak shopping hours. Im not being rude, i dont mind chatting, but when theres a queue of 5 or more pissed of people waiting, its not a good idea... i wouldnt mind if it was to do with a game/game problem, but the amount of gaming anidotes you hear are unreal!!!!!

Flogen

rainbow kirby

Originally posted by RobertFoster
what are the perks of working there kirby?

30% discount on new games, 25% discount on accesories, 10% off hardware, preowned double trade-in less 25%.

RobertFoster

wow, 30% that's cool.

Doodah7

Yes I must say the northy (or she may be even Scottish) in GAme in Tallaght is a miserable auld cow. Xtra game were selling Super mario circuit for gba new for €30 and GAME had it secondhand for €40!! No way would she reduce the price. Said they would match the price new but they didn't have the game new!!! d'oh!!!

'yer wan' in Dawson Street used to frighten me

rainbow kirby

If you'd been talking to me id have given it to you for €25!

tman

Originally posted by rainbow kirby
Think they're higher than game. Some kid went to trade in 2 GC games, i could only give €12 total (one was cel damage, the other wrestlemania x8), apparently XG offered €32!

i went in to game in galway yesterday to sell my mint condition copy of pn03 for the gc.
SIX FUCKING EURO???!?!?!?!?!
told them where to stick their €6 & ran off to gamestop, who gave me €15... (or €17 credit, plus €10 off another game. i needed the cash though:( )
game have lost a customer with me anyway.

smiaras

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tman

ah...
i'd had a look around & hadn't seen any new gc games for under €50, or even preowned games for that price.
nice to know that they're beating play.com for a newish game

smiaras

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