What happened to Gamestop?

MilesMorales1

*inb4 someone says 'Gamestop are so overpriced' yes we get it, thats not what I'm talking about*


What happened to retail games shops? Every Gamestop I've been into recently (in Ireland) has made it so its about 30% games and 70% useless tat forbidden planet usually sells, and at ridiculous mark ups. I get endless emails from them about game of thrones figurines or plushes or DVD's or some bollocks. Is this a thing now? Whats the point of a dedicated games retailer if its not even making selling games its priority now.

Not even mentioning the fact you can get games off the internet earlier/and cheaper than the decimated retailers now.

gibson-les-rick

Big losses in revenue I imagine. That and the digital market.

Mr E

I'd say digital downloads are really hurting them. They did better when broadband was awful (or more awful than it is now) in this country.

The last boxed game I bought was Starfox Zero (and only because it was a collectors edition). I can't remember the last disk game I bought before then. Digital is just so convenient (and usually a lot cheaper).

Falthyron

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

*inb4 someone says 'Gamestop are so overpriced' yes we get it, thats not what I'm talking about*


What happened to retail games shops? Every Gamestop I've been into recently (in Ireland) has made it so its about 30% games and 70% useless tat forbidden planet usually sells, and at ridiculous mark ups. I get endless emails from them about game of thrones figurines or plushes or DVD's or some bollocks. Is this a thing now? Whats the point of a dedicated games retailer if its not even making selling games its priority now.

Not even mentioning the fact you can get games off the internet earlier/and cheaper than the decimated retailers now.

Diversification of products on sale is the last resort for surviving before going the way of the Dodo. I saw this with Xtra-vision and other similar retail franchises. I haven't been in a GameStop in a few months, but when they start selling sweets, cards, and other irrelevant garbage they will have less than a year left in the life expectancy.

Penn

They should do what Xtra-Vision did; start selling greeting cards and "so old and outdated they're practically retro" phones and mp3 players, and make sure to move each section around the shop every few weeks to p*ss off the few customers you actually do get. Then when someone pays for something, tell them you won't give it to them unless they buy something else.

maximoose

I went into the Henry street store a couple of weeks ago, probably for the first time in nearly 2 years.

Whole top floor has been refitted and it does look pretty well - general geek/pop culture/gaming collectibles - some cool stuff but still suffers the same problem they do with the games, 90% of it is available online considerably cheaper.

Can't see it making a difference for them.

BrokenArrows

Ya the last physical disk i bought was Half Life 2 which actually forced me to install Steam and download an upgrade to play it due to some graphics comparibility problem. Since then everything has been via Steam or Origin.

Ive no idea how they lasted this long. Physical Game, Music and Dvd's only purposes these days is so that you can hand someone a physical present. If you are buying something for yourself i imagine everyone downloads it.

MilesMorales1

BrokenArrows wrote: »

Ya the last physical disk i bought was Half Life 2 which actually forced me to install Steam and download an upgrade to play it due to some graphics comparibility problem. Since then everything has been via Steam or Origin.

Ive no idea how they lasted this long. Physical Game, Music and Dvd's only purposes these days is so that you can hand someone a physical present. If you are buying something for yourself i imagine everyone downloads it.

Not true. Lots of people still buy physical. I know I do.

IvoryTower

I would only buy a digital game if it was cheap, really cheap. My friends are the same.The trade in value is too good, bought division for 60e, traded it in a few weeks later for 40e having got all the use I wanted from it. No use having a digital download in that case.

I imagine cex are doing some damage.

Digital Solitude

As far as I've been able to gather most Ninty offerings are bought in physical form. Mainly because the eShop is crap.

Then you have all the parents, aunties, uncles and godparents buying gifts for young ones, 99% aren't going to gift them a game on Steam or depend on Amazon in most cases. Gifting something second hand without good reason is not sound, leaving Gamestop to clean up there. The rip off prices probably give them enough of a buffer to carry on without many sales.

Andy Magic

I think it's because there is very little profit in selling new games. When you see them in big retail stores at a lower price they are usually selling it at a loss in the hope you will buy something else also.

Calhoun

As much as there is an argument to say there is no profit in games they is also the blatant gouging that went on as soon as hmv left the market.

It's just way to expensive unless it's something I really want, much easier and more convenient to buy online.

VulcanRaving

Didn't cop onto this until I saw a big red '+' added to a Gamestop and saw the inside of the store is half games and half figurine/skater dude apparel.
Digital downloads is definitely a big factor as mentioned, although personally I avoid them unless they're an absolute bargain in an attempt to keep my hard drive free (even though I replaced my PS4's 500GB HDD with a 2TB one, best decision I made)
I can't recall the last time I bought a game from a retailer as Amazon normally works out plenty cheaper despite the sterling exhange rate.

recyclops

digital downloads and game share loop holes could be killing it, i know for myself and my friends (all on xbox one) we are ow more inclined to buy games at release as we are getting them half price anyways. then when the sales come about we are getting 2/3 games at the price of one game in game stop.

Wonda-Boy

Maybe if they stopped adding at least a tenner onto the games they might fair better the sooner they go under the better.....hate the place. Smyths are much much more competitive on everything.

People are deffo seeing through Gamestop....ripping off mothers of kids and small kids themselves that know no better.

Andy Magic

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Maybe if they stopped adding at least a tenner onto the games they might fair better the sooner they go under the better.....hate the place. Smyths are much much more competitive on everything.

People are deffo seeing through Gamestop....ripping off mothers of kids and small kids themselves that know no better.

Surely that tenner is what pays for the store rent and staff they hire to sell the games. Online don't have these extra costs. I've seen this with the music industry and if stores go it's not good for anyone who has an interest in gaming.

It seems to be the popular opinion to slate Gamestop on here. No one has an issue with Smyths selling merchandise other than games but as soon as Gamestop do it's an issue.

maximoose

Andy Magic wrote: »

Surely that tenner is what pays for the store rent and staff they hire to sell the games. Online don't have these extra costs.

Uncharted 4 is €18 dearer in Gamestop than it is in Argos, €10 dearer than Smyths. It's not just a B&M vs Online thing.

Sieghardt

Digital downloads arent killing gamestop, digital downloads have made very little inroads into gamestops business

What's absolutely destroying them is online retailers like Amazon offering better prices while other retailers offer better specialisation like videogamesplus and play asia

Straight Edge Punk

Andy Magic wrote: »

Surely that tenner is what pays for the store rent and staff they hire to sell the games. Online don't have these extra costs. I've seen this with the music industry and if stores go it's not good for anyone who has an interest in gaming.

It seems to be the popular opinion to slate Gamestop on here. No one has an issue with Smyths selling merchandise other than games but as soon as Gamestop do it's an issue.

Smyths is a shop for kids therefore sell everything for kids.

Gamestop, at one point was a GAME shop. The one in the Crescent in Limerick is now 80% tat and a small section of games. It is sad to see because I worked there when it was Gamesworld and it was a good place to work.

Generic Dreadhead

I don't mind waiting 2 or 3 days and using Amazon.

That way I get it at usually the cheapest new price AND can resell it.

Win win

mahoganygas

I am no longer a console gamer.
But I like to stroll into Gamestop every now and again. It's nostalgia really.

I spent so many hours of my teenage years in Game shops. I have really fond memories of reading the back of games to get info on them (pre-internet). I would find a game i really wanted then save up for a few weeks. The excitement of getting the bus down to Game to finally get a new game.

Strolling through Gamestop excites the kid in me. Although I ignore the merch/tat that seems to have taken over half of the shop.

Can't remember the last time I actually bought something in Gamestop.

Riesen_Meal

maximoose wrote: »

Uncharted 4 is €18 dearer in Gamestop than it is in Argos, €10 dearer than Smyths. It's not just a B&M vs Online thing.

Perfect example, I went to buy Uncharted in Tesco of all places a few weeks ago, was 70 euro, went into GameStop, 75 euro - pulled out my phone, checked Argos and reserved it there and then for 62 quid, I couldn't stomach giving GameStop that 13 quid, my missus works beside Argos so she got it next day...

MilesMorales1

Symths is a toy shop, they can sell whatever falls under the definition of a toy. Gamestop is supposed to be a dedicated games retailer, but now a majority of their floor space is just taken up by general 'nerd' stuff.

Andy Magic

maximoose wrote: »

Uncharted 4 is €18 dearer in Gamestop than it is in Argos, €10 dearer than Smyths. It's not just a B&M vs Online thing.

And there just so happens to be an offer in Argos for this specific game you picked at the moment. We could nit pick at offers all day. For example Xbox one (500gb) is 329 euro in Gamestop and in Argos it's 350 euro even though they have a special deal on in Argos!

Also I recently just bought a new 500gb in Gamestop for 300 euro as they had it on special.

Calhoun

Andy Magic wrote: »

Surely that tenner is what pays for the store rent and staff they hire to sell the games. Online don't have these extra costs. I've seen this with the music industry and if stores go it's not good for anyone who has an interest in gaming.

It seems to be the popular opinion to slate Gamestop on here. No one has an issue with Smyths selling merchandise other than games but as soon as Gamestop do it's an issue.

Funny how that tenner got tact on once no real competitor was in the market.

I have also seen some unscrupulous behavior regarding up selling to both parents and people with learning difficulties.

TitianGerm

Andy Magic wrote: »

Surely that tenner is what pays for the store rent and staff they hire to sell the games. Online don't have these extra costs. I've seen this with the music industry and if stores go it's not good for anyone who has an interest in gaming.

It seems to be the popular opinion to slate Gamestop on here. No one has an issue with Smyths selling merchandise other than games but as soon as Gamestop do it's an issue.

GameStop price their games €15-€20 above the likes of Smyths and Argos in most cases. Both those stores have rent and staff to pay as well.

Dark Souls 3 is €63 in Argos and €75 in GameStop.

Metal Gear Solid V is €25 in Argos and €40 in GameStop.

The Xbox One Elite Controller is €150 in Argos and €160 in GameStop.

Uncharted 4 is €57 in Argos and €75 in GameStop.

Another thing is GameStop trying to force thier Disk Protection on you, and it's always to people who don't really understand what they are been offered.

Smyths was also first and foremost a toy store who branched into Gaming. GameStop started as a dedicated Gaming store.

mayordenis

I have to disagree with the general sentiment in this thread, they're making a smart move.

General nerd culture (for want of a better term) is on the rise, comic book movies are the new cool, funko pops have replaced beanie babies, video games are of course a massive revenue but replacing the lost markup on the sales of digital games with the sales of tshirts and mugs for gamers favourite IPs is shrewd. Keeping in mind that ****ty merch will have a higher markup than a new release game.

If you live outside of Dublin the comic book industry is non-represented, I wouldn't be shocked to see them go even further into that area.

TitianGerm

Andy Magic wrote: »

For example Xbox one (500gb) is 329 euro in Gamestop and in Argos it's 350 euro even though they have a special deal on in Argos!

Also I recently just bought a new 500gb in Gamestop for 300 euro as they had it on special.

You were robbed then. You could have got the 1TB with the Division for €329 in Argos (€350 in GameStop). Or the 1TB Forza 6 Edition for the same price. Or the 500GB with Fifa for €329(not great value that one)

Also the Xbox One with no game which you refer to is more expensive than all the bundle offers in Argos.

maximoose

Andy Magic wrote: »

And there just so happens to be an offer in Argos for this specific game you picked at the moment.

It's a recently released best selling game, the best type to compare IMO.

If you don't think that's fair, here's the top selling PS4 games according to amazon right now

Game| Argos |Smyths| Gamestop
Uncharted 4| 56.99| 64.99| 74.99
Overwatch| - |64.99 |74.99
Doom| - |64.99| 74.99
Return to Arkham |- |49.99| 54.99
Ratchet and Clank| 39.99| 39.99| 44.99
No Mans Sky| - |64.99 |84.99
Nathan Drake Collection| 56.99 |56.99| 74.99
Star Wars Battlefront| 34.99| 34.99 |39.99
GTA 5| 45.99 |64.99| 74.99
Fallout 4| 39.99 |69.99| 74.99

They are consistently dearer than their biggest competitors.

Andy Magic

emmetkenny wrote: »

You were robbed then. You could have got the 1TB with the Division for €329 in Argos (€350 in GameStop). Or the 1TB Forza 6 Edition for the same price. Or the 500GB with Fifa for €329(not great value that one)

When I bought mine there was no deals for 329 with a game in Argos.

mayordenis

I really don't enjoy standing up for GS but a the end of the day (bar trade-in jiggery-pokery) I'd rather a console for 300 than a console with a piece of **** game for 330.

That said I'm not sure there's any argument. It's clear as day that they are for the majority of games more expensive that their competitors, that goes back to when HMV, Zavvi and Game were all major players. Even with that level of competition they were nearly always the most expensive.