GAME buys Gamestation

[Hadrian]

From IGN:
"Europe's biggest videogame retailer, GAME, has announced that it's acquired major high street competitor Gamestation in a deal worth £74 million.

This buy out adds a further 217 stores to GAME's 406 shops in the UK and Eire, although Gamestation will continue to operate under its own name in an effort to keep both brand identities separate.

GAME chairman Peter Lewis cited Gamestation's high reputation among the hardcore gaming community as playing a key part in the deal. "We are delighted to bring Gamestation into our portfolio and believe it has a strong future within the group," said Lewis. "The Gamestation business is one we have long admired and is complementary to our existing business in terms of both store portfolio and target customers.""


I hate GAME, everytime I've gone in there they were trying to convince someone to buy a Sony product instead of whatever they had in their hand dunno if its like that in stores across the country. The few times I've tried to buy a game they tried to sell me something else, and basically just hassle me. Gamestation I just go in buy a game and get no hassle. Gamestation also offers more money for used games.

Every town I've been in that have had both stores in had really cheap prices I wonder if this will change seeing that they'll no longer be in competition.

 

[squirt1000]

Shame really, Game r crap. Im gonna stick with my local indie who is great and very knowledgeable.... Unlike the idiots in most branches of Game! Bunch of shoe salespeeps!

 

[FAST6191]

Interesting, not been in Game or Gamestation for a while (hell I only just started to call it GAME rather than EB).

I am with squirt1000 independents take up the slack, it is just a matter of dodging the high street to do it (something I am all too happy to do).

 

[Hadrian]

Interesting, not been in Game or Gamestation for a while (hell I only just started to call it GAME rather than EB).

I am with squirt1000 independents take up the slack, it is just a matter of dodging the high street to do it (something I am all too happy to do).

I still call it Future Zone!! That was a cool store back then though, I remember they had two Mega Drives and two tellys linked up to play Zero Tolerance.

Unfortuantly there isnt any indie stores near me, they never last 6 months.

 

[AeroScap]

FFS! I would literally walk into a GAME find said item for 5 pounds more than the RRP Then walk into gamestation to find it on RRP or just below which was always nice.

I havent shopped in GAME for years and now they aqquired the only other mainstream video game seller and gonna fck them up too..

 

[greyhound]

all of the CHIPS stores that i've been to are pretty good. I think what they do is allow independent stores to become part of the franchise or set up a new store to become part of it and aid the process.

 

[Wanque]

Game gives me a headache whenever I go in. I think it's the stench of superiority.

I liked the old Future Zone logo - that vector head smashing its way out. It was shouting "LET ME THE HELL OUT OF THIS SHOP!".

I once saw a tramp outside a GAME shop, and he later died. Suspicious.

 

[jaxxster]

I remember when GAME brought Electronics Botique. I hate game so much, terrible prices and terrible on trade in. Thier games come in plastic wrapping which means if you buy a game n dont like it you cant get your money back. I remember last time i went in there i ended up snapping my GAME loyality card n told them to shove it.

 

[Little]

No no, Game is great. The staff are wonderful and knowledgeable... okay at least at the branch I work at... we aren't all bad ! I have been to some bad branches but at least mine is good =D

 

[Xeijin]

Yeah I try and avoid GAME as well now, terrible half the clerks don't know what they're talking about when it comes to games. At a loss as to how they even get jobs there.

 

[AeroScap]

Game gives me a headache whenever I go in. I think it's the stench of superiority.

I liked the old Future Zone logo - that vector head smashing its way out. It was shouting "LET ME THE HELL OUT OF THIS SHOP!".

I once saw a tramp outside a GAME shop, and he later died. Suspicious.

reminds me of the time i saw a pigeon get killed by a hobo outside game, the franchaise has the smell of death around it!

 

[shemmy]

i prefer my local gamestation to the local game. the gamestation store actually has some people that are gamers. all the game staff seem to be run-of-the-mill till operators.

 

[adgloride]

Loads of gamestations are going to close then. In the town centre they have a GAME and a gamestation right across the road. So thats definitely going to close. I liked gamestation better because they seemed to sell the retro stuff. GAME just seems to stick with the new stuff.

 

[Psyfira]

Noooo!

Gamestation are always cheaper, stock more stuff and like the guy above said, their retro and preowned sections are always full of interesting things. Walk into a GAME store and every one sells the same thing at the same high price, and they only sell their own brand accessories. Even their preowned games are expensive (most of their preowned's go for £24.99)

Oh and adgloride you think you've got it bad try going to Southampton: 3 GAME's and a Gamestation. I've never understood why , 2 of the GAME stores are practically next to each other.

 

[legendofphil]

I remember when GAME brought Electronics Botique.

Actually EB bought GAME, but there were more GAME stores so they just rebranded the EB stores.

I hope this means my local Gamestation won't close as its in Blockbuster, who bought Gamestation a few years back.

 

[Sinkhead]

This SUCKS. I HATE GAME, I ALWAYS go to GameStation because things are cheaper, they have more products and they don't try to sell me the most expensive things there.

I am NOT happy

- Sam

 

[Bowser128]

Wonderful, the only bricks and mortar shop I ever use to buy games from has just got ruined. GAME is over priced, offer no money for trade-ins and the staff are all fuckwits. I made the mistake of stepping in there a few weeks ago, I picked up The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (reading the box) and a guy came over to me and said "There's a better version out on the PS3 you know" before trying to sell me a PS3 with an extended warranty. I made it very clear I wasn't interested, but of course he never got the message and after 5 minutes of him talking at me I just walked out.

 

[Veho]

Now you know what it's like around here. Only our gaming monopolist is called Algoritam. All of the complaints people have in this thread are applicable to it as well. Every one. They are the worst bunch of disinterested, uninformed, moronic drones you'll ever meet. I've seen a man be semi-intelligibly informed that the Wii uses the same media as the PSP. Yes, the PSP.

They literally don't know what they're selling, they just wait until people bring a console to the counter, along with the money for it. Questions? I've gotten faster answers by going home, posting a question here, and getting answered, than by asking one of their employees.

Not to mention that they don't do trade-ins, they don't have second-hand games or (God forbid) consoles, and they never drop the prices. Of anything. Ever. The only way for a game price to drop is for that game to be released as a "value pack", "white label", "golden oldies" or something of the sort, which is initially cheaper.

Did I mention they are the only source of Nintendo stuff here?

Well, seems you're stuck with something similar now. I feel your pain.

 

[Little]

Psst, not ALL the staff are fuckwits. Read MVC, Game are always highly rated. It just won game specialist of the year award

Edit:

Game UK do trade ins and sell second hand games and consoles.

 

[Harsky]

I used to LOVE my local Gamestation. It always excites me when I walk past the window and see something like a Neo Geo console or Virtual Boy but recently it's been getting bare. I hated GAME for their policy of using red marker on second hand games but one day, I walked into one in Aberdeen... and saw Steel Battalion with controller.... for £80. I snapped it up... and lugged it all the way home. Then it occured to me I'll never be able to find space to lay it out. I hope the retro section still remains.