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Video Game Shops In The UK; UK Video Game shops to close down?
Topic Started: Mar 20 2012, 09:10 PM (784 Views)
UKGamer89
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UKGamer89
With the absence of games such Mass Effect 3, Tekken 3DS and Kid Icarus Uprising from the shelves of UK video game retailers GAME and Gamestation, what will the future hold for the UK video game retail giants?
Will a new retailer rises from the ashes? Or will UK residents be limited to buying only the games they can hunt down in shops such as HMV and CEX?
Also, if Armageddon should reach the shores of your country and shops and websites decide to stop selling video games all-together (including imports), how would you go about getting your video game kick?
Would you resort to emulation? Would you miss game buying so much that you would decide to immigrate? Or would you try to kick the hobby all-together and take up knitting instead?
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lol_pc
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I don't see that happening at ANY point the near future, video game sales have been through the roof with the last 10 years, and it keeps getting bigger, even in a financial crisis. Just becuase two stores (Which technically is just the same company) are in trouble doesn't mean much. Coolshop, a huge webshop for games in Denmark has grown exponentially in the financial crisis.

In the hypothetical situation that I couldn't buy new copies of games at the store, I would buy them as downloadable titles instead, I may be a collector, but if I couldn't get physical copies, i'd still want to play the games.
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Kcoop89
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I haven't shopped in Game or Gamestation in a very long time. Since they're both owned by the same parent company, their stocks are generally the same, although I always preferred to shop at Gamestation as the staff were friendlier. Apparently they have to make £18 million by the end of this month or April (which is the reason for the "sales") but I think they'll go under fairly soon and be taken over by Gamestop.

I doubt video game shops in the UK are on the way out, at least not in the foreseeable future, but I do most of my shopping online so it wouldn't really have too much of an effect on me or most of the gamers know as they do the same.
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Kharnivore2099
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Retroverdose

GAME had had financial difficulties for a long time now and its only recently that the cracks have been so visable to the public eye. GAME may go under, it may take the once awesome Gamestation with it, and we may not have such a big company dictating the market etc.

This can only mean good things for the smaller chains that already exist and hopefully inspire some individuals to start thier own business. I'd happily pay a little more to help fund a store that actually has staff that play videogames and arent made to ask you 10 questions everytime you go in.
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DJSlime
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Game and Gamestation have a really good quality online service, they should just stick with that.

I think the main downfall of the company was simply not giving people sealed copies of games instore.
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skooks
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DJSlime
Mar 23 2012, 09:40 AM
I think the main downfall of the company was simply not giving people sealed copies of games instore.
...really? The main downfall?
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Kobrakai
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I don't know about the near future, but I definitely think they will go under at some point in the future. I sometimes pop into GAME or Gamestation on my work break just to browse. The prices are usually ridiculous, full price £40-£45 for games that have been out for a while and down to £15-20 on Amazon, Zavvi etc. Second hand games £1-£3 cheaper than a new copy.

I actually remember going to Gamestation to trade in Star Ocean: The Last Hope (The voice acting was just too much), went up to the counter and the guy offered me £2 for it. Needless to say I rejected the offer, went to the 360 section and seen it on the shelf for £40! Even the staff were shocked but they need to abide by the rules.

Getting the game unsealed is pretty annoying too.
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Scruffy
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I hadn't brought anything in Game or Gamestation for many years until there firesale happened, to be honest I dont really have a lot of sympathy for game they once they gave me such poor customer service in my local store that I had used for many years i refused to use them again. Publishers refusing to give game any stock is a bit of Karma for how they have treated some publishers in the past. also charging £42.99 for games is ridiculous.

They have over extended them self with buying out all there rivals leaving near me one town with 2 games and a gamestation, for a medium sized town is not a smart business model at all and it has been coming for a long time, they also made all the stores uniform and identical, which ruined gamestation as their nice collection of retro and more niche games soon vanished yet they kept game station as the ''edgier'' and more ''hardcore gamer brand'' with out any of the benefits and it soon became game just in a different skin.

As for my self I will carry on buying games online like I have for the past few years
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blondeandy
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No sympathy from me either, really. I haven't shopped in game for a few years now just because it's so much easier to buy things online. As has already been said Gamestation used to be a more interesting store with retro games and the like but not after it was bought out. The only reason i would have to go into a high street game store would be if there was something interesting to draw me in. Having a retro game section that is more than 10 copies of FIFA on PS2 would be a good start, as would collectibles,interesting gaming merchandise and staff/owners that are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. All we an hope is that there is a resurgence in independently owned game stores but i'm not holding my breath...
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Scruffy
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about 270 odd stores closed today, surprisingly the store that's nearest me despite being surrounded by a CEX, HMV, ASDA, Blockbuster and other shops that sell games has managed to survive, which is annoying as i really hate the attitude of the staff in that branch. Theres a full list online apparently all of the shops in Ireland have been closed.

And if you have preorders you aren't going to get your money back, however if you have a reward card shopto are running a deal or 2
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