thatbloke
Junior Administrator
And despite that, GAME have managed to fuck it up quite massively. I'm sensing massive amounts of incompetence at the management level.
GAME in trouble?
- Thread starter Razaak
- Start date
And despite that, GAME have managed to fuck it up quite massively. I'm sensing massive amounts of incompetence at the management level.
Panda with issues...
Well-Known Member
Sure. There's no discussion of how the study treats digital downloadds though. - I mean, steam is US based. How does that work regarding 'purchase in the UK'? Or taxes?
I have no idea
Spicypixel
New Member
You pay VAT like any other purchase on Steam though, so I'm sure the govt doesn't care which way you get your fix.
Panda with issues...
Well-Known Member
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17512143
To summarise some interesting points from comment threads about this, whilst filtering out the usual rubbish we've all heard (and in many cases stated) before:
1) Will the lack of visible exposure on the high street affect the hobby and the industry? What will this mean for advertising budgets and streams?
2) Think of the children! - Will we (flippant) face a generation of kiddies with no taste in games because all they've had access to is big name titles bought at the supermarket by mummy and daddy? (not so flippant, suggest this is already the case). At the same time, our current generation will probably account for a massive market force in Gaming for a long time yet.
2a) Where will slightly more independent kids buy games that aren't available in the supermarket? - Access to credit/debit cards/paypal/bank accounts isn't really viable for youngsters (yet). As older people generally, I don't think we really appreciate how annoying it might be to lose brick and mortar stores for the under 15's or so.
This begs the question, what is the youngest age you can have a bank account that allows you a debit card?
If I was to have a kid (not that that is going to happen) I'd probably want them to be able to have a proper bank account ASAP these days, since so much relies upon it.
To summarise some interesting points from comment threads about this, whilst filtering out the usual rubbish we've all heard (and in many cases stated) before:
1) Will the lack of visible exposure on the high street affect the hobby and the industry? What will this mean for advertising budgets and streams?
2) Think of the children! - Will we (flippant) face a generation of kiddies with no taste in games because all they've had access to is big name titles bought at the supermarket by mummy and daddy? (not so flippant, suggest this is already the case). At the same time, our current generation will probably account for a massive market force in Gaming for a long time yet.
2a) Where will slightly more independent kids buy games that aren't available in the supermarket? - Access to credit/debit cards/paypal/bank accounts isn't really viable for youngsters (yet). As older people generally, I don't think we really appreciate how annoying it might be to lose brick and mortar stores for the under 15's or so.
This begs the question, what is the youngest age you can have a bank account that allows you a debit card?
If I was to have a kid (not that that is going to happen) I'd probably want them to be able to have a proper bank account ASAP these days, since so much relies upon it.
Spicypixel
New Member
Yeah but its a failed business plan, if there is demand it will be filled.
1) Fuck the advertisers.
2) No. See steam, Xbox Live (or any other online market systems). All these online markets offer much more variety and also awesome Indy content when compared to the high-street.
2a) Hopefully Steam et al will start supporting pre-pay cards or some other system for the under 18's. I assume it'll be the parents credit card for some time to come due to to "contract" nature of online purchases.
2) No. See steam, Xbox Live (or any other online market systems). All these online markets offer much more variety and also awesome Indy content when compared to the high-street.
2a) Hopefully Steam et al will start supporting pre-pay cards or some other system for the under 18's. I assume it'll be the parents credit card for some time to come due to to "contract" nature of online purchases.
thatbloke
Junior Administrator
Steam's already partway there with their "Steam Wallet" service - the issue is, though, where do you buy said "Steam" cards from, if not a dedicated games store?
Panda with issues...
Well-Known Member
You can already (dare I say it) but Farmville type cards in Tesco's along with iTunes, so why not.
I don't think I'm long for this world.
Ki!ler-Mk1
Active Member
Clearly there is a market for online billing accounts that convert real cash into online cash for kids... I'd say you'd need no morality for this, but who wants to bet such a service already exists, you can bet its as simple as "Post us your cash and we'll put it on your paypal".
EDIT:
http://www.cashforkids.com/ only £50/y i guess.
EDIT2: Lol
EDIT:
http://www.cashforkids.com/ only £50/y i guess.
EDIT2: Lol
If I recall correctly, Valve is already trialing a cash-based system in Russia. It may not be all that long until we see something similar.
Ki!ler-Mk1
Active Member
This was sent to me as humorous, i don't really see it, maybe you do.
Kasatka
Active Member
I think if they want to recover they need a 3 step plan.
1) Sell of all existing stock a minimal profit - as long as they can pay the publisher, cove costs and make even £1 per item that is better than it sitting on their shelves forever and occasionally getting a sale with £10 profit.
2) Close their smaller branches and shift their stock into their bigger stores, creating Game Megastores, cutting costs and staffing.
3) Cling on for dear life during the administration as they claw back into the black penny by penny, hoping for an investor.
4) Fail and die in a fire.
Oh yeah, 4 step plan
1) Sell of all existing stock a minimal profit - as long as they can pay the publisher, cove costs and make even £1 per item that is better than it sitting on their shelves forever and occasionally getting a sale with £10 profit.
2) Close their smaller branches and shift their stock into their bigger stores, creating Game Megastores, cutting costs and staffing.
3) Cling on for dear life during the administration as they claw back into the black penny by penny, hoping for an investor.
4) Fail and die in a fire.
Oh yeah, 4 step plan
Ghostwolf67
Well-Known Member
They are still operating in Australia as far as i can see. Then again when new releases are nearly $100 i'd think they could stay in business off of whatever tiny fraction of the market the internet has left them simply due to massive mark up.
Xarlaxas
Active Member
Yeah, they have those in the stores in Edinburgh too, they had one on the West End of Princes' Street, and one in a shopping centre at the other end.
I had the luck on Monday to pop in and take advantage of some of their sale prices, got home, found out that they had put the wrong game into one of the boxes, head out on Tuesday to find the store I had bought it from was now closed, went to the shop at the other end, saw said signs, but decided I'd go in and ask anyway.
Long story short, they did give me a refund because the product was "not fit for purpose." Whether they should have or not I'm not sure, but hey, I got my money back.
I really think that cutting down on the number of stores will help them, it is a bit silly that they had four stores in Edinburgh, not to mention a couple GameStations, Edinburgh's not really that big.
I had the luck on Monday to pop in and take advantage of some of their sale prices, got home, found out that they had put the wrong game into one of the boxes, head out on Tuesday to find the store I had bought it from was now closed, went to the shop at the other end, saw said signs, but decided I'd go in and ask anyway.
Long story short, they did give me a refund because the product was "not fit for purpose." Whether they should have or not I'm not sure, but hey, I got my money back.
I really think that cutting down on the number of stores will help them, it is a bit silly that they had four stores in Edinburgh, not to mention a couple GameStations, Edinburgh's not really that big.
Kasatka
Active Member
Yeah, they have those in the stores in Edinburgh too, they had one on the West End of Princes' Street, and one in a shopping centre at the other end.
I had the luck on Monday to pop in and take advantage of some of their sale prices, got home, found out that they had put the wrong game into one of the boxes, head out on Tuesday to find the store I had bought it from was now closed, went to the shop at the other end, saw said signs, but decided I'd go in and ask anyway.
Long story short, they did give me a refund because the product was "not fit for purpose." Whether they should have or not I'm not sure, but hey, I got my money back.
I really think that cutting down on the number of stores will help them, it is a bit silly that they had four stores in Edinburgh, not to mention a couple GameStations, Edinburgh's not really that big.
I know that Gamestations do better than Games in my area at least, so the parent company should just sell of assets to clear debt, close stores and let staff go and consolidate into having a single Gamestation megastore in each area.
