Game (UK Retailer) Discussion

[Swiss]

Ouch...bad times all around then.

I've got a friend en-route to town to see what the situation is, but since at least 2 out of 3 stores are on that list...I don't think there'll be much to look at.

EDIT: Turns out the bigger GAME is still open, but the smaller GAME and Gamestation stores are already closed in Norwich.

Edited March 26, 2012 by Swiss

[Edward]

NONE of my local stores, in both Stoke-on-Trent and Derby, were on that closure list. What a bloody miracle.

One of my local GAME stores in Nottingham has closed (we have another and a Gamestation, don't know the status of them yet) and it's not listed in the MCV site. So that list isn't updated. You can't be sure.

[Badnik Mechanic]

Taken a few moments ago from my town.

It's alive! Ohhhh It's alive...

Also, just reading over the administrators notes on Game/Gamestation website... remember when I said a few weeks ago, 'cancel any pre-orders as you'll be listed as 'debters' if you've paid any money to Game/Gamestation?

Well...

3.Pre-Orders:No new pre-orders can be taken until further notice. No refunds can be given for any pre-order deposits which have been paid. We are reviewing this over the next week.

[Scott]

Twitter tells me that GAME in Hull has gone, but Gamestation is still up and running.

However out of the two GAME stores we had open, one was closed on friday so I dunno if they mean that one or not... lol I just want the Gamestation to stay open, all my friends work there and thats where the giant Sonic statue lives!

Double post! OH NOS! OH NOS!

Posting this here since MCV's website keeps going down (lol can't think why).

GAME/Gamestation's entire chain of Irish stores are to be closed.

The following stores have also been confirmed to have closed.

GAME

Croydon

Bristol Cabot Circus

Bath Southgate

Milton Keynes Midsummer Place

Coventry West Orchards

Norwich

Bromley

Exeter

Plymouth New George Street

Bournemouth Commercial Road

Birmingham Palisades

York (theres actually a photo of TSS peeps in this store).

Liverpool

Telford - both stores

Manchester Arndale - both stores

Burton-on-Trent

Birmongham Fort

Canterbury

Falkirk

Stevenage

Blackburn

Glasgow Buchanan Galeries

Reading Oracle

Basingstoke

Barrow

Bridlington

Weston Super Mare

Stockton on Tees Wellington Square

Newcastle

Edinburgh Ocean Terminal

Edinburgh Princes Street

Stirling

Portsmouth Cascades

Cardiff Queen Street

Dorchester

Gloucester

Preston St George's Centre

Slough

Glasgow Sauchiehall Street

Isle of Wight

Northampton

Galway

GAMESTATION

Birmingham New Street

Sutton

Enfield

Bromley

Llaneli

Sunderland

Norwich

Great Yarmouth

Taunton

Ilford

Cumbernauld

Coventry

Hyde

Bournemouth

Brighton

Liverpool

Shrewsbury

Stafford

Leicester

Skelmersdale

Perth

Halesowen

Walsall

Gainsborough

Harlow

Dumbarton

Cannock

Kettering

Stockton on Tees High Street

Salisbury

Hartlepool

Stevenage

Nuneaton

Cheltenham

High Wycombe

Glasgow Sauchiehall Street

Hastings

Long Eaton

Leamington

By the looks of it, only GAME in Falkirk is closing down but not Gamestation..I can see the workers from GAME migrating into Gamestation as they're not even two minutes away from each other.

Thats good for them but Gamestation might let go of some of their new employee's if thats that case (which one of the new workers is a smoking hot girl ) But glad Gamestation still stands as it easily has better employee's.

INFACT...

if the GAME staff DO infact migrate to Gamestation, I hope they leave behind the ginger guy, he was one reason why I avoided GAME alot, he just talks and talks and ...talks some more and did I mention he talks? Sometimes I feel like trying to slit my throat with a beetroot!

Edited March 26, 2012 by Scott

[Stacy]

Our Gamestation is was open today!

[bolt7]

f the GAME staff DO infact migrate to Gamestation, I hope they leave behind the ginger guy, he was one reason why I avoided GAME alot, he just talks and talks and ...talks some more and did I mention he talks? Sometimes I feel like trying to slit my throat with a beetroot!

Not going to happen; no-one is migrating over. The store closes, the staff there lose their jobs, it's as simple as that.

Thousands of us getting made redundant today, myself included. We literally found out on the spot (I was even serving a customer at the time.) We had to politely ask the customers to leave and then put the shutters down. First we were told we would re-open tomorrow and have a closing down sale. An hour later we were told to screw the closing down sale and come in for the rest of the week to box all the stock up ready for being sent back. It's a very sad day, especially since GameStation is favored by customers over GAME in my town and they still shut us down.

[Stacy]

Not going to happen; no-one is migrating over. The store closes, the staff there lose their jobs, it's as simple as that.

Thousands of us getting made redundant today, myself included. We literally found out on the spot (I was even serving a customer at the time.) We had to politely ask the customers to leave and then put the shutters down. First we were told we would re-open tomorrow and have a closing down sale. An hour later we were told to screw the closing down sale and come in for the rest of the week to box all the stock up ready for being sent back. It's a very sad day, especially since GameStation is favored by customers over GAME in my town and they still shut us down.

Sorry to hear that Bolt.

[Blue Blood]

We have a GAME and a GS in the city centre, about 2 mins walk from each other, and apparently neither has closed yet. Nor has the other GAME store in the city. The hell?

[Neon]

By the looks of the list my two closest GAME stores, Buxton and Ashton-Under-Lyne's, seem to be safe. Here's hoping.

Such a bad day for GAME and the thousands of employees getting laid off.

[Covskin]

Sorry to hear that bolt7.

Coventry had 2 GAMEs in the City Centre and one out-of-town, with a Gamestation in the City Centre. I see one GAME and the Gamestation are on that closure list, though I'm surprised it was the West Orchards branch.

I wandered into a GAME earlier (not realising it was the only City Centre one still open), and I couldn't see anything worth having on PS3, Wii or DS. Donkey Kong Country Returns was still about £25 pre-owned...Skywrd Sword was cheaper.

Interesting to see the websites have been taken down. I actually went on both during my lunch, must've been 12.20...literally, must've been just before they were taken off. They were offering 3-for-2 on pre-owned. Glad I didn't bite.

EDIT - seems that original list was wrong, as our Gamestation (easily the smallest property they owned in Coventry) was open on the 27th.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Covskin

[Detective Shadzter]

Sorry to hear that bolt7. Wish you and all of the other staff all of the best.

Just got back from the Merry Hill Shopping Centre, Dudley. Gamestation and one of the 2 GAME's in the lower mall were open. The one in the middle of the shopping centre was the closed one and had a short notice saying that they're no longer trading and to please use the other GAME.

Gamestation has completely got rid of their retro section now. I asked the staff in there if the store was staying open or closing and they said "You know as much as we do." All they knew was that that 1 GAME store had closed. Sucks that there is such a lack of communication to staff

[Scott]

Not going to happen; no-one is migrating over. The store closes, the staff there lose their jobs, it's as simple as that.

Thousands of us getting made redundant today, myself included. We literally found out on the spot (I was even serving a customer at the time.) We had to politely ask the customers to leave and then put the shutters down. First we were told we would re-open tomorrow and have a closing down sale. An hour later we were told to screw the closing down sale and come in for the rest of the week to box all the stock up ready for being sent back. It's a very sad day, especially since GameStation is favored by customers over GAME in my town and they still shut us down.

Maybe where you live, but the staff at my local GAME and Gamestation swap positions between shops on a weekly basis (except for the Managers) so thats why I wouldn't be surprised.

[Mollfie]

Yep, my friends have lost their jobs today too.

Some of the staff from our store did go over to the Gamestation store earlier this year because there were job openings but if there's no openings then there's no jobs. So you are left unemployed.

The stores near to us all seem to be staying open, for now anyway.

[Vertekins]

I'm actually going into Birmingham City Center tomorrow, so I'm looking to see if the Bull Ring GAME and the Pallisades GAME are closing down. If the Bull Ring GAME closes, I wonder what's going to replace it? There's a GAME at The Fort as well and I seriously wonder if that will get closed too...

[Swiss]

Edited March 26, 2012 by Swiss

[Jeffhog]

...come on, I can't be the only one thinking this.

[Detective Shadzter]

GAME say the website should hopefully be back up tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/...320822465400833

PwC: GAME job losses are "regrettable"

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/pwc-game-job-losses-are-regrettable/093373

EDIT:

Link added.

[Badnik Mechanic]

GAME say the website should hopefully be back up tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/...320822465400833

[Stacy]

According to the BBC Six O' Clock news that one of main reasons for GAME's downfall is poor management (which I think they mean bussiness management as a whole not in store management).

I mean who thought it was a good idea to build two/three stores in the same area and then buy out Gamestation. Its such a waste. I would have a bigger shop then two really dinky ones with very little selection.

I also felt they could of done withan in store order system like HMV if they out of stock of a particular item.

[Detective Shadzter]

Added the link into my post for the PwC article now.

How Game Group Blew It: Digital Strategy Was Not Adopted Sooner

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-how-game-group-blew-it-digital-strategy-was-not-adopted/

[Stacy]

I still hate the idea of all digital, I want to be able to own something, buy real stuff.

I think going all digital for almost everything these days is a bad idea all it takes is a virus, a hack or an EMP and its screwed.

Edited March 26, 2012 by BW199148

[Sonic the Hedgehog in 3D]

*sees lists of GAMEs which have gone*

pleasedon'tbeontherepleasedon'tbeonthere

The following stores have also been confirmed to have closed.

GAME

Burton-on-Trent

[Mollfie]

My friend, and ex-manager, confirmed that their store closed today and is understandable upset about it. He has a girlfriend and a nine year old son, but he also feels bad for everyone else who worked there. It was a great store, I love working there when I did, the team was great and it's awful to know that everyone lost their job today.

The company itself was poorly managed in lots of ways, as staff we would often get frustrated about the things we couldn't do and the things we had to do because the company said so. They should have upped their game much faster and then maybe this wouldn't have happened.

[goku262002]

Not going to happen; no-one is migrating over. The store closes, the staff there lose their jobs, it's as simple as that.

Thousands of us getting made redundant today, myself included. We literally found out on the spot (I was even serving a customer at the time.) We had to politely ask the customers to leave and then put the shutters down. First we were told we would re-open tomorrow and have a closing down sale. An hour later we were told to screw the closing down sale and come in for the rest of the week to box all the stock up ready for being sent back. It's a very sad day, especially since GameStation is favored by customers over GAME in my town and they still shut us down.

Why didn't you tell me on messenger!!

I'm soo sorry the worst has happened to you man. But i'm guessing Plan B is now in effect right?

[Detective Shadzter]

I'm actually going into Birmingham City Center tomorrow, so I'm looking to see if the Bull Ring GAME and the Pallisades GAME are closing down. If the Bull Ring GAME closes, I wonder what's going to replace it? There's a GAME at The Fort as well and I seriously wonder if that will get closed too...

GAME in the Pallisades, as well as the one at The Fort closed along with the Gamestation in New Street earlier today.

Full list of closed GAME and Gamestation stores is now available.

http://www.mcvuk.com...estation/093365

EDIT: *Fixed link*

Ian Shepherd has been commenting on Twitter about the situation following his leave.

https://twitter.com/...#!/IanAShepherd