GAME + General price erosion.

[gossi the dog]

You have to remember that V.A.T. is only paid on the final retail price. Otherwise you'd be paying it twice. Therefore, a ?30 price incurs 25% less V.A.T. than a ?40 game, which means ?1.75 is no longer paid.

Your maths is wrong. ?10 divided by 1.175 is ?8.51. Hence the saving is ?1.49 and not ?1.75.

As for the price of games the likes of GAME have massive buying power. I did a project for my business studies GCSE 5 years ago and managed to get hold of trade prices for videogames. Generally speaking a small independent retailer would pay roughly three fifths of the suggested retail price for a game. Hence a game which retails at ?40 would cost around ?24. However you then have to take VAT into account which at 15% of the selling price would be ?6 for a game selling at ?40. Profit would therefore be ?10 or 25% of the selling price. Back catalouge stock is sold for much cheaper however and hence profit margins can be much greater. Admittedly things have probably changed slightly since then. Still the more market power you have the more you can squeeze your suppliers. I doubt GAME pay more than half the suggested selling price (ie ?20 for a ?40 game) for any game they sell.

[Paul3704]

The supermarkets are the biggest threat to any high street retailer, games included.

Other than that, Game need a rocket up the arse, they've been rip off merchants for years

Supermarkets have such power now in America, they can affect the lyrics of songs and insist certain scenes are cut in films. It won't be long before it worms its way into the games industry.

[Zatoichi_Samurai]

Argos have been selling new release games for 29.99 for over a year now, it used to be only on some games, started when the original Getaway came out, and is now pretty much on everything they get in. So for the educated Game, with their Price Matching have technically been selling some NR games at 29.99 anyway. Besides its about time they dropped to 29.99, the consoles lifes are drawing to an end. Ah well, at least things have changed from Nintendos idea of a cartridge RRP, ha ha ha.

[gossi the dog]

Street Fighter 2 was ?64.99 back in 1992/3. In today's money that would be over ?100! So yes things have definitely improved.

[Robster]

AFIK Game are one of the majority high st retailers who sell new games at 39.99, which I think is shocking tbh. All this pish about new games being 39.99 is a rip off.

New games should be ?29.99, full stop.

Its another way for Game and the like to charge ?29.99 fo a 2nd hand game!

"but its ?40 brand new mate" is the excuse I always get.

The worst of it is that people are now so acccustomed to it they dont bat an eye lid.

[Ginza]

Thats why I think this is big news for GAME the famously high priced retailer to feel the name to take measures to sell all games they charged ?39.99 for ?29.99

Its quite a cut when you think about it considering they have hundreds of stores and for every game they sell in the near future thats a potential ?10 extra gone.

I know everywhere else has been charging ?29.99 eg Tesco, Amazon etc but for GAME to do it I think its big news.

[gossi the dog]

However GAME have been making losses of late. God knows how much worse they'd be if thay had to sell all new games at ?29.99.

[dataDave]

Street Fighter 2 was ?64.99 back in 1992/3. In today's money that would be over ?100! So yes things have definitely improved.

Star Wars on the NES was ?69.99 back in 1992! I remember getting it around a week after my 11th birthday. It was my ONLY present.

I wouldn't pay ?2 for most ****e these days. I won't even waste my time downloading.

[FelixofMars]

True, I think the fact is the publishers are missing the point, lets make developers trawl out average games within a year, we don't care its easy money in our pockets, from foolish people who don't care what excuse for a game we give them. How can they really warrant charging full price for games like that, something had to give eventually, trouble is its putting pressure on the 'better' games now, Acctually dont see why GAME is making such a fuss, Gamestation usally reduce most of there prices within a month for PC games or 3 months for console games, and usally have better offers to begin with.

Overall I have noticed a lack of caring in most media of late, Films, TV (which I dont watch unless I go to someone elses house.) and especially Music, occasional jems in a world full of Busted!

[Robster]

Thats why I think this is big news for GAME the famously high priced retailer to feel the name to take measures to sell all games they charged ?39.99 for ?29.99

Its quite a cut when you think about it considering they have hundreds of stores and for every game they sell in the near future thats a potential ?10 extra gone.

I know everywhere else has been charging ?29.99 eg Tesco, Amazon etc but for GAME to do it I think its big news.

Its a 10 day sale Ginza, its a marketing /pr excersise to get more people in the shop so they buy something else with there "bargain" ?29.99 game and generally increase sales/profits.

Its not big news tbh, just a another way of boosting profits as people think they are getting a bargain.

[bowser123]

Especially as the company was 20% down and it's the last few weeks of the financial year. It's a short term offer to get people in the store. Plus it's only chart games (charts are paid for BTW) that feature mostly EA games that they'd paid so little for them initially to be able sell for less in the Xmas sales and in the PS2 packs.

[FelixofMars]

Well just to prove not all of GAME's staff are useless crettins and slightly off topic, a few month ago I went into the Cambridge GAME at the guy behind the counter was exeptonally helpful and even got us some cash knocked off when buying one of the new Advanced SP's for my GF, I went into GAME Lincoln the other day and some very nice lady tried to demo me the DS and told me all about her excellent console collection. OK I didnt buy the DS and it was an obvious promo but I have been there and done it with the Xbox

Both seemed to know there stuff and not just trained zombies, which makes a change.

[Robster]

way off topic :P

[FelixofMars]

At least it stayed in the realm of GAME

OK back on topic its all just a promo exersise, I almost got tempted by Mec Assuault 2, ?10 off a new game is not to be sniffed at.

[Robster]

As you can probabaly tell I hate Game with a passion.

In all honestly you will save money in the long term buying NTSC games off the net incl p&p with the exchange rate than paying ?40 for a new game.


Pfft. I hate being ripped off in the UK thread.