Game & Gamestation: GAME credit woes

[Flabio]

Nowhere on the highstreet does sealed. The theft levels are too high for it.

[FelixofMars]

This is how Toys R Us was setup, not sure now. Dummy boxes on shelf, scanned it at till then we exchanged it with the copy in the secure room.

I'd imagine they don't receive enough dummy boxes for the games and don't want to make them up themselves. I know some peeps are particular about wanting sealed copies but I imagine they don't lose hardly any sales through it.

[Daragon]

Nowhere on the highstreet does sealed. The theft levels are too high for it.

That's not strictly true. Most stores will have cabinets or stock rooms. GAME have both, but the first is far too small and the second doesn't seem to be used as it should be!

[Decider-VT]

I'd imagine they don't receive enough dummy boxes for the games

I wish we could have this automatically appended to posts in 48-point flashing letters every time this debate comes up. Merchandising games in a physical shop is something that publishers seem to conveniently ignore, even if they've paid for a game to be prominently displayed or featured.

[NoelEdwards]

I was in Wakefield today for work and popped in to game store, I was looking at Vita games and they had a used Uncharted for ?2 cheaper than a brand new one and a used Wipeout 2048 ?2 cheaper than a brand new one. Not exactly big saving for a secondhand game.

[Adrock]

How difficult, or expensive, would it be for either the store or publisher to just print out some kind of boxart on dummy box. 2 copies would be enough if the store was managed correctly. Could even have a place holder behind with instructions to ask the staff if the item of stock you're looking for isn't on the shelves.

[C']

Nowhere on the highstreet does sealed. The theft levels are too high for it.

HMV in Manchester used to keep the majority of the games on their shelves sealed. Was a major contributory factor in why I would always check there when there was specific non-new release titles I was looking for. A lot of stuff there has been gutted these days but you can still find sealed games on the shelves too (mostly back catalogue stuff that I presume they are waiting to shift the last few copies of).

Every Tesco I go in too has the games stil sealed (albiet in those plastic security cases that you need the cashier to remove).

[elaniel]

When I worked at Game we always had dummy sleeves came in and an abundance of empty cases. We used to use these most of the time.

The only time I seem to lately have trouble getting a wrapped copy of something from GAME is if it's the final one on the shelf. Then again, barring new releases and pre-orders, it's hard to find anything that's back catalogue.

[MisterBubbles]

What we have now is greedy publishers thinking we can kill off GAME and kill off the second hand market, im not sure it will equal more full price sales, so publishers may be sealing their own fates too.

[Flabio]

Hardly greedy. Noone will sell product to a store on credit that has no credit insurance. In any industry. They're quite right in wanting the stock paid for up front in cash. If they sell it on credit and GAME fold, then they don't get anything back.

[MisterBubbles]

Im saying theres another agenda here Flabio, you guys (ie your bosses ) and the like want GAME DEAD, so customers have nowhere to flog there games back to.

[Adrock]

But they do, HMV do preowned, as do CEX. Amazon do preowned too.

[Brad]

Indies can survive. My indie has survived even with hmv game AND Gamestation all within a 2 minute walk. If 2 of those go then they'll get more business. Not saying its easy but there are people out there who know how to survive in tough climates. Best of luck to the indies out there and maybe those that lose their jobs could consider teaming up and starting an indie game shop? Easy for me to say I know!

[MisterBubbles]

Well HMV aint certain to survive either.

[EvilBoris]

But they do, HMV do preowned, as do CEX. Amazon do preowned too.

As do Asda, and tesco and blockbuster and Argos.