GusTavToo

Game Group have just announced that they may fail to meet a finance target
in Feb. That means their profit or sales levels are below a threshold set
by the banks in their finance arrangements.

I theory the banks could end the finance deal, but it's only a possibility.


With HMV also struggling it looks to be a hard time for Bricks & Mortar
games retail in the UK.

Gus.
--
GT: GusTavToo / PSN: GusWho - Sent from a micro iPad

gospvg

On 10/01/2012 08:01, GusTavToo wrote:
> Game Group have just announced that they may fail to meet a finance target
> in Feb. That means their profit or sales levels are below a threshold set
> by the banks in their finance arrangements.
>
> I theory the banks could end the finance deal, but it's only a possibility.
>
>
> With HMV also struggling it looks to be a hard time for Bricks& Mortar
> games retail in the UK.
>

The overhead costs compared to an online store is huge & even now with
more and more download only services like steam & the the various app
stores. How long before the specialist stores vanish completely & leave
it to the supermarkets?

Although 8 years ago the opportunity I had to take a part-owned share in
a games store even back then I was concerned about online stores. The
costs rent, rates, stock, wages was just too much for me to to risk
putting all my family income into it & I refused.

The rise of download services will only get better with the next gen of
consoles in another 5 years I will be surprised if we see any
specialised game stores.


--
gospvg
[..getting old and still playing video games..]
http://www.gospvg.com

Dr Zoidberg

"GusTavToo" <GusTavToo@clasf.org.invalid> wrote in message
news:1374379378347874983.388442GusTavToo-clasf.org.invalid@news.eternal-september.org...
> Game Group have just announced that they may fail to meet a finance target
> in Feb. That means their profit or sales levels are below a threshold set
> by the banks in their finance arrangements.
>
> I theory the banks could end the finance deal, but it's only a
> possibility.
>
Their share price tanked recently.
It had been around 70p last year then drifted slowly down until november
when it dropped from 20p to 6p overnight.

*if* there's a new round of hardware announced soon and they can survive
that long then they should rebound quite well, but I'm not sure I'll be
risking my money just yet
--
Alex

Tim Miller

gospvg <gospvg@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote:

> The overhead costs compared to an online store is huge & even now with
> more and more download only services like steam & the the various app
> stores. How long before the specialist stores vanish completely & leave
> it to the supermarkets?
>
> Although 8 years ago the opportunity I had to take a part-owned share in
> a games store even back then I was concerned about online stores. The
> costs rent, rates, stock, wages was just too much for me to to risk
> putting all my family income into it & I refused.
>
> The rise of download services will only get better with the next gen of
> consoles in another 5 years I will be surprised if we see any specialised game stores.
>
I think you overestimate the uptake of downloaded games. On the PC, sure,
downloads have really taken off, but that's an effort against piracy more
than anything else, combined with physical shops marginalising PC boxed
games over the past few years.

But in consoles, boxed games are still by far the biggest sellers. I was
reading the latest Trueachievement stats yesterday, and they have figures
for how many of their members have started games in the last month. There
are many big games that have around 100,000 new players. XBLA titles are
lucky to get 5,000. I'm pretty sure that's not just down to relative
qualities of game.

Tim (tm)

gospvg

"Tim Miller" <news@economic-truth.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1792451087347879246.629463news-economic-truth.co.uk@news.eternal-september.org...
> gospvg <gospvg@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote:
>
> I think you overestimate the uptake of downloaded games. On the PC, sure,
> downloads have really taken off, but that's an effort against piracy more
> than anything else, combined with physical shops marginalising PC boxed
> games over the past few years.
>

This gen yes but I'm not so sure on the next gen.
Online stores & supermarkets have had a bigger impact on the retail stores.

8 years later the shop I was going to part own is still running but the
owner is saying there is no money in new games only pre-owned is where he
makes any money & most of that stock he sells on ebay.


--
gospvg
[..getting old and still playing video games..]
http://www.gospvg.com

gospvg

"Dr Zoidberg" <AlexNOOOOO!!!!!@drzoidberg.co.uk> wrote in message
news:jegvev$u9l$1@dont-email.me...
>
> Their share price tanked recently.
> It had been around 70p last year then drifted slowly down until november
> when it dropped from 20p to 6p overnight.
>
> *if* there's a new round of hardware announced soon and they can survive
> that long then they should rebound quite well, but I'm not sure I'll be
> risking my money just yet

I bet the owners of gamestation are glad they sold out when they did to
game.
I notice in Oxford the gamestation shop in the westgate has closed down,
strange decision because it always felt to me that if had more footfall than
the game store.

They are going to have reduce the number of stores they have & go for a
stronger on-line push (Although they have lots of companies to compete
against)


--
gospvg
[..getting old and still playing video games..]
http://www.gospvg.com

gunthergloop

On 10/01/2012 09:20, gospvg wrote:
> "Tim Miller" <news@economic-truth.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1792451087347879246.629463news-economic-truth.co.uk@news.eternal-september.org...
>
>> gospvg <gospvg@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I think you overestimate the uptake of downloaded games. On the PC, sure,
>> downloads have really taken off, but that's an effort against piracy more
>> than anything else, combined with physical shops marginalising PC boxed
>> games over the past few years.
>>
>
> This gen yes but I'm not so sure on the next gen.
> Online stores & supermarkets have had a bigger impact on the retail stores.
>
> 8 years later the shop I was going to part own is still running but the
> owner is saying there is no money in new games only pre-owned is where
> he makes any money & most of that stock he sells on ebay.
>

There's definitely a push to download -and on the next gen it'll be
greater. In every way except one this _should_ mean cheaper games, but
the one exception is the monopolistic nature of the sale. If it's a game
that everyone wants and there's only one way to get it -by download- the
price can be ridiculous even without a box or physical media or much/if
any consumer rights or ownership.

I noticed Battlefield 3 on PSN yesterday for 69.99 euros. That's not an
exceptional rate. And it's not as if the game isn't available elsewhere
at half the price. Steam sales can be great of course, for those
interested, but I don't think they ever include new games.

As much as I don't support the prices charged by the likes of Game, at
least I can see and understand why they are (or close to) what they are.
Download media rates are silly enough now. If most bricks & mortar
stores it can only be a bad thing for the industry as a whole.

-Kevin.

jochta

On 10/01/2012 09:23, gospvg wrote:
> "Dr Zoidberg" <AlexNOOOOO!!!!!@drzoidberg.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:jegvev$u9l$1@dont-email.me...
>>
>> Their share price tanked recently.
>> It had been around 70p last year then drifted slowly down until
>> november when it dropped from 20p to 6p overnight.
>>
>> *if* there's a new round of hardware announced soon and they can
>> survive that long then they should rebound quite well, but I'm not
>> sure I'll be risking my money just yet
>
> I bet the owners of gamestation are glad they sold out when they did to
> game.
> I notice in Oxford the gamestation shop in the westgate has closed down,
> strange decision because it always felt to me that if had more footfall
> than the game store.
>
> They are going to have reduce the number of stores they have & go for a
> stronger on-line push (Although they have lots of companies to compete
> against)
>
>

The shops are minging though. Dirty, smelly and not pleasant at all. I
notice that both have virtually abandoned PC games now. It's hard to
find the new stuff which is buried by sticky and dirty 2nd hand tat.

I'm surprised either are still going.

--
John Talbot
XBL, PSN, Twitter, Everything : jochta
Blog & Gaming Diary : http://www.buttonsofmymind.co.uk/
"Leading the fight..."

Toby Newman

On 2012-01-10, gospvg <gospvg@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote:
> "Tim Miller" <news@economic-truth.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:1792451087347879246.629463news-economic-truth.co.uk@news.eternal-september.org...
>> gospvg <gospvg@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> I think you overestimate the uptake of downloaded games. On the PC, sure,
>> downloads have really taken off, but that's an effort against piracy more
>> than anything else, combined with physical shops marginalising PC boxed
>> games over the past few years.
>>
>
> This gen yes but I'm not so sure on the next gen.
> Online stores & supermarkets have had a bigger impact on the retail stores.
>
> 8 years later the shop I was going to part own is still running but the
> owner is saying there is no money in new games only pre-owned is where he
> makes any money & most of that stock he sells on ebay.

eBay must make so much money.

--
-Toby
Add the word afiduluminag to the subject to circumvent my email filters.

gospvg

"Toby Newman" <google@asktoby.com> wrote in message
news:slrnjgo335.q8p.google@asktoby.eternal-september.org...
>> 8 years later the shop I was going to part own is still running but the
>> owner is saying there is no money in new games only pre-owned is where he
>> makes any money & most of that stock he sells on ebay.
>
> eBay must make so much money.
>

To me it sounds of desperation to keep the business afloat


--
gospvg
[..getting old and still playing video games..]
http://www.gospvg.com