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GameStop is closing hundreds more stores
- Thread starter belmarduk
- Start date
I feel bad for those employees, they already eat mud by the sounds of it, now they’re out of work when it’s hard to find similar jobs.
The fat fucks that caused this are still getting their bonuses and will probably find some tax money to rob to tide them over for their next shitshow.
The fat fucks that caused this are still getting their bonuses and will probably find some tax money to rob to tide them over for their next shitshow.
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Zannegan
Member
They're really nice for retail employees in my experience. Only had a "bad experience" once, and that was just mild douchery from a college student who was probably having a bad day.
BluRayHiDef
Banned
They should just liquidate all of their assets and become a digital gaming service that functions like Steam and Game Pass.
In Your Vase
Member
Off of whatever digital distribution service that isn't the Epic Store, sure. Gamestop's kind of a dinosaur when it comes to distribution models aside from other problems - but I do agree for areas with shitty internet, it might be more of a "necessity" but it seems like a shallow justification for risking people's lives.
nush
Gold Member
The demise of Gamestop has been well covered and reported on, if those employees want to think "It won't happen to them" and take a step to preemptively secure employment at another retail location then that's on them.
It's retail, it's unskilled there are many other retailers or service jobs.
Hellraizah
Member
Used to be a manager at EB Games in Canada.
It was pretty good back in the days. When Gamestop bought the company, we all saw it coming. Became shit real fast.
Problem was the "money before customers and employees" mentality. A well run business cares about their customers and employees and the money comes as a consequence to that.
Employees at my local EB Games are cool and I wish them the best, but the company bankruptcy is clearly coming.
It's really sad when a majority of gamers hate the biggest gaming retail chain. Seriously, they should've done introspection a while before but they had this "We are invincible!" mentality.
Always sad for employees losing their jobs, but in the grand scheme of things, it's way better for them.
It was pretty good back in the days. When Gamestop bought the company, we all saw it coming. Became shit real fast.
Problem was the "money before customers and employees" mentality. A well run business cares about their customers and employees and the money comes as a consequence to that.
Employees at my local EB Games are cool and I wish them the best, but the company bankruptcy is clearly coming.
It's really sad when a majority of gamers hate the biggest gaming retail chain. Seriously, they should've done introspection a while before but they had this "We are invincible!" mentality.
Always sad for employees losing their jobs, but in the grand scheme of things, it's way better for them.
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Rhazer Fusion
Member
I know people are doing backflips and celebrating that GameStop is closing more stores, but I rather deal with them than going to Wal-Mart searching for a game with nonchalant workers who don’t know or care about games. I never really had an issue with GameStop in all my years of shopping there and even meet a lot of cool people, but I did hear horror stories from workers, so I can understand some negativity from their perspective. Still if GameStop goes under, I think that could be kind of bad for the industry and one big blow for physical media.
Rhazer Fusion
Member
Maybe GameStop was on to something with that essential business nonsense. I mean tattoo parlors, wrestling and barbershops were considered essential, so maybe there was a little truth to what they were talking about.
Slings and Arrows
Banned
If a second lockdown happens around November, then Game stop is toast
struggler_guts
Member
I dont need the person ringing up my shit to give a fuck about what I'm buying. I also appreciate them being nonchalant as opposed to aggressive.
Also where in the heck were gyms, barber shops, and tattoo parlors considered essential?
RyanEvans21
Member
Sad, most of my gamestop stores are closed.
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Darkmakaimura
Member
They charge too much. I was in a Walmart Superstore just about a hundred feet away and they had the same Nintendo switch games for 10 or $20 less.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
GS model is setting high prices knowing some of their gamers will trade games in, so their strategy is to lock in a consumer with double fisted trade and buy mentality.
Paltheos
Member
Just a bit on actual numbers here. Gamestop's annual SEC filing in February indicates they operated over 5500 stores at the time.* (item 1, part 1, paragraph 1) While 450 is allot, this is less than 10% of the total locations they operate.
* https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1326380/000132638020000022/a10k-fy19q4.htm
I too would like their culture to change (not be as pushy, be a little more presentable, try motivating employees to be a little more friendly, maybe cap everything off with a modern rebranding? idk this is all off the cuff), but they're not dead.
* https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1326380/000132638020000022/a10k-fy19q4.htm
I too would like their culture to change (not be as pushy, be a little more presentable, try motivating employees to be a little more friendly, maybe cap everything off with a modern rebranding? idk this is all off the cuff), but they're not dead.
Woo-Fu
Banned
I think people trying to point the finger at tactical mistakes are missing the big picture. Gamestop was doomed because the way people purchase and consume content changed. It's the same thing that happened to Blockbuster. The market changed and their business model couldn't adapt.
Rhazer Fusion
Member
I definitely understand that and even agree. I don’t mind a little conversation, but consistently asking about adding a warranty or subscription can get tiresome. I know they probably have to ask, but it’s still annoying especially when you went to just buy something quick and leave.
It was in the US. I didn’t believe it until I was driving and saw my local tattoo parlor open, barbershops, hair salons and gyms for open for business. The barbershops and salons even had lines from what I heard the following day.
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Zog
Banned
Physical games are not dinosaurs.
Zog
Banned
Well, there is a retro store in my town that seems to be thriving. Obviously they also sell current games, new and used. They don't try to upsell.
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BacklashWave534
Member
I hate to tell you this but you have been royally ripped off for years upon years. With about 10 minutes of effort you could have sold your consoles and games on EBAY and made several times more than what Gamestop would have given you. Also, as someone who worked for them from 2001-2007 (and left on good terms by some miracle) i can tell you flat out that they don't care about a single damn person who works for them and they go out of their way to make them feel like trash. As an employee i hated pushing BS like reservations, Game Informer, etc and as a consumer knowing how they operate i would never do business with them. Who the hell likes to be have additional items forced on them when i can easily go to Amazon or Best Buy.com and click a couple buttons and have the items delivered to my door on release date.
Phrixotrichus
Banned
I´m sorry for the people losing their jobs, but Gamestop as a company won`t be missed when they`re gone.
Good riddance.
Good riddance.
Blond
Banned
Yeeeeep. I'm sorry for the workers and no one else, the people on charge are just awful and never shifted with the times. I'm happy their e-commerce is going well but that's not going to change shit, especially with all digital consoles and people like me deciding they're over physical media in the time of covid.
They made it annoying to go in, made it annoying to deal with employee's who are just trying to do their job. Hearing about their business practices alone that was built around screwing employee's out if bonuses and firing those who managed to reach them so they didn't have to pay them out was enough for me to switch to Amazon check out my local stores as alternatives. The only reason I'm even thinking of the disc version of the PS5 is because I like my local shop but that's but you can't beat the convenance of just hitting the buy button.
Alan Wake
Member
Our local GameStop shut down in the beginning of the year. That's the last one in my part of the country (Sweden). I miss being able to go in a just look at used games, making purchases spontaneously. I supported them quite a bit during 2019, buying a Wii U and quite a few games there.
SkylineRKR
Member
This is a business that holds little value and has no real future to look forward to. What I notice is that dedicated game stores are pretty much steering towards other stuff, like funkopops and that kind of shit,
Its like video rental stores in the early 2k's. Those also succumbed for the same reasons gaming is facing right now.
Yeah Game Mania in Benelux does the same shit. 10 bucks above average retail price and selling used games for about 10-15 lower which means you can get it somewhere else for nearly the same price, but unused. They also offer trade in deals, which is pretty much 3 relatively new games vs 1.
Its like video rental stores in the early 2k's. Those also succumbed for the same reasons gaming is facing right now.
Yeah Game Mania in Benelux does the same shit. 10 bucks above average retail price and selling used games for about 10-15 lower which means you can get it somewhere else for nearly the same price, but unused. They also offer trade in deals, which is pretty much 3 relatively new games vs 1.
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IbizaPocholo
NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
Diddy X
Member
Has little to do with them being assholes but rather the industry going digital.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Their stores look so bleak. All the stuff is just flat faced on the walls and most of it is stuff I’ve either played or came out years ago. I ask them about one particular game and it’s never in stock. I have more fun going to local game stores because they typically have something interesting to display. A PlayArts Kai figure, a Japanese OST, or a brand new obscure video game you’ve never seen before.
The new gaming stuff is awesome, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t need to go there for it. It’s easier to ship it and going to a store is just more time I could spend playing the games or working on something else.
It all comes down to the right buyer in both situations. In RL, game stores use to be the hot thing to go to. Now it’s like all I’m seeing are ads or a game I already preordered elsewhere. It’s kinda sad. I do see people walk in there like I use to. There’s still the same type of customers using their services to their full extent. I guess it just got old after a while. I wanted to buy games, make it easier, and have something that felt better.
The new gaming stuff is awesome, don’t get me wrong. I just don’t need to go there for it. It’s easier to ship it and going to a store is just more time I could spend playing the games or working on something else.
It all comes down to the right buyer in both situations. In RL, game stores use to be the hot thing to go to. Now it’s like all I’m seeing are ads or a game I already preordered elsewhere. It’s kinda sad. I do see people walk in there like I use to. There’s still the same type of customers using their services to their full extent. I guess it just got old after a while. I wanted to buy games, make it easier, and have something that felt better.
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theclaw135
Banned
The sloppiness is jabbing pins into the wound. It's painful to watch. GameStop already has an obvious audience with cash to burn, respect them a bit.
Getting core gamers back into the stores is more sensible than playing whack-a-mole trying to sell DVDs, Gunpla, Lego, or whatever toy they'll see dollar signs in next.
Getting core gamers back into the stores is more sensible than playing whack-a-mole trying to sell DVDs, Gunpla, Lego, or whatever toy they'll see dollar signs in next.
EDMIX
Member
I disagree.
As someone that buys physical games still as the majority of my purchases, Gamestop stopped getting my money for many reasons this generation. Sloppy fucking launches.
PS4 was pre-ordered there no issue the day it was announced, I payed in full and waited until release. Launch day comes and they literally almost give my system to a regular customer. I kept telling them I had a pre-order, show them the copy of the pre-order. They tell me I likely didn't pay in full, I laugh and SHOW THEM where it shows its paid in full. They then tell me I should have taken a number outside, strange considering I have a pre-order....thats my number lol, I don't need to fight for my system I already bought as it questions the whole point of a pre-order. Finally someone with some damn sense looks around and stops a customer mid transaction and shows that the box literally has a sticker with my name on it and one of the employees didn't see. This was my last time pre-ordering a system from them, but I was willing to ignore it as this stuff happens from time to time.
I pre-order MGSV, pay in full. They decide not only are they no longer going to have a midnight release, they are not going to notify anyone that they've canceled the already planned midnight launch.... i found out by going to a empty store. I head to my near by Wal Mart and literally get the last copy in a line of other gamers. Played it for hours on end until the morning, but before I went to sleep....I had to take care of one thing. Went to gamestop as soon as they opened, got my refund, thats the last time I'd pre-order ANYTHING from them going forward, keep in mind they used to call people and notify them that a launch was canceled or an event was happening etc if you pre-ordered something. I thought, shit maybe its just how they have things set up for pre-order, they can still get my business on used games.
Last and major reason for me no longer going to this business. Their used game prices are a joke, they are literally so bad, it questions how the fuck they really expect to run any lasting business with such prices. For years when I went there, I'd just have my phone and check Amazon and buy accordingly, most times it was cheaper for me to just buy the game right there in the store, those days ended years ago lol. I was going to buy a few games and none of them where cheaper at GS, in fact most of them where literally like 15 to 20 more for basically no reason. I don't recall what I was buying at the time, simply that it would have saved me more money to buy them all used on Amazon to the point where I could get a extra game and still spend less money.
Here are some examples with titles out right now
Used. $38
Used cheapest about $25
Amazon.com: Assassin's Creed Odyssey - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition: Ubisoft: Video Games
Amazon.com: Assassin's Creed Odyssey - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition: Ubisoft: Video Games
www.amazon.com
Used $29
Used cheapest is about $16
Sir....the game NEW at Amazon is the same price as the game used at GS..... that alone shows why I simply can't really shop there. Their pricing is as bad as its ever been and the closing of stores and lower sales shows greatly.
So I don't buy most of my game digitally, far from it. Got a pre-order for Cyberpunk 2077 physical, will buy Demon Souls remake physical, will buy Spiderman Miles Morales physical, AC Valhalla and the next COD all physical likely used down the line, but I have no interest in buying the majority of my content digital, has nothing to do with why I avoid GS. The prices don't make sense and I can't even trust theses guys to actually handle a pre-order respectfully to really put my trust in their hands.
Blond
Banned
They severely underestimated their place in the market with the advent of e-commerce, the rise of mom and Pop shops that service retro and modern, and not to mention digital and thought people wouldn’t get sick of their pawn shop tactics.
“Power to the players” indeed and the players said fuck you!
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EDMIX
Member
This.
I stopped looking for a pre-order and will just sit back and complete Ghost Of Tsushima, Persona 5 and Cyberpunk 2077 to close out my 2020. I don't have the time and would have likely been going ham on CP2077 anyway lol, so either way I wasn't going to get it at launch, but was NEVER getting it at GS. With my past experience, RONA out and about, its easier for me to sit my ass at home and wait for that Amazon email and keep my family safe and give me one less headache to worry about.
Zephir
Agreed lol! Last year I walked into Walmart at 4 am as I was still working in IT from home and finished a shift, got something to eat, went by the game area and saw a used copy of Doom reboot for $10, picked that bitch up with a honey bun, chicken of the fried variety and some sweet tea and realized just how easy it was to never go to GS lol When WAL MART can simply make an extra area and disrupt your business, its because you didn't have a firm hold of it in the first place. They won't have the best prices all the time, but they have a fair price on used games ENOUGH times that taking a stroll by that area while shopping can find you some nice gems for really cheap.
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D
Deleted member 471617
Unconfirmed Member
Personally, I have never had an issue with GameStop and been shopping there since the days of Nintendo 64. Bought Watch Dogs Legion last week and received a $10 game coin which I will use next Friday when I buy Miles Morales. Since I also have a $5 coupon since im a PowerUp Rewards Pro member, even though im using it all towards Miles, I will deduct it from what I spent on Watch Dogs Legion so instead of $60, it will actually be $45. Once I trade it in before November ends, I'll get back at least $27.50 which means the game cost me $17.50 new day one.
I understand that a lot of people don't like GameStop but for me, simply no issues. And now with the deal they have with Microsoft, they're not going anywhere for at least the entire duration of next generation which is great for me.
I understand that a lot of people don't like GameStop but for me, simply no issues. And now with the deal they have with Microsoft, they're not going anywhere for at least the entire duration of next generation which is great for me.
Sorcerer
Member
For what their business is, it's sadly pathetic, just game cases lined up on the walls. Some of the Gamestops by me do not even have demo stations set up. Even Best Buy, Target, have that at least. I know they tried to fix that, not sure, I have never seen the redone stores. With all the other issues they have, it feels as a customer you are walking into a dump just to get harassed. Thanks for stepping in through the door sucker. The most corporate of corporate environments in what should be a fun place at the very least.
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Sorcerer
Member
Gamestop tried that. In fact, I bought the first Total War game from Gamestop digitally when no one else had it available digitally or physically, not even available on Steam at the time.
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Cato
Banned
This is why GS are failing. They no longer offer any Value-Add and can easily be replaced.
Dr.Morris79
Gold Member
As shit as they and Game ARE, it's another nail in the ownership of gaming. No shops? Have a 'digital' copy
And that is a shit future for all of us.
And that is a shit future for all of us.
theclaw135
Banned
Nevertheless, it'll be a slow decline. They're too entrenched. Many local areas simply don't have shops equivalent to GS.
Department stores lack the selection of niche games or shiny accessories.
Department stores lack the selection of niche games or shiny accessories.
In Your Vase
Member
Every time I hear mention of Gamestop, I keep thinking the ghost of Blockbuster is waiting in the wings for the last whisper of life to leave Gamestop's body.