GAME Shutters 277 Stores, Lays Off 2,100 Employees

@YukoAsho said:

@Andy_117 said:

A sad, sad day. 2,100 jobs lost - none of them top dogs. Not to mention the massive dent it will have on other retailers in the same field. Anyone who's happy that GAME has done this just isn't human - this is going to have a lasting impact on the entire retail industry, and don't think that digital and online distribution will for a second make up for the fact that so many people lost their jobs.

That's the thing that gets me. Same shit happened with a lot of companies during the depths of the recession. The normal guys got fucked over and the higher-ups who ruined it got to float away on their golden parachute.

The higher ups need to be attracted to a position. Having a fall out plan will help do this.

If you have a job in the retail end of Game, then you are taking the job because you have no other options/skills.

Why is that unjust to you?

Why did game have to buy gamestation

@brehonia said:

Was there another Game in Birmingham or was the tiny useless one in the Bull Ring really their "flagship"?

Edit: oh, the article is actually referring to the Gamestation on New St, which was huge and awesome.

yeah WAS till they cut it in half, what happened to the basement?

@Rewcastle said:

@xbob42 said:

I read it when I replied to it. I'll take the word of the company over the word of an alleged single employee claiming the complete opposite as to what has been officially reported, thanks.

Of course you will. The media is feeding you a grand feast. That doesn't stop the fact I had to refund shit loads of pre orders the other day. These stories are full of half truths. A lot of it is correct and well informed, which makes me wonder how they manage to dig up shitty gems like "no refunds for pre orders!". What IS shocking is the fact Game is keeping hold of all the reward points AND gift card money. Essentially holding people's money. It's just like a bank now :D

Right. The "media" (Giant Bomb.) is really trying to grease up this killer story, right? UK Gaming retailer shuts down, now there's a trailblazing scoop that's gonna sweep the nation. Obviously the evil and cruel media is trying to twist it so that the clearly innocent GAME with its sterling reputation and second-to-none customer service is the victim of these libel-fueled atrocities. Seeing as how you're clearly a representative of GAME and all its remaining retail locations --being a desk clerk, and all-- tell us, then, the truth that we're all missing. Go on, right these wrongs.

So ssooooooooo glad I cancelled my pre order for max payne 3s special edition when I heard about mass effect 3 not being sold at GAME. being ripped off by 99 pounds is not on my to do list for 2012

I went into my local Game and Gamestation on Sunday unaware that it would be the last time i could have done so. And all i thought while i was in there was what a rip off, I mean they had Dance Central 1+2 for £35 each no wonder they failed. I only feel sorry for the staff who manned the shops really.

great! us uk gamers are screwed. Honestly i cant afford to buy games at full price, with uni and travel, i am boned

Well Steam does have some pretty good offers at times. So might check Steam once in a while and see if there are any games that you can buy cheaply.

Of course if you want to buy console games then it is much harder to buy decent priced ones digitally

My local Gamestation is dead. That was a good shop until GAME bought them.

Hopefully someone will buy the Gamestation brand, restore it to its former glory, and laugh at GAME as it crumbles and dies.

GAME was never a store for real gamers. And in recent years I have felt more and more out of place in there. It felt more like a toy shop. It was never a store for the hardcore but from the launch of the Wii it seemed to be catering less and less to mature gamers.

Plus while I too am sad for anyone who lost their job, every staff member I ever spoke to in GAME had nothing to tell me, was less informed about games than I was and would regularly try and sell me shit when I asked for an opinion - Kain and Lynch sticks out in my memory.

Game offered nothing you couldn't get in a supermarket (unless part of your gaming experience was to buy Final Fantasy XIII figures) and they offered it at a higher cost.

Well, I'm out the job. Spent my shift today packing up the entire store. It was quite a sad thing, really. We had a good store, gave good service, and got few complaints, but they've ditched us. We knew they would but even so the reality hurts, I'm unemployed again and so are 5 good guys I worked with.

Long term employees aren't even getting redundancy pay.

Bye bye job, bye bye Gamestation. I'll have maybe another shift, which will just be another day of boxing up all the stock we've got left.

@YukoAsho said:

@Gruff182 said:

I'm not sure what Gamestop except to achieve, if they do purchase a section. From all the shitty stories I've heard or read they sound like an exact American equivalent and I always wonder why anyone would bother going there, when there are alternatives.

And in the UK we don't and now their dead.. So, GO UK!!

People losing their jobs is always bad, I just hope the people up top who actually make the decisions and essentially killed the company are added to the corporate blacklist. Those are the guys who should be unemployed. But of course its the everyman who pays the price.

GameStop's more interested in getting GAME's Spanish and Portugese business. As for everyone's irrational hatred of them, I've never had a problem with them. Their prices are competitive and their service is prompt. Managers listen to concerns. There's nothing wrong with them, and I wish people would stop being so closed-minded because they don't like the trade-in values.

Congratulations for having a good experience. Lots of people have had bad experiences. Stop being so closed-minded, just because your not one of them.

@Gruff182 said:

Congratulations for having a good experience. Lots of people have had bad experiences. Stop being so closed-minded, just because your not one of them.

How about you stop being a fucking douche and realizing that just because you're the loudest and most obnoxious and most irrational, that yours is the most important opinion? How about that?

@xbob42 said:

@Rewcastle said:

@xbob42 said:

I read it when I replied to it. I'll take the word of the company over the word of an alleged single employee claiming the complete opposite as to what has been officially reported, thanks.

Of course you will. The media is feeding you a grand feast. That doesn't stop the fact I had to refund shit loads of pre orders the other day. These stories are full of half truths. A lot of it is correct and well informed, which makes me wonder how they manage to dig up shitty gems like "no refunds for pre orders!". What IS shocking is the fact Game is keeping hold of all the reward points AND gift card money. Essentially holding people's money. It's just like a bank now :D

Right. The "media" (Giant Bomb.) is really trying to grease up this killer story, right? UK Gaming retailer shuts down, now there's a trailblazing scoop that's gonna sweep the nation. Obviously the evil and cruel media is trying to twist it so that the clearly innocent GAME with its sterling reputation and second-to-none customer service is the victim of these libel-fueled atrocities. Seeing as how you're clearly a representative of GAME and all its remaining retail locations --being a desk clerk, and all-- tell us, then, the truth that we're all missing. Go on, right these wrongs.

I told you already, we still refund pre order deposits, that's your "wrongs", which i just "righted", but you chose not to believe me. So you can either get your £5 back from Mass Effect 3, or stick the pre order receipt up your ass, either is good for me:) Again, please read. Also, who said anything about GAME being innocent?! READ laddy, READ. meeting adjourned.

@Chindie said:

Well, I'm out the job. Spent my shift today packing up the entire store. It was quite a sad thing, really. We had a good store, gave good service, and got few complaints, but they've ditched us. We knew they would but even so the reality hurts, I'm unemployed again and so are 5 good guys I worked with.

Long term employees aren't even getting redundancy pay.

Bye bye job, bye bye Gamestation. I'll have maybe another shift, which will just be another day of boxing up all the stock we've got left.

That sucks man. We are still open just now. Spent all day just playing games on the big screen today in the shop. Had to be suitably rated games though. So a lot of Beijing 2008 :P

Are you sure about the redundancy pay? Don't they legally have to? Correct me if i'm wrong.

@Rewcastle: Pretty sure on the redundancy. Entering administration essentially changes the game, the rules change. Usually, get made redundant, you are entitled to redundancy pay. But because of the administration status, and because basically the company has no money, they are not obligated to pay redundancy (effectively because PwC cannot pay it). You can apply for the government equivalent of redundancy pay though, but it will be the absolute bare minimum.

I think I'd have rather have played Beijing 08 all day rather than spend 6 hours boxing up the PS3, PSP, 360, accessories and prepare a large number of our console stock for getting shipped out. The store just looked sad when I left.

Can sympathise.

Our Store were waiting on a phone call all day yesterday to find out if we were closing or not, tense as hell. Fortunately we are open, for now. Feel sorry for the ones who have lost their job, some very good workers gone.

Gotta realise guys, Administrators need to have priorities. Staff wages and Rent pay are a priority over any in store credit or refunds on deposits. If the Group allowed to pay out on trade first, staff would not be paid. Have to emphasise a lot of the measures in place are temporary.

@YukoAsho: Your the one who summarized everyone as closed-minded for not sharing your opinion.

Glad I hit a nerve though, you've really made me smile :)

British people are weird anyway.

If everyone was American the world would be a better place.

well, as long as Man Utd. wins the Premiere League, nothing else matters

Sit in protests happening in 10 of the Irish stores, staff were told that the company would not be giving them redundancy. So the staff locked the doors and have signs up saying that they will stay there until they get what they deserve. I'd link to the story but I'm on my iPhone!

Good on them, the way Game are treating the Irish staff is shocking.

That sucks. I always get my stuff from game. Hope it gets better soon.

Heres some links to stories on the sit-ins happening in the Irish game stores.

Its pretty disgraceful stuff the Game management is trying to get away with in Ireland as regards the store premises, their creditors and employees.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/irish-game-protestors-explain-their-demands/093505

http://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/item/26450-ex-game-ireland-employees/

It would be crazy if Gamestop bought them out and now there were Gamestops in Europe only under a different name.

Farewell Game, can't say I'm going to miss your trade-in prices...

"The investment group, Opcapita, will announce on Sunday it is buying the rump of the troubled Game Group out of administration, the BBC understands.

The deal will keep open 333 stores and save 3,100 jobs."