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GAME Shutters 277 Stores, Lays Off 2,100 Employees

Closures and layoffs a measure to help sell the remaining assets of the company.

The unfortunate, protracted end of UK retailer GAME's dominance of the region's video game market reached its next terrible, logical step today, as we learn of the closure of 277 of the company's UK retail locations. This reportedly includes all but three of GAME's Northern Ireland locations, as well as its flagship store in Birmingham. MCV has a more complete list of confirmed store closures.

I don't know what's worse: how perfect this picture is, or the fact that someone just had this picture lying around already.
I don't know what's worse: how perfect this picture is, or the fact that someone just had this picture lying around already.

As a result of the closures, 2,104 employees of the company are now out of work, a number that makes up roughly 40% of GAME's original total workforce.

The move comes as GAME begins the administration process--the UK equivalent of bankruptcy--and begins shedding assets in order to become potentially salable. Multiple companies are evidently interested in possibly purchasing a leaner version of the corporation, including North American games retail giant GameStop.

Elsewhere, EuroGamer is reporting that all remaining GAME locations have been instructed to suspend all exchanges, refunds, and gift card purchases. This includes any pre-orders that included money already put down. No refunds will be issued for those pre-order deposits at this time. From a statement by GAME, the retailer explained that this policy will be "reviewed over the next week" and consumers will be notified "if anything changes."

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alex

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Edited By alex

The unfortunate, protracted end of UK retailer GAME's dominance of the region's video game market reached its next terrible, logical step today, as we learn of the closure of 277 of the company's UK retail locations. This reportedly includes all but three of GAME's Northern Ireland locations, as well as its flagship store in Birmingham. MCV has a more complete list of confirmed store closures.

I don't know what's worse: how perfect this picture is, or the fact that someone just had this picture lying around already.
I don't know what's worse: how perfect this picture is, or the fact that someone just had this picture lying around already.

As a result of the closures, 2,104 employees of the company are now out of work, a number that makes up roughly 40% of GAME's original total workforce.

The move comes as GAME begins the administration process--the UK equivalent of bankruptcy--and begins shedding assets in order to become potentially salable. Multiple companies are evidently interested in possibly purchasing a leaner version of the corporation, including North American games retail giant GameStop.

Elsewhere, EuroGamer is reporting that all remaining GAME locations have been instructed to suspend all exchanges, refunds, and gift card purchases. This includes any pre-orders that included money already put down. No refunds will be issued for those pre-order deposits at this time. From a statement by GAME, the retailer explained that this policy will be "reviewed over the next week" and consumers will be notified "if anything changes."

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senor_delicious

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Edited By senor_delicious

: (

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GeneralBison

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Edited By GeneralBison

Personally, I'm not going to miss 'em <_<

Sure it sucks for the thousands that have lost their jobs, but I think this'll pave the way for independent game shops to start opening again... What do I care, I'm moving to Singapore, see ya!

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James_Giant_Peach

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And that's game.

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Sooty

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Edited By Sooty

Aside from jobs, nothing of value is lost. There's so many other places that sell games in the UK so I don't think anybody will really miss these stores.

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massacremonk

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Edited By massacremonk

GAME OVER

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Jimbo

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Edited By Jimbo

I have this picture lying around: 

No Caption Provided
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Humanity

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Edited By Humanity

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

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JammyJesus

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Edited By JammyJesus

If I want a game on the quick, I'll pop into Tesco or HMV. I hope smaller stores like Grainger Games do better but generally, the physical game store is dead.

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cookiemonster

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Edited By cookiemonster

Elsewhere, EuroGamer is reporting that all remaining GAME locations have been instructed to suspend all exchanges, refunds, and gift card purchases. This includes any pre-orders that included money already put down. No refunds will be issued for those pre-order deposits at this time.

Thats fucking shitty. Are they even allowed to do that?

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scaramoosh

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Edited By scaramoosh

No refunds from pre orders.........

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Ghost407

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Edited By Ghost407

How unfortunate...

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dekkadekkadekka

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Edited By dekkadekkadekka

That picture is from the riots back in August. It's very apt.

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Ravenlight

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Edited By Ravenlight

@Humanity said:

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

GAMEstart

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Humanity

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Edited By Humanity

@Ravenlight said:

@Humanity said:

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

GAMEstart

More like..gameOVER haha.. you see cause.. people don't..like..uhh..well..

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eroticfishcake

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Edited By eroticfishcake

Soooo...anyone in Dublin know where to get PC games on disc anymore? HMV have an abysmal selection and Gamestop are wankers...

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Kadzork

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Edited By Kadzork

@Sooty said:

Aside from jobs, nothing of value is lost. There's so many other places that sell games in the UK so I don't think anybody will really miss these stores.

Indeed. You could tell things were not going to last when you could pick up brand new releases in ASDA and Morrison's for less than Game / Gamestation. Not to mention the abysmal prices on some old games.

It is a damn shame for the people who lost jobs of course.

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nemesisND1derboy

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Edited By nemesisND1derboy

@CookieMonster: Administration protects them from any legal action by creditors, including customers.

So yeah, unfortunately they are.

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Vorbis

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Edited By Vorbis

It always sucks when people lose jobs, but no tears will be shed for the company.

Also, not one GAMEover pun? Step up Alex.

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loki7978

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Edited By loki7978

shitty it is going to be interesting to see if gamestop still wants the Spanish market

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AhmadMetallic

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Edited By AhmadMetallic

I still don't understand why this retail titan fell.  
 
@Jimbo: Amazing.

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Deathmachine117

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Edited By Deathmachine117

@eroticfishcake: Yeah I think we are a bit screwed now

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dvorak

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Edited By dvorak

@CookieMonster said:

Elsewhere, EuroGamer is reporting that all remaining GAME locations have been instructed to suspend all exchanges, refunds, and gift card purchases. This includes any pre-orders that included money already put down. No refunds will be issued for those pre-order deposits at this time.

Thats fucking shitty. Are they even allowed to do that?

Yeah, they totally are. That's why paid pre-orders like the way that games stores do them is pretty stupid.

If you really want to pre-order, you could just use something like Amazon, where you get free release day shipping and you don't pay till it's on it's way.

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Julmust

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Edited By Julmust

Video game-specific stores suck.

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Jimbo

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Edited By Jimbo

GameStop'll buy it (unless they can somehow turn it around and come back out of administration themselves).  Seems like a no-brainer for GameStop to pick up if their model is still working in the US (??).  The only reason they didn't bother with a presence here before is because GAME had everything locked down and the market was already crazy oversupplied.  
 
40% sounds about right in terms of how much they were oversupplying the high street demand (two stores in towns where one would suffice nowadays), so I don't think there's much hope of those jobs coming back whatever happens, unfortunately.

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deactivated-64bf684e3a23c

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lol that game store is in Woolwich UK after the London riots.

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Ravenlight

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Edited By Ravenlight

@Humanity said:

@Ravenlight said:

@Humanity said:

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

GAMEstart

More like..gameOVER haha.. you see cause.. people don't..like..uhh..well..

Hey that's pretty good. You seem like the kind of guy who knows what's up.

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SlickShoes

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Edited By SlickShoes

Shame for the staff, but they over charged and over saturated the market, I work in Glasgow City centre and I have 2 GAMEs and 1 Gamestation all on one street within a 5 minute walk. If I walk another 10 minutes there is another GAME and another Gamestation.

Well, not any more there won't be.

N.B. GAME own Gamestation.

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Snotty

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Edited By Snotty

Game had some really good prices on pre owned games sometimes, but I would never buy a new game there as they were always at least a few quid more expensive than any other retailer

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I_smell

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Edited By I_smell

I bet some newspaper somewhere will report this as the videogame industry falling apart.

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poisonmonkey

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Edited By poisonmonkey

Sad days for the staff, best wishes to them for the future.

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Humanity

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Edited By Humanity

@Jolt92 said:

Video game-specific stores suck.

I actually disagree. For all the hate Gamestop gets it serves all my needs perfectly. They will 9/10 times have the games I want and I can get used games on the cheap right then and there with the ability to exchange the disc if it doesn't work - no need to worry about getting stuff off eBay and then chasing someone down for months. The people that work in them are annoying and they have a bunch of shitty store policies about shoving shit down your throat but whatever. Sometimes I just like going in and browsing the used games aisle.

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SlashDance

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Edited By SlashDance

@Humanity said:

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

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromania_%28video_game_retailer%29

;)

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d00dCOMEON

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Edited By d00dCOMEON

NOBODY CARES

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callumbay

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Edited By callumbay

Game, set, match.

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Humanity

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Edited By Humanity

@SlashDance said:

@Humanity said:

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

[url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micromania_%28video_game_retailer%29[/url]

;)

soon Gamestop is going to turn into Umbrella or something. Zombies can sell games 24/7 without mandatory labor law breaks because they're not technically employees.

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darkjester74

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Edited By darkjester74

Bummer for the folks that lost their jobs...hope they land on their feet.

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WinterSnowblind

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Edited By WinterSnowblind

@AhmadMetallic said:

I still don't understand why this retail titan fell.

@Jimbo: Amazing.

They were an awful company. They charged a ridiculous amount for games, used and new, bought exclusive rights for almost every collectors edition, then charged stupid amounts for them.. They just absolutely refused to try and compete with online retailers and even other stores who were completely undercutting them.

Also, I live in a fairly small city and we had three GAME stores within 10 minutes of one another.

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printedcrayon

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Edited By printedcrayon

That sucks for all those people out of a job - but there is a reason GAME are no longer with us, overpriced goods, a high majority of pre-owned games taking up store space and the internet.

Honestly, why would I bother buying a video game from one of their stores when I can go to Amazon or ShopTo and get it for £10-15 cheaper?

Luckily, I had about £20 in Reward Points saved and spent them yesterday on a copy of Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition for PC!

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fisk0

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Edited By fisk0  Moderator
@Snotty said:

Game had some really good prices on pre owned games sometimes, but I would never buy a new game there as they were always at least a few quid more expensive than any other retailer

Odd, in Sweden it was always the other way around, at times they had fantastic deals on some new games, but they never seemed to lower the prices on the pre-owned copies, you could buy a new copy of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands for $2, or a used copy for $30, new copy of Duke Nukem Forever: Balls of Steel edition for $15, or used regular edition for $40, new copy of Black Ops for $40 or a used copy for $60, the only exceptions were games that had just been released, where a new copy would be $80-100 and pre-owned $60-90.
Despite the really, really weird pricing, and underwhelming loyalty card bonuses the store clerks were always friendly and seemingly knowledgeable in the stores I visited, and well, as far as I know, none of the Swedish stores have closed down yet.
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Nardak

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Edited By Nardak

I think Game simply had too many shops trying to attract the same customer base around a certain area.

Less shops and a digital download service would have probably been the smartest move in the long run.

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Bowphat

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Edited By Bowphat

As a fellow unemployed person, i wish those people that got laid off the pest of luck.

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AlexW00d

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Edited By AlexW00d

277 of like ~330, oh my. I wonder if ours has gone.

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Petiew

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Edited By Petiew

According to the list my local GAME has shut down, makes sense since there was a GameStation less than a minute's walk away.
It's a shame for the people that have lost their jobs over this though.

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Edited By happenstance

Really does suck. They may not have been the best company but we're losing more and more stores on the high street. Only place left in my place to get games is HMV and the supermarkets on the outskirts. Terrible for the staff as well, ive been unemployed for a while now and its not easy finding jobs at the moment.

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BrowncoatGrimm

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Edited By BrowncoatGrimm

Ha, this is so funny, oh man, hilarious... guess I better start looking for a new job. Let me know if you hear anything.

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Nitrocore

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Edited By Nitrocore

I must have spent more than 2k buying stuff from Game over the years. :( Now where do I go for my games?

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Stormdragonblue

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Edited By Stormdragonblue

I got a Scottish friend who found this out today. The store had to be closed and had to stay till they got words if they should start packing everything up inside the store. He's pretty devastated by it. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of the employees at all those stores saw the thunderclouds hanging but just hoped so hard they wouldn't be effected by it.

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Binman88

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Edited By Binman88

Bit of a shame, but inevitable. I always found GAME to be very decent from a customer service perspective when buying online. They shipped games in a timely manner, gave me coupons for delayed releases outside of their control and were quite helpful on the one or two occasions I needed to email them. They really needed to make some changes though to compete with the likes of amazon. Faster (earlier) international shipping so that customers outside of the UK could receive games on release day would have kept me as a customer, for one thing. Also they should have gotten around to allowing non-UK residents to register a reward card with them to use online.