GAME exits Administration

[Liamh1982]

At least one store is closing on the 24th.

Bye, GAME Wrexham.
You had your faults, but I have many happy memories of the last 15 years or so.

[DABYX]

Sigh. The whole business saddens me.
While I will buy online, there's also the joy of browsing.

I never feel cheated paying more and getting it there and then as I take the viewpoint of, "well Ive had an extra X amount of time using/playing it"

I was shocked when I found out Asda/Walmart owned Zavvi when it went!!
Hence the trade part now I guess.

Times are just going to get worse and soon we wont own anything as it'll be digital.

*waits for HMV and Waterstones to go bust within the year*

[Stainy]

I remember walking into WH Smith in Watford and buying Combat Lynx for the Spectrum..


Ahh those were the days

[Freestyler]

The ZX Spectrum was the reason I got into gaming. It was a fabulous computer. However, pre-owned games were the reason I stayed a gamer, and never gave it up for something else.

The potential loss of GAME (and Gamestation, and others to follow no doubt) is a sad loss to Videogaming as a whole. Many of us only stay gamers because it's such a cheap and rewarding hobby. To see games go back to full retail value is to see me go elsewhere for my thrills.

[Freestyler]

By the above I mean that a healthy Pre-Owned scene is what keeps brand new retail prices low. Remove the pre-owned scene and you get SNES prices all over again.
No thank you.

[Sel Feena]

^ And if the industry does eventually go online-only, with no option for gamers to buy physical copies? Be prepared to pay whatever the hell Sony/MS feel like. No options or promotions, no shopping around...

[DPrinny]

^I wont be buying then.

So far from what ive seen of this "Next gen" I dont want any of it.

[retrojc]

^I wont be buying then.

So far from what ive seen of this "Next gen" I dont want any of it.

I doubt it wants you either

[DPrinny]

Thats good to know.

Just think of all those that collect sealed games.

What will they have? Loads of unopened files?

[Freestyler]

1992: SNES Street Fighter 2: £64.99 retail.
2011: Xbox 360 Street Fighter 4: £39.99 retail.

The difference? Not least the fact that it's nearly half the price but the fact that absolutely nobody paid £39.99 for it either.

Frankly, if you did pay full retail then you're precisely the kind of sucker the whole "Pay for your pre order now!" mentality is designed to ensnare. Back in '92 it was different. Nowadays we have so many ways to buy games that it's a very unlucky shop indeed that doesn't have some form of "motivation" to get you to buy there. Collectors Editions... Pre Order bonuses... Loyalty Card rewards... cheaper prices... anything to get your sale. Back in '92 all they had to do was stock the game.

Long may alternative markets exist. It'll be a sad day indeed when you can only get your software from one place.

[simes]

1992: SNES Street Fighter 2: £64.99 retail.
2011: Xbox 360 Street Fighter 4: £39.99 retail.

If you factor in inflation and in the increase in VAT, the RRP of Street Fighter 2 today would actually be over £100 so games have actually come DOWN in price over the years not counting the 8-bit market. All things considered, I don't think we're doing too badly. I'd say anything 16-bit / PC onwards has probably reduced slightly compared to current PC titles but console wise we're experiencing a massive drop so it's pretty good time for gamers.

[IronMaidenRule]

If places like GAME and Gamestation go, I would like to think it would give independent shops another crack at the high street market, I would much prefer to buy games that way, then hand money over to all these online companies.

[retrosofer]

1992: SNES Street Fighter 2: £64.99 retail.
2011: Xbox 360 Street Fighter 4: £39.99 retail.

If you factor in inflation and in the increase in VAT, the RRP of Street Fighter 2 today would actually be over £100 so games have actually come DOWN in price over the years not counting the 8-bit market. All things considered, I don't think we're doing too badly. I'd say anything 16-bit / PC onwards has probably reduced slightly compared to current PC titles but console wise we're experiencing a massive drop so it's pretty good time for gamers.

This isn't the first time i have heard someone say this, 'if you factor in such and such, then if released today it would have been more expensive,' but i cant see it, if it was released today, it would be £39.99, or an rrp £44.99, plus another £30 of dlc rubbish on day 1 release.
The price of £64.99 for SF2 on the SNES was a product of its time so to speak, with alot of different factors causing that price point, things such as smaller games market, cartridge etc. So inflation really means nothing as if released today, unless it was a special edition and came with a miniture Ryu, would be priced at todays prices, and as such a product of modern times, if this makes sense.

[sirclive1]

^I wont be buying then.

So far from what ive seen of this "Next gen" I dont want any of it.

Totally agree , i was silly enough to buy loads of xblive arcade games , not many of them get a good replay , cant do much with them , there just stuck there on my hardrive . I much prefer something i can touch / trade / look at / own . Just be prepared for sky high prices for any decent download games if they try it on with the next gen . Remember pspgo , what a load of cack , i hope people realise what they are letting themselves in for , being at the mercy of microsoft's prices (no thanks) , a new console will probably rise up (sega anyone ?) and use a form of media that we can cherish again .

[ALK]

If Sony and Microsoft go all out download only, it'll take Nintendo 5-10 years to catch up, so one less thing for me to worry about too much...