Last week finally saw HMV find a new buyer, ensuring one more traditional bricks and mortar business would enable gaming to have a high street presence alongside Blockbuster and Game. With most of us using online retailers to buy and pre-order games nowadays, you may wonder why we still need video games to be represented on the high street.
As this console generation winds down, we’ve seen a steep decline in game sales across the board. In 2012, retail sales were hit the most and dropped by over 20%. Game, Blockbuster and HMV barely survived, as gamers’ attention wavered. The original Wii’s bubble burst and there was a lack of any serious mass appeal products to renew lapsed players’ (read: more casual than you and I for example) interest. The numbers for Call of Duty are down and we’re repeatedly hearing of sequels selling only a shadow of what the previous game did – hello DMC.
Continue reading Games at Retail: Adapt or Die →
In a move to get more people into stores, Game are enhancing the digital experience on the high street by providing free access to Wi-Fi service in all of their shops.
A Game app will provide customers with information on products and stores will have QR codes to scan which will link to in-store promotions and products.
Here at Dealspwn we’ve often spoke about how high-street stores need to move towards providing something of a social hub experience, and while there’s no mention of them selling coffee and doughnuts and sticking a few chairs in, we’re liking the new direction the company is heading towards since the new retail boss, Martyn Gibbs, moved in. Continue reading Game Providing Free Wi-Fi In All Stores By Christmas →
Despite closing nearly half of their stores earlier this year, new GAME Retail CEO Martyn Gibbs says they are planning on opening new stores in an interview with MCV.
“There have been a few closures, but in time there will be some openings as well and there will be a few new stores. We will announce these as we go.”
This may come as surprising news to many people, especially seeing as it was largely acknowledged that the company had too many stores. Take a small city like Preston, three GAME stores and a Gamestation.
Continue reading Game CEO: There Will Be New Stores →
Gaming reviews, previews and features by Brendan Griffiths
The No Sleep Gamer 