GAME Profits Up - PlayStation 3 Already Big Contributor

[Pumpkin Head]

UK specialist retailer, GAME, has announced operating profits of £6.1 million for the financial year ending January 31st 2007, three times last year’s figures.

Overall sales were up from £645.1m in 2006 to £801.3, while like-for-like sales rocketed to £16.2m, up significantly from £4.2m last year. Online, profits more than doubled, rising from £0.7m in 2006 to £1.5m this year. 'Like-for-like' figures represent sales from stores that have been open for more than two years.

Speaking about expectations for the forthcoming year, GAME chairman Peter Lewis, a happy man today no doubt, commented:

"We have seen a strong start to the year, in what is traditionally a quiet sales period for GAME, thanks to the PS3 launch and hope to continue to build on our success throughout the year."

We have contacted GameStation, HMV and Virgin for their figures - and we've been promised responses by 5pm this afternoon
http://www.n4g.com/ClickOut.aspx?ObjID=36443

[totobeni]

Overall sales were up from £645.1m in 2006 to £801.3,

nice...now GAME can built their own new Wembley Stadium by our money

[Viper]

I'm really starting to loathe brick and mortar video game retailers. I don't know if it's the same in the UK as they are in the US but they suck sugar frosted monkey balls.

[Matt]

I never go into my local GAME anymore, all of the staff are just complete fanboys. I've gone in there so many times and overheard so much bullshit, that I just can't be bothered with it.

[Viper]

Good to know the ignorance isn't limited to US borders.

[Matt]

I wish you didn't have to use the word "good". It's terrible when you hear a customer asking one of the staff about a Wii, and the guy will basically say, in his own little way, "it's a piece of shit, buy a 360" (then all you do is replace the console names depending on which staff member you talk to).

[curryking1]

^That's called game store employees failing at doing their job.

[Ravster]

I was in there the other day, and apart from their ridiculous prices, their staff are complete dumbwitts.

Calling a Wii and DS kiddy says it all to be honest. Makes me think how these people even get a job there.



EDIT: I thought this would only occur in one game store, but with four, yes four GAME stores each within 3mins of walking distance, it just gets worst.

[Matt]

I was in there the other day, and apart from their ridiculous prices, their staff are complete dumbwitts.

Calling a Wii and DS kiddy says it all to be honest. Makes me think how these people even get a job there.

The first post tells all. They don't care about misleading the consumers, they just want profit.

@Ravster's edit: I thought the same as well. I couldn't get a PS3 at the Canterbury store, so I had to go to the next-closest one about 20 minutes away, they were just as bad.

[Viper]

The first post tells all. They don't care about misleading the consumers, they just want profit.

Exactly.

In fact, many managers at various chains will request that their employees suggest the most costly system they sell regardless of the customers tastes in gaming.

On top of that, they hate new releases. They want you to buy their insanely priced used games as they make massive profits on those.

A $60.00 new game may get them a few bucks profit but a $45.00 used game that they paid only $20.00 for will net them $25.00 profit.

[curryking1]

Viper, I don't think it's that bad to push your more expensive products as they are harder to sell. If the Wii is selling regardless of what they say, but the PS3 isn't, they should be trying to promote the PS3 more than they are promoting the Wii. Paste a big Wii advertisement in front of the window of course though.

It's all balancing, you need to get the inventory out of the door, whatever you need to sell, you have to take action to sell it if it won't go by itself.

I think the real root of the problem is when they tell you not to buy one of their products. That simply doesn't make any sense. Telling a consumer not to buy something as opposed to suggesting something in addition to it is plain stupid.

[Viper]

It's not a recent issue related to the Wii selling better than PS3, it's the fact PS3 brings in more revenue.

Same with Xbox when it was priced highest. Then again once X360 launched.

Whatever they can do to increase their bottom dollar. To them, they are not a news or resource information desk. They don't care to be one.

[Matt]

I think the real root of the problem is when they tell you not to buy one of their products. That simply doesn't make any sense. Telling a consumer not to buy something as opposed to suggesting something in addition to it is plain stupid.

Seeing as the managers are pressured to stick to targets, I doubt they'd let their employees do that kind of thing when they were around. I know for a fact I've never seen them play up like that when the manager is around anyway.

Thinking about it, I suppose they're in the best position to help their chosen console out. You get people posting rubbish about how their chosen console is better than the others, and most people on the internet now will dismiss it, because they know what they're about. The general public, on the other hand, are probably a bit more oblivious to this kind of thing. If you go into a games store, you expect to be able to trust them, so if they say that one thing is better than another, you'd be inclined to believe them, right?

[curryking1]

^^Well I have no problem with them having their employees act in the interest of the company's bottom dollar. They are a business and I'm fine with them acting as so, and I'll continue to be an educated consumer and plan my purchases accordingly.

I only have a problem with the ridiculous employees who actually try not to sell something, and those fanboy employees who will forget about their obligation to their company and use their position for their own selfish and peculiar ends.

When they say "You should not buy a Wii, you should get X," now that is dumb. It should be "You should get a Wii, it's great (that's a plus, they are promoting sales of the thing the person is interested in), "But we also recommend the PS3 and the 360." That's a real sales person.

^Yes, I totally agree, and I think their abuse of their position to sell their console of choice is unethical as they have an contract with their company and obligation to their company to sell and promote all the products in their store. The fanboy game employees who do not 'hold their fanboy in' while on the job are doing a disservice to their company and even their customers who, like you said, go in there expecting they can trust them.

[makeitlookreal]

A bunch of wealthy gamers that care about gaming need to start up a chain of gaming stores.

[Matt]

A bunch of wealthy gamers that care about gaming need to start up a chain of gaming stores.

Well my friend runs the only other games store in Canterbury :-D

But yea, we need somewhere other than there where people can get a balanced opinion.

[makeitlookreal]

The PS3 will be an even bigger contributer when games such as Lair, Heavenly Sword, and other PS3 exclusive games start coming out.

[CreativeWriter]

wealthy gamers


Oxymoron? :devious:

We've given all our money (and time) away.

[LiquidEagle]

It doesn't take long after you start working for Gamestop to see what they care about as a company -- my review as a part of the management is 50% made up of how the store's sales are and how many preorders/subscriptions I get, and other things that really have less to do with me and more to do with how much money I'm making for Gamestop. 10% of my review is my customer service abilities, knowledge on gaming, etc.

And if you're in Southern California, come to my store :-D. We're all awesome and understand that we're there to help the customer find what they want, not to tell them what they want. If they ask our opinion we'll give them our platform of choice, but if they show interest in a certain platform, even if we aren't a fan of it we'll let them know what's good about it and why they'd want to pick it up. I personally think our store is really good at that, even if one or two of our guys is a little misinformed (our manager is by far the least "gamer" out of us all) on topics.

[gozirah]

Well, Liquideagle, as the designated representative of the internet, you should let the higher ups know what our grievances are. Maybe they can gradually change the employee culture at other Gamestops.

[Rizon]

I was served by the manager at GAME in Wolverhampton.

I went in for an easy deposit down on my ps3.
But no, he kept on bragging about it constantly, saying everything what it had, everything i knew, i just got pissed off in the end.

Some of the employees are fine. When i went to pick up my ps3, the manager served me again. I asked for a 2nd controller. The manager tried to sell me a 3rd party one. then one of the employees butted in going, "Actually mate, these are shite. Thus why have loads of them and sold out of the offcial ones. Try gamestation down the road, they may have some left."
He probably got some form of warning.

and i do like the idea of setting up your own chain of gaming stores.

[LiquidEagle]

Well, Liquideagle, as the designated representative of the internet, you should let the higher ups know what our grievances are. Maybe they can gradually change the employee culture at other Gamestops.

While I definitely love giving them my opinion as somebody who's in touch with the gaming community, it's been clear to me for awhile that they straight-up don't give a shit. They're constantly posting record profits and don't need any kind of connection to the gaming community since they're the one-stop place for used games and the only show in town across the US. Sure there's Best Buy and other big electronics stores, but EB/GameStop owns the videogame retail standalone (brick n' mortar?) sector. I don't think they feel any need to change their approach when people have to go to them for most of their gaming needs anyways.

[gibmonster]

Older employees are better to deal with. They form their own opinions and don't regurgitate crap from the net or anything.

[LiquidEagle]

My manager's the oldest of us there (30) and he knows the least about games :laugh:

Generally that could be a good rule to go by though :-p

[Sephiroth_VII]

I'd rather speak with an unbiased guy who knows next to nothing about games than a stupid fanboy who can tell me theexact number of transistors on the PS3 motherboard.

[cliffbo]

loyalties split forums