By none other than game, for £74 Million.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/05/02/Game_buys_Gamestation/
Running Theme perhaps? Game in loss, Electronics Boutique by them out and rebrand their stores in UK game. Were gamestation running in debt? Why sell a company that were a fresh of breath air and started expanding so well a few years back.
I stopped buying video games from game a while back (when I do buy them) simply becuase I think they are no longer competetive.
"Last year Game announced profits of £2.1 million and declared it would be opening 80 new stores this year."
Over 500 stores thats hardly ncouraging is it. At least its in the black.
On a side note, Im in birmingham every so often, cant say Ive seen the biggest store in europe. :?
Odd becuase gamestation had even had adverts running on tv often - the preowned stuff
And they the only game related store only stores who I have seen adverts for on TV recently.
I would guess it is more that Game which is EB since as you say they bought them in the UK is not doing very well, the rest of the world EB is the main store for many - big launch events and all that etc.
They probably realised they were slipping in the UK market and saw gamestation growing but with the money from the global wealth they bought out gamestation, basically removing a rival.
While in many areas a gamestation would either be a game or just stay the same many areas like in Leicester town where you have a game and gamestation just down the road they will close one wont they.
I bet they take the pre-owned concepts and schemes gamestation offered and include it more promanantly in game stores as well
We will have to see
I frickin love gamestation - they seem to be the only chain where you can pick up oldskool stuff like secondhand GC controllers etc. The big names all shun variety and go for max profit :(
Quote from: funkychicken9000I frickin love gamestation - they seem to be the only chain where you can pick up oldskool stuff like secondhand GC controllers etc. The big names all shun variety and go for max profit :(
indeed, for friends and family laugh we got dance mats for xmas, orded a game for the xbox as well - game cancelled last minute and NO store had any dance mat games, went gamestation - boom, got an old one but £7 days b4 xmas, i was a happy chap
I used to be a manager for Gamestation and the low profits are exactly why Blockbuster sold them. Blockbuster thought they would walk in, chuck a load of money at it and get a heap back in return. Might have worked but their infrastructure was awful and higher management were pathetic. There was guy called Micheal Logue heading up the whole operation and the mans completely useless. He had success with Marks & Spencer in Hong Kong I believe and now hes trying to run GS the same way. They never understood that we took most of our money from about 20 customers who just kept coming back multiple times a day - all they wanted was more people through the door (who werent buying anything!). Shame because the actual concept on which they were founded was fantastic.
had this explained to me.
Gamestation has been bought out by the company that also owns GAME (i.e. the company that owned EB). Rather than GAME buying up GS they bought it as a seperate entity, and they are telling everyone that they dont need to worry, as they wont be removing the GS name, or converting the stores.
I get the impression what they want to keep GS for the hardcore gamers who want all the 2nd hand stuff, while keeping GAME for the for casual gamers and clueless consumers.
Quote from: Beakerhad this explained to me.
Gamestation has been bought out by the company that also owns GAME (i.e. the company that owned EB). Rather than GAME buying up GS they bought it as a seperate entity, and they are telling everyone that they dont need to worry, as they wont be removing the GS name, or converting the stores.
I get the impression what they want to keep GS for the hardcore gamers who want all the 2nd hand stuff, while keeping GAME for the for casual gamers and clueless consumers.
Hmm, seems a little odd though, I bet they keep it the same for a bit but make changes so ones more one thing then the other and clearly defined.
I rarely use high street stores for my games these days but GS was good for pre-owned bargains and hard to finds.