GameStop to cease operation in Canada and in France

[emigre]

Is it the same as us in the UK? As in, the market for used consoles/video games just moved to websites like Marketplace or Kijiji.
A video game that would cost 80$+tx here in Canada, you would pay around 60-70$ for a used one at GameStop, but if you buy it directly from someone who posted it on Marketplace, you would pay around 40$.
Gamestop lost all interest to gamer since this.

As a Brit, the main dedicated gaming retailer Game no longer deals in second hand games. That leaves online, the only other physical retailer is called CEX which is all second-hand goods (games, movies consoles, etc).

Worth mentioning as well that digital is outpacing physical sales now.

 

[AncientBoi]

As a Brit, the main dedicated gaming retailer Game no longer deals in second hand games. That leaves online, the only other physical retailer is called CEX which is all second-hand goods (games, movies consoles, etc).

Worth mentioning as well that digital is outpacing physical sales now.

I'll say it again

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[ShadowOne333]

Shit might as well be called FunkoStop now.
They sell and advertise more of that crap than videogames nowadays.

 

[Robert Newbie]

Who would of thought a business buying used consoles for only $25 from people, then re-sale same used console for $150 to people, would lose the interest of the people.

I had forgotten about how stilted their buyback policy was.

If I recall correctly, fairly new PS3 games would be bought back for about $15, $20 USD. Considering that prices had jumped to $60 USD for the "basic" game (non-Collector's Editions), the buyback amounts were a slap in the face. I know it's business, but it was too obvious how one-sided and predatory GameStop buybacks were.

Disclaimer: I never sold my stuff to GameStop.

 

[Ryccardo]

As a Brit, the main dedicated gaming retailer Game no longer deals in second hand games.

So, a former* brand of GameStop (the company that obnoxiously made known to their customers that new games sell for tiny profits compared to used ones) gave up on used?

* had to look it up because I just didn't believe your story at first even though it is, it sounds too crazy to me...!

 

[Niels Van Son]

To provide additional context, Gamestop's french operations are through the historic "Micromania" chain of stores, nowadays essentially the exact thing would expect of a Gamestop, but the company has existed for a very, very long time. They were only bought by Gamestop in the late 2000s and merged with Zing (the pop culture funko pop galore shitshow company) to become Micromania-Zing.

When they say they're "ceasing operations" in France, they really mean that they're selling Micromania-Zing away, however the Micromania brand twitter account has confirmed no change to the stores are expected at this time. I'm going in one of them tomorrow as a matter of fact to grab my copy of Pirate Yakuza.

As far as I'm aware, they were in the green for the first time in a while last year. They also introduced imports on their online shop recently, similar to Play-Asia. I don't like where the company has been heading for the past 10-15 years especially in regards to the abundance of unnecessary merch and over-reliance on pop figures (god I hate them with a passion), but to say they completely deserve to sink would be hypocritical. I've had a decent experience still to this day.

Of course the main problem being... who would spend that much on used games..?

EDIT: Read the article further. You know what, good riddance Gamestop. Micromania doesn't need you, because what the heck did I just read!

 

[Jayro]

As for other merchendising, such as t-shirt, figurine, accessories, etc., there are other stores that offer such merchs, for a better price and of better quality.
While Gamestop used to be a must for video game merch, today, it's a big must avoid for pretty much everyone I know

Hmm, it's almost as if they should push all that merch garbage into a separate store, and leave GameStop for games...

They could even give the merch sister store a unique silly name, like "ThinkGeek" or something, idk.
It was honestly better this way, they went backwards merging the two. The stores are so crowded with toy junk now that shopping for games there is cumbersome now.

 

[Asia81]

as we say in france "mérité escromania"

 

[Noctosphere]

News just dropped, GameStop Canada has been sold to entreprener and colector Stephan Tetrault and has been rebranded to EBGames Canada (its original name in Canada (Even though it kept that name in the province of Quebec (and from what I've heard, it's also named EBGames in Australia)))

Source

 

[SylverReZ]

Has been rebranded to EBGames Canada (its original name in Canada)

Now we can relive those 2000's memories.

 

[Noctosphere]

Now we can relive those 2000's memories.

maybe? maybe not? I mean, they sure need to change their business model, otherwise...

 

[SylverReZ]

maybe? maybe not? I mean, they sure need to change their business model, otherwise...

Well, that's the first order of business, or they become the same corporate lizards like they used to.

 

[Noctosphere]

Well, that's the first order of business, or they become the same corporate lizards like they used to.

They sure will. But maybe I'd need to rephrase it. "They need to make some noticeable change to their business model, otherwise..."
For example, that model of buying back used video games, they really need change it. For example, if you bring them 50+ gameboy games, they don't even look at them, and tell you "I give you 10 bucks", that needs to change.
Or bringing them a PS4 game, they say "I give you 10 bucks" just to sell it for 70$ right after, that needs to change (Because yea, last time I went there, you would not save more than 10$ on a 80$+ game if you were buying a second-hand one instead of a brand new one)

 

[SeventhSon7]

 

[chrisrlink]

question if GS ceases operations in the USA (before 6/5) will me deposit be refunded for my NS2 preorder?

 

[AdenTheThird]

Good riddance. GameStop blows, can't wait for it to go out of business here in the States too.
Went into one for the first time in years a few weeks ago for shits and giggles--nothing but Funkos left and right, overpriced used games, and now (hadn't seen this before) fake copies of old games (like the NES SMB/Duck Hunt combo), no doubt trying to pass them off as originals. Scummy company, hope they die a painful death.

 

[Noctosphere]

question if GS ceases operations in the USA (before 6/5) will me deposit be refunded for my NS2 preorder?

I don't know about USA, but in Canada (or at least in Quebec), you would get refunded under the law about bankruptcy

 

[BigOnYa]

fake copies of old games (like the NES SMB/Duck Hunt combo

What do you mean fake? That is a real NES cartridge. I remember as a kid getting a NES for Xmas and it came with that cartridge.

 

[AdenTheThird]

What do you mean fake? That is a real NES cartridge. I remember as a kid getting a NES for Xmas and it came with that cartridge.

I used to have that cartridge too--I meant a reproduction cartridge. Something that looks and functions identically to the original 1985 cart, but was manufactured less than a year ago instead of during the '80s. Not labeling the cartridges as reproductions is extremely misleading, in my opinion. The GameStop I visited had several NES, Game Boy, and N64 reproduction carts, not labeled any differently as original carts would.