High street game retailers

This approach has the benefits of far lower hardware costs and zero piracy. Microsoft have invested heavily with a Chinese TV manufacturer, probably for this reason and Sony are already a major TV manufacturer.

Then there is the view of Alex St. John of WildTangent who thinks that consoles will die out to be replaced by PC gaming. I am inclined to disagree with this for a number of reasons: cost, lack of standardisation, piracy, lack of platform holder to market it, horrible architecture, poor entertainment hub capabilities etc etc. Download offers a lot of advantages over retail.

A far wider range of product would be on offer with no stock problems, delivery is far more convenient with the game loaded direct on your game machine, there is no plastic and cardboard to clutter up your house, cutting out the costs of distribution and retail mean games can be cheaper to buy and publishers and developers have a better business model with a long tail so are far more likely to create niche games.

So the future will definitely be online and could be powerful entertainment hubs or server based gaming. Or both. Or maybe PCs. What is for sure is that none of these options need a high street. In terms of habits, shoppers are switching to buying online. Companies such as Amazon have an unfair advantage because they have a lower business rate bill, which holds down costs and enables online retailers to woo shoppers with low prices.

Business rates are taxes, based on the value of commercial property, that are imposed on traditional retailers with physical stores. At the same time, there is a move away from buying "stuff" as more people live in smaller homes and rent rather than buy.

Uncertainty about the economy has also slowed the housing market and linked makeovers of homes. Those pressures have come just as rising labour and product costs, partly fuelled by Brexit and the coronavirus, have coincided with economic and political uncertainty that has dampened consumer confidence. Retailers with a high street presence want the government to change business rates to even up the tax burden with online players and to adapt more quickly to the rapidly changing market.

Retailers also want more investment in town centres to help them adapt to changing trends, as well as a cut to high parking charges, which they say put off shoppers. After a while though, Newegg started to pick up some serious steam and filled the vacuum left behind by companies like CompUSA, and evolved to the point where they are basically the only retailer for PC components I'll even consider purchasing from.

Steam has more or less done the same thing for me, and despite concerns from some people about the platform, I haven't ever had a single problem with their distribution service, and for the rare cases where I want a physical copy of a game for the artwork or because I really love the series etc there is always Amazon, which I can't really see a single downside of.

I occasionally still step into GameSpot to see if they have any gems being let go for a nice price usually lesser known titles that are just collection dust in the back shelves , but I absolutely avoid BestBuy like the plague, as there is virtually no reason to buy anything at all from then when I can get it much much cheaper from Overstock, Amazon or Newegg, I think Ryan Davis made a pretty good point along the same lines: if you're going to attempt to compete against online retailers, you need to pump some serious effort into your salesmanship and presentation.

Otherwise, people just aren't going to have any sort of attachment at all to your establishment. He wanted orange. The world gave him lemon-lime". Anyone mourning the loss of Game Group is a moron.

They've done nothing but try to fuck the consumer for years. Horrifically overpriced games, terrible service, and generally nasty business practices mean I couldn't be happier to see them gone.

I'd disagree with your comment about finding games you've never heard of, too. They're terrible for stocking anything remotely niche. When Dynasty Warriors 7 came out they ordered stock for release day, and then never restocked again. Then you have them selling gutted games as new, or selling used games with no manual and a cracked case for the same price as whole ones.

They fuck over PC gamers the hardest, though. They stock next to nothing, maybe one shelf in the back of the store, and then have the nerve to pull bullshit like refusing to stock Space Marine if they devs also sold it through Steam. The business model is broken and it's no wonder they've gone under. Everything I've ever bought from game has had a problem with it, and their customer service was crap, At least, they were to me so good riddance Game.

Although, I will miss Gamestation if my local one closes, but I have two independent stores that I prefer to the chain stores, so I'm okay for buying games in real life. It is very sad but no surprise ever since the old Gamestation moved to new premises it has not been the same since. I agree about the loss of these great chains. The customer services varies but it is not always easy to find stuff in the shop. I found the service in Game to be bad, but I heard they were going bust ages ago.

I don't want to see the loss of these shops sadly it looks like it is to late from them. Thanks to IncendiaryProduction for the sig! This would be terrible. I also enjoy going to actual game stores and just browsing all the different games.

Buying games online feels rather impersonal, i like talking to actual clerks who know about the games theyre selling, it makes buying games that much more satisfying. Last mystery box! Wow, I got Interviewed! Kirby is the best and this proves it Animoo-moo. Australia also will have their stores closed down. GAME should just become an online store. I actually can't remember the last time I bought anything from those shops. I seem to have better luck by simply looking at what the independent game shops have.

My main problem with those shops going is that my local town centre will now be as dead as MySpace without them. The only places for me to pick up games in high street stores are the independent game shops, Grainger Games never had the desire to get anything there and HMV but they could be in trouble sooner or later.

At this rate I'll be getting everything I'm needing online.