Euro retailer Game expects greater profits thanks to 'buoyant' market
by Jason Dobson 
{ Mar 3rd 2008 at 12:30PM }
The group's like-for-like sales for the fifty weeks leading to January 12 were up around 43 percent while the company expects further growth of around 5 to 10 percent in the current year, driven by a "buoyant" video game market. Preliminary financial results are expected to drop on April 29, though given thin competition and what Game calls "a strong pipeline of innovative software," including such titles as Nintendo's Wii Fit and Mario Kart, as well as Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV, we expect those calling the shots for the retailer to remain swimming in the deep end of the money pool for a good while longer.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mills and Boom @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:41PM
GAME expect greater profits because they charge more than everyone else.
Should read.
maverick_saturn_626 @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:09PM
Roflmao, damn right!
I shop at Gamestation now, Game is a rip off, even thier second hand games are more expensive then brand new games found in other stores, lol
JakubK666 @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:47PM
I for once shop at CeX as their second-hand games are even cheaper than at Gamestation. For retail I usually hit Ebay.
Stupidiot @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:33PM
You do realise that Gamestation is under the ownership of GAME, right? I find that since then, Gamestation's prices are pretty much the same as GAME's, though I don't often shop for games on the high street.
Mills and Boom @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:47PM
There was only 1 DS Lite left in town, so my girlfriend bought that. Urgh. It was the "demo model" and didn't even have a discount. GTFO Gamestation.
But I got my PSP there. I think they messed up since they had that brand new Star Wars thingy game. All other PSP games in the bundle were cacky rubbish things. Thank you Gamestation?
Fernando Rocker @ Mar 3rd 2008 12:50PM
bUt KidTeNdo dOeZn't seLlz sozTwareZ!
maverick_saturn_626 @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:10PM
It does, its just they don't usually last long, lol
Fernando Rocker @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:14PM
Don't last long?
Mario Kart DS, New Super Mario, Twilight Princess... still in the top 20 every week. From all software, not just Nintendo software.
maverick_saturn_626 @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:19PM
If we're talking DS, yes of course, and now that Brawl, the equivalent of Halo for Nintendo has released, sales and attach rate have improved. But there is only so much Wii sports, Red Steel and Mario Party you can take before you get bored. Especially on your own.
Fernando Rocker @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:26PM
Guitar Hero 3 Wii is like 1.5 million... PS3 version has not reached the million yet.
There are like 20 Wii titles with over a million copies... PS3 like 10 titles.
In my collection: WiiPlay, Wii Sports, Super Mario Galaxy, Paper Mario, Mario Strikers, Zelda, Metroid, Monkey Ball, Elebits, Dewys, Trauma Center 1 and 2, Resident Evil 4 and Umbrella, Red Steel, Fire Emblem, Sonic and the Secret Rings and No More Heroes.
Next week: SSBB and Zack and Wiki.
And looking forward to Animal Crossing, Mario Kart, Baroque, Tales of Symphonia, Final Fantasy Crystal Bearers, Fragile: Farewell Ruins of the Moon (wich looks amazing), Factor 5 game, and a lot of WiiWare
titles.
Plus, all my 360 games... so, yeah... Wii is great.
naxe @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:45PM
Why must everything turn into a PS3 bashing for you??
It doesnt even matter anymore what the topic is about... NINTENDO RULEZ. playstation sucks.
Your nintendo line up is a epileptic's nightmare.
Mario needs to buy peach a gun. how many more years can mario squeeze out of his mustache??
hvnlysoldr @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:19PM
The Level 5 'Stache can handle even a over level 9000 fanboy.
Chris @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:19PM
In my local area GAME are actually a hell of a lot cheaper than Gamestation, I only really go to Gamestation because they have a much richer choice of preowned titles. All the staff members in both of the gamestation stores near me are pretentious fanboy ass holes who every time I buy something will give me a look and go "OMG FAIL, WHY YOUZ BUYING FOR THAT CONSOLEZ?!"
It's like umm, I'm a paying customer, shut the hell up and serve me.
Game staff never do that to me.... plus they have the loyalty card which means lots of points.
maverick_saturn_626 @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:24PM
I give them credit for customer service, lol
Refridgeron @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:34PM
Is it just me or is that Diana on those ten pound notes?
What kind of alternate future is this?!
Pointz @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:35PM
Looking at my £10 note that money is fake, but maybe that is the point. Whatever!
Chris @ Mar 3rd 2008 1:36PM
"Is it just me or is that Diana on those ten pound notes?
What kind of alternate future is this?!"
I noticed that too... it's not just that it's a picture of Diana it's a picture where she looks like she wants to slit peoples throats in their sleep that worries me.
Pointz @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:08PM
She's looking to her left.
That is some conspiracy money.
Would that be the money if Diana became queen?
Training1 @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:11PM
I once went to GAME to buy LOTR:TT EE DVD. The woman at the checkout was Uber hot and was truly a geek. We ended up having a discussion about the battle of Pelennorfields in the ROTK.
I wish I got her number :(
Encodes @ Mar 3rd 2008 8:57PM
Thats the Banksy run of 5 pound notes that he did :)
Stupidiot @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:44PM
Wow, thanks for the heads up Joystiq! I didn't realise that £73 was worth so much now ($145 million apparently). I'm going to change my money for dollars while the rates are this good!
On topic: I don't like shopping in GAME, but sometimes it's more convenient, even if I do need to pay a minimum of £5 extra for everything. If high street prices were just slightly more competitive with the internet, then I'd be much happier.
RobLink (McElroy Defence Force) @ Mar 3rd 2008 2:55PM
I hate shopping in Game. In my local (Croydon), the staff have absolutely no knowledge of viseo games outside of the big releases that they have to get pre-orders for.
I asked if they had a DS download point so I could try a couple of demos, and they said they only sell XBox 360 download points.
I, and most of my friends, have more knowledge than the staff in those stores. I much prefer to shop in non-chain store video game shops as the people that own them/work in them have a passion for it and know a lot more as a result.
And if I want good deals, I buy on the interwebs.
Pointz @ Mar 3rd 2008 3:52PM
Is it Game on the Croydon high street or the one down in Debenhams. The ones up in the High Street don't know jack shit, whereas the ones in Debenhams I alway have debates about games. Nowadays I shop in Cex and important from Xelectricals my fave shop.
RobLink (McElroy Defence Force) @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:26PM
The one in the High St. The one in Debenhams never seems to have much in stock. I don't really go into CeX because of all the chavs trying to flog stolen mobiles, but Xelectrical is the non-chain store I was talking about. the guy knows his stuff and has a real passion.
mr mobius @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:51PM
Even with the point cards its cheaper and therefore more sense to shop in ASDA for games for me if ASDA has the game and I don't want a pre-owned. I now vary my purchases between the two. There aren't any other game shops where I live except XtraVision.
Pointz @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:42PM
Yeah he does know his stuff, he's cool with me, I like the way he let me buy Mario galaxy a day early, he's cool like that too.
tom.soulgrind @ Mar 4th 2008 8:46AM
If people want to know why PC games don't sell (in the UK at least) its because GAME is a horrendous store, with a huge monopoly, which stocks almost no PC games, and makes the ones it does stock impossible to find by piling them all in the corner in no discernable order.