Game Crazy closing 200 locations in October [update]

by Alexander Sliwinski on Sep 28th 2009 9:14PM

Joystiq has learned that retailer Game Crazy plans to close 200 of its approximately 680 locations at the end of October. Sources working at Game Crazy stores attached to Hollywood Video locations have told us that the movie rental chain will remain open after their stores' closures.

Game Crazy's official statement on the matter: "Movie Gallery, Inc. is currently operating in an unprecedented consumer/retail environment. In order for us to continue to best serve our millions of customers across North America we're addressing underperforming stores and ensuring that there is sufficient [return on investment] associated with each of these stores going forward. The vast majority of our stores will be unaffected by these efforts."

For those who've placed a pre-order at a Game Crazy, it would be advisable to check if that location will still exist at the end of the month. We are currently working on obtaining a list of locations affected. If you're a Game Crazy employee with more details, please feel free to contact us*.

Update: If you know a specific location is closing, help us with our master list: Click here.

*Tips will remain confidential, please leave a valid email address in case we have further questions. Thank you!

Tags: business, game-crazy, gamecrazy, layoffs

Reader Comments (117)

Get that list! Discount games count me in!

Great to know there are people who care so much for those who will be losing their jobs in the coming months!

what is wrong with this post? they just want games for cheaper than you can get them anywhere. is it a crime to save money now? its not this guy's fault the game crazy's are closing. its their own...

I can pretty much tell you that all the good games are being transferred out, and the only ones left for the 30, 50, and 80% off sales are the crappy games that were always cheap anyway.

If there were any good games left, the employees probably already set them aside for themselves.

The store I worked at was slow...the only business we got was from cheap customers who only selected items from the 3 for $10 pile...I'm sure they'll be back so they can get eighty percent off that $4.99 game. (reg price of 3/$10 games)

I usually shop at my nearest Gamestop, but recently a PlayNTrade moved nearby: it's effing amazing, so much better than GS. They actually sell NES/SNES cartridges and the KIRF consoles.

Yeah, Play N Trade is amazing. I bought a SNES and Dreamcast there 2 weeks ago and I love that they let you try games before you buy them.

Go to www.playntrade.com find a store near you we WILL have everything you need from Midnight release events on the hot new titles to Old School classics. More Play N Trade's are actually opening all the time!!

Smitty in Utah

If I can get in place soon enough, I'd consider buying one of these franchises. Found out about them last year and it sounds fun enough.

mmmm reminds me of Funco Land

look into I shall

Game Who?

Ohh, inside hollywood video stores? I haven't been inside one of those since 1998.

Hollywood Video is the ONLY place to rent movies where I'm from.

Yeah, I didn't know much about Game Crazy, and that's probably because all the Hollywood Video locations near me have closed down. I guess, when you think about it like that, it was only a matter of time. :/

i went to my local Hollywood Video yesterday to rent a movie.
i was surprised to see that it, and the Game Crazy next to it, were cleaned out and the boarded up.
guess this explains it.

sad times indeed.

The only reason I want to go to a GameCrazy is to have them get a scratch out of one of my GameCube discs...

More people losing jobs. shame really :(

hollywood video still exists ??

You're still stupid??

Metal Gear?!

Cats with pants?!

what is this i don't ev

@SEVENim
Sounds like you're the stupid one. At least uninformed. Do you not ever read the news? You haven't heard about the hundreds of Hollywood Video closings through the years? I had one right outside the neighborhood until a couple years ago when it closed down. Now, the only movie rental choices I have are the Redbox machines at Walmart and the PlayStation Network. Haven't rented a game in forever.

i wish i could hate you to death

Its too bad. Not many other chains left. In fact, this might be it. Solid locations near me. I hope Florence, KY survives.

huh huh. KY. huh huh.

Completely off topic, but no one wins in a dairy challenge.

Convenience is king for me, there's a Game Crazy kinda sorta close in Mission Valley, but there is a Gamestop only a mile away.

That's Wisconsin, Zoot. Where are you from? Cali? What do they have? Adultery and plastic surgery contests? Contests to see who can run the most military recruiters out of town? Or contests to see who can run the most coke over the border?

Redass, aren't you from Louisville?

im pretty sure dairy products exist outside wisconsin

We don't run coke OVER the border, dummy. Coke comes to us over the border from Tijuana. As well as hippy lettuce. Yeesh, what an ignoramus.

Haven't you guys ever seen the Kenny Rogers Jackass: Dairy Challenge skit on Mad TV???

If not go watch it. NOW.

Hey ScottG13 I am the manager at the Game Crazy and we will not be staying open. The closes one from us is going to be Milford.

I vaguely remember that Zoot ,but it's greatly overshadowed by the Oprah Jackass sketch where Stedman kicks her down a hill in a porta potty for "taking away mah xbawks"

I was thinking the same thing. There was a kinda-sorta game section in the Dry Ridge, KY Movie Gallery that recently got the axe. I heard from an employee that Movie Gallery is under new management. Movie Gallery owns Hollywood Video, so... well, yeah. This guy is completely nuts, and I have no idea how he managed getting the job. Case in point, all Movie Gallery chains are downsizing their games inventories, and selling brand-new games for LESS than pre-owned titles. It's utter insanity.

Dry Ridge, KY??? Oh, c'mon. Giggity giggity.

Seriously- I love the GameCrazy near me. The people have been great- been to a few midnight releases even. It's just a good store in general. It's a shame to hear people will lose their jobs. I applied to work there once before- now I'm glad they weren't hiring if that store happens to close. Still, considering it's in Philadelphia I'm hoping they get enough business that they won't.

Amen, brotha. Mine has the coolest guys, I can not go in for a couple months and they'll remember me. I always get pre-order bonuses that people think you can only get at GS and Amazon (and the what not), such as Sgt Johnson for ODST. Bungie NEVER listed GC as having Johnson, but I got it. My main issue is it's extremely convenient compared to my "local" GS, in a mall with one hell of a walk or a 2 dollar train ride to get there. My GC is only a mile away, walking distance. I'd hate to see mine close, there is only one other even remotely, and that needs a 20 minute car ride to get there.

This is bad, if only for the fact it gives those jerks at Gamestop even more of a hold over the video game market.

O thanks I guess. My store is pretty good within the company and never have complaints. I am sorry other stores are a-holes to you. Or you hate how Capitalism works. I love my job at Gamestop. So thanks to you for being so kind.

Hopefully it's not the one that I frequent. I've vowed not to go to any GameStop stores after I had a particularly nasty experience.

The clerk at my local GameStop praised me for picking up Drakes Fortune, then proceeded to berate me for picking up an Elite. Then, while I'm standing there he tells a naive parent that they should get a ps3 for their 12 year old if the kid wanted Gears of War 2 because MS lost the exclusivity for the title. Needless to say, I was appalled at the customer service I witnessed and received at that particular store and immediately canceled what would have been about $600 in purchases that day.

Now I understand that some of you may be employees at GameStop and are fine upstanding people. However, if you see one of your co-workers being a complete twit like that, could you... you know... slap them upside the head for me?

Funny. Everyone at the Gamestop in my neck of the woods is pretty nice.

@Alton

Yea, I probably just ran into an anomaly, but I have enough options not too far away from that particular GameStop (like the GameCrazy near me) that I can go to for my impulse 'I need it now' gaming purchases.

all the guys at my gamestop are great, they know exactly what they're talking about and i even play XBL with them sometimes. I never had a game crazy to compare it to though : /

there was however Game Craze, no Y. Who, while possessing very capable and friendly employees, inexplicably opened two stores in the same mall, and not even at opposite ends

Owner1: Hey man you know what would be cool? If we each opened our own game stores!

Owner2: That is the best idea I've ever heard!

Owner1: You know what would even be cooler? If we opened them RIGHT BESIDE EACH OTHER!

Owner2: Totally, that way during our breaks we can totally hang out! Just so we don't have competition, how about we name our stores the same?

Owner1: Brilliant!

*high five*

Ok, now I feel like a mega jerk. Sorry my foul mood made me write this, feel free to down vote it.

All I'm asking for is a restaurant slash video rental slash videogame retail store. Where are you, Planet Hollywood Video? :(

TDW, I wish I could love you until your comment was blue.

Oh wait, I totally can do that.

Has anybody been to a Game Crazy location in Canada? Cause I remember getting coupons from them but I've never seen one.

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Game Crazy closing 200 locations in October [update]

Reader Comments (117)

Posted: Sep 28th 2009 9:16PM s ls said

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