Whos next?

[DaGaffer]

Why game never tapped into the Online retailing and Distributing who knows. But Steam and EA did fairly well, now it's pretty much too late.

Its a sorry tale that a lot of people around here are aware of, and quite a few of us bear the scars. You're sat looking at all that was salvaged from the wreckage of that little adventure.

 

[Ch3tan]

With GAME.net it was always "coming soon", but soon never came. A real shame considering the experience they recruited with the purchase of BW. That said, none of the GSP's survived.

 

[Bahumat]

Sorry to hear the bad news Damini. Maybe become a spy? Or secret agent. Your skills against those frauds would surely prove how bad ass you are!

Best of luck with the future though, I lost my job about a year back and it sucked ass. Something will come up, and I hope you do not have to wait long.

 

[DaGaffer]

With GAME.net it was always "coming soon", but soon never came. A real shame considering the experience they recruited with the purchase of BW. That said, none of the GSP's survived.

The thing is the GSP wasn't the plan. The "plan" was the billing engine and the infrastructure we were building behind it when it was pulled. The idea had always been to build something along the lines of Gamespy/D2D (and I know that's kind of failed as well, but that's as much to do with the dead hand of NewsCorp ownership as anything else; at the time they were the obvious model, and with retail added on it made a lot of sense).

 

[SheepCow]

The thing is the GSP wasn't the plan. The "plan" was the billing engine and the infrastructure we were building behind it when it was pulled. The idea had always been to build something along the lines of Gamespy/D2D (and I know that's kind of failed as well, but that's as much to do with the dead hand of NewsCorp ownership as anything else; at the time they were the obvious model, and with retail added on it made a lot of sense).

GameSpy make a huge amount of their money on selling their tech to game devs, e.g. the matchmaking.

Where's MFI? That died long before this "recession", unnecessary shops will always die off. Play/Amazon are making Waterstones/etc unnecessary. Tesco and the other supermarkets are pricing GAME, HMV etc out of the water as well.

 

[GimmlyThe3rd]

Its a sorry tale that a lot of people around here are aware of, and quite a few of us bear the scars. You're sat looking at all that was salvaged from the wreckage of that little adventure.

Yea I realise that but I was talking along the lines of a virtual retail shop. Much like EA Link / Steam, can download the games and serial key automatically ( have them posted for a few extra quid if you want)

Now it's a bit late, Game seems to behind the times, even EA etc jumped on it. I can't remember last time I went into a shop and bought a game.

 

[SheepCow]

Yea I realise that but I was talking along the lines of a virtual retail shop. Much like EA Link / Steam, can download the games and serial key automatically ( have them posted for a few extra quid if you want)

Now it's a bit late, Game seems to behind the times, even EA etc jumped on it. I can't remember last time I went into a shop and bought a game.

DaGaffer is saying it was started, but it didn't appear.

 

[rynnor]

Thorntons...

BBC News - Thorntons set to close up to 180 shops

 

[Tom]

Habitat has simply rebranded itself.

 

[taB]

Good luck finding a new job. Retail is a complete bitch at the moment. I don't think that's going to change either.

I won't miss those silly "Jan Nor" bags though.

 

[DaGaffer]

GameSpy make a huge amount of their money on selling their tech to game devs, e.g. the matchmaking.

Not so much anymore, but you're correct. The GAME plan was to do something similar, but in a different space - billing and auth. The idea being that as well as doing direct downloads there would be a membership model for MMOs and other DLC type activity (although it wasn't called DLC back then), especially for people who didn't have credit cards etc, all tied into the Loyalty card. This idea was eventually replicated in game cards and the like, but the GAME idea had a lot more behind it because of all the stuff you can store in the Loyalty db. The first steps in that area was one of the reasons why game.net ended up running the DAOC forums; we were trying to expand it into a wider thing.

Where's MFI? That died long before this "recession", unnecessary shops will always die off. Play/Amazon are making Waterstones/etc unnecessary. Tesco and the other supermarkets are pricing GAME, HMV etc out of the water as well.

Sadly true, but its more a reflection of the property market than anything else; in the US the likes of Gamestop continued to expand in the face of Amazon and Walmart's pricing, because they could still keep store costs down (digital distribution will kill them anyway, but box games can still make money for a bit longer in America, especially as their broadband is crap). Its much more difficult in Europe, although there's going to have to be a correction in the property market soon enough; the mobile phone companies can't afford to occupy every empty shop on the high street!

I think the end of book shops is the one that's most depressing for me; yes I buy on Amazon and on Kindle etc. but I still like going into a bookshop and browsing, and I still like buying physical books as well, I guess like so many people though, not often enough to pay the rent.

Yea I realise that but I was talking along the lines of a virtual retail shop. Much like EA Link / Steam, can download the games and serial key automatically ( have them posted for a few extra quid if you want)

Now it's a bit late, Game seems to behind the times, even EA etc jumped on it. I can't remember last time I went into a shop and bought a game.

That's exactly what was in plan. They do have bits of that now, with a download shop provided by metaboli and a mobile games service, but its a bit cobbled together. The online store itself is still doing relatively good business as I understand it, but they just have way, way too many stores.

 

[Job]

Don't panic, Tesco's will just build a megastore over the ruins.
You can get a job showing people how to use the auto checkouts.

 

[Zarjazz]

Yes, it's a shame about the book stores but as a big Kindle fan and lacking any sentimentality about the "feel or smell of real books" I'm not that upset. If I can obtain digital copies of all my existing paperbacks I'm seriously considering throwing them all out.

HMV have been pretty much on their final breath for years now.

I remember some of those game.net discussions many years ago. So many missed opportunities. Glad I'm in a completely different business now

 

[rynnor]

Carpetright - up to 50 stores may go unless they can re-negotiate the rent.

 

[Embattle]

In the 90s/00s companies tended to have a massive amount of retail space that was in reality never going to be justified when actually looking at each individual store, however the advantage was having more exposure, higher overall revenue and in return they also blocked retail space for use by a competitor.

Now you're seeing companies finally reversing a lot of those sort of policies and added to that you've got other factors such as less disposable income, increased competition, increased costs, deflation/inflation.

The one trick ponies are going to suffer very badly and it is no surprise a number of them have been in trouble and I suspect it'll get worse.

 

[Appollo]

Sorry you lost your job, hopefully Topps Tiles are next (sorry if anyone works there)

 

[old.user4556]

The recession is rooting out bad businesses.

Jessops is bound to go, or certainly their stores (some have already closed). They just can't compete with online camera suppliers (plus their staff are miserable) however they have started selling online too and reasonable competitively. I wonder if they'll continue purely as an online retailer.

 

[Wazzerphuk]

I imagine they'll keep a few key locations too, some Jessops always seem to be busy.

 

[Raven]

Jessops have a good name and usually know what they are talking about when you go in there, they make sales through knowledge. The likes of Game are just staffed by retards, their days are numbered.

 

[Embattle]

Companies that can do multi channel and cover multiple product areas should manage to survive although will probably feel a bit more pain during the next year.

 

[ford prefect]

I imagine they'll keep a few key locations too, some Jessops always seem to be busy.

I go into the one in Cardiff a couple of times every year, usually mid week too and they are always really busy. The staff are always helpful and have actually saved me quite a lot of money over the years.

As for Game & Gamestation, they always seem quite pricey to me. I tend to buy mainly from amazon these days partly because they tend to be as cheap if not cheaper for games, but also because I can quickly bring up half a dozen good review sites to see if something is worth buying in the first place. also a big fan of the kindle too.

It seems to me, recession or not, a lot of these big chains are going to have to cut back as the whole highstreet Market share gets smaller.

 

[cHodAX]

Which American Restaurant Chains Might Go Under?

Domino's US are looking in alot of trouble, not sure about the UK but they are having tons of 'buy on get one free' offers these days to try and stimulate trade, kind of indicates that they are struggling for revenue.

 

[DaGaffer]

Which American Restaurant Chains Might Go Under?

Domino's US are looking in alot of trouble, not sure about the UK but they are having tons of 'buy on get one free' offers these days to try and stimulate trade, kind of indicates that they are struggling for revenue.

Dominos pizzas are fucking disgusting. They never used to be; when they first set up in the UK they were pretty good, but they've cheapened and cheapened their ingredients to the point where its like eating plastic coated cardboard. You can only take that process so far before people go elsewhere.

Annoyingly I've yet to find a really good take-away pizza in Dublin (I've found a couple of really good restaurants, but not a take-away); in London I had at least three awesome pizza places nearby.

*edit* just looked through that article; Wendys are in trouble? And Ruth Chris steaks? Damn, I love both of those; I was gutted when Wendys quit the UK.

 

[cHodAX]

Dominos pizzas are fucking disgusting. They never used to be; when they first set up in the UK they were pretty good, but they've cheapened and cheapened their ingredients to the point where its like eating plastic coated cardboard. You can only take that process so far before people go elsewhere.

Annoyingly I've yet to find a really good take-away pizza in Dublin (I've found a couple of really good restaurants, but not a take-away); in London I had at least three awesome pizza places nearby.

*edit* just looked through that article; Wendys are in trouble? And Ruth Chris steaks? Damn, I love both of those; I was gutted when Wendys quit the UK.

Yep, Perfect Pizza are alot better and a good bit cheaper too.

Yep, Wendys aren't looking healthy, neither are Denny's who I hear great things about.

 

[cHodAX]

Bankruptcy Watch: 14 Risky Restaurant Stocks - TheStreet

 

[Raven]

Who the fuck wants to pay £16 for some shitty dominoes pizza though? No loss when they go bust.

 

[Yaka]

my bro is a h00ge fan of reggae reggae sauce, loves it to bits so ordered dominoes reggae regae sauce pizza's, possibly the worst pizza ever

 

[Chilly]

my bro is a h00ge fan of reggae reggae sauce, loves it to bits so ordered dominoes reggae regae sauce pizza's, possibly the worst pizza ever

I ordered one of those by mistake recently - was fucking awful. Really bad idea on their part.

 

[cHodAX]

lol yeah they taste rotten.

 

[Raven]

If I want pizza I just buy a pizza express ones from the supermarket, they are miles better than dominos, or I just make my own.

The best ever (imo) pizzas are from a little pizzeria in North Camp in Farnborough. Delicious, the staff were great too, they would stay open until you left but come and have a drink with you. Proper Italians!