Looks like GAME.CO.UK may be on its way out

[yoba333]

Hopefully GameStop in America will be next :P

[Thor.]

Its a good time for EBgames to setup shop in the UK :teehee: I miss Microplay, it had the same thing happen, but it wasn't financial. The one thing that it stood out from the rest though, was that you could of rented consoles and games there. Entirely dedicated to. :sad: Edited March 27, 2012 by Thor.

[Yoshh]

Well, I bought a used game at GAME once, but that's just it. Is it being declared insolved in the UK only?

[marharth]

Took long enough.

 

I wonder how long it will be until every game store goes out of business?

 

Going to go full digital eventually, which worries me because Steam pretty much has a monopoly. They do not have any kind of refund policy (a really weak one anyways) and can delete your entire account if they want to.

[yoba333]

Going to go full digital eventually, which worries me because Steam pretty much has a monopoly. They do not have any kind of refund policy (a really weak one anyways) and can delete your entire account if they want to.

 

Why would they want to delete your account? As soon as they start doing that, they start losing customers.

[marharth]

Its not that they would, its just not good that they have that power at all.

[Yoshh]

There aren't that many heavy-weight Digital distribution platforms that can compete head to head with Valve's Steam though. Origin, GOG, Impulse, Direct 2 Drive (Which has been around since before Steam, iirc). Though, to be honest, they do not impose any real "threat" to Valve as of now. As for the consoles, you have the Playstation Store, Xbox Live Market, Wii Shop and the NIntendo DSi Shop.

 

What you might see, is the developers themselves, or their publisher companies, releasing their games in their own platform (quite an ample meaning here. Doesn't need to be like Steam.) That should partly help with preventing Valve from having a monopoly over the digital retailer sales.

 

Then they have two options. Either they spend money to distribute themselves (yes, because infrastructures are not free), or they sell their games through an existing digital retailer, not having to worry about that. The foremost could have a better income in the long run, but is also more risky, as it can end up being a fiasco.

Edited March 28, 2012 by Yoshh