UK retailer GAME is reportedly ending in-store pre-orders in what feels like yet another baffling move as it further integrates itself into the wider Fraser Group.
As originally reported by TechRadar Gaming (thanks, Eurogamer), existing pre-orders or deposits for products due to release before the end of January 2025 will be honoured; all pre-orders for products releasing after this date will be refunded. Customers will also, of course, be able to pre-order online for home delivery or store pick-up.
The change will come into effect on 1st August 2024, which brings it roughly in line with the end of Reward Cards and the Game Elite service, which are both due to end at the end of July. In speaking with Eurogamer, a GAME staff member points to an upcoming change in the firm's till system as the driving factor behind the changes:
"Going forward the tills will only be able to sell and return products. No trade-ins, no rewards, no pre-orders, no Xbox All Access, no 'endless aisle' (the ability to order to store)."
In addition to ending in-store pre-orders, it's also reported that GAME Wallet, which essentially lets you add store credit and gift cards to a digital wallet will also come to an end. On 18th July, customers will no longer be able to add new funds to the service, and on 21st July, it will close down altogether.
It sounds like the changes are more a result of Fraser Group bringing GAME more in line with the rest of its retail portfolio rather than an indication of the firm's overall health. That said, staff at GAME recently went through a round of redundancies after the big suits implemented zero hour contracts for all except store managers.
So, when Nintendo opens pre-orders for its upcoming Switch successor, don't go into GAME hoping to secure your console. Pre-order it elsewhere, folks.
What do you make of this latest move from GAME? Do you have any outstanding pre-orders or any funds on your GAME Wallet? Share your thoughts with a comment down below.
[source techradar.com, via eurogamer.net]
Comments 38
Yeesh, that sounds pretty BAD overall for GAME...
That's...all I gotta say pretty much.
Sadly the writing is on the wall for them. Hardly any games in on sale now, most of what they stock is merch and snacks.
Yep closedown is next. A shame as I have a lot of childhood memories walking into Game, but I really can’t say I’ve brought much from there over the last 5 or so years.
"Stop! Stop! He's Already Dead!"
Doesn't sound like there's anything left of GAME at this point.
GAME over for this company..
This is getting absolutely ludicrous. I went in there today for the first time in months and hardly recognised the place.
Game and HMV are slowly becoming indistinguishable from each other with their renewed focus on merch. It’s a depressing development.
GAME's swift decline is still kinda sad to think about and I feel like we're getting close to Fraser Group just completely gutting the brand down the line.
I bought my Switch from Game but online. Don't think I will risk a New Super Switch 2U Pro from them.
Sounds like GAME (will be) over.
The Tears of the Kingdom of Game are falling fast and hard.
Not familiar with 'em (ol' freedom lander here), but yeah it's obvious it's all but closing time for the store
GAME's just a sinking ship on fire at this point!
CeX is a far better store to go to for games imo, the prices can be a bit all over the place but the selection is much more interesting. Perhaps it's an unfair comparison as it's really a second hand tech store but hey it's still better than GAME!😂
A huge shame, GAME instore preorders made getting the Switch extremely easy back in 2017. Getting a Switch 2 in its launch year will probably be harder than getting a PS5 in 2020.
@Grumblevolcano
Even though I would never recommend Game in store due to the prices compared to say Smyths Toys deals or Currys.
I have purchased all my consoles and that’s all the consoles day one from Game through pre-order or being there at midnight like for the Nintendo GameCube and return home with Luigi’s Mansion as well. And getting 3 points for speeding 🤣.
They are good for console day one pre-orders so god knows what I will do day one for Switch 2.
Can they just shut this place down already, it was the worst video game store when we had multiple to choose from and it's still the worst way to buy games even being the only store left. Not that it's actually a store now but a kiosk in a dreadful clothes store that also sells terrible sports equipment
There seems to be this universal strategy these dying stores flail around with ineffectively. The whole maybe things will be okay if we sell other stuff. It doesn’t seem to work.
@Grumblevolcano
We shouldn’t worry to much time Switch 2 gets here you can order the console on line and it materialise into your front room through teleportation.
I still believe Switch 2 should have been here last November 2023 or latest March 2024.
Going by the latest UK sales even the Xbox consoles outsold original Switch and that has never happened. And PS5 outsold both combined.
All I can hope for now is March 2025 at the very earliest. Don’t get me wrong had some fabulous times with Switch but it seems so strung out now way beyond it’s time.
My local GAME is closing down…no idea if it’ll end up having a presence in the nearby Sports Direct but I imagine GAME won’t be a thing altogether soon so probably not.
For as little as I shopped there thanks to high prices and rubbish trade in offers, it’s still sad to see it close. Every day we inch closer to the death of physical games and it sucks.
Next week on the series finale of GAME: “We’re closing all stores.”
Good riddance. Absolute scalpers and profiteers the lot of them. Always charging RRP or more. Never acted competitively.
@Owozifa I don’t know why they didn’t pivot to taking retro games and consoles which is something CEX seem to be doing well with (plus various independent shops have been popping up that specialize in retro stuff and have been thriving).
But no, instead of selling more video games they decided to use the majority of their floor space selling toys (often unrelated to games), board games, second hand phones and American sweets. Brilliant
it's obvious GAME hasn't got long now
hell it's barely a video game shop anymore
They’ve always been rubbish (and only heard horror stories from workers) but it’s more of a death knell for games retail in general. CEX is about it and that’s a hellhole.
Just waiting for the 'Game is now ending selling Games' announcement at this point.
They want to fail, right? This is some clever admin business move?
@larryisaman
From the US here, but it just seems point for point so similar to what GameStop has tried to do. You’d think a store about selling games would try to make itself one of the nicest places to buy games, but they are just the opposite. I’d much rather go to a big box store or buy online or go to a different used game shop. And if you suck at selling video games I don’t know how selling toys is going to improve matters.
I keep taking a look in game shops incase they have a flash sale and close that shop. But this to me is gearing for closure over Xmas or just after, so chances are game will be closed before the switch 2 is released a anyway!
Out of interest, as I don't like buying big electronics from Amazon after they burned me with a phone return, which is the best retailer or online for buying a switch 2 with a no BS returns policy that the staff are actually trained on etc in the UK? What about Smyths or Argos?
Not much point to the store it seems. It’s never a good idea to order from them online, they have the highest shipping and usually the highest prices. Ordering to pick up in store was already pointless, as it costs the same as shipping to your door.
Mind you, there’s been fewer willing to risk a preorder from them since that fiasco a while back with… A Mario Kart? Was it 8 Deluxe? That they charged people for multiple copies? Or was it another game? Or did it happen multiple times?
Just order/preorder from ShopTo. Best prices usually, and free postage.
Great (and cold) memories of the midnight launch for Wii in December 2006. Been a slow, slow death but it feels like GAME is finally on the way out.
@OldGamer999 Online preorders for consoles are always a gigantic mess, Switch 2 will be scalped in droves as usual.
“GAME has announced that beginning next month, the letters G and E will no longer be lit up on store signs in order to save money. The firm emphasizes that they will continue to operate and are definitely not shutting down by 2026.”
This gradual drip feed of bad news after bad news regarding Game is not a pretty sight. They are now just a husk of their former selves.
@Grumblevolcano
I will definitely get one pre-ordered day one
The only thing that will stop if the big AAA Nintendo software is not there day one, but I’m sure it will be as they have taken a long time getting Switch 2 out and the games ready so they say.
Who pre-orders anymore you pre-order pay £40--£49 for it to get it on the day for it to go down to £30 the next day on Amazon
Might as well rename it to GAME OVER.
Yeah this is getting sad now — anyone who pre-orders a game at full RRP from GAME needs to get their head checked
GAME is just the latest chain that Frasers Group has knifed. If it somehow manages to Terminator-crawl its way into 2025, I don't think it'll see 2026.
We dont have GAME in the US, but I imagine its a lot like our GameStop, which has seen similar although not as drastic cuts.
The days of physical games are nearing the end, and as such, dedicated stores can no longer function as they once did. Id imagine in a decade or so, even the big box retailers will reduce or remove inventory leaving physical media dead.
As an employee of Game in Spain i need to say one thing: these changes are only for the uk. Unless during my vacations they did all of these.
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