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Regulators Approve EB/Gamestop Merger

Posted by Zonk on from the more-store-for-your-dollar dept.

Gamasutra is reporting that the U.S. SEC has approved the merger of Gamestop and EBGames, which was proposed earlier this year. From the article: "If completed, the merger between GameStop and EB would create a single company representing 20 to 30 percent of the overall market for video game products in the United States, and practically the entire market for used games. It's currently unknown whether EB and GameStop stores would keep their current monikers, or unite under one central name for branding purposes."

11 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. bad deal on used games... by beowulfy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I just have to say here that I hate how little these stores give you in store credit for good used games. You can sell them back any popular, good condition game for store credit, and they will give you about 5 bucks for it. Then they turn around and sell the used game for $45, only $5 off the retail price. So they screw you at both ends. I wouldn't mind if they charged this much for the used games if they gave you a more fair trade in value and vice verca. I stopped shopping there years ago because I didn't like supporting such a greedy company.

    --
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" -Hunter S. Thompson
    1. Re:bad deal on used games... by slashrogue · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's because they make so little profit on new games. Reselling used games is how they make their money.

    2. Re:bad deal on used games... by cornface · · Score: 2, Informative

      Some games you get quite a bit for. What really annoys me is that since they swallowed Funcoland, they've stopped publishing pricelists. It's all hit or miss depending on what store you go to, now. Funcoland used to have a monthly master list on their website.

      Here is their response to my inquiry as to where it went.

      Dear Gamestop Customer,

      The prices are based on each different district and the prices change daily.
      Therefore, we cannot keep an accurate price page on our website. You will
      have to contact the store regarding this. If you have any further questions,
      feel free to contact us. Thank you and have a great day.

      What a load of crap.

  2. Entire market for used games? by LordNimon · · Score: 4, Insightful
    practically the entire market for used games.

    They must mean just brick-and-mortar stores, because used games are definitely a lot cheaper on eBay or Amazon.com, even if you include shipping. Frankly, I don't know why anyone would buy a used game from these stores. After all, you have to have a computer or console to play the games, so chances are you have Internet access, too.

    --
    And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
    To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
  3. Very little competition, especially online. by frederec · · Score: 3, Interesting
    For quite some time I've lamented how few video game retailers there are. Gamestop and EB have very variable workforce and policies. Larger stores that do video games in addition to other products (Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and so on) have a terrible selection. Even Best Buy, who is good with DVDs at least, tends to be a few weeks behind on the video games, if they get them at all.

    This is compounded even more when looking online. I have yet to find an online video game retailer that is decent. Especially regarding preorders. If I preorder three things from gamestop.com, two come out one day, and a third comes out one day later, they will send them to me UPS. In three different packages. And there's no way I know to keep that from happening.

    So when I heard the news of the merger, this just made me depressed that there would be that much less competition between retailers. Unless there are some magical game retailers I'm missing. Does anyone out there know of (especially online) game retailers that are good?
    1. Re:Very little competition, especially online. by frederec · · Score: 3, Insightful
      I like the principle of Steam getting rid of the publishing middleman, but I absolutely hate the requirement of being online even after buying the game. Call me old fashioned, but I've always prefered being able to buy a game, play it, then a few years later bust it out and play it again. If I wanted, I could go home right now and bust out my nintendo and start playing some games. Steam requires that the company still exist and have the same setup a few years later. Technology changes so quickly that I don't have a whole lot of confidence that it will retain a similar form, if it still exists. This is something (aside from the price) that has traditionally kept me away from MMOGs. The impermanence of it being so built in. If that changes I'll give it another look.

      As for the revolution. That's all speculation right now, but I can only hope it will do all that people hope it can. If old things aren't so available, at least they can still be playable.

  4. I would have cared... by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 4, Interesting

    But anymore the two companies are almost mirror's as it is. Back in the day I would have preferred EB over Gamestop as they had better deals and incentives on trading in used games/systems and they marked games down a good bit at times. More recently it is almost the opposite in that Gamestop has had the better trade-in deals and at times lower prices.

    But now both tend to have ineffective staff, poorly staffed, and cloned stores. The merger will mean very little IMHO. I personally can barely stand to go in either of these stores as I am barraged with stupid sales pitches for their store card that I have to pay a yearly fee for or pre-orders, or just deal with the lame-ass employees. These stores never did anything to differentiate themselves anyhow.

    I now have a new favorite haunt called The Exchange, where the staff are normal, they pay great for trades and their games are 20%-50% the price (even new) of EB/Gstop. That or ebay and I can generally get any game I want for a fraction of the cost and time.

    --
    http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
    1. Re:I would have cared... by rAiNsT0rm · · Score: 2, Informative

      "The Exchange" some people call it "The Record Exchange" but the real name is The Exchange. They are located in PA and OH in the U.S. I believe they have a store or two in NJ but I'm not sure.

      They are a small chain and sell new and used Movies, Music, Games, Accessories, and more. They also sell games all the way back to Atari. Their selection is amazing. For example Donkey Konga 2 is priced at $34.95 NEW all the time compared to most placed $49.99-$59.99 and most players choice titles are $10 used.

      The big thing is that they take any game, movie, or CD in trade and they pay cash which is very close to the trade value, unlike EB/Gstop. I traded in old PS1 games, DC games, and received a ton of store credit and EB/Gstop don't even accept them at all.

      I know they are fairly localized but anyone with an Exchange by them should seriously check it out. BTW I have no affiliation, just a super happy customer that is happy to tell anyone about them.

      --
      http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
  5. Confused by HunterZ · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If EB and GameStop account for only 20-30% of U.S. video game sales, where does the other 70-80% come from? Wal-Mart? Internet retailers? Independent game stores?

    GameStop is about the only brick-and-mortar game retailer I know of in my town (3 locations too) that even pretends to be devoted to video games, and even they're so bad now that their own employees have been known to answer the phone with "thanks for calling EAStop!" And of course their selection of PC titles has dwindled to a state of near non-existence.

    --
    Arguing about vi versus Emacs is like arguing whether it's better to make fire by rubbing sticks or banging rocks.
  6. Re:Who gives a rip? by cornface · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm not sure I care. I don't buy ANY used games from EB games. I think they're all a rip off. So I buy my new games from Wal-Mart and my used games from eBay.

    Oh, Moondoggie. You're the coolest!

  7. EB Managers can kiss their jobs goodbye. by Nikkos · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I used to manage a couple Funcoland stores a few years ago. Our company (over 400 stores) was bought out and a then the drama ensued.

    We were flown to the big company pow-wow and private trade-show and given lots of freebies. While there we were told we're all ok, and that there would be a place for us within the Barnes & Nobel megaconglomerate,

    Unfortunately our district manager (awesome guy) was gone within a week. A few long-time managers left soon after (stock options) but most of us tried to fit in.

    After the Playstation 2 release and the Christmas season, District, Area, and Store Managers were removed one by one for the vaugest of reasons.

    I was one of the last to go in my area, and while I happily took full unemployment and went back to college. I look back and still feel bitter about a promising management career cut short.