Gamestop And EB merger.

Specineff · Post by **Specineff** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:22 pm

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/sit ... ewsLang=en

No wonder why I felt a disturbance in the Force last night. As if millions of voices cried at once "Oh, $#!+" and were then suddenly silenced.

MovingTarget · Post by **MovingTarget** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 9:30 pm

I thought EB already merged with 'Games'.

Post by **system11** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:04 pm

EB absorbs everything, then doesn't stock a full range. In the UK at least, many releases aren't available in EB because they're not from main labels.

icepick · Post by **icepick** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:05 pm

Now all game stores will be GameStop game stores?!

Well, except for Game Crazy, which actually isn't too shabby. Unless that's actually owned by GameStop too.

This is kind of too weird, though. All those EB Games stores five doors down from GameStop stores will suddenly become redudent backups? Weird.

I wonder if they'll make EB Games stop carrying older system-related items as well... I found Giga Wing 2 for DC in Ohio (for someone) for, like $20. If people go to GS or EB and are told that no one buys the stuff, then, they'll end up in the trash. I'd rather buy the stuff for overpriced amounts on eBay than have it go into the dumpster...

FatCobra · Post by **FatCobra** » Sat Apr 23, 2005 11:18 pm

Meh, I always liked Gamestop better anyway. Every time I go to EB Games, I feel like I'm going to be ripped off. Plus, EB Games stores are always messy (Well, what are you going to do with all those shitty games sitting on the shelf?)

It would suck if they did stop selling older stuff, I'd better load up before the merge is complete.

Ganelon · Post by **Ganelon** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:35 am

Definitely a double-edged sword. It'll save/prolong the videogame store business but likely at the cost of pushing EB's game prices to Gamestop's ridiculous rates. Couldn't care less though since I find Ebay deals cheaper and in better condition.

Post by **BulletMagnet** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:38 am

FatCobra wrote:It would suck if they did stop selling older stuff, I'd better load up before the merge is complete.

The EB's and Gamestops around here really don't sell much older stuff anymore, and haven't for some time; they don't buy games for past systems anymore, at any rate, and don't accept returns for any "classic" stuff you buy from them. Not to mention that they're giving a decent percentage off of it...they're basically trying to clear out all their old stuff, as far as I can see.

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 2:56 am

Anyone else miss FuncoLand? :/

BrianC · Post by **BrianC** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 3:05 am

I ended up getting games online from ebgames.com becuase most of them don't have a good selection of older games. The local EB has some SNES and Genesis games, but they just stopped selling N64 games. It looks like I might have to go yardsales and ebay for more games. Maybe I should try and get some more older games from EB, but I want to go for either Wario Ware Twisted or Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones next month.

mannerbot · Post by **mannerbot** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 3:30 am

Skyline wrote:Anyone else miss FuncoLand? :/

I really liked getting to test games out before I bought them. Plus the cheesy commercials.

icepick · Post by **icepick** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 3:52 am

mannerbot wrote:
Skyline wrote:Anyone else miss FuncoLand? :/
I really liked getting to test games out before I bought them. Plus the cheesy commercials.

"Just where do you think this is? FUN CO LAND?"

(I forget whether or not it was "where do you think you are" or something else...)

Game Crazy, in Hollywood Video stores, feels like what Funcoland used to be (or, "was"). Not only can you go there and test anything out (old/new games, old/new systems), but the general ambience is lighter, more fun, and less commercial. At least, this was in the one store that I visited recently. The employee that helped me was very courteous, polite and accomodating... All of the new games are displayed nicely on the shelves behind the counter, in original shrinkwrap, free to the same open air which you breathe. You can feel the gamingness flow throughout the space, and it feels good.

Most EB Games or GameStop places that I go to have people working whom don't know anything about games (except for the odd person that's really into Guilty Gear or Persona 2 or something like that), and they want you to be able to hold and look at a game that you might buy, but they don't want to be the one to have to show it to you so they leave empty, pre-opened cases with price stickers directly affixed, and then tell you after you've bought it from them that it's "new." That's not new. That's like when you get a brand new toy, and someone opens it for you, plays with it and breaks it (okay, sort of).

Okay, so that's only sometimes. Still.

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 6:44 am

Skyline wrote:Anyone else miss FuncoLand? :/

I used to work there. I think i still have the shirt somewhere....

dave4shmups · Post by **dave4shmups** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:50 pm

What surprised me most about this news is the fact that, of the two stores, the EB games near my house gets FAR more business then Gamestop, which looks like it's on it's last legs, business-wise.

Guess things must be different elsewhere in the country. Oh, and BTW, GameCrazy is owned by Hollywood Video. They have GREAT prices on used PS2 and PS1 games.

If you want the best video game selection, then you need to go to a store like Best Buy, Toy's 'R Us, or something similar. Stores like Gamestop, EB games, and GameCrazy are so small that they have to rotate their inventory quite frequently, compared to the larger stores I mentioned.

CMoon · Post by **CMoon** » Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:54 pm

dave4shmups wrote:What surprised me most about this news is the fact that, of the two stores, the EB games near my house gets FAR more business then Gamestop, which looks like it's on it's last legs, business-wise.

Guess things must be different elsewhere in the country. Oh, and BTW, GameCrazy is owned by Hollywood Video. They have GREAT prices on used PS2 and PS1 games.

If you want the best video game selection, then you need to go to a store like Best Buy, Toy's 'R Us, or something similar. Stores like Gamestop, EB games, and GameCrazy are so small that they have to rotate their inventory quite frequently, compared to the larger stores I mentioned.

You were right when you said 'must be different elsewhere in the country. EB and Gamestop always have the jump on the big chains around here. Some titles aren't even carried by BestBuy and others. And our Gamestops here are actually pretty good and numerous. The biggest problems I've seen with the EBgames around these parts is they tend to get themselves lodged into malls with no floorspace so they end up sucking by necessity.