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"Have it YOUR Way!!"

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Wed 21/11/07 at 15:24
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
Hello everyone, im just having a quick little think and i was wondering. We all know of GAME, Gamestation places like that. But then do any of you think they could be improved? Now i know people will say price but thats a given, but i mean how would you have your Game shop??

I was thinking of allowing rentals on pre-owned games, having maybe a place where people can sit and play games - at a cost obviousley, but would things like this attract you into a Game shop, instead of going to the big ones, obviousley you need to have reward cards and things like that, but what other things would you like to have avaliable to you??

Or if you agree with me and like my ideas, let me know. I'd love to start my own business and i'd love to have a game shop, and i just get curous as to what other people think, if they are on the same wave lenght or if i am completely off the mark lol

Look forward to your posts!
Wed 21/11/07 at 15:24
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
Hello everyone, im just having a quick little think and i was wondering. We all know of GAME, Gamestation places like that. But then do any of you think they could be improved? Now i know people will say price but thats a given, but i mean how would you have your Game shop??

I was thinking of allowing rentals on pre-owned games, having maybe a place where people can sit and play games - at a cost obviousley, but would things like this attract you into a Game shop, instead of going to the big ones, obviousley you need to have reward cards and things like that, but what other things would you like to have avaliable to you??

Or if you agree with me and like my ideas, let me know. I'd love to start my own business and i'd love to have a game shop, and i just get curous as to what other people think, if they are on the same wave lenght or if i am completely off the mark lol

Look forward to your posts!
Wed 21/11/07 at 15:38
Moderator
"possibly impossible"
Posts: 24,985
Blockbuster do game rentals, GAME have demo pods where you can play games...


At the moment the one thing all of them can do better is second hand pricing. The prices for second hand games are stupidly high in most cases and yet the trade in value, particularly in GAME, is terrible.

Also, they could ensure that the staff were not biased too much to one particular console, or that there was at least a decent mix.

I guess I'm lucky that the local GAME here has a good mix of staff who love all three consoles (well, some love one more than others and vice versa) so at least people who know nothing about games get good advice. In some stores they're just so biased.
Wed 21/11/07 at 15:48
Regular
"eat toast!"
Posts: 1,466
better yet, just make everything cheaper. I spend more time going onto amazon or ebay to get games. Hell i even go to cash concepts/converters and getting my games there. Plenty of treasure there.
Wed 21/11/07 at 15:52
Regular
"8==="
Posts: 33,481
Blockbuster do excellent deals if you've bought a short game and also have a very decent range of rentals.

Essentially they won't be beaten on trade-in value and with a pre-bought book of 10 game/movie rental vouchers for 25 quid you effectively rent games for £2.50 each. You're not likely to find brand new games rentable at any cheaper than that*!

And always go for store credit over cash as you get twice as much.

Over here (Jersey) they do 2100 live points for under 15 quid too and they will let you trade in one chart game for another for just the cost of £9.99, which is pretty good too.

Suffice to say I'm very happy with the two Blockbuster stores we have here and they're consistently better than Woolies, the local indie shop and HMV by having a better range at cheaper prices and a proper trade-in setup. We don't have a Game or Gamestation here but since blockbuster used to own Gamestation and have copied the model they're pretty much the same and the lack of a Game store doesn't seem to be a problem since they always seem to over-price everything.


*also once a rental game's been rented once it is effectively a secondhand game, so they already do rent out secondhand games.
Wed 21/11/07 at 15:53
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
Pb - i live in Ipswich and we dont have a GAME with playing stations, your lucky, we have a Blockbuster but it's kind of out of town. So it could be an idea to bring in a GAME shop in town centre with both these things in, you would agree.

How about if you had an independant Game shop, with rentals, lower second hand games, playing stations, perhaps host tournaments on a monthly basis(just a thought) and be open to all consoles.
Also i think they should have a list of games they will order from abroad for you - so with a ps3, they can order in a game from USA for you.

I am thinking of opening a business as mentioned and just wonder if these things would affect where you shop, do you shop at GAME, because it is a big store etc, or because you do not have a better choice?
Wed 21/11/07 at 15:55
Regular
"8==="
Posts: 33,481
Oh if there's a CEX store near you they can be good too.
Wed 21/11/07 at 16:01
Regular
"Brooklyn boy"
Posts: 14,935
One of the gaming stores in China had a nice little backroom for playing on the consoles, you'd get an hour for like about 15 yuan or so. Quite good for testing out games you might buy and you get longer to play on them and get more of a feel than on a demo station where people are staring at you.
Wed 21/11/07 at 16:04
Regular
"THFC"
Posts: 4,488
Basically i would like to open a business in Ipswich - if you know nothing of it, then we have a lot of places liek GAME, HMV, Gamestation, Blockbusters(out of town)

but it hink a independant place with features like that could do very well, because you are working for yourself you try harder, but i just wana know if the lil things mentioned would make you go there over other places?

I really like the whole pay like a few quid for 30 mins on a console and game

then like having competitions for people who buy at your shop, and reward cards of course
Wed 21/11/07 at 16:26
Moderator
"possibly impossible"
Posts: 24,985
One of the issues is that the chains are forcing the independents out of business. My local independent shop had to close its store in my town due to GAME opening a year earlier. They still have a shop in Exeter though.

The other issue is that there is a question of legality with import games, you can sell them if you keep to all the laws and regulations but it's so much hassle a lot of stores don't bother.

GAME might be expensive, but they are good at deals and their points system isn't bad, but Blockbuster are about the best on the high street.
Wed 21/11/07 at 16:32
Regular
"8==="
Posts: 33,481
Imports are trouble.

If you do decide to do them then ask for the money up front before you even order them.

To reduce overheads you might want to start off with an online site and rent out places for your promotions. Then if that goes well then start looking for a proper shop space.

Around christmas you can always open up a shop on a short lease and make money off the christmas trade then sell any left over stock off your site.

Start off small and cautiously, get your suppliers sorted and don't bite off more than you can chew.

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