GAME (retailer)
Encyclopedia
The Game Group plc (usually known by its high street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...

 trading name Game and stylised as GAME) is a British video games retail company. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...

 and is a constituent of the FTSE SmallCap Index
FTSE SmallCap Index
The FTSE SmallCap Index is an index of small market capitalization companies consisting of the 351st to the 619th largest listed companies on the London Stock Exchange main market...

.

Early history & Electronics Boutique takeover

The company was founded by Bev Ripley and Terry Norris as Rhino Group in 1991. In 1993 the company acquired Virgin Games increasing the total number of stores to 77.

In 1995, the gaming retailer Electronics Boutique acquired 25% of the Company, the name of which was changed to Electronics Boutique Limited under license from the US business. The name of the retail outlets were also renamed from "Future Zone" to "Electronics Boutique".

Acquisition of GAME

In 1999, Electronics Boutique Limited purchased a chain of retail outlets known as Game from which the current name of the Company was derived for £99 million. Game which at the time had 86 stores was originally established in 1990 by Peter Wickins and Neil Taylor.

Electronics Boutique Limited went on to purchase the BarrysWorld
BarrysWorld
Barrysworld was a British multiplayer gaming website which hosted servers for various video game titles. It collapsed late in 2001.-History:...

 online gaming service in 2001, the French retailer ScoreGames in 2001 and the Spanish retailer Centro Mail also in 2001.

In 2002, Electronics Boutique stores in the UK and Ireland were rebranded as Game, and the Company name was changed to The Game Group. Despite the name change, a 1% sales royalty to Electronics Boutique
Electronics Boutique
EB Games is an American computer and video games retailer. First established as an American company in 1977 by Emmanuel Baxter with a single electronics-focused location in the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia, the company has grown into an international corporation...

 in the United States continued to be paid until January 2006. Attempts to have this overturned in court in 2003 were unsuccessful.

In July 2004, the GAME group acquired Gameplay (GB) Limited, online and mail order retailer of video games, computer software and associated products. Gameplay (GB) Ltd now also trades as GAME.co.uk, the group's main online arm in the UK.

In September 2006, Game acquired Australian speciality video games retailer Gameswizards
Gameswizards
Gameswizards , previously known as The Games Wizards, was an Australian Retailer which specialised in selling computer software, hardware and video game Products. The company was established in Australia in January 1990...

 and have since rebranded all Gameswizards outlets as Game stores.

Acquisition of Gamestation

In May 2007, the company announced the acquisition of rival UK specialist video game chain Gamestation
Gamestation
Gamestation is a chain of UK retail shops selling used and new video games, and was the second-largest specialist video game retailer in the UK until it was bought out by Game in 2007...

 for £74 million. The company stated that they intended to retain the brand.

Current sales

As of March 2011, stores sell games for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

, Nintendo Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

, PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

, PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...

, Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...

, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

, PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

 and PSP
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...

 consoles. A few stores continue to sell games for the discontinued Gamecube console. Games are also sold under a 'preowned' label, where a customer has returned a used game for cash or credit. US retailer GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...

 has proven this business strategy beneficial, generating an estimated $3 billion revenue in fiscal year 2008-09.

Operations

The company had over 1,367 stores worldwide , the most recent store opening being in the Czech Republic.

In the UK, the group continues to trade on the high street as both GAME and Gamestation. The company plans to maintain and grow Gamestation as a separate brand, as its image is that of a store for "gamers".

Online operations within the UK are GAME.co.uk, directed at the general consumer, as well Gamestation.co.uk and Gameplay.co.uk for more "dedicated gamers". All 3 websites are managed by Gameplay (GB) ltd. and follow a similar pricing structure, however maintain a very different corporate identity.

Game currently has operations in ten European countries including the Republic of Ireland, Iceland, Portugal, Spain, Czech Republic, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and France. In recent years its operations have expanded in Australia. In Europe, Game is a market leader in Ireland, Spain, the Nordic Countries and the Czech Republic. While in France it is the fourth most successful gaming brand in its market.

On 21 April 2010, there was a management change at GAME Group. Lisa Morgan stepped down as CEO to pursue other opportunities. and
Chris Bell, former CEO of Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes
Ladbrokes plc is a British based gambling company. It is based in Rayners Lane in Harrow, London owned by Bhavin Kakaiya. From 14 May 1999 to 23 February 2006, when it owned the Hilton hotel brand outside the United States, it was known as Hilton Group plc...

, was made interim CEO.

On 17 June 2010, it was announced that a new CEO had been appointed by the name of Ian Shepherd, who joined on the company on 28 June.

On 9 March 2011, GAME shut down 19 of its branches in the UK and Ireland.

Loyalty card

Game operates a loyalty card scheme (the Game Reward Card) whereby members earn points
Loyalty program
Loyalty programs are structured marketing efforts that reward, and therefore encourage, loyal buying behavior — behavior which is potentially beneficial to the firm....

when they purchase items in stores or online.

Game awards 10 points for every £1 spent in store or online. Every 1000 points earned, allows the member a discount of £2.50 on any console, accessory or game. This can also be used to pay for downloads and gift cards.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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