PC & Video Games

*update phase 3 started* - gamestop to close 2400 US stores in Q4

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Dec 11, 2006
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Ajax
captainjay09 wrote: I hope Eb games sticks around, we have so few options in Canada as it is. I'm hoping it might be like the toys r us thing where Canadian operations are profitable enough that someone wants to take them over.
Well if they do go that route, then I would highly recommend a complete gutting of the way stores are set up now. I shouldn't feel like I am walking into a shoddy flea market booth. They also NEED to ultimately be competitive in their pricing an enough of the bullshit. Otherwise, they will not survive either.
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Dec 28, 2005
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Redmask wrote: Yeah I tend to agree, I don't want a hobby shop when I'm in there. Make it all about the games, have silly tournaments and promotions, etc.
The problem is that they don't have the volume and infrastructure to get Amazon's margins and BestBuy's other merchandise is vastly more profitable than EB's other merchandise. They need a differentiator, but is hosting tournaments enough get you in the door and plunk down your cash vs. Amazon who will ship it right to you or Best Buy who will give you 10 - 20% off and no hassle returns?
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May 12, 2007
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Not sure how wide spread it is, but EB games has begun closing some locations down in Canada. In the greater Vancouver area, 2 locations (Brentwood and Oakridge) closed recently.

Sounds like pre-orders are being moved to nearby locations in these cases. If you have pre-orders with EB games, you may want to check in with your store to see if you will be affected.
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Jun 7, 2009
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Is there a genuine possibility EB will close down before the end of the year? I have nearly $1k in gift cards (from presents/trade-ins) meant to use on the new consoles.

Worst case scenario I guess I'd just buy a bunch of the cash mastercards...
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imcrazy wrote: Not sure how wide spread it is, but EB games has begun closing some locations down in Canada. In the greater Vancouver area, 2 locations (Brentwood and Oakridge) closed recently.

Sounds like pre-orders are being moved to nearby locations in these cases. If you have pre-orders with EB games, you may want to check in with your store to see if you will be affected.
Can anyone who works in the company give us any insight as to what is happening with CDN operations?
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Oct 27, 2018
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Woodside Mall EB Games closed down.

As expected. Likely only keeping stores at the big malls in the GTA
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Feb 16, 2018
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It's just a matter of time before they are gone completely. More than 1/2 of the stores these days are filled with random collectable crap. They have tried to change and adapt with different merchandise as their main source of revenue has slowly been dwindling away over the years but I don't see them hanging on. Just a slow bleed until they are gone forever.

So much is bought digitally these days, not to mention modded consoles are common place and the used market seems to be trending more and more to online private sales with more and more people turning to places like FB marketplace and the likes,

I like EB games, but I don't see them hanging on.
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HghSsociety wrote: It's just a matter of time before they are gone completely. More than 1/2 of the stores these days are filled with random collectable crap. They have tried to change and adapt with different merchandise as their main source of revenue has slowly been dwindling away over the years but I don't see them hanging on. Just a slow bleed until they are gone forever.

So much is bought digitally these days, not to mention modded consoles are common place and the used market seems to be trending more and more to online private sales with more and more people turning to places like FB marketplace and the likes,

I like EB games, but I don't see them hanging on.
Yeah I just got some random email from them trying to entice me to purchase Platinum for $9.99. Says I can save on collectible cards etc. Thing is I can buy those said cards cheaper any day of the week elsewhere for free.
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Apr 30, 2003
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mrtvgame wrote: Can anyone who works in the company give us any insight as to what is happening with CDN operations?
They don’t tell anyone anything. Employees for any retailers are the last to know.
They can come in and get locked out or are told they are being closed in a week or two.

Happened to my local eb games. I went to one and realized it was closed down. I just visited it 3 weeks prior. There was a note on door Stating everyones order was transferred to another ebg
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PCDawg wrote: They don’t tell anyone anything. Employees for any retailers are the last to know.
They can come in and get locked out or are told they are being closed in a week or two.

Happened to my local eb games. I went to one and realized it was closed down. I just visited it 3 weeks prior. There was a note on door Stating everyones order was transferred to another ebg
Depends as we have seen company leaks in the US, so there is some information available. Depends who is willing to share.
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Feb 21, 2013
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HghSsociety wrote: It's just a matter of time before they are gone completely. More than 1/2 of the stores these days are filled with random collectable crap. They have tried to change and adapt with different merchandise as their main source of revenue has slowly been dwindling away over the years but I don't see them hanging on. Just a slow bleed until they are gone forever.

So much is bought digitally these days, not to mention modded consoles are common place and the used market seems to be trending more and more to online private sales with more and more people turning to places like FB marketplace and the likes,

I like EB games, but I don't see them hanging on.
They really missed an opportunity to capitalize on board games when those started getting really popular again a couple years ago, and went the wrong way with their business plan by leaning further into video game crap and paraphernalia instead.

I like EB games too, but their stores are looking a lot like what HMV did before they all closed down.
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Dec 12, 2006
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At this point I just hope they are around long enough that I can take advantage of some trade in program for these next gen consoles.
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HghSsociety wrote: and more people turning to places like FB marketplace and the likes,
Myself and others I know don't even bother spending the $80 brand new on a new game. Wait a week and save tax online through Kijiji or FB, or even a few more bucks if used within a week. If you are into sport games, wait until Black Friday (which EB game prices are known to be higher then Walmart or BB)
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EB Games just refused to compete with competitors on new releases. Once upon a time not only did they have a price match policy, they would beat the competitor. They have not matched for years :facepalm: My son likes to go in there to look at Pokemon stuff so we were in my closest location last Friday and a mother was in there looking at a switch game. She let the staff know it was $10 cheaper at The Source. The employee looked at her and said yeah we don't have a price match policy. The mom looked at her and said, oh that's too bad the company is stuck in 1985, grabbed her child by the hand and left the store enroute to The Source across the street. lol But hey sir you want an extended warranty on that t-shirt?Winking Face
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Kkhan15 wrote: Myself and others I know don't even bother spending the $80 brand new on a new game. Wait a week and save tax online through Kijiji or FB, or even a few more bucks if used within a week. If you are into sport games, wait until Black Friday (which EB game prices are known to be higher then Walmart or BB)
If you can get yourself into a 4-5+ month backlog situation, then you can game fairly cheaply. Unless it some big time online title, it can be easy to game this way.
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Feb 16, 2018
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mrtvgame wrote: If you can get yourself into a 4-5+ month backlog situation, then you can game fairly cheaply. Unless it some big time online title, it can be easy to game this way.
This. I used to buy all the titles when they were first released. With a wife and 4 kids I don't have the time I used to have to play games anymore. I still bought them regardless and I would have tons of games sitting there waiting to be played, it would be common for me to buy games at release and still have them unopened 2-3 months later. Now I just make a list of the games I want as they come out and wait 6 months or a year or so to buy them. It's about 1/4 of the price I used to pay and I never have a shortage of games to play.

It's been about 4 years since I bought a game on it's release date but I plan to break that rule with The Last of US 2
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Feb 21, 2013
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mrtvgame wrote: If you can get yourself into a 4-5+ month backlog situation, then you can game fairly cheaply. Unless it some big time online title, it can be easy to game this way.
It used to be easier to get value back from new games if you planned ahead and pre-order most things with E3 deals, then trade them in within a month as most wanted titles to EB... usually end up getting almost full value. But those E3 deals have dried up more recently.

Thank goodness for Game Pass though
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HghSsociety wrote: This. I used to buy all the titles when they were first released. With a wife and 4 kids I don't have the time I used to have to play games anymore. I still bought them regardless and I would have tons of games sitting there waiting to be played, it would be common for me to buy games at release and still have them unopened 2-3 months later. Now I just make a list of the games I want as they come out and wait 6 months or a year or so to buy them. It's about 1/4 of the price I used to pay and I never have a shortage of games to play.

It's been about 4 years since I bought a game on it's release date but I plan to break that rule with The Last of US 2
The library here has games; I'll borrow it before buying now (unless I must play it). TLOU2 likely to also break that rule :)

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