Update [Mon 24th Jun, 2024 12:45 BST]:
GAME has provided a comment to Eurogamer to state that the report from Gfinity eSports is not true, stating that it will continue to support the physical gaming market.
“This reporting is categorically not true. GAME continues to support the physical gaming market, offering a wide-range of physical games, hardware, software, accessories and digital gift cards, in stores and online.”
Original Article [Mon 24th Jun, 2024 11:30 BST]:
A new report from Gfinity eSports has suggested that retailer GAME will soon be ending in-store sales of physical games and hardware.
According to sources close to GAME, the firm will instead operate a ‘pre-order only’ policy regarding its in-store stock. This means that if you want to head into your local GAME store to pick up the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom or Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, you’ll need to ensure you’ve either pre-ordered a copy first or purchased online for delivery to the store.
This move follows the removal of trade-ins and pre-owned stock from retail stores, along with confirmation that the GAME Reward scheme will soon be ending. Customers will have until the end of July to spend their remaining reward points via the mobile app, as it also seems as though physical cards no longer work at the time of writing. The removal of physical games and hardware also comes at a rather crucial time for Nintendo, with the company confirming that the successor to the Switch will be revealed in full during the current fiscal year.
It’s no secret that the retail stores – many of which are now located within Sports Direct locations – are moving further and further away from physical games media. If you were to walk into a store today, you’d be greeted with shelves of Funko Pop figures, Squishmallows, and even preschool toys based on the TV show Bluey.
A report from earlier this year also confirmed that the majority of GAME’s staff, excluding store managers, would also be moved to zero-hour contracts, effectively meaning that consistent, stable work hours are not a guarantee. To coincide with this, redundancies at the retailer were also reported.
We’ve reached out to GAME for comment on the latest report and will update this article with its response.
Laura Adams is a tech enthusiast residing in the UK. Her articles cover the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets, providing readers with a glimpse into the future of technology.
