Ben-DutkaAlthough digital distribution gets bigger with every passing day, the brick-and-mortar GameStop stores continue to thrive.
The world's leading video game retailer has revealed record revenues for both the fourth quarter and full-year earnings. For the last three months of the fiscal year, GameStop posted sales of $3.69 billion, which is up 4.8% in a year-over-year comparison. Profits were up, too, as the net earnings for the holiday period hit $237.8 million, marking a 10% 4Q year-over-year increase. For the full year, the retailer recorded its biggest campaign to date: total sales reached $9.47 billion, a 4.3% increase over the $9.08 billion posted in 2009. And speaking of digital content, GameStop was able to get a piece of that market, selling $290 million worth of DLC. That's up 61% from 2009 and lastly, in terms of annual net earnings, the company registered their highest-ever total: $408 million. Expectations for fiscal 2011 are even higher and they expect to open 200 new stores in the US as well. How is the industry faring? Well, not too bad from this standpoint.
It'll be interesting to see how GameStop moves forward with the digital content boom. They seem to be adapting just fine so far.
They have no competition, its as simple as that.
There are quite a few local retails that I know of like PlayNTrade, ebgames, Rhino Video Games just to name a few, that cater to games only like gamStop but like you said there are no real competition out there for them.
Last edited by GuyverLT on 3/24/2011 12:45:55 PM
Is EBGames not owned by Gamestop? Or is that only in Canada?
I'm pretty sure Gamestop bought out all remaining EBgames.
Yea I haven't seen an EBGames in ages. Everywhere there used to be a EbGames is now a Gamestop.
They are still called EBGames in Canada, but there's a subheading under all of them reading, "Gamestop".
I really don't understand this. Are people really that cheap that they will go to GameStop, forfeit supporting the developers who produce the games they buy just so they can save $5?
With those kinda of numbers the answer to your question is yes.
Last edited by GuyverLT on 3/24/2011 12:44:55 PM
I wouldn't call it being cheap at all. It's business and people will go where they can save. It's just like buying gas for your car. Shell might have it at $3.39/ga but the QuikTrip right across the street will have it at $3.36/ga.
Some don't mind paying the extra caseh where some people would rather save that $5 or more. When it comes down to it..Not many people are saying to themselves "let me make sure the developer gets paid for this game." They're more worried about "What can I do to keep some extra cash in my pocket?"
""What can I do to keep some extra cash in my pocket?"
I call that being a cheap skate. To use your gas analogy, I could put 85 octane gas in my car knowing it's not good for my engine because I'm more worried about saving a few cents on the gallon. That's being cheap. But I choose to pay a little extra to get the good gas to make sure my car is performing at its best.
you can buy new games there, too. they are the only place in my area that has a wide selection of games.
Their "new" games are usually unwrapped. I would only trust that the game I am being sold is actually new If I went in there on release day.
I'm sorry but that's not being a cheap skate. Your view on this topic is flawed if that's what you think.
Your car analogy you shot back is bad as well. It's about the price. There are millions of people everyday that will go to a different gas station because 2 cents less per gallon.
It's the same with video games or anything for that matter. The point is..if YOU have the money and don't mind spending it then that is YOUR choice. But if somebody wants to save $5 for the same game at Gamestop, that is not being cheap. That is called getting the same game you paid $63, and they just got it for a few bucks cheaper. And you still get the same experience.
Like I said, when the majority of people buy games they're not thinking about making sure the Devs get paid. They're thinking about getting a game they want at a price they're willing to pay.
It's no different then those who wait a whole year for a game to go to the bargain bin and then getting it.
Last edited by slugga_status on 3/24/2011 2:02:20 PM
@ Jawknee I've never bought a new game from Gamestop without the plastic wrapping..
My analogy is spot on but your free to disagree. People who look for ways to hoard their $5 by shopping at Game-stop instead of supporting the developers is by definition being cheap.
Same with the Gas. I could choose to go to a Loaf n' Jugg and buy their cheaper, and crappier gas to save a few cents on the gallon or I can spend the few extra cents at Conoco or Chevron and treat my car with better gas.
Want another analogy? I can go to Walmart and buy my wife some crappy flowers that will die in a matter of days because they are "cheap" or I could spend a little extra at Proflowers and get her flowers that are fresher and last longer.
All gas is literally the game. Slugga is talking about buying the same 87, 89 or 91 lead gas for cheaper price when available. Jawknee, your talking about using and paying for the proper gas so your can work at optimal performance. Slugga is right, I don't ever think about developer when I buy a game as I don't know them. And I do tend to go to the gas station with cheaper gas, not the cheaper gas that's sucks as all gas is the same though Chevron gas seems to last longer. Anyway, I agree w/ slugga…anyway to save money is smart purchasing and basic business. That extra five bucks can be used for gas…go figure…lol I see what your saying Jawknee, but that wasn't his point which makes sense, but not to counter his.
Agree with you Jawk, people need to just pay the extra 5 to get the developers some money. Buying used only benefits Gamestop. If you're looking to save a few bucks there are always other alternatives such as Amazon, which usually has new releases for cheaper than retail.
Im pretty sure Gamestop keeps the discs separate from the cases. So the new games are usually already opened.
I know I'm free to disagree. But again..that's not being cheap and you don't seem to understand that. It's' not hoarding $5 and it's not just about $5. You can get same game for even $10-15 less. And no, by definition that's not being cheap. It's called spending your money wisely. B/c I know the next person financial situation might not be like my own where they can afford to just go pay full price.
BTW your flower analogy is flawed as well. Doesn't matter where you get the flowers they'll still die if you don't take care of them. The difference is the quality of the flower at Proflowers or Wal-Mart. You go to Wal-Mart they're a lot that are withering but you can find quality ones. Proflowers you won't find as much withering flowers. In the end it depends on how our wives take care of them…in which most times they dont…
Bottom line there is no difference in the quality of the game whether you paid full $59.99+ tax of $54.99+ tax. Again, average gamers don't think about the devs, they want the game at the price they can afford and there's nothing wrong with that.
sorry to jump in on this but I agree with slugga although I don't think Jawknee's gas analogy was poor.
I think most people if they saw lets say assassins creed brotherhood for $50 at one place and it was $40 in another place. They would outright go for the $40 because they are saving money on the EXACT same experience.
Your gas analogy isn't wrong, it would be considered cheap to put a lower quality gas into your car just to save money. But if it were the same gas and one place were selling as a lower rate you wouldn't be cheap to buy at the other place.
Sorry, rambling on, to sum up you aren't cheap if you're conscious about your money. You're cheap (when it comes to certain things) if you choose a lower quality of something to save money
@Cloudou No offense but that makes no sense. Buying used games benefits the the person who purchases the game and also the retailer. What you're forgetting is that the devs already got paid for the used copy of the game b/c somebody apparently bought it and didn't want it. This has been happening since EB Games used to be and I had Sega Genesis and SNES.
And as was mentioned below on this article. You can essentially buy 3 games from Amazon and get a 4th free. So who is worried about paying the devs for that free game?
BTW..no Gamestop keeps the games in the plastic behind the counter. Used games are the only ones that aren't in the case with the wrapping.
Last edited by slugga_status on 3/24/2011 3:44:09 PM
All gas is not the same FM23. Some gas is watered down with ethanol which is proven to damage engines, others have additives that help the gas burn cleaner or perform better. You obviously do not know much about cars or gas if you think they are "all the same".
"Buying used games benefits the the person who purchases the game"
When it should be benefiting you AND the developers who actually make the games. Gamestop has done nothing but insert themselves as a middleman and they profit from it 100% while the developers get screwed out of money they worked for. But that's essence of the narcissism that plagues this "gimme my entitlements" generation.
"Your gas analogy isn't wrong, it would be considered cheap to put a lower quality gas into your car just to save money. But if it were the same gas and one place were selling as a lower rate you wouldn't be cheap to buy at the other place."
I see your point though I still consider it cheap if you're willing to screw the developers over to save a few bucks for yourself.
"BTW..no Gamestop keeps the games in the plastic behind the counter. Used games are the only ones that aren't in the case with the wrapping."
And this isn't entirely correct. They do have new games still wrapped but one of the reasons I stopped buying "new" games from them is because on more than a few occasions they have handed me an open game or pulled a disc out of the drawer and insisted it was new. I'm not alone on that either. Google around, you'll find other stories from people who experienced this very same thing.
"And as was mentioned below on this article. You can essentially buy 3 games from Amazon and get a 4th free. So who is worried about paying the devs for that free game? "
This is a silly assumption. The developer still gets paid when Amazon get the games from manufacturer. Amazon eats the money on that free game. Not the developer.
Last edited by Jawknee on 3/24/2011 4:36:34 PM
@Jawknee
You still fail to realize that the developer has already been paid for the game. So what you're essentially saying is that gamers shouldn't be allowed to buy used games b/c the developer isn't seeing that extra sale. Why should the consumer be forced to purchase something new? Why is it a problem to buy used? People have been buying used items for decades…so in your mind nobody should purchase anything used because the people who originally made/created it isn't getting paid?…makes no sense.
Last edited by slugga_status on 3/24/2011 4:25:58 PM
@Slugga
The developer owns the software on the physical disk. They made money on the licensing on the first experience. Every other experience after that they are robbed. It's why dev's like EA make you pay for a special key to access additional features if you don't buy it used.
When used game sales are in the billions per year, that's billions going to used game retailers and billions lost to the industry. I'm with Jawk on this. I don't care if you buy used or not, but you're fooling yourself if you think it hurts nothing.
It's as lucrative a business as data storing. Yes, people find a more cost effective way to enjoy the same experience, but Gamestop can make $30-50$ profit on the same game an unlimited amount of times. Certainly the money brought into gamestop alone, let alone all used game companies, is larger than the entire industry gains.
End of the story: It works for gamers. It works for retailers. It inevitably limits and hurts the industry. How much is impossible to tell, unfortunately. But it does make a difference, and the paperwork is out there to prove it.
The old "being responsible with your money" bit annoys me, to a certain extent. For example, it may be cost effective to buy a non-environmentally friendly product over one that is. They provide the exact same service, perhaps, (take toilet papers, for example, lol) but it is more responsible to spend a little more on the environmentally friendly product. It may only be a small difference, but it is more responsible. The same applies in Jawk's example with gaming. I'm spending the extra $5 to feel good about my purchase knowing that I'm actually supporting an industry I invest much of my time into.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 3/24/2011 5:02:00 PM
@ Jawknee
Well that sucks man. And I can understand why you wouldn't go back to that particular Gamestop you went to.
Ok, so Amazon essentially pays for the game. So then you get the game for free. Now..think about that..It's OK for you to receive a game that another company paid for. But it's not OK to buy a used game at a better price?
I respect your opinion and this topic can go on for days. Fact is there's nothing wrong or cheap about buying used games or anything for that matter. Not everybody is as fortunate as some of us to buy new all the time. I think you'd be hard pressed to find somebody who has never purchased any game or anything used.
@ Underdog
I think I'm being misunderstood here. I completely understand what Jawknee is saying 100%. Yet what I'm saying is the devs are still selling MILLIONS of copies of a game. Let's be honest not many buy crappy used games. The devs should not be a reason why consumers should buy new.
I loved the idea behind EA. If you want to buy used fine..but you'll pay for our online access. I have no qualms with that. B/c it's only $5 and guess what? That same $5 you saved can be used to pay for the access. EA Sports makes millions off of their sales and they're still throwing out Madden.
Bottomline the Devs are still getting paid. Period. Gamers are still buying games. And to me everybody is happy.
You can get much better discounts for older games. I recently picked up wipeout pulse for 5.99! They were selling the new game for 24.99! I typically buy games from the playstation store so I can save on on my 16gb memory stick, but sony is selling it for 22..99.I try to support developers but deals like that are hard to resist.
"You still fail to realize that the developer has already been paid for the game"
This is a farce. Every time a potential new customer to the developer buys a used game from Gamestop, that new customer/sale is stolen from the developer by a middleman(Gamestop) who keeps 100% of the profit. Anyway you cut it, the developers loses potential business to a 3rd party on the license the developer owns.
"Well that sucks man. And I can understand why you wouldn't go back to that particular Gamestop you went to."
This wasn't just one Gamestop. This has been going on for years across the country. This happened to me several times at several different Gamestops across California(I lived in several different cities throughout my time there) and then some more in the state I moved to from California. It is by no means an isolated incident. Again, just do some research on the net. Many others have experienced this very same thing.
"Ok, so Amazon essentially pays for the game. So then you get the game for free. Now..think about that..It's OK for you to receive a game that another company paid for. But it's not OK to buy a used game at a better price? "
Surely you know the difference. This is a promotion Amazon offered to get me to buy more games from them. If they are still paying the developer for that 4th free game no one is out the money because Amazon made up the difference in their bottom line by getting me to guy the first 3 at full price. We do promotions like this all the time with my business. We lose a bit a of money the free item we give away but in the end it makes it worth it with the increased amount of sales. Completely different than trying to save $5 by giving Gamestop 100% of the profit for a product they didn't produce.
"Yet what I'm saying is the devs are still selling MILLIONS of copies of a game."
So what? Because they are still making some money means that they aren't entitled to the rest of their money? This is the entitlement mentality I'm talking about. With this logic it shouldn't be against the law for some one to steal one game per month from the store because the store is still making a profit on the other games they did sell the rest of the month.
I own a business and we do pretty well. Given that we do pretty well, does it make it okay for someone to steal from me even though it might not have a drastic affect on my bottom line? I don't think so.
I don't mean to be disrespectful, and I do respect your opinions as well however you don't have your facts in order. I used to defend used game sales until I started to understand how licensing for software works and how the developers get paid for the products they create. I was also against EA's online pass for awhile. Again this changed once I started to understand software licensing.
Mean no disrespect. Fun debate. 🙂
"Let's be honest not many buy crappy used games."
In the 2009 fiscal year, Gamestop alone reported over $2.3 billion in USED game sales specifically. I didn't find the specific numbers for 2010's yet, but it has been reported used sales at Gamestop increased by 1.7%.
Nevermind all the transactions via amazon, ebay, best buy, blockbuster, and every single used game retailer out there.
My point is, no. Not everyone is happy. It's why devs are beginning to charge fees for online access if you don't own an original copy.
You can buy whatever you want, for all I care, but don't act like used sales don't have an incredibly huge impact on the industry.
"Let's be honest not many buy crappy used games."
This article kinda says otherwise.
Damn, this is a long ass thread. yeah, developers are getting robbed. If I'm gamestop, I'd do everything in my power to make money, but if I'm a developer…I feel robbed by every sell. But it really comes down to this? People usually play a game and don't care to collect them so they sell them to make money to buy something they want or a new game. Gamestop pretty much prevents the stress of having to find a customer to buy your used game as they just pay you upfront for it even though it's not a fair exchange for you, you still get money and don't have to waste time if you feel selling your game by yourself is a waste of time.
When I sale my Pontiac, I'm not worried about General Motors making profit. They have already made their profit from that product that I now own. It's easy to say developers are getting robbed, but once they sell their products to the consumer…they own it and can do whatever they want. Don't blame Gamestop, blame the people who don't care to keep games they purhase…lol Used car dealerships don't pay BMW or Saab (lol) when they make a sale and no one complains because the dealer owns these vehicle…they bought it and can do what they want with it. It's screwy, but it's fair game in the long run because business all together is a shady practice. But gamestop sells used games overpriced…that's for real.
Like I said..sorry YOUR Gamestop experiences have happened like that. Ever since I began going to Gamestop I've never had a experience like that.
Also, just because you disagree doesn't mean my facts aren't in order. Just saying..The article doesn't say people buy crappy games either.
The impact of used game sales has a impact but not b/c just Gamestop. It's because every other store now wants to buy and sale used games.
Just going to have to agree to disagree on this one..Was a fun conversation though..
@Jawknee
You are such a hater! I'm sorry that YOUR GameStop sucks and you always have bad experiences. But you can't judge an entire Corporation on your singular views.
GameStop is growing and excelling. Putting games in the hands of the less fortunate so they can enjoy the digital entertainment industry. As for the Dev's losing money, well they already got paid for any used game purchase. Every used game starts as a new one!
@Jawknee
And on another note:
You've made it clear that you support Amazon.com.
Well, they support the sale of USED product just like GameStop! Only difference? Hmmm, can't think of any!
I shop Amazon alot, especially come holiday season. Bought some PS2 games a while back, they were listed as new, were directly from Amazon (not one of the webstores that list there) and when I received them, they were not sealed in plastic. The discs were in perfect condition and worked without a hitch.
Was I angered? NO
Did I fear I was "ripped off" and lied to? NO
Do I care what you think? NO
"Putting games in the hands of the less fortunate"
LOL! I wouldn't exactly call them a charity.
Dude… it's a LUXURY. not a privilege.
Completely unrelated to this article but I fear no one is going to see my post in the Quantic Dream thread, I was wondering if anyone could help me with the following:
Speaking of Heavy Rain, I just picked it up and its amazing! However has anyone experienced problems with the load screens? I'm talking about when you get a close up of the character you're about to play as. Sometimes it just doesn't load the next chapter and I'm stuck looking at fat-boy's face for minutes. It didn't happen at first, but started to after I saved the game and went back into it via the "continue option". now its doing it more frequently and I'm forced to turn off my PS3 then attempt to jump back in the game by trying again.
Anyway, is this something that has happened to anyone else? Or did I just get a faulty disc? Help? Thanks!
Hmm..I never had that happen to me but it might help if you delete the Utility Data and reinstall the game as well as all the updates. Sometimes that data can get or be corrupted for what ever reason.
Dammit. Doing that would delete my saves then correct?
Totally off topic man..
But I never had that issue with Heavy Rain. I'd make sure you disc isn't dirty but I'm pretty sure you've done that hopefully :). Doubt it would be anything else…
And yes that would cause you to delete your saves. You data shouldn't corrupt on you unless you shut off your ps3 at a inopportune time.
Last edited by slugga_status on 3/24/2011 1:13:44 PM
No. The Utility Data folder is reserved for installs, patches and DLC only. Your save file will be safe in the Game Save folder. There are two separate folders. One for saves and one for install data. The Utility Data folder is the top folder I believe under the Games section.
@Slugga_Staus, No it would not Slugga_Status. That's completely incorrect. There are two different folders in the game section. One is reserved for Game Save data and the other for Install Data.
Trust me Jimmy, slugga is mistaken.
Last edited by Jawknee on 3/24/2011 1:16:46 PM
@ slugga yes I have cleaned the disc, doesn't appear to be that.
@jawknee Ok I'll take your word for it and try that tonight. So it would just delete the update for the game then, correct? I ended up purchasing one of the older copies of the game, without the move logo and not the greatest hits version so I had to download the move update. I'm sure that is what got corrupted if this is the case.
Yea. Just make sure you are deleting the data in the folder labeled Game Data Utility(to be exact). Not the folder labeled Saved Data Utility(PS3). That is the folder that houses your game saves. You'll see what I mean when you start looking for it.
I too have the old copy and had to download the Move patch. I don't recall having any issues at the time but installing patches can get corrupted in the process. Especially if you're using wifi. It's rare but it does happen.
Just checked. It IS the very top folder under the games section. So if you go to games, scroll all the way to the top, you will see the Game Data Utility folder. Delete the Heavy Rain content within that folder and reinstall the game as well as the patches.
LOL! Sorry, don't mean to be redundant. Just don't want to leave any room for misunderstanding. Would hate to for you to accidentally delete you save file because I wasn't clear. 🙂
Haha no you weren't, *I* was being redundant because I wanted to make sure I wasn't deleting anything on accident! I really appreciate it though!
Granted I'm not very far into the game anyway, but I would hate to make that mistake haha.
Actually my bad..didn't see Utility Data..just saw "Data"…
I came across the same problem jimmy. It only happened twice though, and each time it was remedied by turning off the system and allowing it to sit for a few hours. I tried to fire it back up straight away the first time, but it refused to do so much as load the disc. If it happens, just leave it to sit a while before starting up again.
Peace.
Just to let you know, Jawknee it worked like a charm! I was able to delete the file and re-install it, and played for hours with no problem. I was beginning to get worried there for a bit! Again thanks for the advice.
@ Lawless, yea I was doing that. But it happened on back to back days so I know it wasn't going away. I might suggest doing what Jawknee recommended if you continue to see that problem
The only reason I continue to go there is due to the personal relationships I have built with the management.
In my book, that's what important.
Last edited by maxpontiac on 3/24/2011 1:10:45 PM
I still go to gamestop from time to time. I guess I'm old school and like buying my games out of an actual gaming store. I don't go as frequently as I used to given the DLC incentives at different retailers.
It works for me. Especially when getting a new game. And I always end up having games I don't play to trade in…
To be ON topic, it's not too surprising to see Gamestop doing well. This is a very small sample size, but whenever I'm in any malls I generally see tons of parents in there with their kids most likely thinking its the best and cheapest place go buy videogames.
I know there was an article awhile back about how annoying some gamestop employees can be. I don't necessarily blame the EMPLOYEES over corporate on that, but it certainly does deter me from going there. I mostly get most of my games off amazon. Older games are usually cheaper new on amazon than buying it used from gamestop. And their preorder incentives ($20 future credit) is generally unbeatable.
I get gift cards to gamestop every few months and that is the only time I go.
Gamestop is good for picking up super old games that you missed, otherwise Amazon is your best bet for new games because a lot of the time you get 20 bucks for preordering and then you can put that toward your next game so you really can't lose.