View Full Version : Gamestop + EB Merger (some details now up)
Scorch
10-07-2005, 12:31 AM
Okay, I realize that people will be "but there's already a thread on this where they announced this merger!", but that's not what I'm getting at.
I've had various sources tell me that the buyout/merger will be complete in the morning, October 7th (but actual changes won't happen until next year). I've heard this from various higher-up sources, so unless something drastic changes, expect a press release in the morning with more details. I've heard that they are "taking the best from both sides".. This was announced at the EB trade show a few weeks ago, so hopefully the dates haven't changed between then and now.
If this turns out to be all bunk and there's nothing announced by tomorrow night, then lock/delete this post, but as it stands, expect this post to be edited by either myself or a mod with the press release tomorrow. So mods, if you see the press release before I do, feel free to completely edit out this entire post (except the discount line) and replace it with a press release.
Oh, and per Gamestop's merger with EB, EB employees will now get discounts at certain stores in addition to EB/Gamestop, such as Barnes and Noble.
So basically, this thread is a "wait and see" type of thread, more or less a "heads up" so you guys can look for any statements issued.
Man, if this thing doesn't come to pass, i'm going to get flamed to hell.. alright. So. If you guys see/hear anything about it before I edit this post, feel free to post it. In the mean time, feel free to discuss your worries and fears in regards to the merger or whatnot, or just let this post drop until an announcement is made. Either one.
//edit for new details
576 employees to get pink slips by next summer; retail stores remain, former EB corp HQs and distribution site will close.
The $1.4 billion GameStop Corp. merger with Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp., which was completed over the weekend, was bound to see some layoffs. Today, GameStop announced the first casualties of the business move.
The sites that formerly housed the corporate headquarters and a distribution center of Electronics Boutique, located in the Greater Philadelphia area, will be no more by next summer, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal. With them go 576 full-time jobs and 159 temporary and seasonal jobs.
The retail outlets in the area will remain, but like the near-2,000 Electronics Boutiques stores acquired by GameStop, they will eventually be rechristened under the GameStop banner.
GameStop has said that some employees of the City of Brotherly Love EB operations may be transferred to GameStop's headquarters in suburban Dallas.
A second Electronics Boutique distribution site, located in Louisville, Kentucky, will remain open, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.
CappyCobra
10-07-2005, 12:57 AM
I heard after the merger is complete, GS's will migrate to EB'S POS system. EB POS=RoXXs. GameStop POS is still fucking DOS-based!
"but there's already a thread on this where they announced this merger!"
Bezerker
10-07-2005, 02:39 AM
the local GS's here are saying that all the EB's that dont have GS's within a certain mileage will turn into MovieStops.
GizmoGC
10-07-2005, 03:00 AM
Can't wait for details! Around my area the cloest GameStops are a good 35 minute drive each way. I have 5 EBs within 15 minutes. Id love a close GameStop, or even a MovieStop.
Scorch, I hope you're right...otherwise you might get...SCORCHED! :lol:
uzumaki_star
10-07-2005, 01:34 PM
the local GS's here are saying that all the EB's that dont have GS's within a certain mileage will turn into MovieStops.
I wouldn't mind that happening because at least GS has some decent prices on DVDs.
Scorch
10-07-2005, 01:36 PM
Looks like a press release was postponed.. all I found was this: http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/10/03/daily53.html
It says they expect the merger to close October 8th.. ehh.. I was a day off, they quoted the 7th.. damn them! Oh well.
uzumaki_star
10-07-2005, 01:48 PM
Looks like a press release was postponed.. all I found was this: http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/stories/2005/10/03/daily53.html
It says they expect the merger to close October 8th.. ehh.. I was a day off, they quoted the 7th.. damn them! Oh well.
You are right Scorch about the date because I never heard of a business deal closing on the weekend.
rvdrock
10-07-2005, 02:06 PM
I heard after the merger is complete, GS's will migrate to EB'S POS system. EB POS=RoXXs. GameStop POS is still fucking DOS-based!
Our POS rocks soooooooooooo hard...I am glad we don't have to learn a new system. As far as the merger, it was completed yesterday, but major changes will not be seen until about February next year. And whats this about discount floating over...when will that take place? ;)
RelentlessRolento
10-07-2005, 02:37 PM
... i just hope they still keep the competitive pricing and good trade in deals. I see BB moving into trade in deals for games more once this merger becomes more evident.
GizmoGC
10-08-2005, 03:31 AM
This is gonna suck for us. There will no longer be competion, which means less deals (Unless they decide to clear out lots of old stock). The only 'real' compeition EB/GameStop will have is Game Crazy and Game Rush (which is a joke).
CappyCobra
10-08-2005, 11:07 AM
I just want my preowned PC games Goddammit. GS better not fucking do away with that or they'll have me to answer to! :evil:
Scorch
10-11-2005, 11:46 PM
GameSpot posted some details, came out a few days later than planned.. layoffs ahoy!
//edit added the details in the op
I just want my preowned PC games Goddammit. GS better not fucking do away with that or they'll have me to answer to! :evil:
GS is not big on PC gaming at all and really don't like to deal w/ Used PC Games. I say doubtful that GS will do used PC games and that they will no support PC games very much at all. Prob will be region/demand based.
... i just hope they still keep the competitive pricing and good trade in deals. I see BB moving into trade in deals for games more once this merger becomes more evident.
I wonder how Best Buy used games selling is going to work out.
stocker08
10-12-2005, 12:02 AM
I heard after the merger is complete, GS's will migrate to EB'S POS system. EB POS=RoXXs. GameStop POS is still fucking DOS-based!
lol, this made me laugh. Dos based! hehe. Better than Windows 3.1 though. It looks so dull and suspecious..........
guardian_owl
10-12-2005, 01:25 AM
Welp, guess that makes my decision to cut back on games that much easier since I absolutely refuse to deal with gamestop. Guess I'll just have to shop my support to the local and regional chains that are in Lawrence.
s3v3n777
10-12-2005, 01:33 AM
So what will happen to all the EB and Gamestop's close to each other? For example, near my house there is a Gamestop...and across the street is an EB. Same goes for several shopping malls in my area. Most of them have a Gamestop AND and EB. I never really liked Gamestop, so looks like all my money is going elsewhere.
Kapwanil
10-12-2005, 01:58 AM
I wonder how Best Buy used games selling is going to work out.
Hopefully it doesn't end up like the way Sam Goody handled (and currently handles) their used sections. Unorganized, games with prices that both EB and GameStop can beat, with only the rare occurance where they have too many of a particular title and they have to dump it by slapping 75% off stickers on them (usually on absolute garbage). Shame, too, since the whole Suncoast/Sam Goody/Media Play used thing seemed to extend from HitMeNow.com, which was good from...well, 2002 to 2003 if you wanted anime and games.
I'm just afraid that used games will be far harder to get for decent prices outside of mom and pop stores and the like. At least it'll give me more reason to visit Pittsburgh again a few times a year. If it wasn't for EBGames.com's coupons I'd say that The Exchange was one of the best "Used Game" places I've ever been to.
Gameboy415
10-12-2005, 02:05 AM
I probably won't move back to the States for at least a few years now, but what about malls that have Gamestops and EBs within 30 feet of each other?
It'd be kinda crazy to have two Gamestops that close to each other....
PittsburghAfterDark
10-12-2005, 02:43 AM
They've been closing stores here this year that had GS's and EB's in the same mall. There was one area of Pittsburgh that had two GS's in two malls less than a mile apart here. The one mall had an EB in it and when GS's lease expired they shut it down.
Crying shame too because I was the 3rd employee hired by that GS back when it was a Babbage's (Store #52 for those of you that may know what that means.) and 90% of our floor space went to IBM (Yes it was still IBM compatibles, not Windows.), C64, Atari (Computers! Told you it was a long time ago!) and the Nintendo 8 bit business was about 10% of our floor space. Actually, we didn't even put them out on shelves. They were all on display behind the counter. The Nintendo business accounted for probably 40-50% of business too. Hmmmm, wonder why they dropped the PC centric business model.
We had to wear slacks, button down shirts, ties and decent shoes too. All for $3.35 an hour! WOOOOHOOO! When I see workers in there now with jeans, tennis shoes and an Xbox golf shirt I just think they have no idea how easy they have it. The best thing about being an employee back in the day was signing out any piece of software on the shelves, one at a time, and being able to take it home and play it/use it bring it back, shrink wrap it and sell it as new.
The employees they have now couldn't hold a candle to what was expected of us. That's just a grumpy old game salesperson talking though.
s3v3n777
10-12-2005, 08:53 AM
Man, this gamestop crap sucks. EB was so much better and it provided a pretty good basis for competition and thus lower prices. Now, they've cornered the market and we HAVE to play those shit prices Gamestop sells their games for. Also. Gamestop's used games are always a mess. This isn't looking good for the gaming business...unless Best Buy does th used games thing well.
camoor
10-12-2005, 09:26 AM
Man, this gamestop crap sucks. EB was so much better and it provided a pretty good basis for competition and thus lower prices. Now, they've cornered the market and we HAVE to play those shit prices Gamestop sells their games for. Also. Gamestop's used games are always a mess. This isn't looking good for the gaming business...unless Best Buy does th used games thing well.
Is Bestbuy actually moving into used games, it sounded more like a prediction then a fact.
cyberlian
10-12-2005, 09:33 AM
Maybe we should start a petition that they either save ebgames.com or change gamestop.com to mirror ebgames.com's business model.
uzumaki_star
10-12-2005, 09:34 AM
So what will happen to all the EB and Gamestop's close to each other? For example, near my house there is a Gamestop...and across the street is an EB. Same goes for several shopping malls in my area. Most of them have a Gamestop AND and EB. I never really liked Gamestop, so looks like all my money is going elsewhere.
There is a rumor going around that in some areas where there are a GS and EB within miles of each other that some of the EB's will be turned into MovieStop (another part of GameStop that only sells DVD's).
Zmonkay
10-12-2005, 09:42 AM
Is Bestbuy actually moving into used games, it sounded more like a prediction then a fact.
They already are at my store (Joliet Illinois). Though, to be honest, the last time I was there they only had Genesis games, and a few really bad PS2 games. Don't know how the prices were, cuz I wasn't interested in anything.
getmeoutofjoliet
10-12-2005, 10:20 AM
They already are at my store (Joliet Illinois). Though, to be honest, the last time I was there they only had Genesis games, and a few really bad PS2 games. Don't know how the prices were, cuz I wasn't interested in anything.
yea it pretty much sucks...
s3v3n777
10-12-2005, 10:22 AM
There is a rumor going around that in some areas where there are a GS and EB within miles of each other that some of the EB's will be turned into MovieStop (another part of GameStop that only sells DVD's).
Wow...I don't know how that business model will work down here coz Miami has Video stores up the wazoo, but hey I guess it's something different and a change is always welcome.
uzumaki_star
10-12-2005, 10:36 AM
Wow...I don't know how that business model will work down here coz Miami has Video stores up the wazoo, but hey I guess it's something different and a change is always welcome.
Hey it was something I heard from another CAG so we will find out next year when GS is suppose to be implementing the changes.
daschrier
10-12-2005, 10:43 AM
I've stopped going to both GS and EB due to their incessent need to push trade ins and pre-orders and treat customers like they're stupid. If they're the only ones that have something, I will go, but they're my laststop for sure ;)
s3v3n777
10-12-2005, 12:59 PM
Well, I go there coz I find the associates at EB are mostly helpful. I talk to them and they know about games, just like I do. If I buy games at BB, usually the salesperson is totally lost. I like BB and all, but sometimes I want a recommendation on a game coz I tend to be torn between 2 games.
Backlash
10-12-2005, 03:28 PM
but sometimes I want a recommendation on a game coz I tend to be torn between 2 games.
Research before you go. This board is a great place to get opinions. Much better than your typical game store employee.
s3v3n777
10-12-2005, 03:31 PM
Research before you go. This board is a great place to get opinions. Much better than your typical game store employee.
Funny you say that becuase I am asking around as well. However, there are times where I find a game I didn't expect to find, and I don't really know whether or not to buy it. For me, that's a pretty good time to ask someone.
vietgurl
10-13-2005, 04:25 AM
I want my spiff for gpgs on new items back
funny cuz the store just saw my gpgs go from around 10 every shift to 3. they can't give me $0.30 for every $3 they get so they're gonna start losing hella money for doing that to me.