Is Bestbuy changing their game strategy?

jshorr

jshorr

CAGiversary!
Maybe it's always been that way. But there was that 4.99 closeout sale, and a ton of titles they never plan to restock. I was just there, and almost all the games I saw, for GC and Xbox at least, were new ones for 49.99. I was hoping to pick up a Soul Calibur 2 for GC for a gift for $15 after GGC, but they had none, and none on order. I know they're not a straight game store like EB or Gamestop but I don't remember them having such a small stock of older games. It seems they aren't even interested in stocking a lot of player's choice/greatest hits. Like Wario World I think went from 49.99 right to 4.99 closeout and they won't be getting anymore back in. There are a lot of older games that still sell well, like for GBA, that my bestbuy is never stocking again.

Anyone else notice this?
 
[quote name='basketkase543']Maybe they are just saying that they won't order anymore so we will go crazy and buy them.[/quote]


no, I think they know that we think games are too expensive. I mena every week, new releases come out, and BB or CC or Frys or some one will have it with a free $10 gift card. Then the other stores are left with a ton of them. BB is probably sick of this, so they wont carry as many. Then people wont go there..............
 
I think they're clearing inventiory for the summer. Wouldn't supirse me if we see clearances like this again in Aeptember as they prepare for the holiday season.
 
[quote name='BigNick'][quote name='basketkase543']Maybe they are just saying that they won't order anymore so we will go crazy and buy them.[/quote]


no, I think they know that we think games are too expensive. I mena every week, new releases come out, and BB or CC or Frys or some one will have it with a free $10 gift card. Then the other stores are left with a ton of them. BB is probably sick of this, so they wont carry as many. Then people wont go there..............[/quote]

I don't know. It just doesn't seem likely that such a big company would clear out their stock like that when they have a great rewards program and the GCC to boost sales. You could be right though....
 
I just think that maybe they will still stock the new games for a while, especially the ones that sell, but that they may not make an effort to keep up stock on a lot of games. I don't mean older, closed out stuff. I mean stuff thats still being produced, still found in places like EB and gamestop....I don't know why they wouldn't restock on Soul Calibur 2, it's a very popular game that a lot of people will want now that it's a PC/GH. I didn't find it in store and it's not on bestbuy.com.
 
I'm not real sure how profitable video games are for retailers. I friend of mine worked at BB and he said that employees do not get discounts on video games because the profit margin for BB to carry them was so narrow. If true it has to be a licensing thing through the console manufacturers. I would think that B&M retailers are treated really well so that they can move the software, which is where all the money is.
Of course it could always be a cost accounting deal where they figure it is costing them money to stock a game that is expected to only sell 150K copies or less instead of a title that is a no-brainer such as Halo 2 or Doom 3. Massive problems become apparent along this line of reasoning. Why stock an off-beat cult classic that will sell less than 100K copies but is loved by critics and fans alike (Beyond Good & Evil, Prince of Persia perhaps)when they can sell out of titles like Enter the Matrix? And then the circle begins and only the big name publishers can turn a profit in the biz and the independent studios (try and name 3 as it is) dry up and blow away. Then we end up with crap no one wants to play let alone anything that helps establish interactive entertainment software (IES) as a legit artform.
Sorry I'll get off my soapbox now. Yet, why is it always about money and not about something, anything else?
In all fairness I should disclose that I am currently looking for a job in the games industry so I have a vested interest in having it considered art. Anyone agree or disagree? My background is in cinema and I believe that games surpass film as a total art or one that uses all other arts to achieve it's end result.
Now I'm done. Honest.
 
Defender is probably right about the game crash comming soon. I was hoping for just a correction so I can open my own store, but if the market keeps getting flooded with cheap games then the pre--owned underground will die. And the pre-owned market along with controlers and accesories are what keeps B&M stores alive.

I would love to see games represented as an artform similar to cinema, but it now costs more to develop a console game than to produce a cheap film.
 
I totally agree my Best Buy never has anything over a few months old. I remember back when Beyond Good & Evil dropped to $20 I could never find it. Same with the Sims for Xbox. Once a game drops down below $49.99 I don't think they like to carry it anymore.
 
I go to Best Buy every week to check for the mark downs. If it weren't for that - I'd still go to BB for the insane launch-week deal they offer on GBA games (25 on sale, 20 after GGC). Doesn't really getm uch better than that for a long, long time if you want a mint condition copy.
 
Hey, I think the deal with Best Buy marking down there game selection is a combination of a few things:

1) E3 just happened, LOTS of new stuff was announced, most importantly the PSP & the DS. Now when the PS2 was released Sony had some crazy space demands for retailers - maybe BB is clearing back stock to start getting ready.

2) Keep your eyes on BB in the coming months - a MAJOR strategy change is planned for the PC/Video Game departments

3) More people are buying games as they are released, sales for games are dropping off considerably quicker than before. If it doesn't sell right off - it won't sell later.

4) People realy need a good incentive to go out anymore, what with artificially high gas prices - maybe sacraficing old video game stock to get people in the door to look at other items is a workable strategy.

5) Summer is comming - games sell worse in the summer - maybe BB is getting rid of old games before they sit for an entire summer...

Or who knows, maybe the game industry is about to crash - I mean movie technology has been pretty stangent for years and nobody watches them any more - oh wait, they are going in record numbers

There is no crash comming, only the death of the independent retailer.
 
[quote name='robogriff']Defender is probably right about the game crash comming soon. I was hoping for just a correction so I can open my own store, but if the market keeps getting flooded with cheap games then the pre--owned underground will die. And the pre-owned market along with controlers and accesories are what keeps B&M stores alive.

I would love to see games represented as an artform similar to cinema, but it now costs more to develop a console game than to produce a cheap film.[/quote]

preowned is different now with the internet since many sellers of used games either trade or auction them off instead of using a store...


Just remember everything I said and I think over the summer thinks will start to be clearer for the regular gamer. Even I cant predict HOW the market will change. But the truth is that the market is currently has just experienced a crash and is gonna have to change.
 
Yah, my local one SOLD out all the $5 games, and now they are basically only selling games for $40/50 and greatest htis for $20.
 
I noticed this at Best Buy too, very little variety besides the major names and series. Has me worried that they won't be stocking the smaller titles anymore. I would hate to see lesser known games lose major retail support.
 
a crash seems highly unlikely, it is possible that some of the smaller companies will have to fold, but I doubt sony will have to file chapter eleven anytime soon.
 
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