Major Bad News for Rhino Shoppers - Rhino Bought by GameStop

F

FSUEagles

CAG Veteran
CONFIRMED

I found out this afternoon that Rhino has been bought out by Gamestop. It was announced to the Store Managers this afternoon. Starting January 14th, Rhino's will be converted to Gamestops. If you have any games you're saving for the 2 for 1 deal you have a little over a week to get it done. Today my Rhino let me do the 2 for 1 on Pre-Order games. There is a meeting in Chattanooga tomorrow for all the Rhino Store Managers to let them know how the transition will take place. I almost cried when I heard the news.......

UPDATES:
[quote name='hxhawkeye']Okay, got some info. Treat it as hearsay, but I have no reason to doubt the authenticity.

- Rhino HQ in Gainesville, FL is dead. Sacked. Gone. I understand that district leaders are being kept, but anything higher appears to be no more.

- Inventory teams will be going to Rhino stores and starting fresh with the inventory counts and the Gamestop POS. The Rhino software and data will not be used at all.

- Meetings are being held in each district. The Chattanooga meeting mentioned is just one for that district.

- It seems that no one had any idea. Not the majority of HQ, not district leaders, certainly not store managers. Apparently it was a shock to everyone.

- Store credit is safe. I understand that there will be an incentive to convert it to Gamestop credit, i.e. you will get a 25% bonus for converting your Rhino credit. (Don't hold me to that percentage, though). So you may want to instead HOLD ON to your Rhino dollars and even trade in some things now for more credit later.

- Kiss 2-for-1 and free lifetime warranties goodbye.

- I expect all prices and trade values to mirror Gamestop's by the 15th. That's just my speculation based on the other information, however.

- No word on the merchandise that GS doesn't sell. It will probably go to clearance or simply be removed from stores and sold on other markets.



Again, none of this has been officially confirmed. Treat as speculation until official word is out.



In the words of Jack Bauer, "DAMMIT!"[/quote]
 
Um... what?

Since when?

If this is true, it's going to take alot longer than a week to transform all the Rhino's into Gamestop's, and what are they going to do with all old school systems and games, since GS dosen't sell those at all?
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOO There's already an excess amount of EB/GS's around here in the same small area. I actually liked how Rhino doesn't go through the usual sell preorders and magazine subscription during the checkout process. Now they're gonna be the same...
 
[quote name='darth007']NOOOOOOOOOOOO There's already an excess amount of EB/GS's around here in the same small area. I actually liked how Rhino doesn't go through the usual sell preorders and magazine subscription during the checkout process. Now they're gonna be the same...[/QUOTE]

This is fucking bullshit if it is true. Rhino was a great store all around, I shopped there so I didn't have to shop at EB / GS.

Even when I had my differences at their store, their customer support came through for me in a big way, much more than fucking GS ever did.

I really really REALLY hope this is some kind of huge misinformation on the OP's part.
 
[quote name='mtxbass1']I'm calling BS here until I see a press release. Why would GS buy something owned by blockbuster?[/QUOTE]

Easy... they are further eating the competition. Aren't most Rhino's in great locations? The one here is in a great spot.

And Blockbuster has been hurting for money for awhile now... Gamestop comes, offers to buy Rhino from Blockbuster, Blockbuster agrees and gets a nice fat check from Gamestop.

Gamestop has now eaten another competitor, one that isn't big but is still big enough to draw away business.

All that's left now is Gamerush (not a threat at all), Gamecrazy (a threat but there is nothing they can do), and places like FYE (again, not a threat).

This actually makes some sort of sense as Rhino is potentially a threat to EB / GS. A standalone video game store with great trade-in deals and tons of games available? That's not too good for them.

I really hope this is fake though... the good news is, if it's true, I'd expect Rhino to clearance out all their old video games.
 
While I won't call BS, as Blockbuster is a giant turd and I expected them to do something like this, apparently this guy has scoop of the year, because Bloomberg and everyone else has no clue.

RIP Rhino if true, I guess I'll be paying my final respects soon.
 
It would be really easy to call BS, but Gamestop has been absorbing regional chains for years now...

First Software Etc, then Funcoland.

We all know of EB, even though they aren't regional.

It seems Gamestop likes to kill off its competition before it gets too big.

I just want to know how the OP knows.
 
Dont have a Rhino around here, but from the Rhino topic i can see they have great trade in. This is a very logical move for gamestop, as they already got funcoland, EB, and other game store. Gamestop can charge extra for games like they are currently doing, and they can probably get away with it because big retail store like Best buy and walmart are not going to carry some of the lesser known games.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']It would be really easy to call BS, but Gamestop has been absorbing regional chains for years now...

First Software Etc, then Funcoland.
[/quote]

Funcoland itself absorbed Software Etc and Babbages, I think. When it was bought out by Gamestop, it further grew, and then added EB Games.

Too bad there isn't a Rhino in my state. Closest store is 2 states away. :cry:
 
[quote name='Caliburn']Funcoland itself absorbed Software Etc and Babbages, I think. When it was bought out by Gamestop, it further grew, and then added EB Games.
[/QUOTE]

Well, according to the Wiki, the chain first started with Babbage's... eventually, they merged with Software Etc, and only after accquiring Funcoland did they take the name Gamestop.

It's an interesting read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamestop
 
The other thing I am wondering, can the US gov. do something about this? I mean it can't be good for the customer when one company buys up everyone. Now video games is far from a necessarily so they are not likely to do anything.
 
[quote name='62t']The other thing I am wondering, can the US gov. do something about this? I mean it can't be good for the customer when one company buys up everyone. Now video games is far from a necessarily so they are not likely to do anything.[/QUOTE]

They will step in if it is a monopoly, but it's not.

As long as Gamecrazy, Gamerush, FYE, anyone else still buys and trades used games it's not a monopoly at all.

Now, FYE and Gamerush suck ass, but that dosen't matter. As long as there is a competitor somewhere out there.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']
If this is true, it's going to take alot longer than a week to transform all the Rhino's into Gamestop's, and what are they going to do with all old school systems and games, since GS dosen't sell those at all?[/quote]

Agreed. This seems extremely odd. You would think you would hear about this just like we heard about the Gamestop EB thing for awhile before it happened.
 
[quote name='schuerm26']Agreed. This seems extremely odd. You would think you would hear about this just like we heard about the Gamestop EB thing for awhile before it happened.[/QUOTE]

I want to think its fake but the OP isn't someone who made an account this month and this is his first post... he's been here for over two years, has a few posts to his credit, and is pretty detailed in the OP about some meeting going on tomorrow.

But still, if the managers found this afternoon, they have to drop everything they are doing to go to Chattanooga (why there? Corporate HQ is in Gainesville?) the very next day?
 
[quote name='Roufuss']I want to think its fake but the OP isn't someone who made an account this month and this is his first post... he's been here for over two years, has a few posts to his credit, and is pretty detailed in the OP about some meeting going on tomorrow.

But still, if the managers found this afternoon, they have to drop everything they are doing to go to Chattanooga (why there? Corporate HQ is in Gainesville?) the very next day?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was just reading through the OP's other posts, and he majority of his posts are in the Rhino Trade 2 thread. I'm inclined to believe that this would be a pretty bizarre board suicide if it isn't true, though of course I'm not totally convinced until there's a link or multiple reliable confirmations.
 
I am hoping his in wrong, but it makes perfect sense. Blockbuster has been trying to slow losses for over 2 years thinking they can catch NetFlix in time. Last year they dumped 4 chains in January including Mr Movies, Movie Trading Company. Any asset that can get BBV a penny that isn't part of the core is for sale right now. As for gamestop it blocks any other chain from getting into the southeast market really. There was a rumor gamecrazy was considering buying Rhino last summer.
 
[quote name='kjauburn']I am hoping his in wrong, but it makes perfect sense. Blockbuster has been trying to slow losses for over 2 years thinking they can catch NetFlix in time. Last year they dumped 4 chains in January including Mr Movies, Movie Trading Company. Any asset that can get BBV a penny that isn't part of the core is for sale right now. As for gamestop it blocks any other chain from getting into the southeast market really. There was a rumor gamecrazy was considering buying Rhino last summer.[/QUOTE]

I would have rather have had that, to be honest.

Gamecrazy needs to spread into the SE ASAP.
 
If this is true, then it's a horrible start gaming-wise to my year. I'm gonna hit my Rhino tomorrow, see what the manager says.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']I would have rather have had that, to be honest.

Gamecrazy needs to spread into the SE ASAP.[/quote]


Yeah that would have been nice. But I would understand why gamestop would pick Rhino up just to block them and add a few stores at the same time...
 
[quote name='kjauburn']Yeah that would have been nice. But I would understand why gamestop would pick Rhino up just to block them and add a few stores at the same time...[/QUOTE]

Yep, it's like I wrote way in advance, Rhino is the last sort of major competition Gamestop has that they are able to buy.

Blockbuster needs money, Gamestop sees this is a golden opp. The stores can all be EASILY converted into Gamestop's too.

Hell, most of the fixtures are in place.
 
This has been the worst kept secret if you have a friend inside EB or GS. They've known about it for months. I can't believe it wasn't mentioned before. I really don't think it's final though. It could still fall through. Keep hope if you don't want it to happen.
 
Rhino isn't that great. They take an extra one or two weeks to get new games in. Their prices are just decent... there's one in my area. I stop by every now and then, but I'm not going to miss the place.

It's nice they carry old systems, but how many people (who don't post on CAG) actually go around looking for Nintendo 64 games? The store is just decent at best. I remember the one thing that I did like about their store, when they first opened, was that you could return a new/opened game within five days if you did not like the game. Do they still do that?
 
[quote name='Ziv']This has been the worst kept secret if you have a friend inside EB or GS. They've known about it for months. I can't believe it wasn't mentioned before. I really don't think it's final though. It could still fall through. Keep hope if you don't want it to happen.[/QUOTE]

Crazy, I've had numerous managers who were friends and I've never heard anything about this, I've even told them I've flipped games to Rhino because they wanted to know why I was buying such shitty used games.

And to the dude above me who thinks Rhino isn't that great, you obviously never used the store the right way ;)
My Rhino always got in games pretty close to release, and I could wait if they didn't since I paid half price or under on every new release.
 
[quote name='suko_32']Dang, then it sounds like it's true. Time to dump off all the 2 for 1's before the 14th.[/QUOTE]

If it's true I will abuse the shit out of Rhino like no other, cause what are they going to do, ban me?

What is going to happen to any credit we have at Rhino?!?
 
[quote name='kjauburn']If it does turn out to be true I guess Roufuss and myself will be back posting on every single page of the GR thread again.[/QUOTE]

fuck no, I refuse to shop there... I have only gone in there twice in the last year + only because friends wanted to go in.

High trade-in values don't mean shit if your store completely sucks a giant asshole.

I was going to trade in Monster Rancher Evo to Gamerush, but they never got in Elite Beat Agents, they never had any Wii Accessories, they barely had any Wii games.. sure, $24 in credit would be nice, but there isn't shit to spend it on. Rhino gives $20 for it, my copy went there.

I just started going to Rhino a few months ago too, this sucks ass... this is the worst news I've ever heard. EVER.
 
If this does turn out to be true, then Gamestop can kiss my white ass, I'm done with them. Rhino was the last dedicated gamestore I could go to and not be harassed to preorder everything in the store, or buy a guide for everything, or "insure" my games. My Rhino is staffed with very friendly people, and is run from a perspective that you don't have to pressure gamers to buy stuff, they'll do that on their on.

If this is true...and I'm still holding out hope that it's not...but if so, then it looks like Target, CC, TRU, etc. will be where I get games from now on. Sure, my loss won't hurt GS a bit, but I can't in good conscious support those pricks, and I won't.
 
[quote name='argyle']If this does turn out to be true, then Gamestop can kiss my white ass, I'm done with them. Rhino was the last dedicated gamestore I could go to and not be harassed to preorder everything in the store, or buy a guide for everything, or "insure" my games. My Rhino is staffed with very friendly people, and is run from a perspective that you don't have to pressure gamers to buy stuff, they'll do that on their on.

If this is true...and I'm still holding out hope that it's not...but if so, then it looks like Target, CC, TRU, etc. will be where I get games from now on. Sure, my loss won't hurt GS a bit, but I can't in good conscious support those pricks, and I won't.[/QUOTE]

Yep.. the only time I support EB / GS now is if a) I'm flipping a ton of worthless games for massive amounts of credit, and I know they will sit on those games for a long time (re: K-Mart $2 sale on games) and b) they give a preorder bonus, so I preorder the game, get the bonus, return the game the next day to a different store.

I hate EB / GS very much and I've stuck to my guns pretty well about never shopping there again... there was a reason I liked Rhino so much since they also got the niche games (like Summon Night 2) that no other retailer touched.

My Rhino is also staffed by awesome people (except the manager), I was never pressured into buying anything, they didn't follow me around the store and hound me about stuff or constantly keep forcing their opinions down my throat.

Sometimes when I'm in EB / GS just browsing I feel like they want me to either buy something or leave... at Rhino it always felt like a friendly environment.

When you had the 2 for 1 trade-in deal on top of it, it just ended up being an amazing experience all around. I mean, I had a bad experience there, and they went above and beyond to fix it to keep me a loyal customer... Gamestop would have just told me to go fuck myself.

I shared alot of good moments with alot of good CAG's at Rhino.
 
[quote name='Roufuss']fuck no, I refuse to shop there... I have only gone in there twice in the last year + only because friends wanted to go in.

High trade-in values don't mean shit if your store completely sucks a giant asshole.
[/quote]

Off topic buy since the last $8.96 CC sale in July there hasn't been any killer easy to find GR credit builders. My GR nearby still gets a few copies of all the new games in, but with no credit I just pass on them.

Nowadays I just don't bother running around for the credit builders like I did at one time. Rhin's 2 for 1 is a little easier since I pass 2 EB games and a gamestop on the drive home everyday. Hell I buy a few games straight up at Rhino rather then avoid looking for credit builders. They are less then a mile from the house...
 
As an ex-Rhino assistant manager, I can confirm that the stores did a somewhat-unnecessary overhaul of fixtures and layouts a few months back that mimicked the GS/EB setup. Price stickers went to the same format as well. The buyout makes perfect sense all around. I'm going to call some friends tomorrow and see if I can scrounge up some details, but sadly I believe the OP's message is accurate.

Argh. This sucks loudly. Rhino was the one hassle-free dedicated game store left.

2-for-1 it while you can, folks.


I'll post more if/when I get details.
 
Just want to take the time to mention how absolutely fucking retarded the names "gamestop" and "gamecrazy" are.

Anytime I have to tell someone that's where I am, or that's where I went, or that's where i am going, I feel like a god damn fool for being in such a place.

Maybe I just shouldn't go anymore.
 
fucking hell. I loved Rhino. Hopefully this turns out to be fake mostly because Gamestop and Rhino haven't announced anything on their corporate websites yet.
 
Ok people saying Rhino "wasn't that great" are probably not reaping the benefits of the 2for1 deal, I have never been to a Rhino but I know thats a place I would love to go to, before the GS/EB merger my EB had 2for1 also, and I would abuse the hell out of it, despite having never been to a Rhino, a part of me died inside if this is true. Now I will never experience the 2for1 again =[
 
[quote name='deadpool253']It's true, deal with it, rhino wasn't that great of a store anyways[/QUOTE]

Guess what, you're an idiot.

Show me another store that gets me $7 Xbox 360 games... oh wait, you can't!

Plus, why are rumors going on the front page of CAG? Am I still on CAG, or did I somehow drift over to Kotaku?
 
I hate to say this, but I think the only company that might stop GS is Best Buy. They have the power to and they have been experimenting with trade ins. Now only if they gave trade in credit and deals better than GS, we would really have more competition in the used game business.
 
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