GAME Shutting Down its Microsoft Exclusive Xbox-Only GAME Boxpark London Store

GAME is among leading UK based online video game retailers, it also has a large chain of local stores which cater to the customers’ need for gaming products such as consoles and game discs. Recently, GAME announced that it is shutting down its Xbox-only GAME Boxpark video game products store that is located in London’s trendy Shoreditch area.

[AceBlazer13]

business must be slow lately. Jokes aside how stupid was it to have a store for just 1 platform.

[Naga]

Even if the Xbox was dominating sales, I can't imagine this would be a good business model.

But on another note... why is a story about one store closing down after its short-term contract expired somehow newsworthy?

[Mr Pumblechook]

What an absolutely atrocious business idea. GAME well and truly ballsed up by accepting that sponsorship. They decided to make an Microsoft exclusive store that was focused on Xbox hardware and games... at a time when the the Xbone was nearly £80 quid more than the PS4 never predicting that the UK gaming map was turning blue. I went in the day after launch and it was chockabloc with people browsing but not really buying. I even saw one guy ask (I kid you not) if they sell PS3 games LOL! But since then it has been really, really quiet.

If it had worked it would have been kept open but the venture was a failure but the BS PR speak is just unrelenting. Xbox Marketing director said “This was a pop-up concept store which was a key part of the most successful Xbox console launch ever." I'd trust him more if he was honest and just said "we messed up, the Xbone isn't selling and it was a mistake to make a store dedicated to it."

[Angeljuice]

@Mr Pumblechook

The store was set up well before the Xbox One was released (for the 360). The only slightly newsworthy part was the fact that it was set up on a site where all the stores are old shipping containers.

[SpringHeeledJack]

Is it any surprise from a company that hasn't changed it's business model from the last one that bankrupted them. They got bailed out and have gone straight back to over pricing their goods.

Their pulse headset £125 while on amazon it was £90, when asked if they could budge on price they just said no n gave a dirty look. Poor service+high prices.

[Phoenix76]

@SpringHeeledJack That's so true about over pricing. Also, if you find a game on the website marked at say £45, the store will sell it for £50. Yet if ask them to sell it to you at the internet price...... then...... well you can guess the response you get.

[Frisky]

Microsoft must've sponsored.

[Alsybub]

It was essentially part of a PR campaign for the Xbox launch. It was planned that way.

Also, many companies open stores for one platform, or even one product. It's all for show. A good example is the Apple Store in Covent Garden. I swear there's more staff than customers and it's enormous.

I went in to the HTC Store in Copenhagen a few months ago and the only product they stocked was the One M7 and the store only had one on display, on a pedestal, in the middle of an empty store.

[VforVideogames]

LOL

[SniperControl]

Wasn't this shop open well before the X1 launch?

[Hicken]

But Apple stores are run by Apple, not a third party that also sells the competition's product elsewhere.

[TitanUp]

seems like it was a short deal anyways. maybe to test the water

[GuruMeditation]

Exactly. Imagine all the business you'd be losing out on by being mono-platform... <laughs uncomfortably and quietly shelves his plans for the 'Game: OUYA' store in southampton>

[randomass171]

360 was a massive seller. Last generation it made more sense. That said GAME has been heading the way of bankruptcy for a while now.

[hkgamer]

the box park is basically shops made out of shipping containers in shoreditch.

shoreditch is meant to be an area fpr cool savvy young adults, who i call snobby art hip people.

the box park is quite cool looking ough, but i never noticed a game store there. its most likely used for promotion. looking at the layout for the store ij the picture. i doubt people actually buy stuff frpm there.

[phantomxll]

Flame bait!

[MegaRay]

Make me wonder, how many flame bait articles we got this week? I bet 20...

[randomass171]

Management of articles here could be better, yeah. :/

[MasterD919]

Next-gen consoles did not anticipate the "drought" currently.

I agree though...this store was bound to failure from the moment of conception by limiting itself in such a way.

[randomass171]

This would make more sense for last generation when 360 was the big money maker for a while.

[cfc78]

GAME would never buy into this on a regular basis we all know how much they love to extract the most profit possible.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

MS is pushing their own Microsoft stores, ala Apple, selling all things Microsoft of late so this concept seems a bit dated. No doubt they originally were behind this idea to test the market but I don't think a single platform based video game only store can long term be successful. I am sure MS decided to stop any kind of monetary support to sponsor the GAME store and thus why GAME decided to pull the plug on this outlet.

[Death]

Sony also had their own Sony Stores. Many have been closed down in the last year. I like the Sony store much more than the Microsoft store since it had a much broader selection of products. I spent quite a bit at my local Sony store and was sad to it shut down. I dropped close to $2000 on my HD cam corder and purchased the extended warranty since the service their was always good. I'm pretty sure that's where I bought my PS3 at launch and the last Sony tv I owned.

In my opinion, the Apple, Sony and Microsoft stores are a great idea since they all showcase products you might not see or overlook in regular retail stores.

[randomass171]

I wasn't aware of designated Sony stores. I was only aware of Nintendo World lol.

[Illusive_Man]

That's crazy.

[hkgamer]

for people who don't know the shoreditch area or boxpark. it's actually quite a savy trendy place. shoreditch is an area where you see many street art and grafitti. the boxpark itself is made out of loads of shipping containers. some stores use more than one. i would like to say tht storage space would be very little. so that store might just be for show. its actually quite a cool place to use promotion since the age group in those areas are exactly the group the xbone is targrting.

however, with jo basis whatsoever. i think its the wrong demographic. those people are not the type to aim the xbone to, they are probably more into pacman or other retro games as an art form. yes i stereotype every person by the area they are in. stupud but thats my personal opinion.