GAME is one of the biggest game retailers in the world, and will be an instantly recognisable name for UK and Australian gamers.
And how much longer it will be around is a big question. According to a report at Gamesindustry.biz, the retailer has hired accountants, PricewaterhouseCoopers, to conduct a strategic review on the mid and long-term future of the company.
This doesn’t happen under normal circumstances unless a company is in really dire trouble. And the numbers back up that concern. It’s expecting a pre-tax loss of £18 million for the financial year ended January 31, and is considering selling off its offshore branches.
Why is all of this big news for Digitally Downloaded? Well, GAME is the premier game retailer in the UK, and if it is forced out of the market, it will likely cause a rapid increase in digital downloads in one of the world’s biggest markets.
As sad as that will be for GAME and its employees, it would be a good thing for the rest of the industry, we would argue. Retailers and game developers and publishers have a notoriously love-hate relationship, and the disruption to the second hand market would help the publishers maintain their profit margins.
