A while back, it was reported that UK retail giant GAME was ending its trade-in service for customers, and it looks like things are about to get worse. Going forward, it appears as though the company is going to be ending preorders on games, at least in its stores.
One of the biggest video game retailers in the UK
According to an internal staff memo – which has been verified and reported on by TechRadar – GAME will no longer be taking deposits for upcoming releases, as of August 1, 2024. The memo reads that this is due to the retailer’s “continued integration into Frasers Group.”
This means that, as of the beginning of August, customers will no longer be able to preorder anything in-store that’s coming out in the future. However, the message goes on to say that this won’t affect online deposits or just buying the games in a branch once released.
For those who have paid a deposit on a title that has a proposed release date of anything up to January 31, 2025, these will still be honored. However, a preorder on something that’s coming after this – including ones labeled as “TBC 2025” – will be refunded.
The report from TechRadar goes on to say that these policy changes could well be down to stores changing their till systems. A statement says that branches will be getting new systems that are in-line with Frasers Group subsidiaries, such as Sports Direct.
Whatever the reasons, this seems to be part of an ongoing decline of high street shops that are struggling to cope in the modern Internet era, especially when it comes to digital products. While GAME preorders are coming to an end, it appears that the company is still hanging on after all these years, though many in the UK will suspect this is just one more nail in the former giant’s coffin.
