HMV boss Simon Fox has said the firm remains committed to the games market despite having to merge its tech and games teams together.
However, Fox told MCV. "We are committed to games. Bringing games and tech together gives the category a much higher profile and will prove a real advantage.
"We want to work closer with publishers and the format holders. And I am hopeful they want to do the same with us.
"We were disappointed with last year, but we are optimistic that this year we can fight back."
The news comes as specialist retailer GAME said today it's reviewing its overseas operations in talks with lenders over ongoing credit insurance problems.
Comments
26 comments so far...
sulli456 on 2 Feb '12 said:
More cuts to PC game space, I already feel dirty looking at them, being shoved in a corner on a small space, it feels like you are in the "Adult" section of a book/film shop.
G_R7 on 2 Feb '12 said:
What I really want to know know, after GAME and HMV are having problems with sales, is just how well the supermarkets are doing.
Chris_Shanahan87 on 2 Feb '12 said:
wierd, games are more popular than they have ever been and yet Nintendo, Sony, and now game stores all seem to be suffering.
This makes sense for the PC games though, their players are mostly 30+ year olds with a superiority complex. Keeping their games shoved in a dark corner where nobody goes just mirrors them still living in their parents basement with no friends
KK-Headcharge78 on 2 Feb '12 said:
The game industry could go bang tomorrow and the affect on the Supermarkets (Tesco and Asda/Walmart in particular) would not even flinch. These retailers are exposed to over 50 categories (food, drinks, white goods, gardening, film etc...) games is but a small pin prick to them, this is why when the high street retail is gone the spermarkets will start sticking nearer to RRPs because the competition is less. As to how they are going generally they are all doing well (Tesco had adverse results recently but it doesn't really touch them)
FlacidDonkeyGuy on 2 Feb '12 said:
It will be under the counter next, mark my words. Since jumping ship to PC I have only brought two hard copies, BF3 & Swtor, the next two will be kingdoms of amalur & ME3 (All EA). On a side note I must get those windows removed from my celler/basement
Josh298 on 2 Feb '12 said:
supermarkets are the way forward along with internet sites if your going to buy games. All these retail stores which specialise in entertainment sell entertainment to dear/expensive and people nowadays are always looking for a bargain which the internet and supermarkets always provide unlike game/gamestation/hmv i feel sorry for them when they start using the trading in system asda already does but i don't know if tesco morrisons do it
jamieleng on 2 Feb '12 said:
These stores are great if all you want is a tiny selection of the 'very best selling' games from the last two years & also want to pay close to full price. Or you can pick from a massive selection of sticky used games & want to pay close to full price. I'm not opposed to used games, just large retail companies profiting from them.
Even dedicated video game stores selection of new games is utterly pathetic. Gamestation is probably the worst, I've only bought 3 games from them in the last 2 years.
778877 on 2 Feb '12 said:
Hey HMV, here's an idea. DROP YOUR GAME PRICES!! No one is going to buy Duke Nukem Forever for $59.99. Almost every game is full price. When they do go "on sale" they're only a measily $10 off. I will never buy a game from HMV because they don't know how to be competitive. DVD's are over priced too.
778877 on 2 Feb '12 said:
Hey HMV, here's an idea. DROP YOUR GAME PRICES!! No one is going to buy Duke Nukem Forever for $59.99. Almost every game is full price. When they do go "on sale" they're only a measily $10 off. I will never buy a game from HMV because they don't know how to be competitive. DVD's are over priced too.
GTCzeero on 2 Feb '12 said:
Your HMV has a PC section? I thought it was just an urban legend...
dwhlufc on 2 Feb '12 said:
Ive got a £20 HMV voucher rotting in a draw upstairs do decided to use it against MGS tomorrow.I phones them up to check they were going to be selling it as they never had either of the GoW collections (Wolverhampton),bloke says yes it goes on sale tomorrow at £34.99!
Sod that I ordered it from shopto at £28 with free delivery,why they have to charge from £5-£8 more than other shops or online retailers is daft.Maybe a pound as its not like they only get mgs solid delivered tomorrow in the truck,there's other items to spread the logistics charges across aswell.Anyway I've saved on petrol and parking now so sod them,I'll have to eventually go instore to use my voucher as the robbing gits won't let you use them online.
TheLastDodo on 2 Feb '12 said:
£34.99?!?!
I was going to get mine from HMV tomorrow, I've got nothing to trade in against it either.
I suppose I could get rid of Uncharted 3, I don't care for the multiplayer.
EDIT: 23 quid for Uncharted 3 according to the re/play app, I'm getting rid.
craiglackenby on 2 Feb '12 said:
I seen Deus Ex in there when I went to buy Kinect the other day, it was £45. That games been out 6 months ffs! The price came down to about £25 after 3-4 weeks. They need to re-think there business strategy if they're going to last. I nipped in the other week to see how much Insidious was and it was £14, people just ain't gonna pay them prices.
KK-Headcharge78 on 2 Feb '12 said:
The new MGS is £28 in Asda from tomorrow....
Very_Silver_Ownz on 2 Feb '12 said:
@dwhlufc - £35 for MGS collection ? When I checked on the HMV website it says its £30.
KK-Headcharge78 on 2 Feb '12 said:
Same as Gamestation where is it £29.99 and my local one has stock for tomorrow.
Mmmmgrolsch on 2 Feb '12 said:
Online prices do not represent their in shop prices.
Cheers for that, I just cancelled my Amazon order so I'll grab it from Asda tomorrow.
karlrobert23uk on 2 Feb '12 said:
HMV is going the same way as Game and Gamestation, Bust. Soon if you want to buy games it will be online or the top ten at your supermarket, and of cause this will trickle down to the second hand market, As you have less places selling games and less places buying your second hand games, the shops left offer less for your games...
spaceman_DOUG on 2 Feb '12 said:
HMV sell game!?
KK-Headcharge78 on 2 Feb '12 said:
The element that concerns me most of all is it's all well and good that games are cheaper online and in supermarkets (in the main but not always, no where else has done Skyrim for £24 to my knowledge like Game did for example) But for about half of the new releases I buy I usually trade in one or more games, if the likes of Game etc... go this option will be gone. There is no suggestion yet that supermarkets will follow suit other than Asda who have already stated the 2nd hand market is to be a small element for them due to the store space requirements.
Not a great situation for from my perspective....
dwhlufc on 2 Feb '12 said:
Wouldn't you use eBay?
I've recently started using it and its full of muppets willing to pay over the odds.
dwhlufc on 2 Feb '12 said:
Mate i phoned the store so thats a shop price,online prices are always around £5 cheaper.
KK-Headcharge78 on 3 Feb '12 said:
Yeah Ebay is ok to a point. The problem is that, as a buyer, day one releases are tricky to guarantee and you have no guarantee if you end up with duff goods (except for the often laborious refund system) As for selling then yeah for recent games you get usually good prices (certainly more than trade in) but then you have to wait for money (3 days to your bank account with Paypal) and then dealing with our beloved Royal Mail and so on. Don't get me wrong it's worth the effort but it's not as easy as say walking into your local Gamestation and 5 mins later out you come job done.
I got Forza 4 band new last week for £23 so it is worth it sometimes
Imaduck on 3 Feb '12 said:
I'm still commited to getting up before lunchtime but some things are just not possible.
Old Skool Gamer on 3 Feb '12 said:
The game industry could go bang tomorrow and the affect on the Supermarkets (Tesco and Asda/Walmart in particular) would not even flinch. These retailers are exposed to over 50 categories (food, drinks, white goods, gardening, film etc...) games is but a small pin prick to them, this is why when the high street retail is gone the spermarkets will start sticking nearer to RRPs because the competition is less. As to how they are going generally they are all doing well (Tesco had adverse results recently but it doesn't really touch them)
True.
The Madness on 3 Feb '12 said:
How CAN they cut back? The last time I went into a HMV, a few months ago, their PC gaming section consisted of a stack of copies of Football Manager 2012. That was located right at the bottom-left corner of the Xbox 360 latest releases. And was hidden behind a load of posters.
It's no wonder they're losing. Once they start giving a better service than anyone else, I'll buy stuff from them.