GAME not selling Ubisoft's Vita launch titles
Five launch games from French publisher not available at High Street specialist
Troubled High Street retailer GAME is not selling any of Ubisoft's PlayStation Vita launch titles.
The news comes on the eve of the launch of the new console at a time when the French publisher is supporting Sony's new hardware with five titles on day one.
GAME is struggling with credit insurance and is expected to make an £18 million loss this financial year. It hopes to recover by capitalising on the launch of new consoles such as the PS Vita and Nintendo's Wii U, but is unlikely to make the most of those opportunities if it cannot sell the software for them.
Ubisoft has so far declined to comment on why its titles will not go on sale through the only specialist store in the UK. Last week Namco's Tekken 3D Prime Edition was not sold through GAME and it failed to enter the top 40 charts.
"All customers affected by this decision have been made aware of the situation and we will continue to communicate any updates to customers through our Twitter and Facebook feeds," said GAME in a statement to VG247.
GAME has confirmed that titles from other publishers including EA, Capcom and Sega will be on sale.
The five Ubisoft titles are Lumines, Michael Jackson The Experience, Rayman Origins, Asphalt Injection and Dungeon Hunter Alliance.
1. Game are strategically (my spelling is getting worse) dropping titles that they know they can't shift.
2. Publishers are starting to see what will happen if the highstreet disappears.
Tekken 3D failing to even make the top 40 without sales from Game shows that online is in no way able to support the industry at this time. It's either going to be a wake-up call for EA, Acti and Ubi or not.
I've said it before - Game does not equal High Street. But in any event, you assume that Game were the ones who decided to not stock Ubi titles. Probably you're correct, but just as likely is that Ubi didn't want to shove stock at Game when they could just as easily ensure other - more financially stable - retailers had more stock.
I agree game isn't THE high street but, it's the one name that gamers in the UK know outright. If you aren't stocked in Game most people will assume the game just isn't released yet. The more hardcore will head out on the hunt to tesco, asda and sainsbury's but, it's not very likely you'll find the games there either. The stock in supermarkets is pretty much limited to "will sell" titles.
In fact I'm struggling to see where else on the high street you'd go to get a good selection of games unless you can enlighten me.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Adam Campbell on 21st February 2012 7:09pm
The only reason I go into the local Game is to talk to one of the staff there whom I know. Being mostly a PC gamer, the store long-ago lost its appeal - I assume that if the game I want isn't on the shelves then Game just aren't stocking it/sold out, not that it isn't released yet. And the "hardcore" go to Tesco to buy console games? I would've thought the casual buyers would shop at Tesco - the "hardcore" most likely check Amazon/Play. Or go to indie retail stores.
As for your final sentence... Well, I would argue that there hasn't been a decent selection of titles at any High Street store for a while. But, I would also say that HMV and smaller specialist shops are the places to go.
Of course, ymmv. :)
Bad juju when Tekken fails to chart. Although this possibly has something to do with Nintendo's ever firm grip of the pre teen market as opposed to GAME's current situation. And who gives a rats about Ubisoft anyway. They are becoming another EA with their yearly IP outings.
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Graham Simpson on 22nd February 2012 7:54am
I wouldn't assume that if Game didn't exist the game industry would collapse. Don't get me wrong, it would be a blow on sales. But it will more than anything force the industry to adapt.
I think one of the major problems right now is lack of transparency on the full sales spectrum, many people see the industry dropping each quarter and start to panic, when in fact its actually growing. Its also very frustrating at times not having transparency on sales as you don't have a clue what the consumer is actually spending there money on.
However, GAME just announced that they won't stock the game....at all.
What is going on over there?
Edited 1 times. Last edit by Morville O'Driscoll on 23rd February 2012 7:42pm