UK's GAME Stores to Stop Accepting Trade-Ins from Next Month

Game have been going downhill for years

Massively over priced games and now you can't trade them at game anymore I expect game to be gone soon

My local Game has already stopped putting pre owned games on its shelves.

They’ll be dancing in the aisles of CeX for sure!

Get real physical money with Facebook Marketplace.
No getting fleeced by a bricks and mortar store mark down.
And no eBay and PayPal taking their chunk if using that either.
The price is the price, you get what you list it for, or the 'buyer' doesn't get the item, in this case, game.

I bought FF16 for £30 and sold it 105 hours later to someone else for the same.

I dont know if anyone has been to a GAME in the last few years, but they pretty much mostly sell Plushies, V-Bucks and Funkos now.

Even a decade ago I think their shelves were more filled with Skylanders figurines than actual video games. No big loss.

Also Mike Ashley owns it now, and quite honestly he can go REDACTED himself with a large iron rod

GAME is all sorts of tat now, just had a look online and they sell Fisher Price toys for the little ones.
And yes, they do in store too as I went past a store a few weeks back and saw a little window display of such, made me double take.

Yet another nail in the coffin for physical games unfortunately

@TheOldHunter4K i love fb market place but for all their tech the amount scammers is terrible. i do love the idiots asking for my number calling it and getting my local swiss police station hq lol

As a Newcastle fan, any business owned by Mike Ashley is strictly off limits, because he's a terrible human and he asset stripped my local club

Game ain’t been good for years , the staff my way are rude , don’t help it’s in ***** house of Fraser

Very strange decision, second hand would seem more profitable as digital takes off. Still, have about £200 in CEX vouchers but, as they rarely have VR games due to many not releasing physically, and games I want like Gaiden also, it means it’s taking me a while to get through it.

Overpriced second hand game anyway. If your in the UK. Just use Vinted, much easier and much cheaper.

I still pop into game now and again to have a look at the high prices they charge for games.
It’s more like half a toy shop now anyway.
I find game very good and reliable if you preorder a new console for day of release. They never let me down over decades and even midnight launches.
My day one Switch, PS5 and Series x all ordered from game and delivered on day of release by that very good delivery firm DPD.

Most of them have a tiny section in sports direct nowadays and almost not worth visiting.

I find Smyths toys and Curry’s have the best deals for day of release physical games and cheaper and free delivery or reserve in store.
Argos are even better than game inside sainsburys.

Game has become an overpriced joke of a shop inside a shop.

Wasnt this what happened to the shop that game bought out (game station) before that shop closed it's doors a month or two later? Game is so over priced and I'm surprised they have lasted this long

Ahhh Game, the only place where ive seen Trade-In games sell for more than the price of its equivalent new unused game..

Wonder if Game will take all their second hand games down CEX for cash trade in 😂

No real loss, I'd be surprised if anyone actually trades there. They offer crap prices and then slap them back onto the shelf for maybe a tenner cheaper than a new copy. I worked for them back in ps3 release days and some of the shady dealings they do made me rethink my employment with them.

Can't remember the last time I even stepped inside of a GAME store

Oh well🥲 will be missing trading games near Surrey Quays Rd and the guy always jokingly calling me “french girl” to make me mad but CEX here I come!

I'd never go to game anymore anyway.

Why they still get the exclusive releases is beyond me. But I refuse to use game.

Ever since I pre ordered a ps4 for the second wave at the time and the day I wss ment to pick it up. They went and sold it and I never got that ps4.

Useless company these days.

Luckily we have a cex and we have an actual local game shop still up and running which buy and sell pre owned games. They keep open because they deal with retro gaming alot more than new stuff.

I’m to a fresh start with my PS5, so I’m trying as much as I can to buy only great and keeper games to make a collection out of them. Not intending to sell any. Up till now, I’ve got Hogwarts Legacy, GTA V, GT7. Next month will get Street Fighter 6. I like to collect things, so now I’m collecting games.

I usually trade in at CEX anyway so this doesn't impact me.

That's sad. I frequently trade in and browse Game and love using it as an excuse to go somewhere and not do work or research for a few minutes.

I'm amazed it's taken this long, always get a better deal cash or store credit at cex. Combined with crap prices compared with online sellers, it's kinda a miracle it's still there.

Most GAME are wedged into turd corner in Sports Direct now, so no surprise really, they haven't got enough room.

I think a lot of these major game stores will start going away and only the local owned games stores will be around.

I use Game to buy Star Wars Retro and Vintage collection action figures. 😁

CeX stores, now there’s a money making opportunity for them and the makers of Powerwash Simulator to make some popular dlc!

Surprised by this. Given the money GAME makes selling second hand titles, you'd think they want to retain this revenue stream. I guess they lose money buying too much tat few people want to buy.

I was fairly surprised at GAME the other day. Cardiff store was closing down and had 20% off everything (granted it had been picked almost clean when i got there). Was able to trade in WWE 2k22 (for £7.50 - not bad given i paid about that for the game from CEX - had been expecting 20 pence and some string) against Luigis's mansion 3 (plus the 20% off) so only paid 25ish for a nintendo first party release which seemed like a good deal.

EBay it is then. Whilst their are disks their will be a second hand games market.

I stopped using GAME years ago as their trade in prices were shocking, on Ebay I can get atleast two thirds of my money back.

Is GAME like a Gamestop in the US?

I can’t remember the last time I traded in a game at game as the trade in prices have been terrible for ages

The last time I traded games in was on the ps3. I have not traded one ps4 game in nor did I have any inclination to. I won't be trading in any of my ps5 games either or selling them. I bought my limited edition white destiny themed ps4 from game when it launched and that was the last time I ever ventured into a GAME store.

@jorel262 yeah it's the UK's (and Europe's I think) GameStop equivalent.
People say they are overpriced, but I always find some great deals in them. 🤷. Usually stuff on sale admittedly and second hand 3 for 2 you can often get good deals. Well 'could' I guess.

It’s so expensive compared to CEX and they give you a fraction of the trade in. Stopped using them when they stopped the price matching scheme and just accepted CEX would always be cheaper.

@TrickyDicky99 what?

Ah, lovely GAME, that garbage shop which charges £5 for postage/delivery and also £5 for picking up an order in-store

Wow that's crazy I don't see gamestop doing that that's how they make money

GAME was always garbage.

Even though it was the same company, GameStation was were it was at.

It was kinda like GameStation was Labour and GAME was Tory.

Still, shame to see this become a reality.

This is the next step in the all digital future, I keep warning. Brick and Mortar stores continue to be neutered until they become more of a novelty rather than your first thought when it comes to getting a new game. Best build up your collections of old games now if you hate digital because I can see that in the next gen or two physical will be almost completely phased out.

@Nei
Surrey Quays Road? Hey! I actually used to live on Ainsty Estate in the 90's on Brunel Road in Rotherhithe. 10 minute walk from the Quays and I remember the day GAME opened there. And they were a little later giving out the reward cards when they first came out for free. Still have my original.

Oh well pawn shops it is then, a guy who runs one near me does prices near enough to cex, it is closer to me compared to where my local GAME shop is so it's not much of a loss.

No suprise when Cex poached the majority of their customers with better trade-in prices.

GAME the store that tried to profit on the lack of PS5's available by forcing non official bundles on people that included their own awful £1 t-shirts, and some extra plastic tacky crap so they could mark up the price and pretend that the PS5 on its own was out of stock and impossible to order if it didn't have some of that crap chucked into a seperate box with it for £50 more 👍

Unpopular opinion, but I liked GAME.

I got some fantastic deals on the 3 for 2 pre-owned (eg. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, Divinity Original Sin 2 and Immortals of Aveum for £36)

I got a lot of games for "free" as some where underpriced and part of the 3 for 2, so I will miss that for sure!

And going in as a kid in GAME and GameStation was fantastic, missed those times!

@Pranwell

I’ve never understood why CEX has a reputation for being a stench-pit. I’ve been in many branches around the UK, not a single one has been unpleasant in that regard.

The absolute worst aspect of every CEX is the legal obligation for every branch to play thrash music (or whatever genre it is) at a ridiculous volume for eight hours a day. I pity the stuff having to endure such ear-damaging obscenity.

The trade prices are so low it won't stop me making my one purchase of a game from GAME every 2 to 3 years 😂

Heh... idiots. But it is their choice...

eBay and CeX it is. It's funny how executives will say a company is losing money, then strip it of everything left that made up the brand, then say it's still not making money and shut it down. Still bitter they closed the Stratford Game in Westfield..

Honestly, if their used game prices were rated against the average eBay price + 10% the company would be so much more appealing, but Game and GameStop seem to think selling newly released used games for £3 cheaper than new is a great deal

It's about time they're trade in prices are terrible I remember I went in with a brand new game still in seal and they offered me 21p for it and that was the last time I ever stepped foot in game couldn't care less if they went out of business they were always ripping people off with trade ins

@Sakai

Another Newcastle United fan here, will never forgive what the FCB did to the club during his tenure, and I'll never support any of his businesses while I'm still drawing breath (I do live outside the UK, so the chances of entering any of his tat stores is extremely slim, but it's not about the money, it's about sending a message)

Well that's quite annoying, I trade in tech to CeX and buy physical games from them which I can then trade into Game for PSN credit, guess I need a new way to keep my gaming costs down

Nearly all the traded games seemed to be ones free on PlayStation plus and game pass, they must have a massive stock of traded games that are now free digitally. Unless you were looking for a cheap TLOU2 or GoW Ragnarok.
Still I hated buying a pre owned game and finding it all scratched like it had been used as a coaster with stains over the box and manual.

For those who will be going to CEX, I'm sorry but they will now own the market and will 100% drop the price they will pay you for something in March 2024 vs today. The prices offered are already terrible.

They will offer you £96 or £148 voucher for a boxed digital PS5. And that will only go down. At least game has a more reasonable £175 voucher offer - Was £215 pre slim launch.

CEX also don't offer PSN vouchers to buy which is pretty rubbish.

Our local GAME store has moved into the nearby Sports Direct and I can't say I've missed them. Still think I got somewhat ripped off by them when trading in my OG PS4 having already bought a Pro.

I get all my used games from eBay or CEX (new stuff with eBay, Shop To and The Game Collection) anyway so I suspect CEX in the high street will just get busier. Definitely not going to put me off buying a physical media copy of a game.

Game wasn't as big for nearly 2 decades and then Mike Ashley bought them out who used to own Newcastle UTD. When the likes of electronics boutique went and then Game bought out Game station (they might have been a local gaming shop near me) it was the decline of the gaming shop.

Grainger Games (maybe another local owned gaming shop) also went bust they overfilled on tat like FunkoPops and other stuff which was way over priced.

CeX will now own the 2nd market but they are even starting to raise prices but Game and CEX used to each others website to compares trade prices and then eBay.

Now's the good time to be buying those classics in disc if your interested what I'm doing now especially for PS3, since the store has nothing left on it and I expect Sony to kill that console once and for all and close its store down in 2024

I don't know about others, but where I live, we had many games shops in town years and years ago, a few small ones...and we had two "Gamestation" stores and two GAME stores...in fact, one of the GAME stores was right nextdoor to one of the Gamestation stores...at some point, GAME replaced the smaller shops and then shortly after, they replaced Game station too. Long story short we had about five GAME stores in my smallish town alone...two of which were right next to each other!

Pretty much all gone now, I don't think they'll be around much longer, or they may even just become an online only seller at some point. Terrible prices and service never helped.

To those mentioning Electronics Boutique, damn I feel old!

@RustyStag yeah with all the store closures as well and now even less reason to go to game. It used to be my only place to buy games. Now I can't even remember the last game I got from them.

I actually got a £50 Game voucher from my mum for Christmas as she remembers when I used to go there as a kid and knows I still play games. Tried to go into one by my work in a Sports Direct. The guy at the till didn’t even know if they were still a game (they had the same crappy little counter with games behind it, but no branding). He tried to find someone to see if they could take my voucher as I wanted to trade it for PSN credit. But she was helping someone return shoes. In the end I had to go to the one in Bromley to do so. Didn’t even consider using it to buy one of their overpriced games.

I left the UK years ago after completing my studies and while I've had many memories with this shop (not necessarily all pleasant ones of course), I did see this coming after seeing one GAME branch after another in the neighbourhood closing, and that was well before my graduation.

Was trying to think of the last time I used a Game store, and it was for Final Fantasy X / GTA III timeframe.