HMV Cheaper than Game

jonski

No idea why , but I always thought Game would be cheaper than HMV , Bought 2 games today , LOTR return of the witch king and DOW mark of chaos and both were cheaper in HMV . Canis Candun Edit was cheaper in Tesco .

Ph3n0m

Nothing new there - I bought Shadows of the Collossus in HMV for about 49 and it was being sold in Game for 59 - bloody ridiculous.

You do occasionally find the odd bargain in both shops - you just have to be willing to walk between shops to check them out.

qz

Caveat Emptor.
It's always worth shopping around to save yourself a few squids.

BrenC

I got Metal gear 3 a year ago in HMV for 30 and it was 55 in game at the time... :S

DarthWraak

Virgin are good aswell. A lot of their PC games are cheaper than Game. Of course, they don't stock as much as Game.

jesus_thats_gre

In fairness, Game are a complete disgrace. Their used games prices are particularly funny. I have found that Harvey Normans are pretty good. Smyths have disgraceful prices also.

Ph3n0m

you want bad pricing, these are two things I have seen

Smyths - Parnell Street.

PS2 - Splinter Cell: Double Agent - used: 59.99
On the shelf, un-used - 54.99

eh???


Game:
Used games
Castlevania for ps2 - 60 euro

wtf!!!!!!

Why do they keep trying to get as much cash out of people - used games are just that, used, so why do Game (atleast) keep the markup high on the relatively new games that are in the "used games".

I mean would anyone pay the same price for a used car as they would with a new car?

Guy:Incognito

Various GAME stores - Mario Kart DD preowned €49.97.

You gotta laugh

monument

Try HMV are the cheapest!

Well that was what I found to my surprise when I did a price survey for Games Toaster, it was reasonably comprehensive. Although, the last time (and the only other time) I did one HMV were the worst (it’s unpublished, and I'm sure the notes are lost from that). I must to another when I’m really (really, really, really, very) bored…

http://www.gamestoaster.com/games_toaster/2006/11/dublin_games_pr.html

monkeyfudge

If find that you get quite a nice bit of cash back on the HMV loyalty cards as well.

SirLemonhead

Stekelly wrote:

Various GAME stores - Mario Kart DD preowned €49.97.

You gotta laugh

Hehe madness. I got that for 17 quid in Gamestop months ago.

humanji

Ph3n0m wrote:

you want bad pricing, these are two things I have seen

Smyths - Parnell Street.

PS2 - Splinter Cell: Double Agent - used: 59.99
On the shelf, un-used - 54.99

eh???

Well, it's obvious. One has been tested and works. The other they're not quite sure about!

ObeyGiant

Ph3n0m wrote:

Why do they keep trying to get as much cash out of people

Is this a rhetorical question?

Ph3n0m

ObeyGiant wrote:

Is this a rhetorical question?

nope - that was my stupid question of the hour I aim for atleast one every 60 minutes

chamlis

I've found xtra vision to be quite cheap. For PC games anyway. They just wouldn't have that great a stock.

Quake 4 PC Collectors edition in xtra vision for €45

Quake 4 PC ordinary version in Game €49.99

This was back when it was just out, but it's not the only example.

Zombrex

GAME will chance their arms at anything. I remember everyone was selling Civ 4 for something like €35 because that was the retail price, GAME were selling it for €55

rgiller

It's been mentioned already, but I definitely think Harvey Norman is the way to go. I don't think any of their 360 games were over €60 and some of the older ones were €26 new. Cheaper than the second hand ones on offer in dedicated games stores...

jesus_thats_gre

rgiller wrote:

It's been mentioned already, but I definitely think Harvey Norman is the way to go. I don't think any of their 360 games were over €60 and some of the older ones were €26 new. Cheaper than the second hand ones on offer in dedicated games stores...

Yeah defo Harvey Normans. Got the collectors edition of GOW for a little under 60 euro at launch.

Fanny Cradock

cd-wow

muppetkiller

chamlis wrote:

I've found xtra vision to be quite cheap. For PC games anyway. They just wouldn't have that great a stock.

Quake 4 PC Collectors edition in xtra vision for €45

Quake 4 PC ordinary version in Game €49.99

This was back when it was just out, but it's not the only example.

Actually QUAKE 4 Collectors edition is in the 2 for 25 range in Game in Galway

As for HMV they are getting really good with the new releases..
and now company of heros collectors edition is only 27 euro (thats with Dawn of War too)

tba

monkeyfudge wrote:

If find that you get quite a nice bit of cash back on the HMV loyalty cards as well.

I have noticed this too

Fuzzy_Dunlop

I just saw today that Guitar Hero II(with the guitar) is €80 in Game and €60 in HMV, madness:eek:

monkeyfudge

playa3 wrote:

I just saw today that Guitar Hero II(with the guitar) is €80 in Game and €60 in HMV, madness:eek:

They must have about a hundred copies stacked around the shop on Grafton street... they must have bought in bulk.

flogen

The reason behind it is quite simple from where I'm standing:

Firstly Game will happily inflate prices because people (especially parents, who do plenty of game shopping despite not being sure what they're looking for/getting) will simply assume that Game is the place to go for games.
Secondly HMV will drop prices (or at least offer them at base price) because they're trying to become known for their game offerings in a direct attempt to grab market share in the sector.

The fact is that more and more customers at high street game (and music) shops are people who are either ignorant towards better value elsewhere or willing to pay extra for the service or instant gratification (because you'll generally find it cheaper online). Shops know this and are happy to take advantage of it at times.
I don't think Game have offered the best prices in a long, long time. They practically admitted that when they quietly ditched their Lowest Price Guarantee too... was funny, because I think we all expected to enjoy big price cuts once Gamestop came into play, and the opposite has pretty much happened.

Ph3n0m

Has anyone ever gone into Game and told them about the cheaper games out there?

I remember telling some woman with her son, looking for a particular game I had seen it in another shop for a tenner less then what Game were selling it for - she was dead happy, dont think Game were

monkeyfudge

Ph3n0m wrote:

I remember telling some woman with her son, looking for a particular game I had seen it in another shop for a tenner less then what Game were selling it for - she was dead happy, dont think Game were

Game do have a price match policy, but I've never seen it in action. I tried out once when I had some Game vouchers I had to use, but the game I wanted was cheaper elsewhere. They told me they'd tried ringing the other shop earlier and hadn't got an answer, so they were going to bother trying again.

flogen

monkeyfudge wrote:

Game do have a price match policy, but I've never seen it in action. I tried out once when I had some Game vouchers I had to use, but the game I wanted was cheaper elsewhere. They told me they'd tried ringing the other shop earlier and hadn't got an answer, so they were going to bother trying again.

Not any more, it was phased out over the last year or two.
First off they had "Lowest Price Guarantee" on their pricing stickers. The system worked as follows: You go to the till with the game and tell them of a cheaper price you've seen elsewhere, the Ts&Cs were something like this -

1. It had to be a high-street shop and not online
2. It had to be sold within a 1 mile radius of the Game store, which was generally fine when you were doing it in town
3. The shop in question had to have the item in stock (this was checked by the sales assistant at the point of sale)

The selling point was that you'd get the best price in town and get your clubcard points too.

About a year or so ago they quietly dropped the claim featured on their stickers and no longer advertised their lowest price guarantee. They did, however, honour it for those who came up and specifically requested it.

Last I heard they're no longer honouring it, especially in cases where there's a huge difference (as with some of the examples cited). In fairness to Game, HMV can afford to make no margin on games as they make so much elsewhere, while Game don't have that to fall back on... that said, if the staff discount is anything to go by (and this may be cynical but I assume Game aren't willing to lose money on a product just to make their staff smile) the company is making a nice chunk on each and every title in stock when sold at their regular price point.

Zapp Brannigan

GAME still have the price-match policy.
They just dont advertise it as much. The item has to be in stock and the shop selling has to be rung to confirm the price etc. They only compete with a few shops. Not Tesco or Argos.
I've been approached by customers and price-matched for them.

flogen

Slurms wrote:

GAME still have the price-match policy.
They just dont advertise it as much. The item has to be in stock and the shop selling has to be rung to confirm the price etc. They only compete with a few shops. Not Tesco or Argos.
I've been approached by customers and price-matched for them.

Oh right; odd that they're quite selective about who they'll match with... I was talking to a Game staffer I used to work with recently and was told that HMV are offering far better prices and they've been told not to price match any more because it would see 10-20 quid going off their margins in some cases.

Maybe it was just that one outlet, though.

Zapp Brannigan

flogen wrote:

Oh right; odd that they're quite selective about who they'll match with... I was talking to a Game staffer I used to work with recently and was told that HMV are offering far better prices and they've been told not to price match any more because it would see 10-20 quid going off their margins in some cases.

Maybe it was just that one outlet, though.

Oh well as far as I know we still offer it.
the selected shops thing is weird but when ya think about it they only match their real competitors.

flogen

Slurms wrote:

Oh well as far as I know we still offer it.
the selected shops thing is weird but when ya think about it they only match their real competitors.

You could well be right; I just heard it from one person who may himself have heard wrong.
That said if they're as selective about the games they match as they are about who they match them with, I wouldn't be surprised if they only do it if it's within a certain difference.

As for the 'real competitors' thing, I don't see how any outlet that sells computer games as anything other than a competitor, and the more they ignore the likes of Argos (and the more they let them beat them on price) the bigger piece of the market share they'll lose.