GameStop and Electronics Boutique are Merging!?!? - PS3 NEWS

**Kraken** · 04-18-2005

Quote:

America's largest videogame retail chains, GameStop and Electronics Boutique, have announced their intention to merge in a $1.44 billion deal which will create the world's largest games retailer, with around $4 billion in annual turnover.
The merged company, with GameStop as the surviving entity, will have 3,800 stores worldwide, of which 3,200 will be in the United States - representing the largest game retail chain in the world.
However, according to analyst Gary Cooper at Banc of America Securities, the deal should not trouble regulators in America, since the combined company will still only have some 21 to 22 per cent of the overall market.

Source: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=8062

The lack of compitition will not be a good thing for us. Prices on used stuff are going to skyrocket. I suppose there is always ebay and blockbuster though...

**thetitan25** · 04-18-2005

i totally agree...this is sad news indeed. not only will prices skyrocket, but i appreciated the diversity of the 2 stores, such as their return policies, etc. etc.

**TDxchan** · 04-18-2005

I don't see how Gamestop is the surviving company after the merger. Unless I read wrong, EBgames is worth more and made more last year. I didn't even think of the prices of the games going up. All i was worried about was the decline in service and presentation that will occur when gamestop takes over all the EBs. Every game stop I've ever been to (going back to the funcoland days) has been a mediocre store, with the exception of one place that made up for its crappy store w/ 2 great sales guys (back when it was funcoland, before they left the store). After that, I can say that every EB I've been to has always been better than the GameStops I've been to. Even the eb website is better.

**WOWchamp** · 04-18-2005

Its strange but if i had to voice my opinion on the matter then I would say their just about equal and that Gamestop is slightly better. EB is very close and would be THE BEST video game store if not for one reason... they rip you off on game re sales.

I got my ps2 from EB and I only had 60 bucks cash so I traded in the following:

My Gameboy Advance, Gameboy Color, 2 GBA games, 12 GB games, A PS1 (old vcr lookin ones not the PSOne) and 10 psx games,

They gave me like 70 bucks for the GBA and 5 for each game... they gave me 5 for the
GBC and like 2-4 dollars for each game for it... and 100 dollars for the PS1+10 games (their was a deal that you could bring in any 10 games and a psx and get 100$ for them) and i traded in a ps1 mem card that had 12 pages on it and a offical psx mem card. I got 50 cents for the madcats psx mem card and 1.75 for the offical mem card.( didnt know they could be used on the ps2)

Everything I sold them they marked up at least 20%... my pokemon red which they paid me 2 bucks for was up for sale for 10... alot more then 20%!!!! My GBA was like 5$ under what retail was and my Golden Sun was up for 25$. They rip you off so bad.

And one time my friend went to EB to get a new ps2 because his got DRE's and this one starting getting them to so he took it apart to find the cog wheel already marked.. and this unit was sold to him as brand new ( not refurbished.. BRAND NEW )

**VCi15** · 04-19-2005

hmm what will happen to the EB stores that are in the same malls at GameStop

**sideshow** · 04-19-2005

This merger wont start to take effect until 2006. I think the big reason the two companies merged is uh uh duh duh GREED. They want to gain more market share in the international regions going under one name which is GameStop.

**Starlight** · 04-19-2005

That means the ones in canada will most likely change to gamestop also.

**sigma82** · 04-19-2005

its good news guys!!! EB has always been more expensive then Gamestop, plus they have a crummy preowned selection when compared to the funcoland/gamestops. Come on now they even jacked up the VIP member ship price to $20 even though the GMR mag wasn't even close to worth the $10 that Game Informer is. Matter of fact EB took my $20 for a renewal and never sent me mags. If you go to an old enough Gamestop they still have their GXTV's (my personal pick over the Plasmas at EB always running EBTV)!!!!! Don't know if many of you remember that tiny killer , but they are a site when you first lay your eyes on them.

**PS2W** · 04-19-2005

I just hope they give more money back for ur used games....lol

**mariotrev** · 04-19-2005

well look forward to seeing how it turns out even though its prolly going to be overpriced bs.