GameStop's a shadow of the gaming staple it once was and is closing stores left and right, including 78 in 2024 alone. Times are so hard lately that the retailer is i??n the Funko Pop! business as much as gaming these days.

And the recently opened GameStop "Retro" stores aren't going to change tha??t. Marred by poor execution and bad marketing, this new strategy is liable to run out of gas before it gains any ground.

Starting line slip-up

It's no secret GameStop continues to fall further and further from grace, flailing around with increasingly more desperate bids for relevance. On August 27, they announced the grand opening of their retro stores via X, formerly Twitter, claiming "THE CLASS?ICS ARE BAC??K."

The retailer advertised carrying games and consoles going all the way back to the third generation. But if you didn't know this happened, you're not alone. Even employees remained in the dark until just before launch. One told YouTuber Jacob R, "I actually found ou??t from a customer. She told me a week before I actually found out from my district manager."

You'd think GameStop would want to market thi??s business move with more than a handful of tweets, but you'd be wrong. And alt??hough the retro stores received a dedicated store locator, it's difficult to find it if you don't already know about it. It is buried deep within the website's sidebar along with its retro gaming catalog.

Adding insult to injury, the sit?e heavily advertises that GameStop now buys and sells PSA-graded trading cards. It's jumping into a market it isn't known for while it buries the new retro stores that deal in its bread and butter. The saddest part of this lackluster marketing is that there's no signage indicating which GameStops are retro stores. The only ways to tell one apart from a regular shop are to go in or use the store locator online.

Unsurprisingly, content creators descended upon social media with overwhelmingly negative reviews in the weeks since GameStop Retro's launch, citing a thin selection of games and a lack of consoles alongside the nonexistent marketing. Jacob R said, "I really want to emphasize how poor??ly they're selling the whole retro thing," and "I mean, it's bad man," referring to his experience with the store. Fellow YouTuber The Radical One mentioned, "but the retro selection was just like I thought it was gonna be," and "Um, they figure retro is more 7th generation type stuff." At this point, these developments caught my eye, and I decided to see for myself ??if GameStop Retro was as bad as advertised.

GameStop Retro in the flesh

Using the retro store locator, I found the nearest one was a little over an hour south of me. Nothing wrong with a day trip. Upon reaching the store, I confirmed that nothing o?utside signifies that it's supposed to be different from other GameStops.

It's the same way inside. Funko, plushies, figurines, and pins dominated the area surrounding the front counter, while the other wall was line?d up with PlayStation 5, Switch, and Xbox Series titles. It? still had some issues of Game Informer, but I don't think that qualifies as retro just yet. Clearly, the store's focus is still current-gen gaming and collectibles.

Making my way to the back of the shop, I found what I made this trip for: the retro gaming section. One pitiful stretch of wall with eight shelves was the entire thing. I will give GameStop this: the shelving was very organized. They were divide??d into sections for Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo consoles, all alphabetized by game title.

I was hoping to see real "classics" as advertised. You know, some old Nintendo car?ts, a PlayStation light gun, a Sega Saturn controller, that kind of stuff. Instead, I saw GameStop's definition of retro, which is mostly limited to Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, and Wii U. There were less than a dozen games for the PS2, PSX, Xbox, and GameCube altogether. The only console older than 8th-gen was a singular Wii. I mean, GameStop has sold 7th-gen games for years now. So, without adding something new to the formula, like carrying older consoles and peripherals, it's disingenuous to brand these shops as retro.

One shelf had some games from the 5th and 6th generations on it, but GameStop's pricing is above market value in most cases. For example, a copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, worth $18-19 according to pricecharting.com, went for over $30 there. Also, a GameCube copy of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle sold for over $60, which is well over its going rate online and even surpa??sses the rate of a s?ealed copy.

GameStop Retro is such a missed opportunity on? multiple fronts. With proper marketing, it could attract business from collectors, nostalgia-seeking casuals, and people looking to make a few bucks by trading in their old collections. It could help combat the slow decay of physical gaming, which would go a long way in repairing GameStop's reputation amongst customers. And it could prevent inflation in the second-hand market by stabilizing prices.

It seems like GameStop isn't sure what lane it wants to be in, as evidenced by the promotion of trading? cards on its site. And with the lack of push for the retro shops, it either doesn't care or doesn't know how to capitalize on that market. Currently, it's sticking its fingers in all sorts of pies but won't commit to eating one.

The post GameStop’s retro stores show a clear lack of direction appeared first on Destructoid.

It's the weekend, and the Milton Keynes CeX store is always packed at these peak hours. Set within a busy city, the line is almost outside the door, and many customers are ??scurrying over ??themselves, searching for PS2, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PS4, and PS5 games.

GameStop in North America is quite the opposite of this, with plenty of Funko POP toys stalking the aisles, some games, and a lack of customers at most hours of the day (at least in? my experience). GameStop Re??tro could be a difference maker.

I've lived in both Canada and the UK, and from my experience, shopping for games is quite different in the latter. CeX is everywhere in my ?home country and lets you buy retro games as well as the latest and greatest.?? It sells used games, in addition to movies and tech like phones and Bluetooth headsets.

Meanwhile, GAME, the GameStop of the U.K., is empty, with many locations now stu??ck in the corners of Sports Direct stores across the country. It's even stopped accepting trade-ins. It's bizarre.

On August 28, GameStop announced it was shifting some of its stores to a retro model. According to a video by Spawn Wave, the employees didn't have ?much ti?me to prepare for the change.

Despite the snickers from some in the online community, GameStop switching to a retro model could actually save the company if it can build a dedicated audience and community like CeX in the? UK.

CeX has grown a culture around used games

Time a??nd time again, I see lines build up at CeX stores all across the United Kingdom, especially in more dense cities like Milton Keynes and London. That's because, for the past three decades, this store has built a culture around trading your stuff f??or decent money and getting great technology, movies, or recent video games.

There is a dedicated YouTube community with channels like Retro Ghetto and TVM, which create vlogs ab??out what they find in these stores. That's how much of a following CeX gets within the British shores. It's a rush to go to a CeX and see what's available, despi??te how awkward of a name it is. It seriously calls its free Wi-Fi "Unprotected CeX."

In the United States and Canada, finding retro games is far less convenient. While some cities have independent game st??ores in their comm??unity, most don't. North Americans have to rely on the steep prices on eBay and Amazon unless they get lucky at a thrift store. On top of that, they may have to pay steep shipping prices.

While I lived in Canada, I barely bothered to build a retro game collection because I could never afford the ?prices that resellers wanted for their catalog. It would be a blessing if GameStop Retro could take away those frustrations and make retro gaming affordable like CeX.

It ??seems like GameStop Retro might have competitive prices against eBay and Amazon, which is a good sign. "The prices [are] not terrible; I've seen much worse on like eBay [and] if it's at a convention, good luck, right?" said Spawn Wave, describing his experience at a GameStop Retro location.

By the way, the CeX website is stellar. It tells you how much stock each store has and lets you know immediately how much trade-in credit you'll get. It's always a mystery when you go to a GameStop, so ??having that front and center would help immensely wit??h its customers.

Ever since coming back to the UK four months ago, I've built an extensive PS3 and PS4 library of titles. For just a few quid (£), I've been able to get games like Alpha Protocol, Final Fantasy XIII, and PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, experiences that are hard to get on modern platforms, and it's honestly addicting. If GameStop Retro can replicate CeX's value for money and decent trade values, it could work for the chain, even if it's hard to support GameStop, however, with what the company?? did to Game Informer and its staff.

The post GameStop Retro could work if it’s inspired by the UK’s CeX appeared first on Destructoid.

A new trailer for Metal Gear Solid Delta dropped at the Xbox Games Showcase over the weekend, and, while it did show off more gameplay and treated us to the sound of Naked Snake's original voice actor David Hayter, it sadly lacked an exact release date. The following day, though, retailer GameStop adve??rtised the game as launching in Nov??ember, but it has since admitted this isn't the case at all.

In a now deleted Twitter post from June 10 (which was saved for posterity by IGN), GameStop announced pre-orders were available for Metal Gear Solid Delta, with it scheduled to release on November 17. The deletion of the post made it clear this was done in error, and the official GameStop Twitter account has now clarified the date was never accurate to begin with. All it's said is that "Our previous pre-order post on Metal Gear Solid Delta had an incorrect release date," and any details about its launch wi??ll be shared by Konami.

On one hand, that November 17 launch did seem very unlikely. After all, that's a Sunday, and video games typically don't come out on Sundays, probably because everyone has to go to work or school on the Monday after, leaving them less than a day to play their shiny new game. However, a November 17 release wouldn't have been too far-fetched since that's the same day the original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (which Delta ?is a remake of) launched in North America back in 2004.

A November 17 launch would've been quite fitting and a neat way of celebrating the original game's 20th anniversary but, unless Konami says otherwise, Delta will more than likely ?not release on a Sunday. So, when will it launch? I personally think it could be out this fall or maybe even closer to Christmas. However, there's always a chance Konami will opt to delay it and push it into 2025.

Funnily enough, this isn't the only game from the Xbox showcase to see its release date shared, only for it to be deleted soon afterward. Fantasy RPG Avowed, which only has a vague 2024 launch window, was said to launch on November 12. Unlike the Metal Gear example, this came straight from Avowed's developer Obsidian Entertainment in a blog post, but it was quickly updated t??o excise the?? date.

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As food prices rise around the world, it's more important than ever?? to save money on games. There are a few things you may not consider, which we'll dive into right now.

Check your local library

This might be a shock to you, but there are libraries that let you rent out video games for free. While I was living in Edmonton, I used the library so much because of this. While it took a long time to get new releases (around a month typically), I was able to catch up on franchises like Resident Evil and Fire Emblem because of the library near me.

Look at the deal-searching websites and Reddit groups

If you want to find the best video game deals, you should check out the information available on websites like Cheap Ass Gamer and Game Deals Canada. They can compile great gaming deals for you, especially during Black Friday. There are some Reddit groups, including r/Game Deals and r/NintendoSwitchDeals that provide up-to-date sales info as well.

Facebook Marketplace is fantastic for saving money

You can find some awesome deals on Facebook Marketplace if you're fast enough. New releases can be cheaper used from regular people rather than GameStop. For example, I found Final Fantasy XVI and Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon for $60 Canadian ($?45 US) each from one seller a few months after relea?se.

Game bundles can be fantastic

PC gamers might be familiar with Humble Bundle, a retailer that packs a bunch of games together and allows you to save money on awesome games, often while supporting a good cause. During October 2023, there was the Laugh Till You Die: Multiplayer Mayhem charity bundle, including popular games like PlateUp! and Ultimate Chicken Horse in a pack of seven. It also costs around $10; PlateUp! alone costs $19.99 USD usually.

Fanatical is another great option. It offers cheap bundles, and for some, you can actually select what you want. For example, the Build Your Own Play As You Go bundle in October had Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, Doom, The Walking Dead: The TellTale Series The Final Season, and The Ascent, among other high quality games. If you bought three, it would be ?around $10, but if you get 7, it would total about?? $20, saving you cash.

Ask a friend to lend you a game

The best way to save money on games is to ask a friend to lend their titles. If you want to check out Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 and see a friend who has it playing Diablo 4 instead, perhaps ask if you could borrow their copy of the latest COD. They might say yes. Just make sure you schedule a time to return the game with? your pal.

Check out the thrift stores and pawn shops

Pawn shops are a fantastic way to get modern titles. For example, I saw the often expensive Mario Tennis Aces for $35 CAD ($25 USD) at a pawn shop the other week. If you're lucky, you can also find some retro gems in thrift stores. I found a few rare PS2 games available, including the valuable PS2 port of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Read the flyers and check the deals pages

Try to read the weekly flyers when you can. They offer some surprising deals at times. In Canada, they're still around often, but I found them difficult to find? with some American brands, at least online.

Thankfully, you can check the deals sections of these retailers. For example, on Walmart, I found that Yoshi's Crafted World was $10 off, and The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening was $20 off on a random October night.

Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra are the best ways to save money on games

Both subscription services Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus Extra offer a wealth of titles to check out for less than $20 a month. Xbox Game Pass is arguably the better of the two with new games like Starfield and Lies of P launching on the platform day one. You can also play the entirety of the Halo and Gears of War series on the service. There are some other standouts like Disney Dreamlight Valley and indies such as Celeste and Inside on Xbox Game Pass.

However, PlayStation Plus Extra has an impressive suite of titles too, such as Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart, Demon's Souls (PS5), and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. You can catch up on the games you've missed as well. For example, I never caught up with NieR Replicant, and now it's av??ailable on PlayStation Plus Extra.

Use Bing to get gift cards on Xbox

This might sound like a joke to you, but I use Bing for the majority of my searches rather than Google. Why? Because I can get points towards gift cards on Xbox and other rewards. After a month of searches, this number can increase dramatically, letting you redeem them for a $5 gift card code. You can also answer fun quizzes to get some points. If you're an Overwatch or League of Legends fan, y??ou can get in-game currency with your points too. It's been very helpful for me, and I've probably ??saved $50 or more with this method.

PlayStation Stars offers up money too

PlayStation Stars can also get you some cash on the PlayStation Store. You'll get points back from your purchases and finishing tasks on the PlayStation App. You can then redeem them for digital gift cards or actual games like Cuphead. Some of these tasks include playing games from the PlayStation Plus lineup that month or checkin?g out new titles in the Store.

The Nintendo eShop also gives you back some cash on your purchases too in the form of gold coins. You'll typically get $4 back on every $80 game you buy, according to My Nintendo. However, the?re?? are no additional tasks you complete for more currency.

The post 10 ways to save money on games appeared first on Destructoid.

Remembering the good 'ol days

For years now, GameStop has been on the ropes. We've had to watch idly by while the stores started peddling kitschy video game merch, all the while pulling back the focus on the games themselves. It's the circle of life �as technology changes, certain services or even entire industries will become obsolete while others spring up in their place. After another round of layoffs from the company hit the news, it feels like the retail institution could fold even as soon as the next few months. The meme stock saga kept it afloat for a while, ??but it doesn't look like that momentum has been able to translate to long term sustainability.

For Millennials and older Gen Z, going to GameStop for a hype-filled midnight release of your favorite game, or even a lazy afternoon of br?owsing the used titles, was something special. It was one of those places that was charged with a kind of electric energy �you'd be surrounded by kids excitedly bouncing in line as their parents bought a game as a special treat, or die-hard players who had finally s?craped up enough cash to purchase the console of their dreams. It's difficult to explain if you weren't there, but it was just a happy place, for the most part.

It had its downsides, too

Of course, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. Players who tried to sell back used games will immediately recount GameStop's lowball payouts with disdain. While the physical? used game market has dwindled a lot these days, the specific GameStop stinginess used to be a commonplace annoyance that we could all bond over. I've also heard plenty of stories of people being harassed while trying to purchase their games (especially women/girls), which I thankfully avoided in my trips there.

Some of my favorite GameStop memories including going to a location at a shopping center in suburban Charlotte, North Carolina where I grew up. I would go and peruse the store with my brother while we waited for our Sunday lunch reservations, and he would explain what all of the games were to me. That's also the store where my Dad took us to buy our Wii, which was a big deal back in the day. And who could forget the little kiosks w?here you could try out the games.

There was also something really fun about walking ??into the store and seeing huge cardboard displays set up for whatever the recent hot release ??was. Now we just have art the devs can throw up in the online store, but it doesn't compare to seeing a life-size cardboard cutout of Master Chief by the front door to welcome you into your local GameStop location.

//www.r?eddit.com/r/wow/comments/7dmo3q/my_lich_k??ing_cardboard_cutout_display_that_i/

A new model?

When GameStop started struggling and closing stores, I heard news that they might shift toward a model where their locations would be modified to still include physical game and console sales, but they would also include spaces where players could congregate, hang out, and play some games on retro consoles or state-of-the-art PCs. Personally, I would have died for a gaming café version of GameStop. We don't have a lot of public spaces to just hang out in these days, and returning to GameStop's old legacy of being a place where gamers can?? congregate would have been real?ly cool, in my opinion. That idea clearly didn't pan out, and the company instead tried to embrace the crypto and stock hype helped them out. That also doesn't seem to be working out. I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm not.

With the e?ver-looming threat of GameStop shuttering its doors for good, I can't help but feel nostalgic for its glory days every time I see the company in the headlines. Here's hoping that if it finally does go under, someone w??ill be standing by with something great that could replace it (still holding out for the gaming café situation).

We want to hear some of your favorite GameStop memories, too,? so sound off in the comments with any stories you'd like to share.

The post What’s your favorite GameStop memory? appeared first on Destructoid.

Company reportedly ramping up blockchain interest

According to multiple sources, GameStop is initiating hu??ge layoffs across its entire company, with redundancies expected to hit on an executive and store level, as well as the editorial team of tie-in-press outlet, Game Informer. While GameStop is?? yet to officially confirm the news, affected employees and industry insiders have already spread the grim news on social media.

GameStop's Chief Financial Officer Mike Recupero �who stepped into the role in the wake of the bizarre "GameStonks" scandal one year ago �has already resigned from the company. According to a staff memo, penned by GameStop CEO Matt Furlong and seen by Axios reporter Stephen Totilo, GameStop expects "a number of" incoming redundancies as part of a major cost-cutting exercise. Totilo speculates that the vague expression is an un??derstatement of the number of jobs in jeopardy.

"This [decision] means eliminating excess costs a?nd operating with an intense owner's mentality,?" writes Furlong in the memo. "Everyone in the organization must become even more hands-on and embrace a heightened level of accountability for results."

Many Game Informer staff took to social media to express their shock, dismay, and sadness at the announcement, which sows understandable unease among GameStop's retail and editorial teams. The frustration is likely further bolstered by the fact that GameStop has reportedly been on a recruitment drive for individuals with experience in blockchain technology and eCommerce business �th?e company having hired somewhere in the region of 600 staff members within the past 12 months.

The situation at Game Informer is becoming a depressingly common occurrence for the gaming press. As I wrote on Twitter just yesterday, the fragility of the gaming industry as a whole �and the crude? dispensability with which hardworking teams are often treated by their owners �is unfair, brittle, and distressing.

While there is no officially stated link between the staff layoffs and GameStop's perceived interest in the blockchain, it's increasingly difficult not to find a comparison to the "pivot-to-video" debacle of the last decade, which saw talented writers/websites hit the bricks as companies attempted to shift to video-only models �almost entirely inspired by Facebook's success. This time, however, the money men are chasing trends that are already on the popularity downswing, at the cost of real people's livelihoods.

I speak for myself (and I assume many others) in wishing any affected staff condol?ences and best wishes.

The post Huge layoffs to impact GameStop and Game Informer st??aff appeared first on Destructoid.

It won't be arriving until after fiscal year 2023 though

Reports went around this morning that GameStop was no longer expecting the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake to release. Turns out, that's not quite the case. The Prince of Persia remake is happening, though it's just as de??layed as it?? already was.

Word of GameStop letting pre-order holders know the game wasn't expected to release was running around. The pre-order was delisted from GameStop's website. Popular games and deals Twitter account Wario64 noted the situation this morning:

//twitter.com/Wario64/status/1532767377149943808

Fanbyte spoke to an anonymous GameStop?? ?employee, who shared a message being sent around to stores:

"We have been notified tha?t, the following product will NOT be arriving to stores. Product is no longer expected to release. Our records indicate that your store has facilitated one or more re??servations for this SKU.

"Please contact your guests who have reservations on th?is product to ?let them know that the product will NOT be arriving"

Just a matter of time

It seems like the situation's a bit more complex, though. In a statement to Destructoid, Ubisoft says that while it is asking for the Prince of Persia remake to be delisted, that doesn't mean it's canceled. It's just been inte?rnally delayed out of the company's fiscal year.

"The development of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Remake will now be led by Ubisoft Montreal. We’re proud of the work achieved by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, and Ubisoft Montreal will benefit from thei??r learnings as the new team will continue the work to deliver a great remake. As a consequence, we are no longer targeting a FY23 release anymore and the game has been delisted. If players wish to cancel their preorder they are invited to contact their retailer. They will be updated on the project as the development is moving along."

So for now, the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake is still happening. It's just been the subject of another delay, of which it's had quite a few. Hopefully the next update will finally set a firm launch date for this long-awaited rema?ke.

The post Prince of Persia: Sands of Time Remake has n?ot been c??anceled, just delayed appeared first on Destructoid.

This week's sale spans physical and digital games

It's not March 10 yet, but MAR10 Day �at least, the commercial aspect of this gaming holiday �is already in effect. Nintendo is hosting deals on several high-profile Nintendo Switch games, including Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury.

While the prices are about what you'd expect from Nintendo (and might be a tough sell if you're a mostly digital player), it's worth noting that the MAR10 Day Sale includes physical copies, too. Retailers like Amazon, GameStop, Best Buy, and Target are participating.

Here's a quick round-up of physical Switch deals:

• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe ($39.99)
• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury ($39.99)
• Luigi's Mansion 3 ($39.99)
• New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe ($39.99)
• Super Mario Maker 2 ($39.99)
• Yoshi's Crafted World ($39.99)
• Mario Tennis Aces ($39.99)
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle ($18.99)
• Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 ($38.28)
• Mario Golf: Super Rush ($49.94)

The pricing varies from retailer to retailer, and the Nintendo eShop is kind of doing its own thing, as usual. On that note, the digital copy of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is down to $9.99, and you can snatch up the Multiplayer Pack for Luigi's Mansion 3 at a slight discount �it's $6.99 right now. Poke around and consult Deku Deals for a price check, if needed.

[caption id="attachment_311320" align="alignnone" width="1300"] _{I can just *hear* this screenshot.}[/caption]

Running down the list, I'd say that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Bowser's Fury are the main draws this time around... if you need 'em. MK8 is, well, eternal �and there are a ton of tracks on the way this year (and into next!) with the Booster Course Pass. Bowser's Fury rules as a smaller-scale yet fresh take on a Mario platformer that has just enough meat on its bones to feel substantial. The music's great, too. It's a proof-of-concept, but a really fun proof-of-concept �and you're getting Super Mario 3D World in the same package.

Nintendo's MAR10 Day Sale runs until 11:59 p.m. Pacific on March 13.

Yeah, Luigi's pissed.

The post Nintendo’s MAR10 Day Sale is live and it’s a good time to grab Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Bowser’s Fury appeared first on Destructoid.

The 'essential business' GameStop

Going t??o a GameStop, especially when my walking-distance-location closed, in 2021, is an incredibly annoying prospect for me. So much so that I'll probably miss out on th?e shiny Zacian and Zamazenta distribution event. But somehow this one is more annoying than past ones.

So that shiny Zacian and Zamazenta distribution run for Pokemon Sword and Shield that was rumored last week is true, and it's been officiall??y unveiled by GameStop over the weekend. You have to go to the store, that much is a given, but it has another hidden wrinkle: both Pokemon are actually split up and are roughly half a month apart. Zuh?

Yep, shiny Zacian is running from October 22 through November 11, and shiny Zamazenta will be distributed from November 12 through November 26. It's? a curse for people who have had local GameStops go out of business in the last year, on top of an incredibly crummy time period. While The Pokemon Company has typically never reconsidered breaking a GameStop agreement, a lot of folks are pretty mad for all of the reasons above, and are trying to get a different distribution method.

It's an odd turn of events all around for a game that's about to be replaced in a few months with Pokemon Legends, but amiibo exclusives and physi?cal distribution events are a cold business.

The post The shiny Zacian and Zamazenta Pokemon distribution is one of the mos??t annoying yet, involves GameStop appeared first on Destructoid.

Retail and online outlets to take on GameStop name

Video game retailer GameSto??p has announced that it will be rebranding EB Games in Canada as GameStop Canada. The brand transition, which is set to take pl??ace in the immediate future, will see all EB Games retail outlets �as well as its official website �take on the familiar logos, layouts, and marketing PoS of its North American brethren.

"We're excited to announce that EB Games Canada is transitioning to GameStop Canada," said the retailer in an announcement on Twitter. "We'll be posting more information to our social media channels. As we move through this transition, we look forward to enhancing our website to impro?ve your shopping experience."

According to GameStop, the decision to rebrand came about as the result of feedback received from stockholders and customers. The move is one of a number of recent changes taking place at GameStop, which recently appointed its newest CEO, Matt Furlong. As high street stores continue to struggle amidst a changing retail environment and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, GameStop has been forced to close over 1000 of its outlets over the past two years. 2021's fascinating "Gamestonks" scena??rio only served to further ??complicate matters.

//twitter.com/Game??StopCanada/status/1420510136767074315?s=20

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Chicago Sky star shines in GameStop exclusive artwork

WNBA star Candace Parker will be the first-ever woman athlete to feature on the cover of 2K Games' annual basketball sim, NBA 2K. Parker's cover �which will feature as a GameStop exclusive �is one of several stylish and extremely colorful variants set to bedeck NBA 2K22 when it launches on PC & consol?es September 10.

Parker, who plays as a center/forward for Chicago Sky, has seen amazing success in her 13-year career. Having won numerous awards in high school and college leagues, Parker would be ranked the WNBA's Rookie of the Year in 2008, alongside numerous MVP declarations and two gold medals during her time with the Los Angeles Sparks. Having captured a ??WNBA championship and being featured as a WNBA All-Star no less than six times, Parker moved to Chicago Sky in early 2021 to embark upon a new chapter in her already storied career.

"Representation m??atters, so this is a special moment of progress for the sport and the series," said Candace Parker of her cover honors. “To be part of this historic cover is a testament to the growth and rising popularity of the women’s game, and I’m proud to be the first female cover ath?lete to be the face of NBA 2K."

Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K22 will be the 23rd release in the NBA 2K series and will be themed around the 75th anniversary of the National Basketball Association. A special Anniversary Edition will feature splendid artwork celebrating basketball legends Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, as painted by social history artist Charly Palmer �who recently won acclaim for their work "America Must Change", which featured on TIME's July 2020 cover

The NBA 2K22 75th Anniversary Edition will retail for $100 and will include cross-generational upgrades along with a huge list of in-game bonus content. The standard edition of NBA 2K22 will retail for $70 on PS5 and Xbox Series X and $60 on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. A cross-gen digital edition will be available for PlayStation and Xbox for $80. 2K Games will not be offering free next-gen upgrades for standard edi?tion owners.

The post WNBA’s Candace Parker is the first woman athlete to star on NBA 2K cover appeared first on Destructoid.

Eight members to leave retailer this summer

Turbulent times continue for GameStop. The gaming retailer has announced that several incumbent members of its board of directors will be stepping down at the company's 2021 Annual Meeting, which is set t??o take place in June.

As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, among the eight directors retiring from their posts on the board are former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime, who took the part-time role with GameStop just over a year ago. Also stepping away from GameStop are former PetSmart CEO JK Symancyk and former Walmart U.S. CEO Bill Simon,?? both of whom were brought on-board with Fils-Aime in hopes of improving the retailer's fortunes.

GameStop's fortunes did indeed improve in the short-term, thanks to the release of next-gen platforms PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, which brought a serious boost to the retailer's fourth quarter for the year 2020-2021. In the long-term, however, GameStop had a difficult year, with an overall 21% decline in sales, leading to a loss in the region of $215 million USD. The recent "GameStonks" debacle - which saw online trade?rs purposefully drive up GameStop st??ock cost in order to price out opportunists - no doubt lead to further headaches for the company's accountancy.

GameStop has been living on a relative knife-edge for several years, facing store closures, raising ire with its opening policies in a time of COVID, and struggling to compete with the ever-increasing gr??owth of online retail. For now, however, the company remains afloat and many stores remain operational. With the new digital generation underway and COVID continuing to increase the pressure on high street stores, this will be a critical year for the r??etailer.

Reggie Fils-Aime to leave Gamestop [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Executive steps down following tumultuous period

GameStop has announced that its Chief Financial Officer is to resign from the company next month. Jim Bell, who also holds the position of Executive Vice? President within the video game retailer, will officially resign from both roles on ?March 26.

The retailer noted that as Bell is resigning with "good reason," the soon-to-be-former CFO will receive severance in the region of $2.8 million - over twice their annual salary. The company's filings?? do not denote specifically what led to the resignation decision. GameStop has begun interviewing candidates for a suitable replacement.

The news comes following a particularly chaotic financial period for the company. While GameStop, like many retailers, has struggled to adapt to a changing retail market, these efforts were further hampered by the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the recent stock rush drama only served to further complicate matters, with GameStop stock rising to almost $500-per-share before plummeting to around $40-per-share in the space of a fortnight, as online communities such as Wall S?treet Bets inflated?? prices in order to cause major losses for market short-sellers.

The U.S. Securities and Exchanges Commission is curr?ently investigating the events of the so-called "Gamestonks" rush, in order to ascertain whether any unlawful conduct was committed by any of the parties involved - including?? online communities, independent traders, and stock market trading apps.

GameStop CFO resigns [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Buy Low, Sell High

It was just yesterday that we reported MGM Studios had acquired the movie rights to an as-yet-unwritten book concerning the strange case of GameStop, WallStreetBets, and the U.S. financial market. Well, I hope you're up for a double - or even triple - bill, a??s Netflix is apparently also getting to work on its own small screen adaptation of the phenomenon.

Again reported by Deadline, the movie-streaming service and production company is already outlining a currently untitled retelling of the past fortnight's events, which has seen Redditors skyrocket ailing GameStop stock, much to the chagrin of short-selling hedge fund managers. The Netflix production will reportedly be written by Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty), and will star Noah Centineo (The Diary, Black Adam) in an unspecified role. Producer roles fall to Maker?eady's Brad Weston and Definition's Nick Styne.

While Netflix is yet to officially announce the film or its direction, it is believed that the production will focus on the changing world market in the advent of social media, and how the prol??iferation of sites such as Reddit and Twitter have allowed for the challenging of long-held norms and status quos within society - fueling movements, activism, and involvement within circles that were previously gated-off to the public at large. 

This isn't the first time a complex and strange incident has been the subject of multiple movie productions. Back in 2019, Netflix's Fyre Fraud was released alongside Chris Smith's Hulu documentary Fyre, both of which took an in-depth look at the planning and execution of the? 2017 Fyre Festival, an "elite" live music event that was ultimately a disaster on almost every conceivable level.

Netflix finalizing GameStop stock movie package [Deadline]

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Stonks story headed to the big screen

Well, I guess I called it, though - to be fair - it was an inevitability. MGM has already landed the movie rights to an as-yet-unwritten book charting the chaotic events of the GameStop stock / Wall Street carnage, which is still unfolding in the finance world today.

The new book will be written by NYT best-selling author Ben Mezrich, whose previous works have been adapted for the big screen as The Social Network and 21. Titled The Antisocial Network (ehh), the book will meticulously detail the events of the past week, when members of Reddit group WallStreetBets ??rocketed the stock pr?ice of ailing retailer GameStop, causing major headaches for hedge fund traders. The "once-in-a-lifetime" happening has received global media attention, and has even found i?ts way to the nation's capitol, with the U.S. government "monitoring" the unfolding situation.

As reported by Hollywood publication Deadline, MGM leapt on the movie rights to Mezrich's book, scoring the deal within days of the book's initial proposal. MGM has assigned producer Aaron Ryder (Donnie Darko, The Prestige, Greyhound) to the project, which the studio considers a "priority" given the??? highly topical nature of its story.

For details on this fascinating story, check out our earlier report from Anthony Marzano.

MGM lands rights to The Antisocial Network [Deadline / Eurogamer]

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We are now firmly entrenched in my worst nightmare future

To say GameStop has been struggling as of late would be an understatement. The company wasn't doing great before last year's economic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, then things got so bad that the company declared itself essential by se??lling hand sanitiz??er. With more than a thousand store closings planned? in the next few months, you would think this would ??mean the p?ublicly traded company's stock price would be in the gutter.

Gam??eStop briefly posted its highest stock price ever this morning thanks to a Wallstreet trading subreddit having a giggle and we're now gallivanting in Phillip K. Dick's nightmare world.

The subreddit, r/wallstreetbets, is "a community for? making money and being amused while doing it." In-between the memes of losses, there are discussions of good bets across all the different trading platforms. Somewhere along the way, these Redditors got into a pissing match with estab?lishment Wall Street investors and committed to a war of economic futures against the old guard. To explain how this all went down would take an exceedingly long time to type out and I'd probably get the finer details wrong, but I'll try to summarize it.

Over the past two years, despite an increasing belief that GameStop was more th?an likely on its last legs of life, staunch believers in r/wallstree??tbets pushed their case that the stock was undervalued and to invest then would have great returns if you're patient enough. It started with the idea that the company was undervalued, then it evolved into making a case for an upcoming short squeeze.

A short squeeze is a rapid gain in price for something that is either on the brink of some world-changing discovery or was previously a left-for-dead company that has one last gasp of life. The phenomenon is compounded by the fact that buyers who had previously written the stock off for dead will try to jump on in the short-term to cut their potential losses, therefore driving the?? price up even higher. For a short squeeze to happen, there needs to be a big event or news development to drive interest in the stock.

In the case of GameStop, the catalyst for today's meteoric rise came in August of last year when Chewy co-founder Ryan ??Cohen announced a 5.8 million share interest in GameStop, signaling that it had at least some future. The ball was?? now at the top of the hill and all it needed to do was gain momentum.

Momentum came in the form of the usua??l fall AAA game lineup releases along with the once-every-seven-years console launch. While gains weren't monstrous, they were steady from Se?ptember onward starting at $7.65 a share then and rising to $19.26 by the end of the year. This was used by investors on r/wallstreetbets to exemplify that there was still money to be made.

All through this period, Andrew Left, an establishment financial analyst, warned about the dangers of investing in the stock. Left reported that despite the short-term gains, the physical-based? company had no future in the impending digital age. He's not wrong, but to the ??denizens of r/wallstreetbets, the stock had become a hill to defend, and they weren't going to go down without a fight.

Another bump in GameStop's share pr?ice came when Cohen was named to the board of directors in early January of this year, doubling the stock price in a week from around $19 a share up to $39 a share. At this point to those watching the stock closely, the writing ??was on the wall for a potential short squeeze in the near future – all it needed was a spark.

The spark came late last week after Left announced that he would no longer criticize the stock publicly. The gates were now open for those who were hesitant to jump on, and jump on they did. At one point, the stock trading had to be halted because the stock rose so much over such a short period of time. When a stock rises o?r falls too much over a short period, a timed lock is placed on trading the stock to prevent rapid buying or selling. This was recently invoked in March of 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic started a massive panic sell-off as the world economy took a nosedive. The stock ultimately closed at around $65 at the end of last week.

With no trading allowed on the weekend, interest grew on the internet and r/wallstreetbets. This morning, when the markets opened, a massive amount of people started buying into the share, thereby increasing its value. At 10:47 AM Eastern, the price reached $158.69 a share; the short squeeze was here. As of the writing of this article, that is the peak and since then, prices have begun to return to Earth. Long-term investors in the stock are already posting their wins with one user turning $53,566 into $11 million.

For those who want the fully gritty details, Bloomberg wrote up an excellent retrospective on the players an?d the battles of this economic war. While I still can't see any future for GameStop even as it continues to pivot its strategy, it did make for an interesting and somewhat terrifying look into how the dark cyberpunk future imagined is here already and it's much worse than anything we could have thought of.

How WallStreetBets Pushed GameStop Shares to the?? Moon [Bloomberg]

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Hard times in the high street

GameStop continues to struggle to find its place in a digital gaming world. Between the shift to online sales and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, GamesIndustry.biz reports that t??he retailer continues to see a year-on-y?ear loss in profit, which has forced the closure of hundreds of stores within the past 24 months.

In a recent investor's presentation, GameStop announced that for the quarter ending October 31, 2020, the retailer posted net sales of $1 billion USD. While that figure is certainly not to be sniffed at, it represents a 30% drop in profit for the same period in 2019. Overall, the loss still remains a morbidly positive step for the company's ongoing debt struggles, as the figure is offset by the cost-cutting closure of some 462 stor?es that shuttered over the course of 2020.

GameStop CEO George Sherman spoke of his confidence that the new generation of gaming would help to boost Ga??meStop and its profit margin into 2021 and beyond.

"We begin the fourth quarter with unprecedented demand in new video game consoles that launched in November, which drove a 1??6.5% increase in comparable store sales for the month, despite being closed on Thanksgiving Day and the impact of COVID-19 related store closures, which affected most of our European footprint," said Sherman in the presentation.

"We anticipate, for the first time in many quarters, that the fourth quarter will include positive year-on-year sales growth and profitability, reflecting the introduction of new gaming consoles, our elevated omni-channel capabilities and continued benefits from our cost a??nd efficiency initiatives, even with the potenti??al further negative impacts on our operations due to the global COVID-19 pandemic."

These recent closures join the 321 GameStop stores that ceased operation in 2019, with many mo??re expected to close in the coming months. All in, GameStop predicts to have closed around 1000 retail stores by the end of March 2021, a move that will positively affect the company's outgoings, but will also leave hundreds of workers unemployed during one of the worst economic periods in recent history.

Game??Stop has closed 462 stores this year, 783 in the last two years [GamesIndustry.biz]

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'More pre-Black Friday sale events than ever before'

Employees of big box retailers in the United States are generally subjected to the same annual Thanksgiving routine: Do all the family stuff early in the day because they're off to work in the evenings. The Black Friday creep gets earlier and earlier every year, as each store tries to set the pace for how soon people can shop t??heir sales.

In a bit of refreshing news, GameStop employees will have the full Thanksgiving holiday free this year. GameStop has revealed its Black Friday-centric pl?ans, and it includes all stores in the United States being closed on ??Thanksgiving.

There are likely a couple strategic reasons for the closure. GameStop has announced that it'll host "more pre-Black Friday sale ev?ents than ever before," although it hasn't revealed any of the deals yet. Also, with the pandemic very much still in progress, GameStop is probably (rightly) predicting that in-store traffic will be lower than during normal years. All the hustle and bustle of jam-packed consumerism isn't as cute when there's a contagious vir?us on the loose.

It's the right outcome, especially from a company who has a very recent history of doing the wrong thing. In March, GameStop circulated an internal memo to employees directing them to refuse comp??liance with local orders to shut down at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The reasoning was that GameStop and all its video game hardware and software should be classified as "essential retail."

The logic seems to be that GameStop is hoping to spread sales out over a longer timeline rather than just chasing a spike on Black Friday. We'll ?see if it can r?esist putting all of its best deals on actual Black Friday. Unlikely but maybe. It's not like there will be any new consoles available to lure customers in anyway.

GameSto??p Releases its 'Ready. Set. Gift.' 2020 Holiday Gift Guide [GameStop]

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Pester all the players

Big news out of GameStop today. The in-store experience is going to morph from an underpaid employee asking if you'd like to pre-order a game or buy a protection plan from behind a desk, to an underpaid employee asking if you'd like?? to pre-order a game or buy a protection plan with a Microsoft Surface in their hands.

A new "multi-year strategic partnership" between GameStop and Microsoft will outfit store associates with Surface tablets. A press release from GameStop says "The mobility of Microsoft Surface will allow associates to move freely within the store footprint, meeting the needs of custom?ers faster and more efficiently." There's no escape!

The crux of this deal is far more boring, though. It'll also s??ee GameStop's backend shift to Microsoft's Dynamics 365 ??which is a series of cloud-based business applications. GameStop will also move to Microsoft 365 and Teams at some point for better internal communication.

Lastly, it's mentioned that Xbox All Access -- the rent-to-own pay?ment plan for next-gen Xbox -- is coming to GameStop. That's nothing spec??ial, as All Access is already offered at the other big-box retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. 

Anyway, great news for GameStop employees who want?? to feel a little more tech savvy. Hopefully no one gets fired for streaming xCloud to their Surface while on the clock.

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He's just a baby

Although not really a mainline Zelda game, Nintendo is kind of pulling out all the stops when promoting Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. There's a bonus where Breath of the Wild save data grants a special training sword. There's amiibo support because Nintendo doesn't miss opportunities to sell these physical add-?ons. Now there's a physical pre-or??der offer that might be too cool to miss out on.

Pre-ordering Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity from GameStop will get you a Mystery Guardian keychain??. Here's what i??t looks like:

This guy appears to be the Guardian on the Age of Calamity box art and not any of the Guardians from Breath of the Wild. I guess the Guardians grow up during great calamities. Times of crisis have a way of?? maturing you and elongating your tentacl?es.

Anyway, the Smol Guardian keychain is only at GameStop. Drop a pre-order if you gotta have the little guy.

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GameStop, GAME, Walmart Canada, and Sony are taking more PS5 pre-orders on September 25

It's been a struggle to secure a PlayStation 5 in time for the mid-November launch, and we're gonna keep on struggling for months. If you missed the chaotic first evening of pre-orders, your odds ar?e dwindling, but they aren't at zero. A few retailers are planning to open orders back up ?on September 25.

• In the US, GameStop will have "further quantities of PS5 consoles" online at GameStop.com and in-store.

• In Canada, Walmart will offer more PS5 pre-orders online only at Walmart.ca "late tomorrow morning EST."

• And in the UK, GAME will sell a "limited stock of the PS5 coming tomorrow late morning" online only at GAME.co.uk.

Assuming this goes about as quickly and painfully as the last round, you'll want to have your account of choice primed and ready to go. If you're hoping to land a PlayStation 5 Digital Edition in 2020, that has increasingly felt like a pipe dream. Be prepared to fork over full price for the disc-compatible big boy. There's no room for hesitation at this point. Scarcity – and the perception of scarcity – has taken over.

The retailers didn't specify an exact start time, so you'll want to keep tabs on @Wario64 and pray.

Users on ResetEra have reported that Sony is offering another round of direct-to-consumer PS5 pre-orders on Sept?ember 25. If you registered way back when, be on the lookout for a potential email soon.

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That's about as good as it gets

Nintendo's first-party stuff never really goes on sale??. That's the double-edged sword of Nintendo's Seal of Quality -- when games are this good, you don't need to lower the price. It's rare to find anything more than modest discounts on the best games.

GameStop actually has some pretty great Switch deals this week. The highlight is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ?for $40. That $40 threshold is pretty m??uch the lowest Nintendo games go, so this is basically as good as it gets.

The deal applies to both physical and digital copies. If you want it immediately??, pick digital. If you want physical, have it shipped. If you're the bold?? and daring type, venture out to GameStop and buy it in-store.

This is part of GameStop's Spring Sale that runs through April 11. It's fun to imagine Reggie brokered the sale between GameStop and Nintendo, but the retailer's newest board member probably didn't call in a favor. But the idea th??at Reggie is stretching old connections so that Nintendo's games are finally on sale -- it's too good to go unmentioned.

Here's the noteworthy Switch stuff t??hat's part of GameStop's Spring Sale:

• Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection -- $19.99
• Collection of Mana -- $24.99 (physical only)
• Diablo III Eternal Collection -- $29.99
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze -- $39.99
• Kirby Star Allies -- $39.99
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild -- $39.99
• Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 -- $39.99
• Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle -- $17.99 (physical only)
• Mortal Kombat 11 -- $17.00
• Octopath Traveler -- $39.99
• Sid Meier's Civilization VI -- $14.99 (physical only)
• Splatoon 2 -- $39.99
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution -- $29.99 (physical only)

Spring Sale [GameStop]

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'Essential retail'

GameStop is insistent that it isn't closing its doors anytime soon -- neither forever because it's failing as a business, nor temporarily because of a global pandemic. The lights stay on, even if the fat lady has begun her vocal warm??ups.

In a memo acquired by Vice, GameStop's corporate office has instructed stores to not comply with law enforcement who try to force closure because of the COVID-19 quarantines. Stores were given a flier for employees to hand over??, directing officials to call GameStop's corporate phone numbe??r.

That's the part that's pathetic and tone-deaf: That GameStop asks its poor employees to defy law enforcement and ignore a worldwide crisis. Here's the part that's hilarious: GameStop's logic for doing so is because the video game store fancies itself as "essential retail." The memo reads "Due to the products we carry that enable and enhance our customers' experience in working from home, we believe GameStop is classified as essential retail and therefore is able to remain open ??during this time."

Vice corroborates the memo by saying it was received by many different tipsters who work? in GameStops all around the country. It's also unknown as to whether any stores have actually refused to close down yet. But, corporate seems hellbent on staying open.

In the time since these reports broke, GameStop has sent out a tweet outlining how the retailer is working to create the "safest environment possible." This includes only letting 10 people into the store?? at a time, suspending its trade-in program for 10 days, and canceling all events and launch activities. 

GameStop's handling of the entire coronavirus situation has raised eyebrows. It has been unable to provide stores with ad??equate cleaning supplies, told sick employees they have to use accrued sick leave to self-isolate, and that absences without a doctor's note count as unexcused. GameStop is so determined to prevent sales from slipping any further, that it's burning through the last remaining drops of goodwill it had. Ironically, that might put it out of busines?s even quicker.

GameStop Instruc?ts Employee??s to Ignore Law Enforcement And Not Shut Down [Vice]

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Workers take issue with retailer's handling of COVID-19 pandemic

Video game retailer GameStop has cancelled all midnight launch events for the foreseeable future - including late-night openings planned this week for Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Doom Eternal - in response to the? ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic.

In an internal memo obtained by Kotaku, the retailer told its staff "To maintain the health and ??safety of our guests and associates, it is best that we avoid situations where large numbers of guests are ?gathered indoors or standing in line." It is also stated that demo pods will no longer be active in GameStop locations and implemented a twice-hourly hand-washing rules.

GameStop has recently come under fire after a report published by Kotaku, in which several employees criticised their employer for its overall handling of the coronavirus crisis. According?? to the Kotaku re??port, the company has not been providing its store with adequate supplies of hygiene essentials such as hand sanitiser and toilet paper, leaving employees to purchase these items out of their own pocket. No easy task in the current "panic-buying" climate.

Perhaps one of the more controversial testimonies in the report states that workers who feel sick and choose to self-isolate, but cannot provide doctoral evidence that they have been off?icially "ordered" not to work are being marked by the company as "unexcused absences". No doubt leaving employees in a position where they fear self-isolation could lead to job loss.

This is the latest in a run of difficult situations for the long-time gaming retailers, following a huge decline in sales that has resulted in store closures and?? job losses. While COVID-19 continues to make its impact felt throughout the ind?ustry in many forms, these worrying accounts from understandably frustrated and concerned employees only add concerns to GameStop's future.

Game??Stop cancels midnight releases for Animal Crossing an??d Doom [Kotaku]

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The board is ready

Reggie's coming out of retirement...sort of. Less than a year after stepping down as president of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime picked up a part-time gig ??at GameStop. No, he's not going to be slinging PowerUp Rewards Pro subscriptions.

GameStop is overhauling its board of directors, and that includes appointing Fils-Aime to th??e board. On Twitter, Fils-Aime writes "The gaming industry needs a healthy and vibrant GameStop. I look forward to being a port of the GameStop board and helping make this happen."

The gaming industry needs a healthy and vibrant @GameStop. I look forward to being a part of @GameStopCorp Board and helping to make this happen. //t.co/pYWFGZ9XKj

— Reggie Fils-Aime (@Reggie) March 9, 2020

As we've documented many times, GameStop is in the tough position of watching sales decline and losses p?ile up. Many have accepted its fate as a failing corporation, far more likely to cl??ose its doors than to right the ship. GameStop hopes that Fils-Aime's expertise and guidance can help turn things around. He's not a bad candidate, considering all that he helped accomplish at Nintendo.

Fils-Aime won't be alone. He's part of a leadership refresh at GameStop that also sees Bill Simon and JK Symancyk take up spots on? the board of directors. Simon has experience in the retail and food industries, most notably as the president and CEO of Walmart in the ea??rly 2010s. Symancyk is the current president and CEO of PetSmart.

GameStop Appoints Reginald Fils-Aimé, William Simon and James Symancyk to Board of Directors and Enhances Corpo??rate Governance to Drive Ongoing Business Transformation [GameStop]

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Worth it?

As we've covered extensively in the past, GameStop is in dire straits. The brick-and-mortar games retailer has been hemorrhaging money, as it posts net losses and watches year-over-year sales revenue tumble. Although GameStop brass is fighting tooth and nail to stay afloat, most onlookers have accepted that it's a matter of when rather than if the company will finally go under.

GameStop has hatched a new plan to hopefully get people back in the store on a recurring basis. There has been an overhaul to the Rewards Pro membership program. Subscribing to the $15-per-year program (or $20 a year if you prefer a physical copy of Game Informer rather th?an digi?tal), will net you $65 in GameStop rewards certificates.

There's a catch, though. You get $5 immediately upon signing up, and then $5 each month for the whole year. The coupons aren't stackable, howeve?r; they have to be used within the 30-day period they're distributed.

GameStop has been playing around with rewards tweaks for its Pro membership for a while now. These changes were technically announced last May, but only?? a handful of test stores were included. Now, it's being rolled out across all stores. It's a?lso worth noting that this new structure does away with the 10 percent off used games and accessories that Pro subscribers used to get.

So, that's a free $50 to spend at GameStop over the course of a year ($65 minus the $15 subscription cost). Of course, a steady trickle feed of $5 at a time isn't usually enough to buy anything outright, meaning people will have to spend additional money to make use of the??ir rewards. It might?? be worthwhile for anyone who's already loyal to GameStop. Most other people probably won't be too enticed by modest savings that come with the prerequisite of spending more.

Power Up Rewards [GameStop]

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I still can't believe we don't have Eggman yet

Lyle has hatched from ??his angry little chrysalis into the new year with video game news from the dead god's eye that includes the following:

• GameStop is screwed!
• Grand Theft Auto IV was removed from Steam!
• Smash has a new and very exciting fighter and more!

I'm so glad Fiddy (50 Cent) from 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is making his way to Smash after all these years. Now if we could just get Eggman in the game with his incredible Sonic Adventure 2 theme song, then we'll be all in for an eggcellent time. However, until that time comes (never), I hear the new Fire Emblem character is perfectly fine and good accord?ing to the internet.

Discharged question of the week: which video game character are you still holding out for in Smash?

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The players and their power have gone elsewhere

Things continue to get worse for the once-mighty video game retailer GameStop. For a long time now, net sales have been dropping and net losses have been piling up. That tre??n?d snowballed during 2019's holiday season.

Today, GameStop posted financial results from the nine-week holiday sales period. Compared to the same time in 2018, sales decreased by 27.5 percent. A dip was to be? expected considering that GameStop has been closing stores this year in hopes of cutting costs and righting the ship. However, same-store sales suffered nearly the exact same fate, decreasing by 24.7 percent year-over-year. People have simply stopped shoppi??ng at GameStop at an alarming rate.

Polygon provided some context for this massive drop by framing it against some snakebitten competitors of GameStop's. Toys R Us posted sales declines of 2.2 percent in Q3 2016 before filing f?or bankruptcy. Blockbuster's sales were down 20 percent in 2010 before it went out of business. Those results don't necessarily prove that GameStop is doomed to fail, but history isn't on its side.

GameStop CEO George Sherman blamed the industry at-large for the sales woes, pinning fault on upcoming console launches that sway people from buying hardware in the meantime. Sherman said "We expected a challenging sales environment for the holiday season as our customers continue to delay purchases ahead of anticipated console launches in late 2020. However, the accelerated decline in new hardware and software sales coming out of Black Friday and throughout the month of December was well below our expectations, reflective of overall indu??stry trends. On a?? positive note, we continued to see growth in the Nintendo Switch platform, which supports our view that our sales will strengthen as new consoles and innovative technology are introduced."

As a result, GameStop again lowered its financial guidance for the 2019 fiscal year. It now expects total sales to decline by 19 to 21 percent. Pre?viously, it anticipated a drop of 5 to 10 percen??t. GameStop's holiday season was so bad that its year-over-year sales dip is now two to four times worse than expected.

Will new consoles in 2020 be GameStop's silver bullet? Probably not but they may help stop the bleeding. Quick and aggressive restructuring is the better bet. But, when PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launch, GameStop's holiday figu?res will look all the more impressive because they'll be framed against 2019's dismal numbers.

GameStop Reports 2019 Holiday Sales Results [GameStop]

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Maybe it was just too cold?

Things are going to get worse before they get better, and GameStop seems to know it. If things ever get better, that is. It's a question of if more than when.

In April, GameStop posted its worst financial results in the company's history. A res??tructuring plan was launched, part of which hinged on closing underperforming? stores. This week, GameStop announced that it's pulling out of the Nordic region. By late 2020, all stores in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden will be shut down.

Pulling out of an entire geographic region seems to make sense considering how aggressively GameStop is cutting chaff. This is part of a larger trend. GameStop has already closed 140 stores this year, and it's aiming to axe another 110 to 16??0 before the end of 2019.

GameStop executives are brac??ing for the worst. Previous expected financial predictions estimated a year-over-year sales loss between five and ten percent. That has now been ?adjusted to represent a loss between 15 and 19 percent. GameStop is dying, and amputating some limbs is the only hope for survival.

GameStop winding down operatio??ns ?in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Black Friday redux

Cyber Monday PlayStation 4 deals are live at most retailers, and to be frank the deals are just okay. We haven't spotted any new killer deals, though there are a few new offerings that weren't available on Black Friday. Conversely, many o??f the out-of-stock PS4 deals on Black Friday remained that way, which is quite a bummer if you missed out and hoped they were going to make a?? return.

For PlayStation 4 consoles, the Slim and Pro systems are all discounted at $100 off, but at GameStop they are tossing in a bonus $25 gift coupon on the Glacier White PS4 Pro as an extra incentive. A similar gift co??upon bonus deal also applies to the PlayStation VR bundles at GameStop, the popular ?of which is the Five-Game bundle for $199.

Finally on the game title side of things, new inclusion this Cyber Monday includes Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Deluxe Edition for $49.99, The Outer Worlds for $34.99, and on the cheaper end there's Assassin's Creed Odyssey for $14.99 while Darksiders III is now only $9.99. We'll be adding in more deals as they arrive throughout the day and as these sales extend ??into Cyber Week.

PlayStation 4 Black Friday Hardware Deals

PS4 Pro Deals

• PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB COD Modern Warfare Bundle — $299.99  (list price $400)
• PlayStation 4 P?ro 1TB Glacier White System + $25 Gift Coupon — $299.99  (list price $400)
• PlayStation 4 Pro 1TB Console — $299.99

PS4 Slim Deals

• PlayStatio??n 4 1TB "Only on PlayStation" Console Bundle — $199  (list price $300)

PS Plus Deals

• PlaySta??tion Plus 12??-Month Subscription + 5 PC Games (Digital Code) — $42.74  (list price $60) <- yep, 5 PC games from Intel
• PlayStation Plus 12-Month Card (Digital Code) — $44.99  (list price $60)

PS4 VR Deals

• Pl??ayStation VR Blood & Truth and Ev??erybody&rsquo;s Golf Bundle + $25 Gift Coupon — $249.99 (list price $350)
• PlayStation VR Five-Games Pack + $25 Gift Coupon — $199.99 (list price $300)

PS4 Accessories Deals

• PS4 DualSh?ock 4 Wireless Controller + Fo?rtnite Bonus Content Bundle — $38.99  (list price $60)
• Playstation 4 Fortnite Gold Wireless Headset — $69  (list price $100)
• PS4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller (Black, Crystal, Glacier White, Green Camouflage, Gold) — $38.99  (list price $65)
• Playstation 4 Gold Wireless Headset — $69.99  (list price $99)

PS4 Game Deals

• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Deluxe Edition (PS4) — $49.99  (list price $70)
• The Outer Worlds (PS4) — $34.99  (list price $60)
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (PS4) — $30  (list price $60)
• Control (PS4) — $29.88  (list price $60)
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Breakpoint (PS4) — $27.99  (list price $60)
• Madden NFL 20 (PS4) — $28  (list price $60)
• FIFA 20 (PS4) — $28  (list price $60)
• Borderlands 3 (PS4) — $27.99  (list price $60)
• NBA 2K20 (PS4) — $27  (list price $60)
• Just Dance 2020 (PS4) — $25  (list price $40)
• Sniper Ghost Warrior: Contracts (PS4) — $25  (list price $40)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (PS4) — $24.99  (list price $60)
• Need for Speed Heat (PS4) — $39.99  (list price $60
• Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Master Edition (PS4) — $39.99  (list price $60)
• Shenmue III + Free Steelbook case (PS4) — $34.99  (list price $60)
• Guacamelee! One-Two Punch Collection (PS4) — $19.99  (list price $40)
• Marvel's Spider-Man GOTY Edition (PS4) — $14.99  (list price $40)
• Assassin's Creed Odyssey (PS4) — $14.99  (list price $60)
• Darksiders III (PS4) — $9.99  (list price $30)

Game deals from Dealzon. Sales help support Destructoid.

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