Rumor: GameStop Corp to absorb Rhino
Over on the Cheap Ass Gamer forums panic has begun to take hold. Poster 'FSUEagles' claims that in no less than ten days Rhino Video Games will be officially converted to a GameStop property. While it's hard to imagine the transition would occur that quickly (especially when store managers are allegedly being told today), the acquisition would not be unprecedented.
Aside from the GameStop brand, the corporate umbrella encompasses EB Games, FuncoLand, and Software Etc., and governs 4,592 retail stores throughout the U.S. Adding Rhino, which has fewer than 100 locations, is small potatoes -- the move would be similar to GameStop's 2002 Gamesworld buyout in Ireland -- but still an important step in controlling the used game market. Rhino currently promotes a popular 2-for-1 deal, whereby patrons can trade two qualifying used titles for any one game priced under $50 (a difference must be paid on games that exceed the price restriction). If GameStop does acquire Rhino from Blockbuster then expect trade-in values to diminish overnight.
