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GameCrazy store liquidation starts today, everything 20% off
Moving right according to schedule, GameCrazy today officially began liquidating outlets across the US, with remaining inventory in stores reduced in price by 20 percent. An internal memo we received details the liquidation proceedings, confirmed by multiple calls to remaining GameCrazy outlets across the East Coast. "Beginning May 21, your store will introduce a special sales strategy featuring 20% OFF sale on all software and hardware items," reads this particular store's notification. Apparently "The Great American Group" -- an auction, liquidation, and appraisal contractor -- will be handling oversight of the liquidation, advertising as much on its website (as well as being mentioned repeatedly in the notice we received). It also appears that the group has yet to finalize an incentive plan for remaining employees, though the document assures that they'll hear something "next week." A list of remaining Movie Gallery, Inc. outlets, including many GameCrazys, can be found here (warning: PDF link).
GameCrazy internal document confirms liquidation of remaining stores
click to enlarge Movie Gallery Inc., owner of the GameCrazy, Hollywood Video, and Movie Gallery franchises, is officially closing its remaining 2,415 outlets across the US. An internal memorandum obtained by Joystiq confirms reports that the company will be closing its doors and liquidating its remaining stock over the coming weeks. "A decision has been reached by the board of directors to liquidate the entire assets of the organization," the document reads. The piece also notes that the store closing sale will "likely continue for up to 60 days" and that employees who stick it out to the end will receive "store associate incentive plans" as a reward. Additionally, it assures said employees that "The company expects to continue to pay associates and provide current benefits and insurance programs during your active employment until you are released from the store or the store closing sale ends." It would appear that discount levels and liquidation plans have yet to be finalized at the company. "We are also in the process of evaluating liquidation vendors who will oversee the store closure and sale process in conjunction with our company ... the consultants will advise us on appropriate discount levels, advertising, in-store signing and in-store merchandising in order to facilitate a smooth process." And though it's not explicitly spelled out, the piece states that "most" normal operating procedures and company policies will persist through the closings. We wish the best of luck to the approximately 19,000 employees affected by the closure.
WSJ: GameCrazy officially shuttered in US alongside Hollywood Video
GameCrazy's parent company Movie Gallery Inc. is said to be shuttering the approximately 250 remaining GC stores across the United States, alongside 2,165 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video outlets. Roughly 19,000 people are estimated to be out of work due to the closures, according to a Wall Street Journal report, and the company is said to be filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. People "familiar with the matter" told the WSJ that the chain considered "reorganizing around smaller core stores" before filing for bankruptcy, but the idea "never got any traction." It also appears that the 184 or so Canadian outlets will remain unaffected, but we've heard nothing official yet. Reportedly, the US stores will begin liquidation "over the next couple of months" until inventories run dry, mirroring the murmurs we heard this past weekend. While the reality that GameCrazy is suffering this fate certainly appears likely (our tips box seems to corroborate the information), we should note that Movie Gallery Inc. has yet to issue any formal statement regarding the allegations. Our calls to GameCrazy corporate have similarly gone unanswered. If you are a GameCrazy, Hollywood Video, or Movie Gallery employee with any form of official documentation on this subject, we'd love to hear from you. [Via GameSpot]
Rumor: GameCrazy closing all remaining stores
[Effluent Suburbia] After a handful of reports from several current GameCrazy employees and about a dozen calls to GameCrazy outlets across the country, we believe that the retailer will in fact be shuttering its remaining 250 or so locations in the coming weeks. Speaking with one such GC employee in central Pennsylvania, we were told, "Movie Gallery as a whole [GameCrazy's parent company] yesterday filed for Chapter 7, which indicates that the whole company is going through liquidation. I was in on the conference call yesterday ... it looks like this week and the week after they're going to go through finding a liquidation company to buy [the remaining products]. It's going to be business as usual for the next two weeks, we'll see our releases for the next two weeks, but we'll likely be closed by the end of June." The alleged bankruptcy filing has yet to appear on Movie Gallery's stock page or in the SEC database. We've attempted to gain official word from corporate, but the company refuses to acknowledge whether the chain is closing. Whether there was any internal documentation, one employee told us, "Unfortunately, there aren't any new memos on the intranet related to it... the last one was on 4-21 ("Important Closing Store Update"), and then there were a few on 4-20 ("Select In-Store Programs Cease" and "Letter from Roger Dunlap - Closing Store Announcement") and one on 4-19 ("Special Order Games Department Closing") The newest stuff was on the conference call yesterday, which I wasn't apart of." That said, our past experience with GameCrazy has shown that when several employees tell identical stories about store closures across multiple states, they're not likely colluding on an elaborate ruse. Additionally, we were told by an employee that "after the 18th [of May], we're done with pre-orders." He also encouraged customers with pre-orders to come in and pick up any deposits they've placed on games being released any time beyond the immediate future. If you're a current GameCrazy employee with information you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Game Crazy parent files for bankruptcy, 250 stores to remain
Game Crazy can't catch a break as parent-company Movie Gallery has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. When the dust settles, only 250 Game Crazy locations will remain. The company already closed over 200 locations late last year. In total, Movie Gallery plans to immediately liquidate and close 760 stores in its financially fallible trinity of brands: Movie Gallery, Hollywood Video and Game Crazy. The company hopes to emerge from the "restructuring" with a "new and sustainable business model centered on a smaller base of profitable stores." The only division of the business unaffected by the bankruptcy is the company's Canadian operations. At least that's one good thing, eh? [Via Industry Gamers]
Closing Game Crazy stores begin clearance sales this weekend [update]
The 200+ Game Crazy stores expected to close by the end of October will begin a liquidation sale, starting this weekend. Locations expected to shutter have received boxes and a list of items that are to be sent back for redistribution, which allegedly includes "all systems, major first party accessories (controllers, memory, etc)." The "majority" of games released within the last year will be also be sent out, "both new and used." Several employees have commented that closing stores will likely be "pretty bare" by the time the sale starts.The timetable for the liquidation, corroborated by several sources: 10/3-10/11: 30% off everything in the store 10/12-10/18: 50% off everything in the store 10/19-Closing: 80% off everything in the store There doesn't seem to be a consistent date for when the stores will close, but we haven't heard of any location staying open beyond October 27. We continue to work on getting a master list of which stores are closing, as well as a list of items sent back for redistribution. Request for official comment from Game Crazy corporate on several issues, including what customers with pre-orders at closing stores should do, have gone unanswered. If you're a Game Crazy employee with more details, please feel free to contact us*. *Tips will remain confidential, please leave a valid email address in case we have further questions. Thank you!Update 2: If you know of specific locations closing, click here.Update: Adjusted liquidation dates slightly following new information.[Thank you to everyone who contributed to this story!]
Game Crazy closing 200 locations in October [update]
Joystiq has learned that retailer Game Crazy plans to close 200 of its approximately 680 locations at the end of October. Sources working at Game Crazy stores attached to Hollywood Video locations have told us that the movie rental chain will remain open after their stores' closures.Game Crazy's official statement on the matter: "Movie Gallery, Inc. is currently operating in an unprecedented consumer/retail environment. In order for us to continue to best serve our millions of customers across North America we're addressing underperforming stores and ensuring that there is sufficient [return on investment] associated with each of these stores going forward. The vast majority of our stores will be unaffected by these efforts."For those who've placed a pre-order at a Game Crazy, it would be advisable to check if that location will still exist at the end of the month. We are currently working on obtaining a list of locations affected. If you're a Game Crazy employee with more details, please feel free to contact us*.Update: If you know a specific location is closing, help us with our master list: Click here.*Tips will remain confidential, please leave a valid email address in case we have further questions. Thank you!
Best Buy testing price matching of used games
"Why buy used when you can buy new?" asks a new Best Buy retail display discovered in West Jordan, Utah [via CAG]. According to the poster, Best Buy will offer new video games for the same price as used equivalents from GameStop and GameCrazy. With GameStop's used prices at least $5 cheaper than retail price, shoppers are guaranteed to get a small discount on every new game at this Best Buy location.It's currently unclear if this is a nationwide Best Buy policy, or if it's simply a localized test. We've contacted Best Buy for more information, and will update the story with an official statement. Until then, let us know if your local Best Buy is also participating in this program. Update: A Best Buy representative informed us that this is, indeed, a local test and not a nationwide program. Hopefully, the "test" proves positive, as we'd love to see this program expand.[Thanks, tmacairjordan87!]
Blur pre-order bonuses make decision about where to buy less clear
Activision has announced the pre-order bonuses for Blur, which include different extras for three different retailers. Don't worry too much about being forced to choose -- it's just digital stuff, and not, like, a hat or anything.Pre-ordering Bizarre Creations' latest racer from GameStop (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) will net you an "Exclusive Multiplayer Advantage Booster Kit" which unlocks a Ford Bronco and an exclusive "Last Man Standing" multiplayer survival mode, as well as a "Double Fans" bonus for the first ten multiplayer races, which increases your ability to earn money.Those who pre-order from Game Crazy will receive double cash for the first three single-player races. And purchasing the game on the release date from Best Buy gets a code to unlock a Dodge Hennessey Viper.Activision still has yet to officially reveal when that release date will be, though all three retailers agree on November 3.%Gallery-69456%
Nintendo turns Game Crazy stores into Wii Sports Resorts
If you're looking to try out Wii Sports Resort just a bit early, check out your local Game Crazy next weekend. The retailer will host a sneak preview event for the MotionPlus minigame collection on Saturday, July 25, just one day before the North American launch of the game. From 10am to 8pm that day, Game Crazy visitors will get to try out Resort, and also enter to win one of two $1,500 gift cards "toward a real-life resort vacation." The following day, Game Crazy will offer an extra 20 percent on games traded in toward the purchase of Resort, which suggests that they do expect people to buy some and not just play it in the store all day Saturday.%Gallery-27709%
Game Crazy releases useful retail app for iPhone
In the madness of E3, retailer Game Crazy released a nice little app for the iPhone/iPod Touch. The impressive little program gives all the standard info we'd expect, but a nice touch is that it also gives users the current trade-in values and prices for used titles, there's even the option to view trailers.The app is free and the only super useful function we noticed it's missing is the ability to give real-time information of titles in stock at stores. Currently, all it does is note the nearest Game Crazy location. We've contacted GameStop to find out if it has something similar in development, but knowing that corporation, we don't expect its app to give trade-in values. Actually, come to think of it, we halfway expect the GameStop app to ask if we'd want to pre-order anything before even opening.[Thanks, Brian J.]
Win a trip to Waverly Hills Sanatorium from Game Crazy during RE5 launch event
Game Crazy is holding a little palpitation-inducing promotion during its Resident Evil 5 midnight launches this Thursday. Five customers who purchase the game will find a "T-Virus" icon inside the box, which will grant them a trip to Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, KY -- a "haunted hospital" shut down in the '80s for "alleged" patient abuse.Although the probability of winning is slim to none, just keep an eye out for the icon if you purchase Capcom's action-horror title from a Game Crazy location. The winners of the "fright-filled" trip to the sanatorium can bring a guest along for the loco experience July 11-12. There are also five T-Virus stickers in boxes at Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery -- those winners receive a year of free video game and movie rentals.
Activision reveals other pre-order bonuses for Guitar Hero: Metallica
The pre-order bonuses for Guitar Hero: Metallica run the gamut of usefulness when dealing with down payment freebies -- the first (and unquestionably most desirable) of these bonuses we already knew about: Dropping a paper Lincoln on the title at GameStop will net you an extra drum pedal with which to face the game's most punishing percussion solos. A bit further down on the Scale of Practicality is the pre-order bonus for Hollywood Video and GameCrazy: A pair of Guitar Hero: Metallica drumsticks. Not an amazing gift, but it sure beats a keychain.On the complete opposite side of the aforementioned scale is the gift that Best Buy patrons will bring home: Tattoo sleeves. We can only imagine that they're talking about those fake slip-on things that make it look like you've swapped appendages with Tommy Lee, and not, you know, actual tattoos. We assume that particular consumer electronics retailer has some policy prohibiting in-store decorative body modification.
Game Crazy holding Street Fighter IV tournaments Feb. 20 [update]
Retailer Game Crazy will be holding Street Fighter IV tournaments at 20 stores across the nation, with $500 as the prize for those who hadouken to glory at each location. The single-elimination, one-on-one tournament begins at 7PM on Friday, February 20. This is not to be confused with the national GameStop/EVO tournament, starting the following day.There is no cost to enter and there is no pre-registration; competitors must be at least 13 years of age. There is also no limit on the number of participants allowed at each location, so these things could potentially go on for quite some time. We've asked Game Crazy to clarify which console it plans to use and whether players will be allowed to bring their own controllers (long shot, we know, but it's worth asking). The full list of venues can be found after the break.Update 2: Game Crazy will be using the MadCatz 360 Arcade Fightstick for the tournament. Second place winner, as well as one randomly drawn participant, will also win those controllers at the end of the tournament.Update: Questions regarding tournament console and controllers answered after the break.%Gallery-21918%
GameCrazy LittleBigPlanet preorder details
What? You mean you don't want a Kratos sackboy from GameStop? Oh, you want something physical you can hold in your hands? Then we'd recommend the LittleBigPlanet pouch. The pouch is designed to fit a PS3 Blu-ray case. If you are interested, pick up one of these by preordering your copy of LittleBigPlanet from GameCrazy. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there is an online option, which means you'll have to head to a physical GameCrazy location. Check out the nearest one in your area with this store locator. [Thanks, Henry E.!]
Star Ocean discovered in GameCrazy system, for November release
Square Enix's PSP Star Ocean games should be hitting the States this November, if this listing from a GameCrazy store is to be believed. The RPG remakes will retail for $39.99 each. Square Enix has yet to officially announce a localized version of the game, but with this new evidence (and the listing found on GameFly), it's clear that the games are coming to the US.[Thanks, Chibi-L!]
Chaos, Panic, Disorder: WAR CE pre-order rundown
As tumultuous as the delay has been for the Warhammer Online fan community, an even bigger headache has loomed in the minds of many. One of the biggest details to come from the announcement of the Collector's Edition and its myriad of goodies was that those who put in a pre-order for the CE would get early access to the Open Beta and a head start on the rest of the Warhammer fanatics when it finally comes time for release sometime this fall.That's all well and good, but who could have anticipated the sheer number of discrepancies and problems that have arisen from these simple perks? Different retailers are handling the distribution of codes differently, there are gaping holes in the system that allow for exploitation, players are reporting on bunk codes, orcs and dwarves living together, mass hysteria! Having navigated this minefield ourselves in the quest for that delicious artbook, we thought we'd give you a bit of a rundown on the situation.
Contra 4 preorder gift cancelled, life loses meaning
Outside of appearing in GameCrazy's "system," Contra 4's rumored 20th Anniversary reservation bonus never officially existed, but that didn't make it hurt any less when we heard today that publisher Konami nixed that listing from the retailer's catalog, shooting it out of the sky like one of the game's power-up blimps.Considering Contra 4's rapidly approaching November 13th release date and the ballyhoo Konami raised to promote Castlevania's 20th Anniversary pack, it's likely that we'll never see the alleged preorder gift. If you need us, we'll be sobbing in our room for the next five or so hours, staring at the ceiling fan above our bed while we lie there in the dark, an MP3 of Linkin Park's "My December (remix)" playing on repeat.[Via CAG]
Rumored Contra 4 preorder gift: 20th anniversary pack?
We sped through a jungle full of enemies and flipped over exploding bridges to report this gossip to you as soon as we heard about it -- Contra 4 preorders will come bundled with a set of 20th anniversary goodies.We usually try to not let the internet's random scuttlebutt addle our brains with its false promises and outright lies, but if you can remember the Castlevania 20th anniversary pack that accompanied Portrait of Ruin's release, you'll understand why we're finding it so hard to contain ourselves after hearing this rumor. Konami rewarded Castlevania fans who reserved the game and paid a five-dollar premium with a 48-page art book, a 20th anniversary soundtrack CD, a Castlevania stylus and cart case, and a small timeline/poster, all packaged in a black box with a faux-wax seal.So, what're you hoping will be included in this hypothetical preorder bonus? More branded accessories? A CD with Contra tracks remixed by Virt?! A sweaty bandanna?!!! Yeah right, we wish. See also: Nintendo Power poster: Contra 4 porn[Via CAG]
Game Crazy owner facing massive financial problems
Bad news for fans of video game retailers that don't have a "Stop" or "EB" in their name. Movie Gallery, owner of over 600 Game Crazy stores nationwide, is having trouble paying off massive debts accrued from its purchase of Hollywood Video and Game Crazy in 2005. The company posted massive losses in the second quarter of this year and creditors just granted a final extension on the company's loan payment obligations to Aug. 27.The company will stay open "without interruption as we work through this challenging period," according to a press release, but rumblings around the industry are that they might have to sell off assets before too long. If that happens, you can bet that other video game retailer will be ready to swoop in with a bid to increase its market share. Hooray for monopolies![Thanks Chuck]
