blockbuster-uk
Latest
Blockbuster to make a re-licensed return to the UK
2013 saw Blockbuster UK fail to find a buyer after it went bankrupt, so the once prominent DVD and video game rental chain closed its doors in December. However, 2014 is set to see Blockbuster make an unlikely return to the UK, albeit in humbler circumstances. Dish currently owns the Blockbuster brand, and the company quietly licensed it out to Crash Entertainment Group UK at the end of January 2014. Crash is better known for Internet radio stations like Jack FM, but by late 2014 it plans to open 10 stores in the UK, and rebrand the five stores it operates in the Isle of Man. It'll also bring Blockbuster On Demand to Tivo in the country, and start a mail DVD distribution service. So, where do games feature in all this? There's no mention in Crash's initial plans, but back in December the company said should it acquire the Blockbuster license, "games, music, movies, electronics and of [course] rental will be a big part of the business." [Image: Dish]
The end draws near for Blockbuster UK, 62 more stores closed
Blockbuster UK is likely to follow in the footsteps of the recently defunct US arm, after administrators announced 62 further store closures, with 427 employees laid off as a result. The DVD and game rental chain entered administration (a.k.a. bankruptcy) again earlier this year, and insolvency specialist Moorfields Corporate Recovery is struggling to find a buyer for what's left of the once major presence on the UK high street. "Unfortunately we have still not received any acceptable offers," reads Moorfields' statement. "So as a result we may be forced to close the remaining 91 stores affecting 808 employees." Blockbuster UK's tumultuous year, which has seen the company go into administration twice, over 400 stores close, and thousands of employees lose their jobs, will likely end with it finally being laid to rest. The store's demise leaves the country's high street games retail in a perilous state, with major players GAME and HMV still recovering from their own financial struggles from the year before.
Blockbuster UK cuts 72 stores as search for buyer continues
Blockbuster UK faces 452 layoffs and 72 store closures, after company administrators announced "necessary" measures for the once-again bankrupt retail chain. Moorfield Corporate Recovery, the company tasked with finding another buyer for the struggling outlet, said it wasn't an easy decision to make ahead of the Christmas season. "We must reiterate that, as part of our attempts to turnaround the business, today's decision is necessary if parts of Blockbuster are to be saved and a buyer found," Moorfield said in a statement provided to Sky News. The cuts represent around a quarter of Blockbuster's employees and stores, removing another chunk of gaming's presence on the UK high street. Between them, GAME and HMV closed hundreds of stores and laid off thousands of employees after their own forays into administration last year. The news follows the announcement that Blockbuster's US arm will close all 300 stores and end its retail and mail DVD operations in the country by January 2014.
Blockbuster UK finds buyer
Restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers Europe bought Blockbuster UK over the weekend. The multimedia rental and sales chain entered administration in January, a month which also saw Blockbuster's US arm close a further 300 stores. Gordon Brothers Europe acquired the retailer's 264 UK stores, with the BBC reporting 2000 jobs may be saved as a result. How much the sale cost remains undisclosed.With GAME's troubles of last year, the demises of Blockbuster and HMV left UK high street games retail with worryingly threadbare prospects. The administration process leaves Blockbuster with just over half of the 500 stores it had before, while HMV's high street presence is facing a similar level of cutback. However, both the Telegraph and the Financial Times are reporting restructuring specialist Hilco is close to securing a deal to buy HMV, having taken control of the retail chain's debt.
Blockbuster closures in UK hit 160 stores
Deloitte, the group handling the administration of Blockbuster UK, will close 160 of the retailer's 500 stores. Blockbuster UK went into administration Wednesday, appointing Deloitte to the task of handling the bankruptcy proceedings and finding a buyer for the company.Lee Manning, an administrator with the group, told GamesIndustry International, "Having reviewed the portfolio with management, the store closure plan is an inevitable consequence of having to restructure the Company to a profitable core which is capable of being sold." Deloitte noted that more store closings may hit in the coming weeks.
PlayStation Vita out in October, says Blockbuster UK flyer
Blockbuster may have had its share of trouble here in the States, but that doesn't mean its British brother isn't doing well enough to have (and leak) a big-shot release date or two. According to a flyer brandishing the Blockbuster logo and that good 'ol co.uk extension, the PlayStation Vita will land in the United Kingdom on October 28th. That's ominously close to Halloween -- not that we're suggesting anybody is having pre-holiday PSV boot-shakes, or anything -- and the flyer's fall release prediction squares up nicely with Sony's "end of 2011" launch window. As always, we suggest taking rumors and leaks such as this with a grain of salt -- but considering Sony's sinkable record regarding loose lips, we'd understand a low sodium approach. Hit the break to get a peek at the Blockbuster UK flyer -- ready and waiting for your judgement.
Rumor: PS Vita UK release date outed by Blockbuster
If the unverified Blockbuster UK flyer above is to be believed, it can only mean two things: 1) Blockbuster done goofed it, and 2) Her Majesty's gamers will be able to get their hands on Sony's touchy-feely handheld as early as October 28. The mailer was delivered to IGN by an anonymous reader, and while the authenticity of the advertisement has yet to be authenticated, the date does coincide with Sony's global launch window. As of press time, no changes have been made to Blockbuster UK's pre-order listing for the Vita, which still lists the street date as "TBA." We'll be keeping a close eye on this one, but for the time being we're going to file it under "hrmmmm" in our massive rumor rolodex.
