GameStop to increase focus on phones & tablets instead of video games

It may have "game" in its name, but retailer GameStop has announced plans to start increasing its focus on "gaming-adjacent" fields while lessening its reliance on video games.

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It may have "game" in its name, but retailer GameStop has announced plans to start increasing its focus on "gaming-adjacent" fields while lessening its reliance on video games. CEO Paul Raines dubbed the initiative "GameStop 3.0," saying that it plans on closing about 2 percent of its retail locations, while opening Spring Mobile and Simply Mac stores instead.

The two GameStop-owned retail brands focus on selling AT&T-branded phones and Apple products. According to GI.biz, GameStop plans on opening over 200 Spring Mobile stores and 20 Simply Mac stores--essentially doubling the footprint of both franchises.

By transitioning away from video games, the company hopes to be like other companies that have made similar leaps. Williams-Sonoma, for example, began as a kitchen equipment retailer that now owns Pottery Barn and West Elm. Perhaps the "stop" in their name meant that they were planning to stop selling games one day?

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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  • reply
    April 23, 2014 3:30 PM

    Andrew Yoon posted a new article, GameStop to increase focus on phones & tablets instead of video games.

    It may have "game" in its name, but retailer GameStop has announced plans to start increasing its focus on "gaming-adjacent" fields while lessening its reliance on video games.

    • reply
      April 23, 2014 3:45 PM

      Good luck with that.

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      April 23, 2014 3:46 PM

      Plus mobile gaming doesn't have retail units

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      April 23, 2014 3:47 PM

      Look how good it worked for radio shack!

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      April 23, 2014 4:26 PM

      They'd be better off transitioning into a chain of marijuana drive-thru shops.

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      April 23, 2014 4:37 PM

      They are going to sell used phone software?

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      April 23, 2014 4:55 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 23, 2014 6:22 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 23, 2014 9:18 PM

      [deleted]

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      April 23, 2014 9:29 PM

      If I were on the management team, staring into the face of oblivion as the digital age marches on I'd be pretty scared too.

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        April 23, 2014 9:32 PM

        then you'd walk home to the small country you bought with all the money you squeezed out of the used game market during the past decade.

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          April 23, 2014 9:35 PM

          the worst part about that is that all the used games they haven't sold are likely going into the landfill

          sure it's probably 99% madden, but I bet there's some rare games in there that they just have no resources to properly catalog and value.

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            April 23, 2014 11:11 PM

            I dunno, every time GameStop has had stock they needed to get rid of they've had well-publicized sales of said stock. When they decided to stop carrying most fifth-gen consoles (and also Dreamcast) you couldn't enter a GameStop without the guys trying to get you to take home some N64 games or something. I picked up my Dreamcast, two controllers, two memory units, and three games for just over $20.

            GameStop hasn't stayed in business by wasting sale-able stock. Anything they have that they think they can get even 50¢ for will be sold to someone, another company that plans to resell it in turn if nothing else.

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      April 23, 2014 9:31 PM

      ahahaha fuck you gamestop

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      April 23, 2014 10:51 PM

      Time to switch back to Electronics Boutique

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        April 24, 2014 6:52 AM

        That name is vague enough to fit anything and what ever future trends. Certainly a lot better than RadioShack or TheShack which they tired to rebrand as.

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      April 23, 2014 11:07 PM

      Last time I was in a Gamestop just cruising through about a month back, I noticed a very large presence of tablets and mobile phones when I walked in. I thought I was in the AT&T store for a sec.

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      April 24, 2014 4:43 AM

      im surprised they are still in business...

      Does everyone remember Electronic Boutique?

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      April 24, 2014 4:49 AM

      Funniest thing about this company. You cant say a negative word about them cause every tom, dick and harry comes out of the wood work and states how much love they have for them and how they need them, and what a wonderful experience they've had with them and how knowledgeable they are and yet, two days ago I was reminded why I stopped shopping there 9 years ago.
      These guys are grade A idiots.
      How they've remained in business this long is one of the greatest mysteries in modern times.

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        April 24, 2014 5:01 AM

        How is it a mystery? They're a specialized retailer in a growing industry and while they're not knowledgeable compared to us internet commentators, they're a lot better (in my experience, and certainly during my time working there) than any of the big box stores. Add to that they carry a wider array of games of varying ages for better prices (as most people don't give a shit about used/new, they just want cheap), and it shouldn't be surprising at all that they continue to do well.

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          April 24, 2014 5:24 AM

          Has nothing to do with all that in my opinion.
          Gamestops are located in either well populated malls or very poor areas. These guys are a pawn shops for video games and that's why they've lasted. People bring in there old games that they either have no more use for, they've stolen, don't want to play and put it towards the new hyped game that they cant afford to buy flat out.
          Whats killing GS is that now there are alternative ways of buying and not all digital. I just bought Yaiba for 7 bucks brand new from Amazon.
          GS is fucked, they know it and they can see the writing on the wall.
          I also worked for this shitty organization, the manager we worked for was pretty great, he was an older gentleman and he ran his store differently.
          As an older man would, not caught up in the hype or anything like that and I truly loved that about him and how he manged the store. When he retired, i left. Cause of course we got a new, young kid that did the exact opposite.
          But I digress.
          GS, knows they cannot compete with that kind of pressure. Even in the pawn shop business they are getting hammered they are so many options now. Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, EBay, glyde...and the list goes on.

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          April 24, 2014 6:57 AM

          The experience you get wildly varies from store to store. Some will have knowledgeable people that actually like games and others will just try to push a sale. They are great if you want to get a old used title but not necessarily great for getting a new title especially if you game at all on PC.

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            April 24, 2014 7:12 AM

            [deleted]

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            April 24, 2014 7:43 AM

            If you game on PC, why are you even going to a store? I mean, if you live in a place with shitty internet, I get it, but I honestly don't remember the last PC game I bought on a retail disc.

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          April 24, 2014 9:49 AM

          The experience at a big box store is much better. They don't pester you constantly and actually have new games in stock on release day without lines.

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        April 24, 2014 7:03 AM

        My name is tom and i have a hairy dick and i would never say that stuff.

        I work on wood for a living.

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        April 24, 2014 9:12 AM

        It's not a mystery when you buy used games for $5 and sell them for $35.

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      April 24, 2014 5:09 AM

      i remember years ago i went to GameStop to buy a video card from them for my EMachines computer, it was a 32mb video card....GASP :)

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      April 24, 2014 5:26 AM

      One step closer to changing their name to PawnStop

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      April 24, 2014 8:39 AM

      I give them 1 year before they claim bankruptcy

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      April 24, 2014 9:03 AM

      I was buying Steam wallet bucks from them because they were selling them at the equivalent CAD-USD values.

      But then they raised all their prices for Steam wallet bucks, and I haven't been back!

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      April 24, 2014 9:40 AM

      I imagine all the free games from Xbox Gold and PSN Plus must be eating into their used game sales a bit, particularly PSN since it often includes games that were big AAA releases just months or a year prior.

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      April 24, 2014 11:29 PM

      The only thing that I use them for is seeing game titles in a RELATIVELY organised manner. It helps me pick out which ones I will look for on PC, download on a console, or just research to learn more about. Also to laugh at their overpriced hardware, incompetent employees, and stupid hype. So more than one reason, but not enough for them to still have physical locations. The days of midnight releases being huge, awesome, events... Sorry GameStop, but I have that shit pre-loaded.

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