High street stalwart GAME, once a major destination for players due to shelves lined with new and classic console and PC games, is shutting another part of its business.
Rocked by the shift to digital gaming, the struggling retailer is axing its twin customer loyalty schemes, which offered points and perks on purchases that could be exchanged for discounts.
As such, members only have a matter of weeks to redeem their remaining credits or risk losing them for good. Better start buying those games on your wishlist, then.
In an announcement shared on its website, the gaming chain said it is ending the GAME Reward and the GAME Elite Membership programmes.
When are GAME loyalty schemes ending?
Customers will be able to redeem their points until the termination date of July 31, but points on new purchases will only be granted until July 15. Keep an eye out for an email containing the final balance on your account, which is slated to arrive the following day (July 16).
Seeing as you may have set up your GAME account eons ago, it may be worth checking any older email addresses that may be linked to it – otherwise your credits could expire.
“We would strongly urge you to redeem your game reward points prior to the closure date on purchases in game stores or online to avoid disappointment,” GAME states on its website.
How many points do you need for a game?
According to GAME’s terms and conditions, the minimum redemption you can make is 400 points, which equals £1. Whipping out the calculator, that means you’d need a whopping 20,000 points to buy a recent game like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth at its current price of £50. Most new games, meanwhile, can cost between £60-£65.
Nevertheless, if you’re a frequent punter, you should have enough points accumulated to get a decent deal on a game or two.
Why the closure?
The move follows the retailer’s decision to stop game trade-ins earlier this year, which previously saw it buy and sell used copies of physical games at a chunky discount.
Game has struggled to adjust to a shifting gaming landscape that has seen players increasingly download titles from online stores, much like you would on a mobile.
The move prompted Xbox and PlayStation to release digital-only models of their latest consoles, neither of which can play physical discs.
During the course of the 2010s, GAME and its overseas subsidiaries went through administration three times. In 2019, the shop was taken over by Frasers Group, the retail conglomerate founded by high street tycoon Mike Ashley, and known for brands like House of Fraser, Sports Direct and Flannels, among others.
Since the acquisition, most of GAME’s standalone outlets have closed down and reopened inside Fraser Group’s other stores. The in-store experience has also changed considerably, according to customers. Taking to Reddit, GAME’s patrons claim it is increasingly pivoting away from video games to toy and merchandise sales.
