GameStop to focus less on games and more in phones/tablets

What the hell?


Famous games retailer GameStop is looking to expand its reach in what it deems more viable markets while shedding some weight from its traditional brick-and-mortar GameStop stores.
GameStop CEO Paul Raines gave a presentation at GameStop's 2014 Investor Day -- as reported by Games Industry International -- and revealed his plan for what he's calling GameStop 3.0, "a new phase of the company's lifespan that will see it aggressively expand its footprint into gaming-adjacent tech fields," according to the article.
As such, GameStop has its collective eyes set on mobile, and specifically on Apple-branded devices, like iPhone and iPad. GameStop-owned brands -- like Spring Mobile and Simply Mac -- will expand at a significant rate in the fiscal year to fulfill Raines' goals for the company.
At the same time, GameStop will close between 120 and 130 of its nearly 6,500 global brick-and-mortar locations.

Honestly I'm surprised GameStop hasn't done this sooner. Using a discs for data is a poor way of holding and or transferring data, unless you are looking for something secure. I can see the next generation of consoles going away from hard copies all together as making a disc is just more expensive then just transferring the data over the internet directly to your console. With this possibility I would say GameStop is trying to transform as they are the middleman for this disc creator to customer transaction that may not be here for very much longer. As a PC gamer I have a disc reader for one reason to install windows, and even then I could have used a USB. I have Steam and Origin for all my game downloads and I haven't missed any major titles outside of console exclusives. Its just a matter of time before consoles follow the same path.

This is true but unless you have a really good download connection and or don't feel like have to pay extra on data cap fees wich is the direction most ISPs are going then digital Dl isn't really the best for a lot of people. I like the idea of digital but with out a discount or a plan in place were I can pre download a game and it will unlock at midnight of release then sitting I front of my xbox while I wait for a game to download for a couple hours isn't going to be that great. I'm not a huge fan of gamestop anyway but how can a store called gamestop go away from games. Will they change thier name to mobile stop ? I still wish ms stayed with their original plan for digital content. 
I understand that PC games have been doing digital downloads for a long time but right now the Eco system on consoles isn't all that great in digital downloads. It's ok and it works but you have to wait so d@mn long.

Yeah if they put pre-downloading in place I could see it being less of a inconvenience. As for ISPs I believe that is a myth as if it was a major issue I would have run into it long ago, and even if it is true companies like Google Fiber will pressure the stagnant ISPs to change oligopoly they have created.

I am pretty sure I could have downloaded titanfall in a lot less time than I spent at the store and installing it, but my internet connection is quick.  ISPs can continue to gouge until they get reclassified as public utilities and regulated by the FCC.

Yeah, the ISP data capping is a scary concept and all signs seem to point that we are headed that way with the recent loss of Net Neutrality regulation and the fact that it may become gov't regulated as a utility.  Not to mention the whole Time Warner/Comcast merger.  Things don't look so good for the digital future.  On the flip side, the PS4 is about to enable pre-downloading with the new update next week.  This will allow the pre-DL of titles prior to launch (up to days/weeks early) so you can play a game @ 12:01am launch day.  No driving, no lines, no waiting.  This is how digital media should be and I am sure the X1 will follow suit in future updates as well.  Potential data caps and HDD space are the only things really standing in the way of a full digital future for me.  I'd love to go all digital and I hope I get to sooner rather than later.

S7 Panzer wrote:Honestly I'm surprised GameStop hasn't done this sooner. Using a discs for data is a poor way of holding and or transferring data, unless you are looking for something secure.

Using discs to transmit secure data is a major HIPAA violation due to how insecure it is. Just sayin...  

As for ISPs capping data, it already happens everywhere - after a fashion. Providers are buying the smallest pipes possible and maximizing their line over-utilization. While this doesn't technically put a cap in place, I'd almost rather know when my speed is going to drop rather than going for 25M down to 6M down randomly when too many people get on. (Just using an example I've seen, not my personal connection)

AtrumX wrote:

S7 Panzer wrote:Honestly I'm surprised GameStop hasn't done this sooner. Using a discs for data is a poor way of holding and or transferring data, unless you are looking for something secure.

Using discs to transmit secure data is a major HIPAA violation due to how insecure it is. Just sayin...  

You say that until an EMP wipes out all your sh1t.  Then where is you secure backup?  Huh?  HDD's, Thumbdrives, digital info of any kind will be wiped.  Optical disks may be our last hope!

I just keep my external HDD in a faraday cage.

AtrumX wrote:I just keep my external HDD in a faraday cage.

Touche'

Yes, we Oklahomans worry daily about EMP threats.  And zombies.  And of course Obama taking away our guns.

AtrumX wrote:

S7 Panzer wrote:Honestly I'm surprised GameStop hasn't done this sooner. Using a discs for data is a poor way of holding and or transferring data, unless you are looking for something secure.

Using discs to transmit secure data is a major HIPAA violation due to how insecure it is. Just sayin...  

As for ISPs capping data, it already happens everywhere - after a fashion. Providers are buying the smallest pipes possible and maximizing their line over-utilization. While this doesn't technically put a cap in place, I'd almost rather know when my speed is going to drop rather than going for 25M down to 6M down randomly when too many people get on. (Just using an example I've seen, not my personal connection)

When you mean transmit do mean transport or transport from one location to another over the internet? I was just meaning have a DVD with important information seems in my mind more secure then having that information on some unknown server possibly connected to the internet. I do agree though if you are using a DVD/disc to transport data to another location i would say transmitting encrypted data is safer, but if you are keeping it in one location I feel keeping it off the internet is much safer. I'm not arguing I am just interested in why that is considered insecure, always love to learn.

Possibility of theft is the main reason. Can't put it on Flash Drives, CD/DVD, etc.

That's on the user side of things, where their desks or work stations aren't a controlled environment. Somewhere like a data center is obviously a different matter.

IMO, this seems like a good move for them.  They're seeing they need to expand their game, so to speak, before they become obsolete, kind of the opposite of Blockbuster that really didn't try to change and ended up being basically absorbed by DirecTV.  

I see myself using physical discs less and less after the PS4 goes pre-download.  I rarely trade in games and since you can swap out the PS4 HDD, space really shouldn't be an issue.  That and you can delete a game if you're not playing it and redownload it later if you want to play it again.

S7 Coolhand wrote:Yes, we Oklahomans worry daily about EMP threats.  And zombies.  And of course Obama taking away our guns.

LOL on the latter...