EB/GameStop Takes Exclusive DS Title: Settlers
- Scribbled on February 25th, 2007 by Derrick Schommer
- Filed in New Release(s), Nintendo DS, Strategy
So why would a retailer want an exclusive right to a game title? Because the game retail market is tight, low-margin and extremely competitive.
They’re not really holding back too many mom and pop stores, but they will give themselves an edge over companies larger than themselves: Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy and others.
An exclusive to GameStop means there is a one-stop-shop for a specific Nintendo DS game. Perhaps you’ll pickup a DS or some other pre-owned titles while you’re picking up Settlers at the exclusive retailer? It’s more than just a single game.
This is an opportunity for GameStop to syphon customers out of those big stores that will sell items well below cost to bring in eyes. For instance, you may go into Best Buy to get a dirt cheap Music CD, DVD Box set and while you’re there, a Nintendo DS game.
Wal-Mart offers a wide variety of products, shirts, kids toys, cameras, jewelery and video games. They can take a loss on many of their products to get you into the store and up-sell you a DS game.
What does GameStop have? Crappy margins and a drive to sell you pre-owned video games to try to get that competitive edge. An Exclusive for GameStop will draw gamers to their place - not those big stores.
That’s the theory, will it work in practice?
(Thanks, dsfanboy.com)
February 25th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
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