UK video game retail chain GAME just can’t seem to say out of the news, as the struggling company faces potential closure. The CEO of Paradox Interactive recently spoke out on the current state of GAME with the belief that their current financial troubles are justly deserved.
At GDC, Paradox CEO Fredrick Wester told GI.biz that GAME’s unethical business practices are finally catching up with them.
GAME has basically been bullying people around and now it comes back to bite them on the ass.
It’s been abusing their situation in the UK for a long time but it always come back to you. Look at EA and Nintendo, they’re not even willing to help. They will take the hit just to get rid of GAME and start over.
One of the biggest problems is they haven’t behaved nicely to other people, so it’s karma.
Wester then went on to point out the current state of PSN and Xbox Live and how their restrictive nature is limiting the potential for indie games.
Why didn’t XBLA and PSN become like the App Store when they came out four year’s before? It’s because they don’t have the same openness to new content, they have multiple filters before you’re in.
No truly independent developers can make it through to XBLA. You can call yourself indie but you need funding, you need technology support. At Paradox we have problems getting onto XBLA with the money we have.
On the App Store you end up with a lot of crap, but you’re not forced to buy it. The customer decides. Angry Birds would never have made it to XBLA, Minecraft would never have made it to XBLA. There are so many games that are million sellers that would never have made it to XBLA.
Right now, Wester believes that the only real hope for GAME is a buyout by GameStop.
