EB Games and Gamestop merged!?

[localflick]

When did this happen?!

http://www.ebholdings.com/default.asp

Babbages, Software Etc. and now EB too? If they get Game Crazy too there's only going to be one major chain of used video game retailers.
I hope they still sell used PC games, for me that was the best part of EB Games.

But does anyone know more about this merger?

[BraveKing]

It happend a while ago

[DragonmasterDan]

When did this happen?!

http://www.ebholdings.com/default.asp

Babbages, Software Etc. and now EB too? If they get Game Crazy too there's only going to be one major chain of used video game retailers.
I hope they still sell used PC games, for me that was the best part of EB Games.

But does anyone know more about this merger?

This was announced around a year ago, it was supposed to have gone through in May but the deal had to be restructured. It was voted on and went through in September. It's only now that they are starting to consolidate both companies businesses.

Anyway, it's not good for the consumer. First off they now have almost complete control over used game prices. GameCrazy isn't nearly as big and are only in Urban areas where there is already Hollywood Video.

Second off where I live for example (Chicagoland) there are a lot of areas EBs and Gamestops directly across the street from one another, in the same mall, or within a block or two away. Obviously since they merged they only need to keep one open and hope to consolidate the business from 2 stores into one cutting costs of rent, employees and such for two stores down to a single store. This means a lot of people will be out of jobs. Perhaps even more frusturating is the manner in which they are choosing which stores stay in business which often has far more to do with lease agreements than which stores are physically larger or have better sales.

Finally the issue isn't JUST used games, the issue is with obscure new games as well. Your average BestBuy, ToysRus, etc doesn't carry a lot of smaller publishers titles, this used to require a trip to EB, or Gamestop (GameCrazy may carry stuff but doesn't always order everything in my experience) or buying it online. This poses as much or more of a problem than just the used market.