AU's Gameswizards sold

  • By Randolph Ramsay, GameSpot
  • Posted Sep 20, 2006 2:14 pm AEST

UK games retailer GAME purchases Australia's Gameswizards; no details available yet on future branding.

SYDNEY, Australia--UK retailer The Game Group has purchased Australia's Gameswizards chain for AU$3.8 million, according to a Gameswizards officer.

Gameswizards has 14 company-owned stores and eight franchise stores throughout Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, the NSW Central Coast, and country Victoria. The company was established in 1990.

The Game Group, which runs stores under the GAME brand, is one of Europe's biggest game retailers, with more than 700 stores and franchises in the UK, France, Spain, Sweden, and Denmark.

Gameswizards CEO Robert Lukic told GameSpot AU that he was excited about the sale. "We're excited about having GAME on board and look forward to having an aggressive rollout of stores in the future," he said.

Lukic said there was no information yet on whether Gameswizards would adopt the GAME brand in Australia or when and where new store openings were being planned.

"Details are still to be worked out on those issues. I would expect in the next month that the strategic direction of the company will be formalised," Lukic said.

34 Comments

  • Spectre-123

    Posted Apr 14, 2007 12:37 am PT

    I've heard good things about Gameswizards in NSW, I just hope they open some stores in the inner suburbs of Victoria, not in the countryside. With this sale, it may actually be possible.

  • thibbledorfP

    Posted Mar 24, 2007 2:02 am PT

    It's a shame Gameswizards got bought out. As an Australian, it was nice to have a good quality company owned by our own country. The 'Game' company name is pretty unimaginative. Lol. I remember when I was driving down the highway to get to my closest Gameswizards, that I visit once in a while. Normally there was this cool green sign that said 'Gameswizards' but all of a sudden one time, there was this plain white sign that said 'GAME'. But the name is not important. Gameswizards always provided a quality gaming store for me in Sydney, and even though I'm not too happy about the new ownership, it will still most likely have an excellent range of games. We need something to be an alternative to the mediocre EB and their shoddy presentation and unenthusiastic staff.

  • jivemaster

    Posted Sep 24, 2006 8:54 pm PT

    I don't think its all bad. Yes the money is now going to leave the country, but on the upside we'll continue to have an alternative to the horrid EB games. With more money behind them and a store rollout planned, hopefully they can at least make a store here in Brisbane/QLD. There is a HUGE market for it. The only store that comes close to EB here is Gametraders, which is not great, and is only in regional/out of city areas.

    And hey, at least EB didn't buy them.

  • popdude338

    Posted Sep 23, 2006 2:47 am PT

    i agree with u duck_watson i loved gameswizards, was the only store that me or any of my friends went cause it just rocked, very very sad them being bought, will my gold card be useless now, i actually don't really want to buy there anymore if the money doesn't stay in aystralia :'( but i probably have no choice cause EB Games just plain sucks!

  • sirbargearse

    Posted Sep 22, 2006 12:40 am PT

    Games Wizards were a breakaway store from a shop in Sydney that's been in the game (and still running) since Atari 2600 days, The Gamesmen. If there ever was a franchise that should have taken off but hasn't... it's the Gamesmen.

    "Video Games are our Game!" LOL

  • lazaros0504

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 8:35 pm PT

    Good to see another video game chain opening up. Here in Melbourne we recently lost GameRush who went out of business just leaving EB Games and the (often poorly stocked) video game sections of the discount/department stores.

    Hopefully we see a bit of competition (range and price) especially with upcoming console releases.

  • _Sam_

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 5:04 pm PT

    never heard of that company

  • RtX_311

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 4:50 am PT

    Yes, finally we have GAME in AUstralia, they better tchange all the names and build more stores in the eastern suburbs.

  • Monkey_man

    Posted Sep 21, 2006 2:40 am PT

    Sadly no store near me, but its sad that we had to lose a franchise.

  • TheWhippet

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 10:42 pm PT

    Meh, no real lost. It's not like they actually gave you good prices or deals...

  • duck_watson

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 7:57 pm PT

    yeah i loved the games wizards not just because all there games were new wheras EB mostly sold second hand games because of there trade in deals but i also love games wizards cause they were australian owned and my money was kept in my country. i think that is the most depresing thing about it being sold to an over seas country. if theres any aussies out there that agree with me please say so! THERES NO LIMIT AT THE GAMeS WIZARDS ( for all u americans out there that dont no what that means it is there slogan thing that was on there advertisements.

  • 3leMenT

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 7:01 pm PT

    does any one know gamewizard

  • Lupus64

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 7:33 am PT

    TryMe01: "its a shame really cos there goes another aussie brand, look what happened to ratbag entertainment (or something like that), internationals ruined a great South Australian company..."

    I know what you mean dude, what happened to Ratbag was just plain wrong. But yeah, as yet another Adelaidean, I don't really care. Although they did mention opening some more stores, so if Adelaide gets one I'll check it out for sure. As for EB, I buy the occasional game from them, but mostly I buy from local businesses (DVD Crave and Thunderbox for the other Adelaideans)

  • Kalasri

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 7:18 am PT

    I live in victoria and ive never heard of gamewizards. Ive only heard of EBGames and Gametraders.

  • ffe_neo

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 7:06 am PT

    GAME used to trade as Electronics Boutique at one stage within the UK. They purchased the rights to use the EBGames branding for a period of time but they were operating the chain poorly and that reflected on the EBGames brand name and so the association was pulled.

    I'm in Western Australia so we don't have any Gameswizards stores over here but good luck to them. EBGames now have a ton of stores and are aggressively expanding so it will be very tough for them to expand their market share, especially considering that the department stores here also have a fair slice of the action.

  • TryMe01

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 7:01 am PT

    wow, i have never heard of them - probably because i line in adelaide...
    but its a shame really cos there goes another aussie brand, look what happened to ratbag entertainment (or something like that), internationals ruined a great South Australian company...

  • zain_1990

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 5:43 am PT

    Just what we freakin needed another aussie company sold to foreigners, just go away and leave us alone, although i didnt really know about gameswizards until now coz i get games from EB, so yeah lol.

  • alexgangur

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 4:54 am PT

    No elie05, I believe what is meant by country Victoria here is rural Victoria. Either way, I wouldn't have a clue about this article - never been to, nor even heared of Gamewizards. Granted though, I do live in a crappy little place we like to call Adelaide

  • lotsacirclework

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 4:51 am PT

    Who cares, its yet another store that has forgotten about the rest of the country. More games need to use steam, at least that is world wide

  • olthof

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 3:23 am PT

    Nice, this is the type of news that Gamespot AU should be covering

  • aafuss

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 2:44 am PT

    EB is much more dominant here on the Gold Coast, while 1Games Wizards store closed down here.

  • dc0079

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 2:42 am PT

    Don't know if it's good new or bad news.

  • darfvader

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 1:24 am PT

    GAME ownz

  • kungl

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 1:02 am PT

    EB is a ripoff and frankly Gameswizards arent much better. I rarely buy games from game stores, theyr cheaper at department stores, although they usually have a worse range. And the trade in deals are a joke too

  • ELDDJOC

    Posted Sep 20, 2006 12:32 am PT

    Sad ....

    They were so much better than EB, which sucks like hell.

  • whiteteague

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 11:43 pm PT

    NOOOOO!!!!!

  • Sagacious_Tien

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 11:05 pm PT

    I've been to many GAME stores around Europe, but strangely, have never seen a Games Wizards store. I am very sad that they were picked up for such a low price too. With so few stores, I doubt that they will keep the Games Wizards name, even if they have been trading for over 15 years.

  • bubblepaul

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 10:29 pm PT

    Yeah EB is my preference but when this GAME store becomes common out here (im in Victoria), it will be good to see a range of options for games.

    Sad ti see Gameswizards gone though, yet another Aussie business down the gurgler, but great for us gamers, even though a home grown gaming business is gone

    EB is awesome, sad to see Gamerush gone, that was a good store,and i look forward to seeing more of GAME

  • benboz

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 10:06 pm PT

    I have been to Gameswizards down here In Sydney, Australia. I go to that place alot but I usually go to EB Games sometimes.

  • muscrat_01

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 9:42 pm PT

    Never seen one of those game wizard shops before.

    The been 2 one of those game shops in hte UK though.

    Hope that the franchise spreads to Victoria, im sick of EB, and gamerush is dead

  • holmesforlife

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 9:34 pm PT

    Hmmm that sucks damn GAME!

  • Nintendo_Man

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 8:55 pm PT

    There goes another Australian company.
    I doubt we will see them decrease prices (which they need too as they charge as much as EB).

  • elie05

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 8:54 pm PT

    Victoria is a state guys.

    Anyways, nice info. The industry just continues to grow which is great for us gamers. I've never seen Gamewizards....

    EBgames is pretty much dominant here in Melbourne.

  • elessartelrunya

    Posted Sep 19, 2006 8:26 pm PT

    So many mergers lately...

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