Slides from Martyn Gibbs' keynote at November 2013's London Games Conference. How GAME is combining the best of the high street and digital channels, driving deeper customer relationships

2. The digital content landscape is evolving rapidly…
…necessitating deeper customer knowledge…
…and deeper relationships…
…and deeper engagement…
…which…
…redefines the specialist retailer’s
business strategy and importance…

3. Accessing gaming content is no longer linear…
Xbox
Physical
PlayStation
Digital
Download
NDS
Wii
Digital Add
On / Items
Over
40
gaming
purchase
options!
Mobile
Subscription
PC / Mac
Streaming
Facebook
Free 2 Play

4. …with deeper and more diverse access to content…
Social
integration
Movies
Streaming
Back
catalogue

5. …yet we try to think it is as easy as music…
1964
2013
No real complexity!

6. …which means we hope that customers…
…have a credit card
…do not want
or appreciate
spoken advice
…believe human
interaction is
unnecessary
…believe that
gaming is simply
about access and
not experience
…only play
one format
…are prepared to
use their credit card
…are prepared to
shop in numerous
online locations

7. …yet such choice brings out individual behaviour…
Licensing
Pre-owned
Indie
content
Subs
New
Releases
Accessories
Points
Exclusives
Charts
Japanese
games
Hardware
Movies
Range
Console
Streaming/
Handheld
Social/
PC
MMO
Mobile
Tablets
digital
boxed
digital
boxed
rental
casual
digital
product
Full Game
Download
Micro
Transactions
DLC
Warranties

8. …which indicates the purpose of specialist retail…
Passion
Engagement
Service
Increasing
Customer
Lifetime
Value
Range
Consumer
insight
Discovery

9. Insert VT

10. Passion

11. Consumer insight

12. Consumer Insight
We’ll get really excited
it’s the most exciting
time of year with
releases we’ve waited
months for
We’ll be pestering
our parents or
saving up for a
new console
We’re likely to start
shopping earlier
for the bigger gifts
like consoles
We’ll be researching,
talking with
friends, reading and
watching reviews –
everything to decide
what to spend our
money on
We want reassurance
that we are getting
the right gift and that
the stock will be there
when we need it –
whether in store
or online
We don’t have much
time, so anything which
simplifies the purchasing
of consoles or games will
be a huge benefit

13. Consumer insight
Gen x & y
Established
gamers
Gifters
Awareness of digital
HIGH
HIGH
LOW
Understanding of digital
HIGH
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
MEDIUM
Cost is
a barrier
Complexity of the
offering
Gifters unaware (but only
15% would not consider
buying digital as a gift)
COST MODEL
SIMPLIFICATION
EDUCATION
Digital usage
Future purchase
intention
Insight
Source: GAME focus groups and surveys - 2013

14. Relationship with digital
Consumer insight
Uses digital
at home
(TV, mobile)
Buys season
pass or
subscription
Buys season
pass or
subscription
Medium
Have bought
points before
Buys DLC
or micro
transaction
Buys DLC
or micro
transaction
Low
No evidence
of digital
behaviour
No evidence
of digital
behaviour
Just
starting
out
High
Gifter
Casual gamer
Relationship with games
Intense gamer

15. Discovery
10% off xBox
Accessories in store

16. Discovery
Streamed content
Touch screen to access content
Content to play
Increased space for digital

17. Range
A SIGNIFICANT
PROPORTION
of our active 1 year base
shop across multiple
formats

18. Service
Accessing digital –
cash is key
Cash, tradein, Reward points
Credit and
debit cards

19. Service
STORE TEAMS
CONTACT
CENTRE

20. Engagement
Over 9m
customer
interactions
every week

21. Specialist retail builds customer lifetime value
Build a
relationship
Reward
Upsell
Support
Follow up
Communicate

22. The call to arms!
Make
Service every
Passion
piece of gaming
content
available to
Engagement
every customer
Consumer
insight
Fully utilise the
Discovery
specialist retailer
as your smartest
use of accessing
Range
digital purchases