Game will not stock EA and Nintendo major releases over credit row

Nintendo has also omitted Game from its list of stockists for its latest major release Mario Party Nine.

In a statement Game confirmed that it will not be stocking Mass Effect 3, but did not confirm whether it would be stocking Mario Party Nine.

Game said: “We currently have a supply issue with regards to Mass Effect 3, which means that Game and Gamestation will not be able to fulfill orders for Mass Effect 3 at this time.We want to give customers as much notice about this as possible and provide them with a range of options ahead of launch.

“We appreciate that this is disappointing for our customers, and we apologise sincerely for the inconvenience that this will cause. We value the loyalty of our customers very highly.”

The retailer said the situation is a temporary one and it is currently in discussions with EA about future launches.

An internal memo from Game group channel director Tom Devine, which was obtained by gaming title IGN, revealed it has taken the decision after its attempt to obtain credit relief was rebuffed by EA.

Games giant EA attended the retailer’s supplier event last week in which Game explained the short-term challenges it is facing as it undertakes its strategic review and refinancing and asked for support.

Devine’s memo said: “We will not stock products if the terms are not right for our business – we will not sacrifice long-term credit requirements for short-term sales opportunities.

“As a result of us taking this position – a position that we believe is critical to our long-term health as a business – we have taken the very difficult decision not to stock EA’s March releases, including Mass Effect 3.”

The memo continued: “As a specialist retailer dedicated to games and gaming, it is never easy to make a decision not to stock a title, particularly one with such a strong fan base, it is imperative that we treat every supplier evenly, that we stick to our commitments, and that we don’t sign up to payment terms that will hamper us further in the future.”

Game said it has already sold copies of the title via pre-order, and that as a “gesture of goodwill” it will allow those customers the opportunity to extra rewards points to their cards.