Quantcast



To be honest, Marks & Spencer is known more for giving upper class wannabes a place to shop than providing gaming hardware, but its recent decision to decline sale of the Xbox 360 can be nothing but a damaging blow to Microsoft's already shaky PR in the games world. After offering a free 2 year warranty on all its electrical goods, Marks n' Sparks has perhaps wisely chosen not to sell the notoriously unreliable 360, not willing to put faith in a machine with such infamous faults.

Rival machines in the PS3 and PSP are already offered by M&S, who will also be bringing Nintendo products to its shelves once a steady supply of Wiis can be guaranteed. The reputation, however, of the deathly red rings precede Microsoft. Granted, it is only rubbishy Marks & Spencer, but could stories like this become a trend? What do the Dtoiders think?








More gaming stories around the web. Got news? Submit yours to tips@destructoid.com

Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize. Likes PS2, iPod Touch, Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid, Dynasty Warriors 3 Meet the rest of the team



Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

26 comments | showing # 1 to 26
prev next

Nintendork's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:15
Nintendork
I really cannot believe they even sell games.
And to be honest I can't see this affecting anything or anyone whatsoever.
I mean what gamers shop in M&S? Especially for their games, when there's probably a tesco next to most of them selling the same product at internet prices. Or you know, actual game specialist stores that have some clue about whats going on in the games industry.
Honestly, all this means is that some rich bitch will have to venture outside of her grocery store to buy little timmy that nice shiny elite this christmas.
People wont not buy it because they can't get it from there, they'll just give someone else their money.
M&S need to stop being so fucking up themselves and sell what people want.
Rant over.
Though Jim, what are your thoughts on this superb supermarket chain?
Nyteshade's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:18
Nyteshade
I seriously doubt any other "big box retailers" will be dropping 360s. If the company isn't stupid enough to provide their own two-year warranty than it's profit for every 360 sale, even if they break, because then it's Microsoft's fault and problem.

Of course everyone is going to take broken 360s back to the retailer if you can, it's an easy exchange, rather than shipping it off to Microsoft. Add in a free two-year warranty and a 30% fail rate (maybe?), and you've got a big problems.
MrFudge's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:19
MrFudge
Sexual Euphemisms in ads FTW, is it wrong that the champagne popping it's cork in the M&S adverts looks delicious to me?

I reckon that the people who shop in M&S are more likely to buy a PS3 anyway.
cjpkiller's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:25
cjpkiller
I went to england and didnt mind marks and spencers so much. but then again I'm from america and everything in england was fucking expensive anyway (ie double) it probably wouldve helped to actually leave london but w/e
if you think about it though t makes sense, if they offer a two year warrenty on electronics, and the xbox for me at least has already died four times... that is a shit ton of money out of their pocket. at least theyve got some half decent, if not over priced food in M&S its hard finding good food in britain as is... all you people eat are crisps, digestives and tea.
ExxonAmadeus's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:28
ExxonAmadeus
London is ridiculously expensive and full of Arab oil-baron's wives. In Harrods for ONE mushroom, about an inch long..... £70!!($138) It's damn laughable.
Eschatos's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:30
Eschatos
Assholes. Despite having a few problems, the 360 has the best games so far(except for PC). Don't support it at your own peril.
Grapefruit Juice's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:34
Grapefruit Juice
Silly Britains, next thing you know theyll write Churchill out of the history books, and pretend muslims didnt blow up those subway trains. oh, wait...
Kif 's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:39
Kif
What the shit? M&S is a fucking clothes/supermarket store for middle-class people who think they are posh. Who the fuck is going to buy an Xbox 360 from Marks And Spencer?
ElRhino's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:40
ElRhino
i have never heard of a marks and spencer
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:41
ArrestedDeveloper
This doesn't affect me at all. USA! USA! USA! USA!
macr's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:42
macr
Marks and Spencer isnt Britain. Fuck knows why i just wrote that though, this country has gone to shit in recent years, gets more and more like america every day :P
Kif 's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:45
Kif
@Hells: Heh

OK, let me rephrase that. Who the fuck would want to buy an Xbox 360 from Marks And Spencer?
itrenorg's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 16:54
itrenorg
Aside from the fact that this company aims at the higher class, which I'm sure is more likely to buy the most expensive console out there anyway, I'm kinda glad some company (or any entity besides the customers) is actually looking at the failure rate of these consoles and taking it into consideration.
lowercaseluke's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 17:09
lowercaseluke
Even if they did deign to sell 360s, it's be at least £20 more than everywhere else.
zardoz's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 17:11
zardoz
Yes Jim, this indeed is an early sign of a new trend. This is what Nintendo have been working towards since the Wii's launch. Microsoft are also well up for this shift in videogame representation, and we''ll see that more the longer Microsoft stay in the videogame industry. Next year, walk into a store like M&S or John Lewis, don't go into the tech areas of the store, insteed walk into the health and lifstyle areas, bet you anything you will see Wii Fit.

I'm not saying it's a good or bad thing, actually I am, I think it's a good thing, I personally applaud efforts like BioShock and Wii Fit, a move away from the gay porn action fantasies which seem to be the starting point for 90% of games.
Neonie's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 17:17
Neonie
The commericla made me lol. But still... not carrying the 360 and carring the crappy PS3? That just = epic failure.
Kif 's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 17:19
Kif
Honestly, when has M&S ever stocked video games? I bought fucking Amiga games from Boots once as a kid, but never anything from there. Our one is shit anyway, although it's not just shit... it's M&S shit.
Capn Birdseye's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 17:23
Capn Birdseye
I think people are missing the point, here is a store that knows nothing about games at all not stocking the 360 because they hear they are unreliable.

It may not make too much of a difference to sales if THEY don't stock it, but it shows how far the RROD saga has gone towards effecting the conciousness of the casual consumer/stockists.
maxio098ui's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 17:30
maxio098ui
oh snap, it broke my dreams of buying a xbox from m&s. probaly overpriced but who cares.
Falkonite's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 17:42
Falkonite
This is like saying a shoe store decided not to sell hats, or football gear. (American football, not soccer since cleats are considered footwear) I mean honestly, Microsoft has the money, and the backing for this not to fly anywhere else, and if it does start to become a trend then MS will undoubtedly unleash some manner of guarantee to retailers or extra incentive to carry them.
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 18:00
MechaMonkey
M&S won't sell MS products? It's Acronym Madness!!
DGX Goggles's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 20:24
DGX Goggles
Umm...NO. Maybe when a store that more than 5 people know about does it like say Best Buy.
Velt's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 21:34
Velt
Well, I dont think it is important, the important thing is that the xbox 360 is not reliable in hardware. Im not a fanboy, i only own a ds, i live in south america, i always say that i wanted a 360, but if the thing breaks, then im screwed and i loose my money. So for me it doesnt matter, is not reliable and has left me wishing it was good hardware because i wanted to play the xbox360 titles, i hate microsoft for that, they have a full department of engineers and they couldnt, still, after a couple of years (and in this industry thats a lot of time), make the damn thing work fine. They keep loosing money on the thing... if i was a shareholder i would be pretty pissed.
Boolean's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/22/2007 23:14
Boolean
Wait, so the the whole time the 360's have a console breaking problem, they sell the console with no worries. As soon as Microsoft FIXES the problem and says it wont happen anymore, they STOP selling the console over fear they might break?

God bless the idiots.
Miller's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/23/2007 00:05
Miller
I don't think this will have much effect on the PR of the 360 either. I mean as said earlier most games probably don't shop at M&S anyway. And if they do, so what, they can hear all the good things about it from other shops.
plkrtn's Avatar - Comment posted on 08/23/2007 03:32
plkrtn
They never sold consoles until November, so why worry about a shop that no one goes to for their electronics??
prev next

Comment with Facebook





Click connect and comment instantly!

Comment with Dtoid





New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds

Comments policy

Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?

Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!