GAME Oxford Street closing down

GAME Oxford Street, home of countless UK midnight launches, is closing down.

That is, it'll shut on 8th September 2012.

In a statement GAME Retail Limited said the closure was due to the expiration of the lease. As Eurogamer sister site Gamesindustry International points out, the store's owner, Lazari GP, had tried to evict GAME from the coveted building in May after a dispute over £100,000 of rent owned, with another customer waiting in the wings.

"We can confirm that we will be closing our Oxford Street store on 8th September 2012 due to the expiration of the lease," a GAME spokesperson said this afternoon.

"Our West End customers can visit our concession in Hamleys on Regent Street, our flagship store in Westfield Stratford, or our websites at http://www.game.co.uk or http://www.gamestation.co.uk. We also have stores in Hammersmith, Surrey Quays, and Westfield White City."

GAME said it's "actively looking at other retail options in the West End". The Oxford Street store staff have been temporarily relocated to other stores across London and the South East.

The last high profile midnight launch at the store was for PS Vita in February 2012.