Good Games operates 28 stores in Australia, and has opened two in the U.S., in Indianapolis and Chicago (see "Australian Game Store Chain opens Second U.S. Store"). It currently has a limited U.S. ecomm singles operation, with inventory shipped from the stores, Good Games Managing Director Paul Van Der Werk explained to ICv2.
As part of the deal between the companies, Good Games will sell through the ChannelFireball marketplace, Van Der Werk told us. "As part of our new partnership, Good Games will be selling online exclusively through the ChannelFireball Marketplace and other sales channels integrated through BinderPOS," he said. Good Games will also take over ChannelFireball’s buy list.
ChannelFireball’s inventory won’t be transferred to Good Games until the ChannelFireball marketplace opens, so the size of the deal won’t be finalized for some time, but ChannelFireball’s inventory includes "millions of cards," Van Der Werk said. ChannelFireball is the third or fourth largest retailer of Magic: The Gathering singles in the U.S.
The deal includes only Magic: The Gathering cards, which means a home will still have to be found for ChannelFireball’s Pokemon TCG inventory. The company has committed to have exited the selling of Magic and Pokemon singles at launch of its marketplace.
"ChannelFireball is getting out of the business of selling our own singles and into the business of selling the products of the local game stores on our marketplace; we don’t want to compete with stores, we are working for them and with them," CFB Group President Jon Saso said of the transition.