Media roundup: Game, COI, Metro, Asda and NFC

Game Group to close 277 stores and put up for sale
Game Group, the high street retailer behind Game and Gamestation brands, is to close almost half of all its stores and make 2,104 employees redundant, following months of sluggish sales and rising tensions with suppliers.

Government comms boss Grey defends COI closure

The senior civil servant in charge of government marketing campaigns has defended the administration against charges that it does not see the value of advertising.

Metro begins tablet push in London as free Wi-Fi commute looms
Metro, the city-centric free newspaper, is launching its first consumer marketing campaign to promote its tablet edition in London today, ahead of parts of the capital's Tube and Overground rail networks becoming Wi-Fi enabled.

Asda brings back voucher activity for Easter period
Asda is targeting Easter shoppers with a fresh bout of voucher activity that offers customers £5 off a £40 shop on top of its Price Guarantee promotion.

Heralded NFC yet to make a splash in outdoor
Less than 2% of Europeans have used Near Field Communication (NFC), according to new research, which found the benefit offered by interactive ads was more important than the way people could connect to them.