With the online game trade more and more shifting towards a ‘digital-only’ enterprise, there was some rumor and hypothesis constructing these days that online game retailers, comparable to GAME, may probably cease promoting bodily video video games altogether within the close to future.
Reviews have been circulating that GAME is on the brink of make modifications to its enterprise mannequin and begin solely promoting bodily sport items and {hardware} gadgets by its web site, with pre-orders, deliveries, and in-store collections additionally being out there.
Nevertheless, avid gamers shall be glad to know – particularly these collectors on the market – that because the report was launched, GAME has already responded and the UK’s largest gaming retailer has acknowledged that the data is fake and that the reporting was not true.
The corporate has assured its prospects that it’ll stay trustworthy in its dedication to the bodily sport market and can proceed to supply the total extent of bodily sport availability, together with all of the {hardware}, software program, reward playing cards, and collectibles too, all of which can stay out there each in-store and on its web site.
Nevertheless, even with GAME’s assertion of dedication to the bodily gaming trade, {the marketplace} is generally outdoors its management and it’d simply be a matter of time earlier than we begin to see some severe modifications to how avid gamers purchase their video games.
These modifications are literally already effectively underway and a few shifts in GAME’s enterprise practices this 12 months are proof of it. For instance, GAME began to terminate its trade-in and pre-owned gross sales aspect of the enterprise in January, and earlier this month ceased its Xbox All Entry program and loyalty reward schemes.
The online game retailer has acknowledged on a number of events that, if want be, it’s keen to be the ‘final man standing’ in relation to promoting bodily video games and believes there’ll all the time be a spot for bodily video games, whether or not it comes within the type of gaming memorabilia just like that of a vinyl report retailer, or in collectors and limited-edition releases.
With that mentioned, a time may very well be quick approaching when avid gamers are not in a position to purchase bodily copies of video games and should rely solely on digital copies saved on their console or PC’s arduous drive.
What do you assume? Is that this one other signal that the golden age of gaming is now over? Or is downloading video games on to your console with zero problem and manufacturing prices proof that gaming is progressing and evolving in the fitting route?