With the online game trade more and more transferring towards a ‘digital-only’ enterprise, there was some rumor and hypothesis constructing recently that online game retailers, reminiscent of GAME, may doubtlessly cease promoting bodily video video games altogether within the close to future.
Experiences have been circulating that GAME is on the point of make modifications to its enterprise mannequin and begin solely promoting bodily recreation models and {hardware} units by way of its web site, with pre-orders, deliveries, and in-store collections additionally being out there.
Nevertheless, players can 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 said that the knowledge is fake and that the reporting was not true.
The corporate has assured its prospects that it’s going to stay devoted in its dedication to the bodily recreation market and can proceed to offer the total extent of bodily recreation availability, together with all of the {hardware}, software program, present playing cards, and collectibles too, all of which is able to 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 usually outdoors its management and it’d simply be a matter of time earlier than we begin to see some critical modifications to how players purchase their video games.
These modifications are literally already effectively underway and a few shifts in GAME’s enterprise practices this yr are proof of it. For instance, GAME began to terminate its trade-in and pre-owned gross sales facet of the enterprise in January, and earlier this month ceased its Xbox All Entry program and loyalty reward schemes.
The online game retailer has said on a number of events that, if want be, it’s keen to be the ‘final man standing’ relating 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 document retailer, or in collectors and limited-edition releases.
With that stated, a time might be quick approaching when players are now 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 onerous drive.
What do you suppose? 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 trouble and manufacturing prices proof that gaming is progressing and evolving in the precise path?