Summary
GAME is no longer accepting in-person pre-orders. Although pre-orders have been happening since the 80s, pre-ordering games became especially popular throughout the early 2000s, as they have consistently provided retailers with an estimate for the actual sales they’re going to make. Many gamers have started to debate the value of pre-ordering video games at all, though, as some want to see reviews first.
The nature of pre-ordering itself has changed as well. In some ways, stores have found even more value to give to gamers, especially those who care more about what they get in-game forreleases likeStar Wars Outlaws.Alternatively, there are some gamers out there who are nostalgic for the way store-exclusive physical items used to be handed out for games, like posters and figurines to celebrate a launch.
AsTechRadar reports, GAME, a major video game retailer in the UK, will no longer be accepting in-storepre-orders for games. This change appears to be informed by overall changes to the structure of the company as it is absorbed by Frasers Group. Once August 1 arrives, GAME will no longer accept deposits for pre-orders in stores. The retailers will still accept pre-orders online, though.
GAME Abandons Physical Pre-orders
In part, the literal function of the checkout counters shapes the activity that takes place there. Frasers Group has implemented new Enactor counters that facilitate self-checkout processes. Part of the reason this news is important is that it could also change the waystores in the US like GameStopwork. Many who still do their grocery shopping in-person now complete it at self-checkout counters, and the same could eventually be true for games.
Part of this appears to fall in line with the way that gaming itself is shifting towards an all-digital future. In addition to publishers like Sony and Xbox having their own marketplaces in order to collect more profits from sales, these gaming giants have also been releasing versions of their consoles that lack disc-drives.PlayStation may drop disc drivesentirely in the future, as analysts predict. On the surface, it may appear more convenient, especially to gamers who are always connected to the internet. However, this has also given these publishers more control over the prices of their games, and how long consumers have to wait until they see price drops. It will be interesting to see the ways these stores change the more that the tech to distribute and play games does.
