Starting tomorrow (Thursday 24th July 2014), GAME’s UK stores will be offering an extended range of Playstation Store content for the PlayStation Vita to purchase in store (to recieve a 12 digit code to activate the download with.)
According to our contact at GAME, in what appears to be a timely summer ramp-up of PS Vita support the titles being offered, including PSOne classics such as the original Crash Bandicoot (reported to be on sale at £3.99), will be merchandised at the front of stores, using their digital display cards, in an effort to raise awareness of the digital download offering in store.
I have contacted GAME’s PR department to try and find out any more information, but safe to say if you’d rather not put credit card details into the PlayStation store and purchase particular items without having funds left over in your PSN wallet, this is great news! I do hope GAME have plenty of PS Vita memory cards in stock across the business!
Sven Harvey
Update:
A press release was released by GAME this morning – looks like the extended range isn’t technically live till tomorrow now (Friday 25th July), but here is the press release in full:
24th July, 2014
In a UK gaming retailer first, from tomorrow, GAME, the UK’s leading videogames retailer, will launch a range of PS Vita™ digital full game downloads, available both online and in store. These digital downloads will be available exclusively via the PlayStation Network (PSN) and start from as little as £3.99.
The launch of PS Vita games available as full game downloads comes after the highly successful launch of the SEGA digital range introduced by GAME in May. As part of this latest launch, twenty new and classic PlayStation digital titles will be opened up to gamers for the first time in the UK, including Killzone™: Liberation, Crash Bandicoot™, Destruction Derby, Limbo and Uncharted: Golden Abyss™.
This latest launch, forms part of GAME’s on-going strategy to grow the range of digital downloadable content and will be available to purchase both in-store and online. With customers able to use their new GAMEwallet to trade-in against the purchase of all products and receive reward points when doing so, GAME provides great value across the whole exclusive PS Vita full game downloads range.
Charlotte Knight, Category Director at GAME commented: “We’re committed to making digital content more accessible for all our customers, helping them to discover all the fantastic digital games out there. We’re really excited about this exclusive partnership with PlayStation, allowing us to provide quality digital content by offering a much larger and more varied selection of titles from the PS Vita back catalogue.
“These digital downloads mean it is now even easier to get gaming by offering our customers the chance to pay both in-store and online as well with the added benefit of trading in.”
For more information visit game.co.uk
About GAME
GAME Retail Ltd. is the UK’s leading high-street videogames retailer. Formed in April 2012, GAME is committed to delivering for the gaming communities of the UK online, in-store, on mobile and through their app. With a market-leading reward proposition, incredible exclusive content and great deals, GAME is the number one destination for all gaming needs. For more information, please visit www.game.co.uk or www.gamedigitalplc.com
I have to be honest and say that while I’d much rather see more physical games in stores this is a fantastic step forward for the Vita. We’re getting constant cries of “there are no games for the Vita” from people who know nothing about the console and this will hopefully be a step in the right direction to show people that the PS Vita’s range extends far beyond the little blue cases that sit on the shelves…
It’s common sense really because the digital codes gives stores scope to stock an unlimited range of titles shows customers a diverse range of games (imagine a digital display of Final Fantasy I – X/X-2 side by side?). It won’t change the Vita’s fortunes overnight, but it WILL make it a lot more appealing to those considering buying one.
IT would be a real eye opener if any retailer managed to show off all the boxed games and have display cards for all the compatible digital titles… Wouldn’t fit in a normal GAME!