GameStop is the biggest specialist retail chain for video games and related products and the company is eager to create a digital distribution service which is seen by Microsoft, Sony and possibly even Nintendo as a way to enhance the experience provided by disk based gaming.
Mike Mauler, who is a senior vice president at
GameStop, told GamesIndustry that, “You would buy the game through our loyalty programme and through a partnership with the publishers we would give them an opportunity to possibly – this is still something we’re working out – to be able to play their game when they’re not at home with their Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3.”
He added, “You would have to actually own a console and buy the game. And in this case we’re making very closely with the console manufacturers. It would be an additional service that you would be able to purchase as you buy a copy of the game to play on your Xbox. So it’s a win-win for everybody.”
Mauler says that the system has been developed by GameStop from the technology that it has acquired from SpawnLabs and at the moment the system is in a closed, private beta.
The executive has not said when normal players will be able to try out the GameStop streaming service and how console developers have reacted to its existence so far.
GameStop has been widely accused of emphasizing the second hand market with its trade-in and loyalty programs, which means lost revenue for publishers even if gamers tend to love it.
The company has lately made a push for the digital space, showing that it can continue to be relevant even when gamers can buy content without leaving the confine of their own homes.
GameStop recently announced that it has managed to sell more than 600,000 subscriptions for the Call of Duty Elite service.
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