Digital deal unites GAME and Sony

GAME will be selling PlayStation Network games in-store across all its 620 UK stores by mid-September.

This morning the pair announced a partnership to start selling digital content at bricks and mortar – at first a range of over 50 games will be sold via 42 stores, gradually rolling out across the nation.

Full games downloads, add-ons and subscriptions can be purchased in-store, and the deal means GAME will become ‘Europe’s biggest retailer of digital games’ the firm said.

GAME says offering digital content access in-store – sold via cards and vouchers later redeemed on-console – is good because gamers who don’t have credit cards can pay by other means.

Initial trials have shown that over 80% of customers use cash, reward points and gift cards to buy digital downloads in stores, says GAME.

The news follows a year of digital activity from game – it started offering PC downloads through 1,200 European stores this July, and previously forged a deal similar to its SCEE arrangement for Xbox Marketplace content.

Ian Shepherd, GAME Group CEO said: This is a significant step forward in our digital strategy. For the first time, gamers will be able to browse a wide range of digital titles for the PlayStation Network in our stores, alongside a variety of other digital and physical products. This is important because it offers customers more choice, more advice and more control than they can get online. Our partnership with SCEE means that we can offer customers an unbeatable range and great value across all the gaming channels.

The partnership reflects the close and long standing relationship between GAME and SCEE across Europe as both companies move rapidly to innovate and bring new products and services to customers.”

Robert Fisser, VP Sales and Commercial Development, SCEE added: We are excited by the partnership with GAME Group, which will see over 6,000 in-store sales associates promoting the fantastic content available on PlayStation Network to a new audience of over 3.5m customers each week, significantly increasing awareness of digital gaming among new consumers.”