It looks like Amazon really, really, really want you all to get an Amazon Prime subscription, with their latest initiative being to stop selling a number of major games to those of you without Prime.
Games including Grand Theft Auto V, Far Cry Primal, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Rainbow Six Siege, Battlefield: Hardline and plenty others are now marked as “exclusively for Prime members” when looking at Amazon’s own listing. It extends a scheme of exclusivity that is gradually creeping across Amazon as a whole.
The thing that makes this so unusual is that you can still buy from a number of third party sellers. Take GTA V as an example, and you can buy from Fox Electric, Sunset Games, Gadget Games and plenty other third party sellers which can be used with or without Prime for delivery.
This has been picked up this morning after former TSA writer @joshlhood noted it on Twitter, but comments on Eurogamer suggest that this has been going on for a while, with Eoin saying, “This isn’t an overnight change. Games have gradually been going Prime-only for a while now. I had Far Cry Primal in my basket for a while and noticed that it was Prime-only on April 8th.”
It’s all a bit bloody stupid (and slightly worrying), if you ask me.
Source: @joshlhood, Eurogamer
wonkey-willy
looks like i will be going back to GAME for all my shopping needs…….
Kronik76
Why would you go there? I don’t understand why anyone shops at GAME. Their prices are horrendous!
JR.
You might as well buy a Prime sub and continue buying your games from Amazon. It will still be cheaper than buying your games GAME :)
JR.
*at GAME
Starman
Shopto, simplygames, rakuten, zavvi, thegamecollection. There’s just a few alternatives to amazon before you go back to game and get ripped off. They are selling dark souls 3 preowned for £47.99!
beeje13
Yep, plenty of better alternatives to Amazon. In fact, Amazon are rarely the cheapest when it comes to games.
kjkg
I have Prime and intend on continuing with it. Brilliant service. But still, that really seems like a weird decision and not particularly great either. The big question is will it backfire on them or pay off?
Avenger
Yeah it’s been going for a while now, as long as last November when they wouldn’t let me buy an XB1 copy of Project Cars. Since then it’s been on and off with several games.
The only discernible pattern is that maybe their stock gets low and they prioritise the copies for Prime members. It’s very very silly, especially when in most cases the game can be bought for the same price from a competitor, and without a silly £20 minimum spend for free delivery.
gazzagb
That was my initial thought, that it’s only for games where the stock is low.
MrYd
It certainly looks like it only happens when stock is low. The prices on some of the games it applies to support that as well. Some games that are presumably still selling lots (GTA5 for instance) are still at the normal, just released price. Obviously still selling lots, and Amazon don’t feel the need to put the price down to shift remaining stock. It’s selling at that price, and they’re low on stock, so making it for Prime subscribers only seems fairly reasonable. Give it a few days and see if everyone can buy it then.
Some of the games are older and quite cheap now. If they’re running low on stock, they might stay Prime exclusive for a bit longer. Amazon aren’t going to go and get a huge amount of extra stock of older games, are they?
This might just shift some of the sales from Amazon to the other companies selling on Amazon, if they’re cheaper anyway. Amazon will presumably still be making money that way too.
It’s not really going to make much difference to anyone though, is it? And gives the internet something to whinge about on a Friday, which is always entertaining ;)
rSp8
I’ve been thinking of getting back into Elder Scrolls Online for a while and have it in my wish list. I’ve been wondering about the “exclusive for prime members” tag under the price. Prime is well worth the money though, especially if you’ve got a TV (or a Roku, or similar) that can show Prime Video.
Ferrick
I noticed this a while ago, too. It’s not just games, either. CO’S too, I’ve noticed. Can’t confirm anything else though.
I’ve noticed it can be single platform too.
Was eyeing up Elder Scrolls at 14.99, but noticed the Prime ‘block’. Didn’t effect the Xbox One edition though.
Got it from Game in the end for the same price.
minerwilly
I hardly use Amazon , for people who go to work they are hopeless (unless you can get sent to workplace) , when they used Royal Mail everything was fine and it would go to your local depot and you could go pick it up at the weekend but amazon courier’s just keep leaving notes saying we called etc etc , for most things now I use eBay because I can at least check and make sure they use Royal Mail.
I’m always on HUKD forums and theres many alternatives to Amazon for getting cheap Games. Sod Amazon . Stick it to the man etc …..
ron_mcphatty
I work shifts so I’m regularly in for deliveries, but the courier who they use in my area is an ass hat and regularly rings the bell and walks off immediately. I’ve chased him to his car once and had a go, he argued, twat!!
Ahem, otherwise Amazon are excellent and I’m constantly impressed by their customer service. I don’t want to fork out for Prime so this news is a bit annoying, but the low stock theory seems fine, as long as they don’t restrict launch purchases and preorders.
DividSmythe
I’m quite glad I’ve stopped using Amazon as my retailer of choice. Not only have I started using shopto.net for my preorders as their cheaper and usually deliver the day before release. Also last year (which ends around Feb 28th) I got silver membership and get 3% of my orders. Silver membership you need to spend £350 which I’m going to do easily this year with Ps VR preorder. I think it’s £500 for gold membership for 5% off. Why would I want to pay £70 a year to watch rubbish films and TV. Also the music streaming doesn’t do much for me too.
ron_mcphatty
Between me and my wife we’d make the money back on baby supplies and Kindle easily. We just don’t wanna fork out £70.
DividSmythe
I was willing to pay for Prime when it was £50 but when they bumped it up to £70 I refused to pay anymore as the game prices rocketed up. I didn’t really use much else of their services really. Their also losing my money from charging for deliveries below £20 because I refuse to pay £2 delivery.
I can understand you not paying for Prime at £70 as you’ve got a little one which is far more important but you might get a bit more money when your child gets older. Well I hope so anyway buddy.
JR.
Seems like an odd move to make.
To be fair Amazon Prime is very good value when you factor in all the additional services you have access to (Prime Music, Amazon Video, Kindle Library etc). When you compare the monthly cost to other services like Netflix, you get much more for your money.
spurs78
They are becoming quite a horrible company now. I used to like them but now they seem to be into driving every other company out of business and there postage model is very irritating in fact half the time I find it arrives at the same date if you don’t pay for special delivery as if you did.
Let’s hope the Sainsburys/Argos plus eBay pick up points in there stores gives them a bit of a wake up call.
Andrewww
Noticed that recently on my wish list too, found it very irritating. I’ll definitely not buy any rubbish subscription they try to force me to when I just want to buy single products. I will look for other shops with good prices that deliver down here to central Europe. But, I’ll also let them know, I think they should stop doing such rubbish.