GameStop Wants to Sell PlayStation Now Subscriptions For Sony

[StewShearerOld]

GameStop Wants to Sell PlayStation Now Subscriptions For Sony

After a dip in its stock prices following the service's reveal, GameStop says it wants to integrate PlayStation Now into its digital sales.

A few days ago <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131089-PlayStation-Now-Streaming-Service-Unveiled-at-CES-2014>Sony unveiled its new service PlayStation Now which allow gamers to stream PS1, PS2 and PS3 titles to their game consoles, televisions, tablets and smartphones. Suffice it to say it left many gamers excited and, apparently, GameStop stockholders worried. On the same day as Sony's announcement, the price of the gaming retailer's shares dropped more than <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131098-PlayStation-Now-Results-in-GameStop-Stock-Price-Drop?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=news>8 percent in value. The implication, of course, was that with Sony making its library of older software more conveniently available, many gamers might skip out on buying from brick-and-mortar stores like GameStop.

According to GameStop however, PlayStation Now has a place on its shelves as well. In a recent statement a company representative expressed hopes that it would be able help Sony sell PlayStation Now subscriptions by featuring them in stores. "GameStop has built a $600MM digital business, with most of the digital games sold through our stores," said the representative. "Similar to how we worked closely with our partner Sony to successfully sell the PlayStation Plus service, we are looking forward to working with them on including the new PlayStation Now service as part of our portfolio of gaming products we offer our customers."

That being the case, it's debatable as to whether or not you can really equate PlayStation Plus with PlayStation Now. Granted, once Now launches, both services will give subscribers access to games that they would otherwise likely buy at retailers. Depending on how big Now's library winds up being, however, it could potentially drag more away business from GameStop than PS Plus, which tends to feature more limited software offerings. Of course, all of this is just conjecture until Now actually launches and we can see it take actual form. That said, we'll be interested to see how things go for GameStop and other similar retailers going forward.

Source: Gamespot




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[Kroxile]

I thought the streaming service was supposed to have all playstation games ever. I guess we'll have to see

 

[josemlopes]

I thought the streaming service was supposed to have all playstation games ever. I guess we'll have to see

They probably will still have to work with issues like resolution

 

[CriticalMiss]

"GameStop has built a $600MM digital business, with most of the digital games sold through our stores," said the representative.

Six hundred million MILLION dollars? Wow, that's a lot of dollars.

 

[Roxas1359]

I thought the streaming service was supposed to have all playstation games ever. I guess we'll have to see

There are possible problems with licensing issues, so not every game ever made will be supported. Licensing issues have prevent many games from being released on both PSN and the Nintendo Virtual Console. For Nintendo, the reason it took Earthbound so long is because of licensing disputes with the music. Similarly, the Megaman Legends series hadn't been released as PSN Classics because of licensing issues with both the music and the voice actors.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

Great, so now you can buy something that needs an internet connection at a meatspace store with a markup when you could be buy it on PSN. The three benefits to that, though, is you can pay cash, don't have to jump through hoops to cancel it(*cough* xbox live), and if you don't trust a company, especially Sony, with your credit card data, they won't have it. It's a double-edged edged sword, and you will nick yourself in Gamestop's favor the first time you draw it.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

Waaaaaaaaaait a second. Wait just a damn second! Wasn't Gamestop specifically gutting another copy of a game (I think Deus Ex) that was promoting a streaming service via a coupon inside because they didn't want the game promoting a competing service to Gamestop's own work-in-progress streaming service? And now they want to promote Sony's? Fuck, Gamestop, make-up your mind.

 

[Little Gray]

I thought the streaming service was supposed to have all playstation games ever. I guess we'll have to see

Its up to developers to decide what games go on there. Sony cant just put games on their that they do not own the rights to unless they have permission.

 

[Kapol]

Waaaaaaaaaait a second. Wait just a damn second! Wasn't Gamestop specifically gutting another copy of a game (I think Deus Ex) that was promoting a streaming service via a coupon inside because they didn't want the game promoting a competing service to Gamestop's own work-in-progress streaming service? And now they want to promote Sony's? Fuck, Gamestop, make-up your mind.

This is a desperate plea in order to get back lost stock holders and not lose any more. They'd much rather have control of everything. But they know that just ignoring it won't make it go away.

 

[WhiteTigerShiro]

Waaaaaaaaaait a second. Wait just a damn second! Wasn't Gamestop specifically gutting another copy of a game (I think Deus Ex) that was promoting a streaming service via a coupon inside because they didn't want the game promoting a competing service to Gamestop's own work-in-progress streaming service? And now they want to promote Sony's? Fuck, Gamestop, make-up your mind.

This is a desperate plea in order to get back lost stock holders and not lose any more. They'd much rather have control of everything. But they know that just ignoring it won't make it go away.

Yeah, I more-or-less figured as much. Still, just felt that some had to point-out that little bit of hypocrisy.

 

[jackpipsam]

Sony would be silly to refuse.
Having a whole bunch of time cards is good marketing.

 

[Roxas1359]

Sony would be silly to refuse.
Having a whole bunch of time cards is good marketing.

True, but they can also go with convenience stores as well since nowadays cards aren't activated until they are swiped through the registers, Nintendo learned that the hard way when they first started Wii points. Well at least in the US. I know Steam cards in my state are sold at either GameStop or 7-11's. They might go with GameStop possibly though, but I can see Sony selling them also in Walmarts and Walgreens around the states. Now let's see if their service actually works before people go out to buy possible time cards.