Amazon has introduced digital downloads for video games and software through its UK e-commerce site.
At launch, around 600 software and video game titles will be available for PC and Mac. These include Tomb Raider, Far Cry 3, The Sims 3, Borderlands 2 and Mass Effect 3.
It isn’t all paid games either, a handful of free-to-play efforts, including Stronghold Kingdoms and Second Life, will be available through a separate page.
In terms of software, you can find all the standard names – Microsoft Office, Photoshop, Norton and Kaspersky, as well as the likes of Sage and Rosetta Stone. Indeed, product codes and keys can be purchased and subsequently redeemed on the likes of Origin, Xbox LIVE and Microsoft’s Office.com.
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Certainly, this is one way of cutting out lengthy waiting times for that courier to pull up outside your house, and it’s indicative of where the whole entertainment industry is heading. Amazon-owned LoveFilm already offers on-demand movies and TV shows, so offering digital downloads for software and video games through its e-commerce arm is a natural extension.
“Customers buying software and video games who want their products quickly can now download these products straight to their computer with the click of a button,” says Xavier Garambois, Vice-President, European Consumer Business at Amazon EU. “Not only is this exciting for everyday purchases but for major upcoming releases, Amazon customers will be able to get their hands on products without waiting for them to arrive in the post.”
All software and video game downloads will be stored for free in a dedicated digital library – here, users can review product keys and re-download purchases. Also, shoppers can pre-order downloads that aren’t yet available so that they can log-in and access it as soon as it’s available.
Amazon has already enabled downloads through its .com portal since 2009, so a UK launch has been a long time coming.
➤ Amazon Downloads: video games | software | Free to Play
Feature Image Credit – David McNew/Getty Images
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