GAME starts selling Xbox DLC in-store

Leading UK games retailer GAME has announced a new agreement with Microsoft that will see the retailer selling digital Xbox 360 content in-store, MCV can reveal.

The hope is that millions of customers who don’t have access to credit cards or have limited online functionality will now have an avenue to purchase content that until now has been unavailable to them.

Customers will obtain a card on which a DLC code will be printed.

The range will include stand alone Xbox Live arcade titles and additional DLC for retail games. As of yesterday, 40 GAME stores are already offering the range as part of a six month trial with Microsoft.

Further stores and additional content will be added to the trial as it progresses. All content will be classified by PEGI as per normal retail games.

Purchases start at just 2.04 and will be individually priced – not simply just a generic Xbox Live points card. Customers are able to trade-in older titles against the purchase of the DLC and will earn Reward Card points as with any other purchase.

We know that lots of customers want to play downloadable games and they look to us, as expert retailers, for advice on the best way to do it," Group commercial strategy director Tricia Brennan stated.

"We’ve listened to them and worked with Microsoft to provide the answers. From today it will be much easier to buy downloadable games as they will be able to buy digital games in cash for under a fiver."

Microsoft UK’s general manager of retail sales and marketing Neil Thompson added: We’re excited to offer this program to UK consumers as we see this as an innovative opportunity to work with GAME in delivering Xbox 360 owners yet another highly attractive choice at retail.”

UPDATE: It has been pointed out to us that GameStop has been running a similar initiative in its stores for around six months.