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Retailer GameStop has brought in significant digital revenue direct from its brick-and-mortar shops, company president Tony Bartel claims.
In an interview with Games Beat, Bartel dismissed the notion that digital purchases are made exclusively from the hardware owner’s couch.
"Most of our digital revenue comes from our brick-and-mortar stores," he said – referencing console DLC and digital platform’s cash/points cards as key revenue drivers.
"The console digital is predominantly things like Xbox Live, PlayStation Network, and Nintendo eShop cards. Then there’s downloadable content, which is fast-growing in the console digital."
Bartel pointed to Ubisoft’s season pass offerings as an example of how customers are picking up digital goods when they visit GameStop stores.
"Over 70 per cent of the season passes for Ubisoft’s games in Q1 were sold through physical retailers. We believe that we nearly corner that market as far as digital downloads."
GameStop made headlines earlier this month, as the company had reportedly unveiled plans to improve pre-order exclusives by potentially involving itself in a given game’s development – though CEO Paul Raines has since clarified that position, stating that the retailer will not involve itself in the creative process.
