Tony Bartel, COO of GameStop Corp during the Q2 2015 earnings call:
It is important to note that during the recent release of EA's Madden 16, we worked with our partners to offer a free physical game with the purchase of either a PS4 or Xbox One and did not carry the Xbox One digital bundle. We expect that if a game is provided as a promotional item in a hardware bundle, GameStop will see more of these physical offers than digital pack-ins on upcoming third-party releases.
This is good a move for GameStop but it feels like it is kicking against a trend toward digital. I only buy a couple of digital games a year but my problem with digital is repeated across multiple mediums (music, video and books), the cost saving in distributing atoms vs. electrons does not appear to be passed on to the consumer. Downloading a digital game should save the consumer, and the idea that the game cannot then be traded adds even more cost. EA’s game leasing/subscription model is looking a little more attractive.
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