Amazon rolling out digital PC game preorders

By Mike Flacy October 10, 2011

assassins-creed-revelations — Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to a report from CNET today, Amazon will be offering digital preorders for upcoming PC games through the gaming section on Amazon. Amazon started competing in the digital download space in early 2009 with a barrage of 600 casual games. In 2010, Amazon began to aggressively hire software development engineers to build out the infrastructure necessary to offer a broader selection of high-profile releases and eventually expanded out into mainstream releases. Over the last year, Amazon has also adopted a competitive pricing strategy to go up against Valve’s Steam. Amazon is also competing with EA’s Origin, Gamestop, Gamersgate and Gamefly’s Direct2Drive.

Upcoming titles that will be available for preorder include Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Battlefield 3, Saints Row: The Third and Sims 3: Pets. Similar to preordering a Blu-ray or DVD, consumers won’t be charged for the preorder until the date that the game comes available for download. Consumers will most likely be notified by email when the game can be downloaded through Amazon. Amazon will also be in a position to offer significant discounts on titles that are preordered, possibly up to 30 percent according to representatives of the retailer. Identical to other services like Steam and Origin, bonuses will be offered to consumers that preorder a game in advance of the release date. These bonuses may include weapon or armor packs, additional levels or early access to the game.

Opposite from the approach of Valve, there is no separate client that’s required to play games downloaded through Amazon. After purchase, the consumer is directed to a page with a link for downloading the game as well as a unique key to unlock access. The link launches a small window that shows progress of the download, however users must have enough hard drive space to contain both the download and the installed game. Once the game is finished downloading, the user can install the game and deleted the download files. In the future, the game can be downloaded again through Amazon if needed.

Topics

Contributing Editor

By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…

Gaming

3 new Nintendo Switch games you should try this weekend (May 10-12)

Two players play Nintendo Switch.

If you only tend to follow the biggest video game releases, it may seem like the Nintendo Switch is currently in a game drought. The system has only gotten a handful of niche releases last year, like Endless Ocean: Luminous, that haven't been Zelda-level hits. Zoom out a bit, though, and you'll find that Nintendo's aging system is still thriving. That's thanks to vibrant indie and third-party scenes that are keeping the platform engaging.

If you're looking for a new Switch game to play this weekend, you actually have more to choose from than you might realize. The system got several games this week, from a chaotically fun Pac-Man game to a genuine game of the year contender. Here are three games to check out on Switch, all of which are worth picking up this weekend.
Animal Well

Gaming

3 PlayStation Plus games you need to play this weekend (May 10-12)

Miles Morales in Spider-Man outfit fending off crime.

The weekend is here, so you probably want to sit back and relax by playing some video games. If you're subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra on PS4 or PS5, then there are tons of fantastic titles to choose from in the subscription service's vast game catalog. It's a lot to sift through, so I've handpicked three titles I think you should check out if you haven't played them already.

One is a superhero game that launched alongside the PS5 and can be beaten within a weekend. The next is an eerie indie Metroidvania that just got added to PS Plus Extra when it launched on May 9. Finally, there's a sequel to a fantastic roguelike (not Hades 2) where you play as a new person in the same family every time you die.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

Gaming

3 free video games you should play this weekend (May 10-12)

A titan wielding a grenade launcher in Destiny 2..

Whenever we recommend games at Digital Trends, we tend to go heavy on titles available on subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. Rather than telling our readers to buy new games, we always try to find ones that might be on services they're already paying for. Still, that doesn't cover every player. There are plenty of more casual gaming fans who aren't subscribed to any service that offers extra games. We don't want to leave them out, do we?

If you're in that category, or you're simply strapped for cash, we've got some recommendations for some free games you can try this weekend. I don't mean "free with a subscription" either. I'm talking about games that will cost you nothing to start, even if you decide you want to spend money on them later. From a mobile game I can't get enough of to a a popular MMO that just made all of its DLC free, these are three free games you can dive into this weekend.
Destiny 2