Blockbuster Deepens Commitment to Gaming

All Blockbuster stores will now carry more video game rentals, plus games and hardware to purchase, and exclusive system bundles.

With video game sales breaking records in recent months and the high-profile release of Grand Theft Auto IV just around the corner, Blockbuster has announced that it will significantly expand its game business. Although the major rental chain already offers games, the shift will bring a broader selection of games to rent, more copies, as well as games for purchase, and hardware.

"We’re committed to offering a full assortment of everything gamers want in our stores – hardware, accessories and retail and rental games across all platforms,” said Rod Murray, Blockbuster’s vice-president of games merchandising, in a statement.

All corporate-owned Blockbuster chains will now carry retail games and hardware for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, as well as Nintendo Wii and DS. Hot new rentals, such as Mario Kart for Wii, will make it to Blockbuster’s new releases wall in a section just for games.

The company will even introduce console bundles unique to its stores. The first, a PS3 game and movie bundle, offers consumers a 40GB PS3 system, remote, HDMI cable, Spiderman 3 on Blu-ray, the Transformers PS3 game, and a card for up to 12 free movie or game rentals.