Amazon selling Xbox Live Arcade game codes

by Alexander Sliwinski on Apr 8th 2009 11:24AM

Amazon.com launched its "Amazon Xbox Live Store" today, where the online retailer offers Microsoft Points cards, Live subscriptions and -- here's the interesting part -- Xbox Live Arcade game codes. Previously, XBLA titles were only available through the console (and on limited compilation discs), making Amazon the first retailer to sell codes for downloading these games. At this time, there doesn't appear to be any obvious financial advantage to purchasing arcade titles through Amazon (unless you have a gift certificate to redeem there and if taxes aren't applied to your purchases).

Christina DeRosa, general manager of Microsoft's Xbox Live Business, claims this partnership is good because it extends the Xbox storefront to Amazon, a company which "is helping make digital distribution more mainstream." And that seems to be the core idea in this curious move: Amazon is a trusted mainstream brand. While Mom and Dad may not trust little Timmy and Suzie using the credit card to purchase points on the console, they'll have little reservation about purchasing the product codes through Amazon. Sure, to us it's an extra step in getting our games, but we're obviously "special." Right, Mom?

Update: Commenter Butaneko brings up a good point: If you rock an Amazon Visa card, the company sends a $25 gift certificate for every 2500 points earned (calculations on how that happens vary depending on how you use the card). The certificates could always be used on games and MS Points cards, but now it's possible to buy XBLA games direct for "free."

[Thanks, Patio]

Source

Tags: amazon, amazon.com, business, microsoft, xbla, Xbox-360, xbox-live

Reader Comments (50)

Also, no need to convert to some arcane currency made up by Microsoft. Even better for me: NO TAX!

I don't think you pay tax for it on xbox live. if amazon charges tax, it may not be worth it.

I get charged NJ Sales Tax on MS Points. I don't get charged sales Tax on any purchases I make from Amazon. Must be a regional thing.

Did you get taxed more MS points when you purchased a game in XBL? I seem to recall that if a game is 800 points, its 800 points total. So I don't think this aids with taxes. I see they are selling games for the same cost they would be if you used the "arcane currency".

Our posts crossed there. That's odd you have a NJ tax on points.

I think there's a law somewhere that you get charged sales tax by companies that have a regional office in your state. Would explain why until last year I didn't get charged sales tax on Wii Points.

You are still liable for paying tax on Amazon. It's called a "use tax", and for any purchases made out of state you need to pay the sales tax as a "use tax" back to the state of your residence on April 15th. Most people don't, so states have started forcing companies (like Amazon) to collect sales tax for them. It's questionably unconstitutional, but that's the way it goes.

I think this is also a far better opportunity to push XBLA games out to the surprising amount of people with 360s who don't even know that XBLA exists.

Let's talk region compatibilities. Will:
Subscription cards' codes work on Canadian consoles/accounts?
Points cards' codes work on Canadian consoles/accounts?
Game codes work on Canadian consoles/accounts?

Just taking an uneducated guess here, but I would assume that points cards would not work in other regions (a U.S. MS Points card did not work on my Canadian console), but that game and subscription codes would?

Well, instead of going to Amazon.com why don't you go to Amazon.ca?

Because this service isn't available on Amazon.ca

Unfortunately it would seem that MS/Amazon are not providing this to Canada... yet :(

AWEOSOME!

Kind of excited... this means we could actually see some excellent sales. Maybe some Buy 1 get 1 free. With Amazons track record so far, this is great news. Do they mail it to you or email I wonder...

Seems like the email you a DLC code.

Earlier they were selling 1600 MSP cards for 20 cents each. I got 4 codes before they stopped selling them.

Not true , Target has sold actual game code downloads for awhile now.

I bought a few there on sale last year like Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3.

No Space bucks=Good to go for me!!

Meshes well with their new used game sales effort. You trade in some old 360 games, get an Amazon gift card in return, and use that to buy some Arcade titles. That and the fact that it's real money and not credits could make Amazon a more compelling place to shop for 360-related stuff than the Live Marketplace.

Will be nice to only pay for what you want. Instead of having to buy 1000 points for an 800 point game.

Exactly. I dont see how the Joystick crew missed this point. I hate having left over points, and currently MS only offers in 500 point increments. Buying the cards from the store is pointless because you pay sales tax. I also like seeing the price in US$.

Cool, I'll definitely rock this. I use my Amazon visa card for everything so I always have $25 Amazon gift certificates coming in. Thanks for the heads up!

I can see a higher liklihood of having a sale with this, and it would mean not always having that orphan 50 or 100 points sitting on my system. Except they are already there and there's nothing I can do about them.

What will be great about this is there will be reviews, and you'll be able to view titles by popularity, rank, etc. Good deal, Amazon.

I hadn't thought of that. Very good point.

Interesting, I'd be more interested if they had them at lower prices.

In due time

i can see amazon doing some type of sale, so ill have to keep an eye on this.

So when your friends want to buy you MS points on your birthday, they can buy them from Amazon and just email you the code instead of sending you the silly card through the mail. Makes perfect sense to me.

Will they be selling DLC, or just XBLA games? (What about community games, too?)

Yea I hope they sell DLC through this too.

Hopefully this is just the first phase and it'll expand to the other forms of DLC on XBLM.

Ok, thanks

If this includes DLC then this is officially one of the best ideas ever.

I always wanted a way to gift games to friends and this is perfect.

Yeah, that's the one thing that the Wii store has over XBLA. XBLA only has that useless "recommend" option.

Anybody know where the best deal is on MS points right now? Need to buy a handful of different DLC :)

I don't know if I was allowed to gift games in the past, but that's the coolest thing for me about buying it on Amazon. If I want to gift someone Mega Man 9, now I can.

Not sure why Joystiq is reporting that you couldn't get XBLA games before via codes, they've given away game cards before with XBLA codes on them. I've received a couple of them in my Xbox Live starter kits such as Bankshot Billards and Robotron.

Anyways, hopefully Amazon.ca starts offering this for us Canadians. I wouldn't mind the option to gift games and content to friends.

Yeah, this isn't the first site where you can get arcade codes from. Goozex.com also gives away codes for arcade games with their trading system.

wow. i'm never buying MS Points again! my biggest pet peeve about XBLA is having leftover MS Points. paying $10 for a game that costs $10… why didn't they think of this sooner!?

Amazon is going to put stores everywhere out of business if they keep doing cool stuff like this.

Cool but looking at the catalog there are some pricing issues I think. One Geometry wars and Gauntlet are 10 bucks instead of 5.

I would like to see DLC codes for map packs and such. Really want CoD4 map pack code.

Not the first place to buy codes. There were gift cards at retail last year for select XBLA games.

Now if we can just get Microsoft to let you deactivate arcade games to get some points back....

Like he said, not true. I purchase Geometry Wars game code card at Target last year. A buddy of mine just got 360, and I got it for him.

Sweetness. I was wondering what I should get when my next $25 certificate comes in.

Awesome this is great. I'm so sick of having to purchase a bunch of points I don't use all of just to get one game that I want. Still have like 50 worth of amazon gift certificates from my bank.

I don't get charged sales tax on ms points or live sub cards at the GameStop I go to...maybe it has something to do with my friend working there lol.

So... Who already has Doom or Pac Man CE?
Quick reviews, thoughts, reccomendations on buying it?
Its $8 for $15 worth of games.
Im probably picking this up.

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Amazon selling Xbox Live Arcade game codes

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