GameStop basically just turned itself into a Blockbuster for video games
GameStop has launched an in-store rental service called PowerPass. Remember Blockbuster Video? It's like that, except instead of VHS tapes, you're renting used video games.
The only difference here is, you pay up front. A six-month subscription costs $60, and allows you to swap games anytime you want, at no additional cost. However, you can only have one game checked out at a time.
The program will launch during the looming holiday season, with only the six-month plan available. There's a reason for that: At the end of a subscription, you'll be able to choose one game to keep, for free.
There's one more condition. Only GameStop's Power-Up Rewards members can participate, though both the free membership and the paid memberships ($14.99 or $29.99 per year, depending on your tier preferences) allow you to sign up. All you really need to do is create an account on the retailer's website.
Sign-ups for PowerPass begin on Nov. 19, according to an email from the retailer.
This is an unexpected play by GameStop, but a seemingly sensible one. As the video game space continues to shift toward online sales, there's likely a shrinking secondhand market to go along with it.
PowerPass may be a good thing for the company, but that's the message between the lines: GameStop is looking for new ways to monetize its assuredly massive overstock of secondhand games. A program like this — which, at this point, has the feel of a public beta test — could help to shrink that stock while creating a new subscription-based source of income.
It might be tempting to compare this service to GameFly, but really, the Blockbuster comparison is more apt.
GameFly's service resembles the early days of Netflix, when you would rent a DVD by mail and keep it until you mailed it back. PowerPass, on the other hand, has more of an old-school video store vibe: You go to a brick-and-mortar GameStop to pick up and return rented games.
UPDATED Oct. 29 9:30 p.m. ET An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that signing up for a PowerPass subscription also required a paid Power-Up Rewards subscription. As GameStop clarified in an email, all you need is a Power-Up Rewards account -- which is free to create.
Topics Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
