Amazon are known and loved for selling DRM-free music on their website (Amazon.com -- you may have heard of it). Well now the web-based retailer is getting into the video game fray, selling PC games for digital download with the aptly dubbed "Game Downloads" service.
Don't get too excited yet, as of now at least, the titles will probably only appeal to you if your cerebellum is severely undeveloped (i.e. you are under ten years old) -- as of yet there are 600 titles, all essentially 'casual'. This follows the company's acquisition of casual games developer and distributor Reflexive Entertainment last fall.
But a blog post on the site says the store will "continue to evolve over time," and in an interview with Kotaku, Vice President of Video Games and Software Greg Hart said they are interested in other types of games, so it's not hopeless:
"Casual Games are a natural fit with our demographic," explains Hart. "We have 88 million active customers who can appreciate the convenience of the true amazon shopping experience combined with the casual games experience. [But] we always want to offer the widest selection possible, just like we've done with our boxed games over the past two years."
Feel free to send feedback using this neat form here.
Another downside is, like Steam, a client is requisite. Some users prefer a client, sure, but some do not, so the key word is requisite. And of course with this comes online activation. More, the games are not guaranteed DRM-free -- the FAQ notes "You should read any license agreement included in your specific software application to understand any restrictions the software publisher may impose on making this backup copy."
On the bright side, the games are priced at $6.99 and $9.99 (though GOG.com offers more for less), they offer 30 minute trials for all games, and three are currently free for a limited time (Jewel Quest II, Build-a-lot, The Scruffs).
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