Amazon blocking digital game sales to favour their own physical sales...

[Spider-Man]

I noticed this over the Black Friday weekend, where Amazon was blocking digital sales of games so people had no choice but to buy their own physical copies.

Examples include Assassin's Creed Origins and The Last of Us Remastered, both still on a sale price physically, but neither can be purchased digitally at the moment.

TLOU
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Us-Remastered-PlayStation-4/dp/B00M049PGO/ref=sr_1_2?s=videogames&ie=UTF8&qid=1511971360&sr=1-2&keywords=the+last+of+us&th=1

Assassin's Creed Origins
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072JZXMLC/?tag=era0f0-20

Am I just jumping to conclusions here? Is there a reason why these games are not available digitally right now when normally they are? Seems to make no sense that a digital game can go out of stock or just randomly become unavailable.

 

[Vamphuntr]

They can run out of keys to sell. I think publishers generate the keys for them.

As for sales they probably want to clear their warehouse of physical copies so they have more room for other games.

 

[thekonamicode]

Maybe they ran out of keys?

 

[Dom6]

I think you might be jumping to conclusions. I try to keep up to date on the state of Delisted games and removal of stores, and while there may be something going on - it doesn't quite make sense to me.

For example - The Amazing Spider-man 2 has actually been completely delisted from stores, yet Amazon still has a PS4 Digital Code available.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L4KZP3C/?tag=era0f0-20

 

[Aster1]

Eh, I could still buy it if I select a different edition (also digital)

 

[Possum Armada]

They can run out of keys to sell. I think publishers generate the keys for them.

As for sales they probably want to clear their warehouse of physical copies so they have more room for other games.

Click to shrink...

This is the correct answer on both counts.

 

[Deleted member 9479]

They can run out of keys to sell. I think publishers generate the keys for them.

As for sales they probably want to clear their warehouse of physical copies so they have more room for other games.

Click to shrink...

Yep. I've had steam run out of keys before.

 

[Titoes4]

I've noticed the opposite. Instances where you could buy the digital copy, but not physical. For example, many EA games were not available for preorder (Madden, Fifa, SW Battlefront II) until the week of release, whereas the digital copy was available. Also, L.A. Noir for the Switch.

Not sure what is going on at Amazon. I also noticed more and more often that for many preorder titles the 20% prime member discount is not available until closer to the title's release.

 

[Sloane Ranger]

I saw the same thing with Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun, digital was available before Black Friday, only Physical after. Digital by its definition can never be out of stock.

Edit: Keys can run out ... but new ones can be ordered without a long waiting period.

 

[Neat]

Just because a game is digital doesn't mean there's unlimited copies to sell.

 

[Adam Tyner]

I noticed this over the Black Friday weekend, where Amazon was blocking digital sales of games so people had no choice but to buy their own physical copies.

Click to shrink...

That's especially interesting given that Amazon won't allow preorders of physical copies for certain publishers -- EA in particular -- and only allows for digital preorders. At least it cuts both ways.

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Digital copies run out like physical ones. I think you're looking too much into this, OP.

 

[Invisible Cities]

Amazon done f'd up this week. A ton of games out of stock physically and digitally.

 

[catberry]

They can run out of keys to sell. I think publishers generate the keys for them.

As for sales they probably want to clear their warehouse of physical copies so they have more room for other games.

Click to shrink...

They are provided by publisher with x amount of keys, but providing new keys shouldn't take more than an hour unless it's a PS4/XB key, in which case a little bit longer, but never more than a day.

 

[AllThingsPurple]

I noticed trying to get a digital copy of fm2018 over the weekend. Judt finding thr digital copy was a mission, then it was way morw expensive than the physical.

 

[ZhugeEX]

I think this is a case of them running out of digital keys.

I'm going to lock this thread for now, but if there is conclusive evidence of this then feel free to start a new thread.

Thank you.