August 26, 2008

Amazon has launched a new service guaranteeing delivery of pre-ordered games on their release day for an additional charge of $5.98. While you can pre-order a title on GameStop.com and pick it up on the day of release in a physical store they charge an additional $9.99 for one day delivery that ships out on the actual release date rather than arrive on your doorstep. Order Gears of War 2 and you’re out $10 bucks to get it the day after release.

If you don’t want to brave the sweating crowds at your local GameStop, deal with pissed off, blue-shirted clerks at BestBuy or just consider Wal-Mart an extension of Hell’s ninth circle (and it is) it’s a pretty compelling deal. If Amazon can get their their pre-order schwag offerings in order it will be game over. Expect an announcement from GameStop in T-minus 24 hours.

[1Up via Kotaku]