Amazon Prime Takes Away 20% Off Game Pre-Orders, Replaces It With New Reward

Amazon has revealed that beginning later this month you will receive a reward credit for pre-ordering certain games but no more 20% off titles.

[Abash]

No longer need a Prime membership now

[Neonridr]

agreed, will be time to cancel.

[RacerX]

Amazon arrived, killed off the competition with their great offers... Has slowly raised their prices, and is now removing the rewards....
The cycle is almost complete.

[Araragifeels]

Well luckily, I am not paying full price since I student prime.

[babadivad]

Getting prime on expired card.

[rageholic]

Well luckily, my grandma gets the senior discount at Denny's.

[CyberSentinel]

Totally Agree.

[starchild]

Yeah, that's a disappointing policy change.

[Kyizen]

Lol u sound..slow

[VerminSC]

Agreed. One of the only reasons I had prime.

[RosweeSon]

I don’t know why people use amazon anyway they charge for postage and it’s slow notnto mention are more expensive as normally stick to RRP other websites in u.k at least are cheaper and get the game out a day before launch for free postage plus they pay their taxes. Amazon suck
A website I use got my Shenmue out to me by Saturday

[dumahim]

In the US, with Prime you don't pay for shipping and almost every game I order is delivered the day of release so it's shipped a day or two early.

[RosweeSon]

Dumahim... your don’t pay with postage with prime, no but you’ve paid for prime for the year hence they post it for free other sites do free postage without yearly subscription and they arrive the very next day even amazons free postage takes 3/5 days not to mention great it arrives launch day the other sites I use get the game to my house day before launch day Shenmue arrived 3 days early. Amazon suck id never pay them £80 a year when other sites offer a better service for free
As for Best Buy messing up amazon do it all the time and their customer service is atrocious unless you like being read to from a script and getting no where.

[zaherdab]

Amazon offers free postage past a certain amount ( 25$ ) i think and thas peobably the lowest as most other sites wouls need a min of 40 $... prime nets you a 2 days service instead of 3-5
... prme video... prime music and twitch premium which offers free pc games .. netflic costs almost the same as a video service while spotify costs almost the same as a music service

[dumahim]

@RosweeSon
In the US it's pretty rare to get anything before the release date no matter where you order.

In terms of the orders, I've not had many issues at all. One seller sent me the wrong screen protector and they just wanted a picture of it and sent me the correct one. Of the issues I've had, only 1 time did they ask that I return the item which was the MGS Revengeance plasma lamp I received defective. All the other times they say just keep it or toss it. Not worth returning for them. Something was out of their control and something was delayed? Credit to my account without a fight. Hell, sometimes they'd even credit my account without a complaint. They'd send an email to me and say they didn't live up to their quality standards and apologized.

I can't say I'm happy with the way things are getting more expensive, they're raising Prime fees and removing features, but the level of service they've provided for me for many years now has been top notch.

[CryofSilence]

No longer pre-ordering games.

[xfiles2099]

LOL Prime Video is worth the Price of Prime alone

[rageholic]

You people are so dramatic. Maybe it's just me but I use Amazon for more than games. In fact I buy almost everything from Amazon. Prime is a great value even without the 20% off preorder deal.

[RosweeSon]

I buy almost nothing from amazon if I can avoid I do they don’t pay their taxes and they are shutting every other store one day it’ll be only amazon and well have no choice bad times. Amazon charging £29,99 for Shenmue collection it’s only £24,99 digitally amazon are a rip off great if you ore order early (sometimes they put things up to pre order at the wrong price, much lower and they’ll honour it) but in U.K at least amazon suck unless your paying them £80 for a better service. If their standard service was up to scratch I’d consider it but it’s not had various issues of them taking to many pre orders and just cancelling my items or putting them up too early incorrectly and rather than notifying me that I’ll have to reorder just leave my order in limbo and let other people order it sell and keep telling me no it’s fine you’ll get yours... awful. I know at least 2 websites with free postage that arrives next day... for free and they always get games out on Thursday for Friday launches or if it’s a. Tuesday Monday latest ie some have turned up on a Saturday 3 days early amazon would never do this if you choose free postage they specially delay posting your item and then send it with the cheapest 2d class postsge they can so it takes another 3/5 days to arrive. Pass. I can literally order things from amazon France Germany or Italy and they arrive quicker than amazon U.Ks free post they shoddy at best

[Chaosdreams]

Canada, which was docked down to 10% a few years back is now getting nothing.

Time to cancel Prime.

[-Ghost]

I believe the 10% went into effect this year. Reason I say this is because last year, during the E3 promotion, I got RDR2, Death Stranding, and Days Gone for $40 with the 20% off.

[Chaosdreams]

Ah, that seems right.

[Iceball2000]

Hey Outsider... I still have to call Amazon because I ordered those two games as well and now it says there releasing sometime in 2020 and 2022. When you click the game in your order it says no longer available. So I don’t know what’s going on $49 is an amazing price for new releases in Canada, reg. $79

[-Ghost]

@Iceball2000 - Which two games? Your order is fine. You clicked the game page where no one can pre-order the game. When you click on order details, it shows the estimated delivery dates.

RDR2 has an exact delivery date, while Death Stranding and Days Gone have place holder dates. I don't know why Amazon.ca hasn't updated Days Gone release date to February 22.

[Iceball2000]

@outsider. RDR2 and Days Gone. RDR2 doesn’t have an exact date that’s the thing. It’s for like January 2020. Wish I could show you a screenshot

[-Ghost]

@Iceball2000 - That's strange. Yeah, chat with customer support on your browser or give them a call.

[ZeekQuattro]

Dammit. Should of known once other companies started getting rid of preorder dicounts Amazon owouldof followed suit. I use Prime for more than games though so I'm not getting rid of it. They are basically going back to their old system from a long time ago. I used to get a lot new games cheap because I would use my points. I use Amazon a lot and only venture to Gamestop or Best Buy for consoles or games that for some reason I won't get on Amazon on release day.

[annoyedgamer]

Then don't pre-order anymore, its not like copies sell out in stores anymore. You can also get around $20 off if you wait a few months after release at a sale somewhere.

[ShadowNextGen]

That actually isn't true. One of the most recent examples is Octopath Traveler on the Switch. That was sold out everywhere and it was hard to find for a little while.

[RememberThe357]

That's where I'm at now. No more pre orders. And now that God of War is already discounted I'm gonna wait on Spider-Man and Red Dead. I'd enjoy them just as much now as I will in a few months. I just got back into Divinity so that will take up a bunch of my time.

[RosweeSon]

Why wait shop around you can get that discount before launch im paying £41 for my copy of smash ultimate whilst others being charged £55/60. My copy of Shenmue cost £22 max other’s £29.99 both more than 20% and arrived day1 If not before

[fiveby9]

I'm still getting my Bestbuy Gamers Club discount of 20% on new game purchases. Of course, BB also canceled that program. But I'll have used it for 4 years by the time my sub runs out next year. I will likely continue to avoid pre-orders and wait for sales.

[starsi360]

@ShadowNextGen

That’s partially to do with the switch using more expensive physical cartridges. They don’t want to produce too many and then find it doesn’t sell well as there’s is a high cost to producing the stock.
Games on BluRay by contrast will cost pennies to physically produce so they can make plenty and always recall and destroy unsold copies if that happens.

[KickSpinFilter]

Actually Amazon mentioned this was going to happen first before Bestbuy. And GameStop never offered anything.

[Baza]

The games I want aren’t even available to preorder on Amazon! RDR2.. nope. Spider-Man.. nope.

[deadfrag]

Amazon is not What it used to be anymore,there are plenty of better alternatives this days
.

[Araragifeels]

Tell me more about this alternative.

[InKnight7s]

ripoffBAY.

[RosweeSon]

Shopto.net rewards points free next postage (which arrives next day for FREE) and games arrive 1-3 days before launch.
Thegamecollection.net again offers rewards points also offers 10/15% codes every month or 3 and works on pre orders, free postage that arrives the next day and games arriving before launch
Both websites also sell their games below RRP day one
Always a better alternative

[UNCHARTED2FANATIC]

Best buy is definitely better. Free release day shipping on brand new orders and free shipping on anything over $30. Don't need to be apart of no service

[dumahim]

Except the whole thing about them regularly messing up orders or flat out cancelling them.

[KingKionic]

Amazon is buggin in dez streets.

How you gonna remove services after you said there will be a price raise in the future?

Amazon is king but it seems danger is coming.

[Cmv38]

I still have prime because I'm lazy and enjoy 2 day shipping...but I'm starting to see something is a bit off lately. Hopefully they can appease us before they make a huge screw up they won't be able to recover from.

[KingKionic]

Yea at first its like "eh no biggie it pays for itself"

But not when features are being removed.

[letsa_go]

It seems like the retailers and publishers got together and decided to collectively raise prices. They keep doing stuff like this, it is going to push people to piracy, or just give up gaming altogether.

[SarsOxley]

Haha...give up gaming? That's a good one you silly goose you :)

[letsa_go]

@arsOxley Hey it happens sometimes! :D I gave up gaming for a little while when the N64 game drought was going on. I didn't really get back into gaming until the dreamcast and xbox came out.

[ShadowNextGen]

Prices haven't gone up. Games are still $59.99. Some of the discounts have just gone away.

[EricLane]

Walmart has been trying to compete with Amazon. I am going to check into comparisons. I never watch included Prime video, it all sucks, but I have bought as lot of Audio books on Audible, music and movies on Amazon. I feel locked in and would like to make a change. I must say, I have always been turned off on Amazon after hearing about their employment conditions.

[TheGamez100]

Shame...

[XiNatsuDragnel]

@CancelPrime

[WeAreLegion]

That was the reason I had Prime. :/ This sucks.

[Spurg]

Yeah...I don't pre order game online and also the Amazon pre order discount was pathetic...only £2 off..that was nothing.

[RosweeSon]

£2 off or go elsewhere and get it for £5/10 under rrp anyway amazon always been useless just a shame they have majority of games films music/CDs I’d want but there’s always alternatives *currently

[Fluxour]

Prime keeps getting worse

[Relientk77]

First Best Buy gets rid of Gamer's Club and now this.

Wtf ugh no more 20% off new games. So lame

[SkippyPaccino]

I guess that solves the mystery of why Amazon basically stopped selling games in Canada... I'm assuming as of September when the discount is fully removed the games will mysteriously reappear...

[UNCHARTED2FANATIC]

So their increasing the the price of the service and taking away their best benefit? Definitely canceling prime. Best buy is a better value with free realease day shipping

[yomfweeee]

Amazon has release day delivery as well.

[RosweeSon]

If you pay. I’m sorry but if your pre ordering a game for launch day regardless of if your paying for post or not they should have no problem dispatching in a suitable time regardless of which type of postal service you go for or next day or free they get the items in plenty of advance but it’s all about cost cutting and keeping costs down they alresdy dodge taxes masssivley and now they skank their paying customers by fobbing them off with the cheapest of postal services mainly to make prime look more appealing with its next day delivery that other company’s even tho they not actually sending next day delivery their items and received within 24 hours because they ship them there and then and don’t send it cheapest class of postage going.

[Segata]

I relied on this. Really sucks. That's now a lot of games that will no longer be bought brand new thanks to this.

[RosweeSon]

Unless it’s your GTAS red dead’s Zelda Marios that all hold their prices for months or years after launch majority of games specially over Christmas period are best off waiting literally 2/3 weeks and it’s down from £40/50 to more like £20/25 happens every year specially with the sheer volume of games launching in 3 month period

[Twinblade]

Let me get this straight, Amazon is ending their 20% off preorders on new game titles and replace it with $10 credit?

[spicelicka]

Yep so you're forced to spend more money to get rewarded?

This shouldn't even be a prime offer, this should be standard and prime should stay at 20%.

[rainslacker]

$10 credit on select games. Probably games from those publishers who aren't fighting them now on their pricing, which means no Sony titles will likely be eligible.

On top of that, they're not automatically applying it to you account, by sending you an email you have to redeem, so they're probably hoping a lot of people miss the coupon

[Twinblade]

Amazon is going to lose a ton of prime members. Isn't prime going up this year anyways? And now they take away our 20% Pre-order bonus? What next? Prime Video gonna be on a different prime subscription plan?

[rainslacker]

I'm sure they will lose quite a few. I know at least 3 people that got prime just for the pre-order discounts, and they didn't even use Amazon much except for stuff that was getting harder to find elsewhere. Since they got Prime, they shopped more at Amazon, so at least for those three, they'll be losing more than the Prime membership fees. Those people don't really care about the streaming service, and I know at least one of them doesn't even use it.

And yeah, Prime membership is going up. Prime cost if you want their streaming service isn't really way up there in comparison to others, but you have to pay for the whole year up front, which can put a lot of people off.

Mine is up for renewal in February, and I probably won't bother anymore. The free shipping was always a good thing for me when it was $80-90, but now it's just getting too expensive to make it worth it....particularly since I don't use them as much as I used to. For games, I have my own business, so I can actually get them from the distributor without worrying about coupons and what not. Sad thing is, the 20% off was usually still cheaper than what it would cost for me to buy them for resale.

I think Amazon is trying to maximize it's profits now since they became so big. But they're cutting corners in places where they really shouldn't be. Like they're cutting back on packing materials for some things, which is causing products to come damaged more often. I don't even order Collector's editions from them anymore.

That being said, I wish they did separate the video service from the original prime service. I think it'd be better for a lot of people that just want it for the free shipping. They could still offer a bundle deal, and likely even charge more than they're going to for that bundle. But they need those subscription numbers for their video service to help keep the costs down to get content.

[gamer7804]

its weird how Best Buy, amazon, and gamestop all ended their highest benefit tiers nearly all at the same time...

[subtenko]

theyre in on it....

[FullmetalRoyale]

Wow. First the price increase announced, then this? I am definitely done with the service when my sub expires. Ridiculous.

[rainslacker]

I think publishers are raising their prices for these companies, so it wasn't feasible to sell them like that anymore. It may seem.line coincidence, but that is because being large businesses, they're likely to feel the same way about losing money

[Seraphim]

Seen this coming. First Sony titles unavailable starting w/ MLB The Show then Best Buy dropping their rewards program.... The Publishers axe to grind with deals has finally effected all retailers.

This was the one reason I kept Prime the past few years. Now I don't mind getting a $10 credit toward my next game but.... I guess we'll see how many games actually offer this credit. Either way it still stinks but if enough games are covered then it's really no different than what's been going on. Only difference is we have to pay full price for our first game since we won't have a $10 credit stashed upon our first order.

[RememberThe357]

Stop buying new games. Pulishers are playing hardball. They forgot that we have he money they want.

[Tetsujin]

Granted I don't buy a lot of newer games, the $10 credit does seem to apply to any purchase on amazon. Over time the credit builds up, which means free games after spending so much.

[Blu3_Berry]

Maybe this is one of the reason why Amazon has been very weird with Sony and their pre-orders lately. Honestly, this deal sucks.

[bluefox755]

Meh, I order way too many things from Amazon to give up prime.

[TheColbertinator]

Can't have loyalty programs when no one has loyalty :/

[Ethereal]

Damnit. I got on board with prime back when the 20% applied to collector's editions. Now it's completely gone. Will seriously consider canceling next time my renewal comes up. Especially now, you can't preorder any major games...

[ps360s]

Amazon got it's customers and now hiking the prices, getting rid of great offers and so on

[Donnie81]

Prime looses value daily it seems

[2pacalypsenow]

Best Buy did it, now Amazon is doing it.

Back to Gamestop for me.

[AnubisG]

Best Buy and now this... great.

[hiptanaka]

Prime rip-off.

[Takwin]

I already went all digital. Between the deals on all the storefronts, you have places like Green Man Gaming which has actual digital game sales on places other than Steam. I love my huge digital library on the Switch when we undock it, and the PS4 Pro is nice to not have to mess with discs, and of course PC.

I love Amazon and Amazon Prime, but they are cutting stuff that was never intended to be core to the Prime membership. The free Twitch sub alone is worth $60 and there are actually good shows on Prime Video, both of which is completely extra to me and my family, since we get Prime just for the shipping and other shopping benefits.

[theindiearmy]

The terms of this new deal imply that it will apply to digital games as well. Whereas the 20% off was only for physical games. With that being the case, I may actually buy more of my games through Amazon than the Xbox Store, because when Xbox Rewards became part of Microsoft Rewards, they got rid of their $10 back for pre-ordering promos.

[Takwin]

If that is the case, then it's great. I will do a quick shop-around at Amazon, Best Buy, Green Man, and then the PS4/Nintendo storefronts to get the best deal on exclusives. A $10 credit (even from digital titles!) to a store I buy many things from every month is a much better deal than I thought.

[peppeaccardo]

Cancelled few seconds ago