Amazon recently announced that it was offering a brand new perk specifically designed for video game fans and Amazon Prime subscribers. Namely, those who are signed up for the service will receive 20% off all pre-orders and new releases within two weeks of the game coming out.
It’s a big move directly targeted at video game fans from a high-profile service that has many subscribers across the U.S (mainly for things not involving video games). Meaning, Gamestop’s Powerup Rewards and Best Buy’s Gamers Club has a new, big time competitor to deal with.
This new development provides us with a good opportunity to look at, and compare, the three big name subscription services that matter to video game shoppers to see which offers the best value for video game fans and connoisseurs. We’ll break down each while focusing on these four criteria:
- Price
- Gaming Perks
- Non-gaming Perks
- Other Misc. Bonuses
After going through all three, we’ll come back and rank some “winners.” However, it’s up to you to decide which service is best for you. The value of the perks you are paying for is determined on whether or not you take advantage of them. OK enough talk, let’s dig in.
Competitor #1: Amazon Prime
Let’s start with our newcomer shall we? Well, it’s not exactly a newcomer as Amazon Prime has been around for a while and it has always had value to gamers thanks to its free two-day shipping and guaranteed day one arrival on new releases. That’s cool. But now that it has that extra 20% off pre-orders and new releases, it has definitely put itself squarely in competition with other brick and mortar video game retailers.
Price: $99 per year ($49 if you’re a student).
Note: for the purposes of this article we’re going to assume you’re not a student, but that’s definitely a game changer if you are.
By far Amazon Prime is the most expensive of the bunch even with the student discount. Mainly because it offers a lot of perks that don’t really have anything to do with video games. Unfortunately, you don’t have the option to break that up into monthly fees like you can Netflix or Hulu. It’s a one-shot price for the year.
Gaming Perks: 20% off pre-orders and new releases. Day one arrival for new releases.
As we’ve mentioned a couple of times by now, Amazon Prime now offers 20% off of pre-orders and new releases within two weeks. However, one of the advantages of going to a physical shop like Best Buy or Gamestop is that you can walk out with the game in your hand and not have to worry about shipping hassles. Amazon does a pretty good job countering this by guaranteeing that games you pre-order will be at your doorstep the day the game is released.
Non-gaming Perks: Many.
Amazon Prime is primarily a service for things beyond buying video games. As such, if you choose Amazon Prime to be your retailer/service of choice, you’ll get a lot of other perks as well. Most notably is its Netflix/Hulu-style streaming services and free two-day shipping on eligible items (most things that ship from Amazon directly). There’s also Prime Music, which is a library of music that you’ll have access to and a couple of Kindle benefits if you’re a reader (early access and book sharing). You can view the full list here.
Other Misc. Bonuses
There aren’t many to be honest since just about everything is covered under the Prime membership perks. However, Amazon usually has pretty good sales on video games and has some synergy with credit cards such as the Discover it card. Meaning if you get into a habit of only buying from Amazon, you can save some additional money that way.
Competitor #2: Best Buy Gamers Club (Unlocked)
Note: For the purposes of this article we will be comparing the Unlocked (read: paid) version of the Best Buy Gamers Club. The free version is mostly just about getting you extra points for buying and trading in video game stuff.
The (My) Best Buy Gamers Club has been around for a couple of years now but just recently has lowered its membership fee to be more competitive with other services (down from a pretty outrageous $100). Good timing too considering what Amazon is doing now.
Price: $30 for two-year membership.
Best Buy’s Gamers Club Unlocked locks you into a two-year membership for $30. Let’s do some quick math here (divide by two, carry the one, hmm, hmm) that adds up to $15 per year.
Gaming Perks: 20% off new software, 10% bonus trade-in credit, 10% off pre-owned.
The 20% off new software is presumably on anything that’s full price and marked as new (we couldn’t find anything in the fine print that says otherwise). Meaning that if you buy at least three ‘new’ games over a two-year period, the Best Buy Gamers Club would pay for itself. Not too shabby plus you have the bonus for pre-owned as well. Best Buy also guarantees a release date delivery provided you pre-order before noon the day before the game comes out.
Non-gaming Perks: Get double points to more easily save on other stuff in the store.
There isn’t a whole lot that comes directly from the Gamers Club. You’ll earn double Best Buy points for buying most video game-related products (besides consoles) and trading games back in. So as an indirect perk of sorts, if you shop at Best Buy for things besides video games, you could use those points to get saving certificates and save money elsewhere within the store.
Other Misc. Bonuses
Upon signing up for the Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked, you’ll get a Buy Two Get a Third Free coupon and another coupon for 50% off a strategy guide. Members will also get access to “exclusive gaming offers.” Also, if you want a Epson Home 2045 LCD projector, you’ll get a $100 gift certificate if you buy one while being a member. OK then. See the full list here.
Competitor #3: Gamestop Powerup Rewards
The OG of big name gaming perks clubs (or whatever you want to call them), GameStop’s Powerup Rewards. This is the one that GameStop associates won’t stop RAVING about while you’re trying to pay for your game at the counter. It must be good right? Let’s break it down.
Price: $14.99 per year.
Just about the same as what it costs per year at Best Buy, except you only need to commit to a year at a time instead of two. Right on if you’re afraid of commitment.
Gaming Perks: 10% off pre-owned games, 10% trade-in credit, 12-month subscription to GI.
OK, GameStop throws a bunch of stuff at you. You have the highlights above: 10% off all pre-owned games (and accessories), 10% extra trade-in credit on games (and accessories), and a subscription to one of the few print gaming magazines left, Game Informer. You’ll also get a bonus 10% reward points on everything you spend (as compared to the free version that only earns points).
Non-gaming Perks: Spend points on Think Geek and other non-gaming items.
As a member, you’ll earn points for buying stuff that you can then use to get cool geeky and/or video game related accessories from either GameStop or Think Geek.
Other Misc. Bonuses
Upon signing up you’ll get a Buy Two Get One Free coupon for pre-owned games/accessories, 10% off strategy guides, free 250 points for signing up, and exclusive deals/coupons each month. See the full list here.
The Verdict
OK, that was fun right? Now it’s time to rank them. Here are OUR picks for the best value gaming club. Obviously, people have all different kinds of needs, so let’s go with a couple of different categories. Remember though, the best deal is always going to be what you get the most value from. So be sure to research them all. With that said, drum roll please…
Best Value for Strictly Gaming Needs: Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked
The Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked has excellent value across the board on new releases and pre-owned games. Sure the two-year commitment might scare you, but you only need to buy three new games at 20% off over that two-year period to make your money back. Plus, unlike Amazon Prime, you’ll get those pre-owned benefits as well: 10% off pre-owned and bonus trade-in credit. It’s really an amazing deal for anyone that has access to a physical Best Buy location and buys video games regularly.
Best Overall Value: Amazon Prime
If you want access to streaming videos/TV Shows, shop a lot online, and play video games, then it’s definitely worth it to pony up the extra cash, and get Amazon Prime. You’ll lose the pre-owned perks that the other competitors have, but you’ll still have that 20% off of pre-orders and new games (within two weeks of release remember), plus a whole lot else. If you have access to the student discount (50% off membership), it’s a no-brainer.
Best Value for Gaming on a Tight Budget: GameStop Powerup Rewards
Honestly GameStop’s Powerup rewards, when you stack it up against the other two, is a little lacking and feels like it could use some freshening up. That being said, it still has the lowest price entry point and has lots of perks geared specifically towards pre-owned purchases and trading in. Meaning, if you like to pick up games on the cheap pre-owned and trade them back in frequently, this is a great club to sign up to. GameStop also has lots of sales/deals centered around pre-owned stuff and has a pretty damn good physical collection of them.
That just about does it! Those are our picks. What are yours? Let us know in the comments.
About the author
