Amazon and Xbox bring digital casual games to retail

Users are in effect not buying the game as such, but instead receive a code at the end of the transaction process that can be entered into the Xbox Live Arcade interface on a user’s console

The so-called ‘walled gardens’ of digital console publishing have for a long time been regarded as the biggest barrier between traditional retail and the presumed digital future gaming – and Amazon’s move could be seen as a tentative first step.

The High Street has taken a similar route in recent times, with gift cards containing redeeming codes hitting retail in conjunction with the release of Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and the Damned.

However, Amazon’s move cuts out all traces of physical product from the purchase, and echoes the moves made by the retailer in the digital music sector.

There's no word yet on when the service will arrive in Europe, but if it follows the pattern laid out by its MP3 store, it should be before the end of the year.