Matt Martin Wednesday 8th April 2009 Share this article Share

Companies in this article Amazon Microsoft

Amazon.com has become the first retailer to begin selling Xbox Live Arcade content, previously only available through Microsoft's official website or the Xbox 360 Marketplace.

The beta service offers US customers Xbox Live Arcade game codes, Microsoft Points and subscription cards

"PC gamers have enjoyed the convenience of digital downloads on Amazon.com for some time. Now Amazon.com and Microsoft are bringing that same level of convenience to platform gamers by expanding the reach of the Xbox Live digital platform to millions of Amazon customers," offered Greg Hart, vice president of Video Games and Software for Amazon.com.

"This is an exciting day for Amazon.com customers, and we will continue to drive innovation that will provide our customers with the widest selection of video game platform downloads."

Customers receive a code for their XBLA purchases, and the service currently offers over 100 titles, priced between USD 5 and USD 20.

"This partnership brings together two leading online brands - Xbox Live as the entertainment center of the living room and Amazon.com, a retailer that consumers rely on for great deals and wide selection," added Christina DeRosa, general manager of Xbox Live Business.

"With the overwhelming success of our existing Xbox Live Marketplace, it is clear that the 17 million active and engaged members of the Xbox Live community enjoy digital access to entertainment content. Now we're happy to be extending our storefront to Amazon.com, a cutting-edge online retailer who is helping make digital distribution more mainstream."

The Microsoft deal is the latest aggressive move from Amazon to capture more of the gaming consumer market. Last month it detailed its first steps in the used games market, by offering customers gift cards in return for posting boxed product to the retailer.