The video game retail giant GameStop has announced it has entered into a "multi-year strategic partnership agreement" with Microsoft. This partnership includes both enterprise and commercial elements.
GameStop's backend will now be powered by Dynamics 365 - Microsoft's cloud-based tech - and store reps will be equipped with Microsoft Surface devices. Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams will also be rolled out to more than 30,000 store associates.
On the Xbox front, GameStop is expanding its Xbox family of product offerings to include Xbox All Access - providing players with an Xbox console and 24 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, with no upfront cost.
Both parties will benefit from the customer acquisition and lifetime revenue value of each gamer brought into the Xbox ecosystem. Here's what Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, had to say about the new partnership:
"For many years GameStop has been a strong go-to-market partner for our gaming products, and we are excited about continuing and evolving that relationship for the launch of the Xbox Series X|S. GameStop’s extensive store base, focus on digital transformation in an omni-channel environment and expert gamer associates remain an important part of our gaming ecosystem, and we’re pleased to elevate our partnership."
This GameStop partnership follows on from Microsoft's announcement in June that it would be closing its physical retail stores. What are your thoughts about all of this? Leave a comment down below.
[source news.microsoft.com, via windowscentral.com]
Comments 11
Microsoft is making all kinds of power moves these days!
Gamestop devoured, yum
Wow that's interesting, and i wonder what z if anything that means for ps and Nintendo sales in terms of how GameStop "guides" customer sales. They've always pushed towards ps in many stores, though i recall stores saying in the past xbox games offered them higher margin on sales than Sony or Nintendo. If Microsoft is propping up the backend and pos operations, that may have interesting policy results. Also the revenue sharing sounds like phone plans. Interesting. Not sure if interesting good or bad though. Digital transformation via retail is kind of a new push in this space.
It's interesting that that's the inverse of what sony is doing, basically doubling down on all things physical.
Definitely a way to deliver Xbox All Access to consumers after killing their brick and mortar operations. Upside for GameStop is they probably got a deal on their IT operations in exchange for it, downside is they now push digital games.
At least GameStop probably won't crash as normal when switch pro preorders go live, lol
If gamestop even lasts "multi years" at this point.
Color me intrigued by this partnership..
Now every GS employee will have a Surface when they bug you about preordering a game.
Haha we use a Microsoft surface for work and it’s garbage. I bet they will be in the back constantly on charge
I’m excited about the website features. They always have those sales where you can get used games for half off but it’s a pain to search for titles individually on their website. I want a way to search the stock of each store, which sounds like something they may have now.
People still go to GameStop? Games are cheaper to just buy digital at this point. And a lot more convenient.
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