Want to buy Grand Theft Auto V for your Playstation 4 from Amazon? You’d better have a Prime membership.
The retail giant is restricting purchases of some top video games to Amazon Prime members, who pay $99 per year for free shipping, access to Amazon Video streaming and a range of other benefits. The move was first spotted on U.K. pages by Videogamer.com, but has since spread to U.S. options, as well.
Restricted games include the aforementioned GTA V, Rainbow Six Siege and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate on Playstation 4. FIFA 16, Far Cry Primal and Battlefield Hardline are also restricted on both PS4 and Xbox One.
Users can still purchase the games through Amazon, but only from third-party sellers. In addition to the exclusive games, Amazon has also courted gamers with 20 percent discounts on pre-orders for Prime members.
Amazon has apparently restricted items to Prime members before, but it seems that was due to limited stock around the holidays. The company also offers some of its own hardware, like the Amazon Dash buttons, exclusively to Prime members as well.
Update: An Amazon spokesperson sent GeekWire this statement:
From time to time, Amazon offers exclusive selection and pricing on select items for Prime members. Customers who are not Prime members can sign-up for a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime to benefit from these exclusive prices or they can purchase these items or similar products from third party sellers often fulfilled and shipped by Amazon.
The company has been experimenting with new ways to drive users to Prime in recent weeks. It partnered with Sprint last month to offer Prime month-to-month, and is offering an Amazon Video-only subscription for $8.99 per month to take on Netflix.
