Video game fans looking to purchase certain titles from Amazon now need a Prime membership to do so.
VideoGamer.com reported that this change quietly took effect over the past day and noted that certain games came with the disclaimer that only allowed their purchase for Prime members. Although the site noted that this was for Amazon UK, the U.S. Amazon site also seems affected.
Some of the games that now fall under Amazon's "Prime Exclusive" category include Grand Theft Auto 5 (PS4), Rainbow Six Siege (PS4), Assassin's Creed Syndicate (PS4), FIFA 16 (Xbox One, PS4), Far Cry Primal (Xbox One, PS4) and Battlefield Hardline (Xbox One, PS4).
Anyone visiting Amazon to buy these games will now see the following statement on the site: "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com exclusively for Prime members."
The "more details" link basically states that these items are "reserved exclusively for Prime members" and then offers information on how to sign up for Prime, as well as lists some of its benefits.
"One of the many benefits of Amazon Prime is access to exclusive selection on a number of great products," Amazon wrote to VideoGamer.com. "Customers who are not Prime members can sign up for a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, or they can purchase those items from a Marketplace seller."
That means that although Amazon users who are not Prime members cannot buy these games directly from the site, they can still purchase from third-party sellers, which actually include a great deal of merchandise sold through the retail outlet. For most buyers, this probably changes very little, although it's likely that many of the Prime prices will include a slight discount for members, too.
Amazon Prime offers free two-day shipping on most of the site's items, as well as free streaming for TV shows, movies and music, including some exclusive content, such as Doctor Who, and original content, such as The Man in the High Castle and Transparent. The service also includes free rental of Kindle books. For new users who sign up, Prime is free for 30 days and then costs $99 per year.
