Video Game Retailer Trying Out a New Physical Subscription Service in Australia

Netflix reigns king in the at-home movie and TV show business. That's no surprise to anyone. But the concept hasn't really taken off in the video game industry with a few exceptions.

EA Access is a catalog of EA games, while Xbox Game Pass is a similar idea curated by Xbox themselves. But EB Games in Australia is trying something different. They're trialing a brick-and-mortar version of subscription service.

Swap ‘n’ Play is a new service we’re trialling in South Australia that allows customers to grab any preowned game they want, and to swap it over as much as they like instore,” an EB Games spokesperson said in a discussion with GameSpot.

This service, costing $19.95 AUD a month, allows customers to borrow one game at a time from their entire library of preowned games. As long as it's available, you can play it.

“Whether they finish it in a day or decide they don’t like it, they can grab something new whenever they want. There’s no limit to how many times they can swap. We created Swap ‘n’ Play to add value for our regular customers, especially parents. Over school holidays it’s not unusual for families to be in and out our doors finding new games to play. Swap ‘n’ Play allows for a hassle-free and more affordable shop.”

This program is just a trial run in Australia, but EB Games is a subsidiary of GameStop, so if it's successful, we may very well see it happen in the states as well.