Retailer GAME has announced that it will be ending its GAME 'Reward' programme along with the GAME 'Elite' Membership scheme (which is essentially a paid tier of the former) on 31st July 2024.
Essentially, then, following this date, customers will no longer be able to redeem any points accumulated on in-store and online purchases. GAME has stressed that reward points will be offered until 15th July, after which you'll have until the 31st to redeem them.
In an email sent to customers, alongside a statement provided on its website, GAME states "We would strongly urge you to redeem your GAME reward points prior to the closure date on purchases in GAME stores or online to avoid disappointment".
The news will undoubtedly come as a disappointment to many, regardless. In this writer's experience, many spend months, if not years, accumulating points in the hope that these can then be redeemed on new hardware. As we know, Nintendo's Switch successor will be announced at some point before the end of March 2025, and it's also assumed that Sony will release a PlayStation 5 Pro at some point this year.
Right now, however, your best shot might be to spend your points on the upcoming Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition, which launches on 18th July 2024. Cool, huh?
GAME's announcement follows confirmation that the chain will no longer accept trade-ins on consoles and games, with the increased number of concession stores within Sports Direct cited as a possible cause. It was also reported earlier this year that GAME staff were hit by redundancies after the firm moved the majority of its workforce under zero-hour contracts.
With the demise of trade-ins and now its reward programme, one does wonder what exactly GAME has up its sleeve to differentiate itself from other major retailers. Only time will tell.