Hoping to woo gamers who somehow manage to plan ahead more than a day in advance, Target is implementing a new video game reservation program. The basic idea is that you pay $1 for a reservation card, which holds your game for seven days after the release date, and when you return to pick the game up, you’ll also get a $5 Target gift card good on future purchases.
That’s actually a pretty nice deal, although there’s no telling if the $5 gift card thing is just a promotion to kick this initiative into gear or if it’ll be a permanent fixture. The whole idea, according to Target, is “to make sure our guests find everything they need to work, live and play all in one convenient and simplified shopping experience.”
Oddly enough, though, this system is for in-store purchases only, so it’s a convenient and simplified shopping experience that you have to physically undertake with all the driving and the parking and the hey-hey-hey that runaway shopping cart just dinged my car.
The first games available to reserve include: Punch Out!! from Nintendo, EA Sports Active from Electronic Arts, Ghostbusters from Atari, Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings from LucasArts, and UFC 2009 Undisputed from THQ.
Press Release [Target.com]