GameStop to sell digital Xbox 360 content in stores without 25-digit codes

GameStop will soon let Xbox 360 users begin to download add-on content without leaving the store, the company announced today.

GameStop will soon let Xbox 360 users begin to buy and download digital content without leaving the store, the company announced today.

The news coincides with GameStop's second-quarter financial report, which listed an 11.1 percent drop in global sales but a 27 percent jump in digital revenue. "We continue to see solid sales growth as well as strong margins in our new retail offerings and digital channels," said chief executive Paul Raines, who added, "We are focused on staying ahead of the curve as the competitive landscape evolves."

GameStop's upcoming system will allow customers to walk into a retail location and purchase Xbox 360 content, at which point GameStop will generate an email containing a link to cue up the download on their console. According to Wired, the email will arrive "less than a minute" after the transaction, so a smartphone-owning buyer can immediately start the download process within the store.

GameStop already sells codes for digital games and add-on content, but this program will allow Xbox 360 owners to bypass the act of entering a 25-digit code on their console or the Xbox website. Plus, they can get a head start on the download instead of waiting to begin the process upon arriving at home.

For now, the system is only compatible with Xbox 360 content, but president Tony Bartel told Wired that it is "GameStop-specific, and it works with any code." That means, said Bartel, "We can take any of our partners and put them on our platform."