Could be a turning point for indie games…
Best Buy will begin to carry select Limited Run Games in physical stores and online. According to a press release, Best Buy initially reached out to Limited Run to show interest in selling Yooka Laylee.
This led to the beginning of a partnership that not only includes Yooka Laylee but also Golf Story and a title yet to be announced. These copies will come from the same limited print count that LRG uses for each release.
All three titles are being released for the Nintendo Switch and will sport a variant cover different from those sold on the LRG website. It was announced that some stores may only see 1 or 2 copies. When they are sold, they will not be restocked.
Depending on the success of this partnership, this could be a turning point for indie games. With the help of a mass retailer like Best Buy, this could bring indie games toward a larger audience. This is also a remedy for those who prefer to have a physical game in their hands. I often read about the dreaded error pages and timeout screens that LRG customers can sometimes endure.
I for one am intrigued to see how this all plays out. As long as developers can make a decent profit from a partnership like this, I think that more publishers will begin to follow suit. As a gamer who grew up in the brick and mortar days, I am more than happy to hop on this train.
Both Yooka Laylee and Golf Story are up for pre-order on the Best Buy website. You can check them out here.