EB Games announces new EB World Plus subscription service

Posted on August 1, 2024

Do you remember EB Games? The store with the red banners and tends to have a sale very often. The video game and pop culture store has announced a new service called “EB World Plus.” This new service promises more perks added to the current EB World members but for a price. That’s right, they’ve introduced a subscription service.

For an annual price of $49, Plus members will be able to get additional perks such as double carrots on every purchase, 5% off digital currencies and content, 5% extra trade value, a free gift when joining the 12-month tier, and when you purchase 10 of boosters, Pop! Vinyls, clothing, or socks, you get the 10th item free, worth a certain amount depending on the item. It also promises more perks, but that has yet to be revealed.

EB Games has a standard EB World service, which is essentially a loyalty program for the store. It has 5 tier levels, each of them having different perks and services. Level 1 offers 2 Day pre-order hold guarantee, 7-day Game Guarantee, 14 Day Gift guarantee, and Birthday reward. Meanwhile, Level 5 members receive a 14-Day Preorder Hold Guarantee, 14-Day Game Guarantee, 30 Day Gift Guarantee, 25% Bonus Trade Credit, $20 Birthday Voucher, Priority Customer Service Email, and other exclusive rewards.

As of writing, the EB World Plus program hasn’t been welcomed with open arms. Loyalty members pointed out that some of the perks, like the extra carrots, don’t mean anything if you’re a level 5 EB World member. Not to mention, the “free gift” when signing up is a nerdy ramen bowl, which will likely cost $30 according to the latest offerings on the EB Games website. Some consumers have also mentioned that you’re better off waiting for the sales if you want to save money and find better value in your purchases.

EB Games' ramen bowl offerings

EB Games started its operations in Australia in 1997 in Miranda, NSW, and was originally called Electronics Boutique. Currently, the video game retailer has a total of 375 stores across Australia and 41 stores in New Zealand. Also under the EB Games umbrella is ZiNG Pop Culture, which first opened in Queensland in 2014 and was more focused towards pop culture merchandising. In 2020, Kotaku Australia reported that nearly 20 of EB Games’ stores had shut down due to the company “evaluating its property portfolio” due to the changing retail landscape. So perhaps this new EB World initiative is an effort to make a profit as the gaming industry has shifted towards game passes and digital purchases.

The EB World Plus will be available at 9 AM AEST on Thursday and customers can sign up in-store or online.