The ad is similar to roadblocks that appear when a reader visits an online publication with a paywall.
Usually the extra content is framed as a reward, rather than something players are missing out on.
But with the future of tangible video game discs uncertain, GameStop’s stock has been trending downward since late 2015.
It’s a strange model to borrow from, considering paywalls don’t engender any feelings of warmth or joy in the average person. GameStop’s business model is largely built around selling pre-orders of retail copies of video games, then buying back used copies and reselling them.