Updated: The game is up: Lovefilm drops game rentals for new customers

Lovefilm has begun to phase out video games rentals with only existing customers who subscribe to the relevant package able to receive discs in the mail.

Update: The company has added a sheepish statement to its website, apologising for not communicating the change to its customers directly.

It explains, "We can confirm that Games rental is no longer available as an option for new customers signing up to LOVEFiLM. Nor is it available as an option for existing customers who are looking to change their package."

Original story continues below:

New customers can now longer sign up for a games package, while current subscribers are now unable change their tariff to include games rentals.

The Amazon-owned company said it had chosen to "focus on our strength" of TV and video content, in a post hidden away on the FAQ section of the website.

The company wrote: "In order to give the best possible service that we can, we are looking to focus on our strength, which is providing the best selection of film and TV content for our customers, and making it available whenever and wherever you want it."

Sacrificial lamb

The news would have been somewhat expected had the next generation Xbox One and PS4 consoles imposed DRM restrictions on users games.

That would have rendered Lovefilm's offering practically useless for owners of the new machines. However, Sony decided against restrictions and Microsoft famously backed down from its plans.

With no impositions, Lovefilm may have flourished as gamers sought to try new content for new consoles without paying full price for brand new titles.

However, as the company looks increasingly towards streaming as the future, it seems the discs, which cost Lovefilm much more to procure than DVDs and Blu-rays, are another sacrificial lamb.

Will this affect your decision to sign up with Lovefilm? Or even affect your plans to buy a next-gen console? Let us know in the comments section below.

• It's not all bad news for Lovefilm subscribers. Just last month it secured exclusive rights to stream The Walking Dead.

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