PS3 game vending machines unveiled

By Robert Purchese Published 3 November, 2008

Sony to roll out across UK this Christmas.

Sony plans to sell PS3 games through a new line of "PoP" entertainment vending machines in the UK this Christmas.

These boxes will appear in cinemas, gyms, universities and travel stations, according to Stuff. And, as they are a joint venture with Universal, they will also offer plenty of Blu-Ray films, DVDs and music.

Upon purchase, more substantial items such as those on Blu-ray and DVD will drop into a collection opening, all lovingly shrink-wrapped.

Smaller offerings like music and other media files will be directly transferable to USB memory devices or MP3 players.

We'll apparently be able to choose from over 150 films at launch, including recent and decent releases such as Hellboy II and Mamma Mia. It's enjoyable; leave me alone. Dates and prices are expected soon.

Incidentally, Tom says these sorts of machines are common in US airports. Gosh, people even sell books in vending machines these days.

'PS3 game vending machines unveiled' Screenshot pop

Instant entertainment. After you walk home and put it on.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (48) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Darkedge #1 3 years ago

    Seen DVD vending machines in Cinema lobbies before.. I'd never use one as they are damn pricey but must be some morons who will..

  • jonsaan #2 3 years ago

    /inputs wrong number by one digit

    /gets Haze instead of LBP

    /smashes machine to a pulp

  • Widge #3 3 years ago

    I had a vision of pumping in 300 £1 coins to get a PS3

  • ABXY #4 3 years ago

    end up costing too much, sony need to get the money back from running this venture from somewhere, taking in acccount the loss they are making on the ps3! if people want a game, book or media they use the internet as cheaper.

  • DFawkes #5 3 years ago


    "/inputs wrong number by one digit

    /gets Haze instead of LBP

    /smashes machine to a pulp "

    That's the risk, right there. Would I chance it, with my clumsy nature?
    I do like the fact they'll be properly shrink-wrapped, unlike the pre-owned already opened nature of GAME and Gamestation. If you've opened it, it's your game.
    Edited by 1 at 03/11/08 @ 14:33

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #6 3 years ago

    @Widge

    I thought that at first - silly me.

    I saw a vending machine at Gatwick that had paperbacks, magazines and audio-books on portable devices (with headphones)

  • optimusprym8 #7 3 years ago

    well if they're like the vending machines at my place of work, will either get nothing or three of the same item.

  • the_dudefather #8 3 years ago

    Its like those vending machines to get an iPod at an airport? whats the point, its not like you can really use it until you get home

  • dazrichards #9 3 years ago

    I think twice about my chances of getting a 60p Yorkie bar out of the vending machine at my train station. I will not be pumping £40 into one of these

  • asphaltcowboy #10 3 years ago

    I worry about vending machines eating my 40p... who's going to risk chucking in £40?!

  • Gazza_UK #11 3 years ago

    get ready for twatish chavs kicking them in

    /realises chav couldnt play anything cus hes spent all this money on his new track-suite and cap :)

  • kangarootoo #12 3 years ago

    @jonsaan

    Hehe :)


    Does this also mean that if one of the racks changes selection when it is refilled, you will have to buy a bag crisps you don't really want just so you can then buy the copy of Fallout3 that is stuck behind it.

    Seriously though, I suspect the mechanism will be rather more complex than the one that regularly delivers my Kit Kat hit (with varying sucess).

  • Skire #13 3 years ago

    Now that's fancy :D Looks really cool to me

  • miiiguel #14 3 years ago

    Well, I think it's a nice idea. If it works or not, idk, but at least as a marketing stunt it's a good call, imo.

  • optimusprym8 #15 3 years ago

    Dallas Fortworth airport has these with PSPs in

  • rhubarbandcustard #16 3 years ago

    As I work at a University hopefully we will have one of these installed. :)

    I was always under the impression that these things were for renting stuff only. I had seen these previewed elsewhere with that suggested. Apparantly in the States these vending machines are used as an alternative to Netflix.

    Not going to put in £40 to buy something, but will be quite happy to rent a BluRay. May I suggest a cost of £2 a time Sony?

  • Triggerhappytel #17 3 years ago

    I'm not averse to this idea, but I can't really see it catching on. Surely the fact that they're cutting out the shop means they save a bit of cost, so it would be nice if these savings are reflected in cheaper prices. Somehow I doubt it, though.

  • SEVQA #18 3 years ago

    They better pay for a bouncer to stand next to the machines, because I see them getting put on the back on pick up trucks!
    Edited by 1 at 03/11/08 @ 15:10

  • kangarootoo #19 3 years ago

    I doubt they would be sat in the street. Inside airports, shopping centres and other existing establishments seems more likely. The piccy also shows a card reader, so it needs to be plumbed in to some degree.

  • Amphlett #20 3 years ago

    Can you imagine being the guy who re-stocks these things?

    Monday morning -
    "Hi everyone, I'm just going to open up this expensive vending machine, currently holding £400 of stock and will top it up with 20 copies of this game, that game and 40 assorted Blu-Rays. Now, nobody pay me any attention, the goods inside are not worth stealing, honestly..."

    Monday afternoon -
    "Yes Officer, about 8 chequered baseball caps came flying my way, everything started spinning and then the machine was empty."

  • SEVQA #21 3 years ago

    These machines are going to get raped no matter where they put them!

  • jonsaan #22 3 years ago

    I don't think you'd be able to take out one of these machines any easier than say....a cash machine?

    I quite like the idea actually. If it meant I could pop out and nab a game when all the normal shops are shut for instance. I'm all for it.

    Of course, they could just make all games downloadable and I could stay in and do it:)

  • Marshall2008 #23 3 years ago

    @Darkedge
    I totally agree with you. the price of kit out of these things is extortionate.

    BTW, for all of you PS3 and Blu-Ray owners out there you should check out [link url=http://bluray.liesinc.net/
    ]http://bluray.liesinc.net/
    [/link]
    It lists all of the region free Blu-Ray movies that are available so you can get them from playusa.com or dvdboxoffice.com or similar suppliers for cheap!

  • bodypopper #24 3 years ago

    I don't get it.
    It's not access to games that's the problem for Joe Punter. That's what shops and the internet are for. It's the price.
    If they could burn the game to Blu ray on the spot and save you a tenner than maybe this would be a good idea.
    Edited by 1 at 03/11/08 @ 15:42

  • BartonFink #25 3 years ago

    jonsaan wrote:
    /inputs wrong number by one digit

    /gets Hazelol instead of LBP

    /smashes machine to a pulp

    Bast!!

    /coffee + keyboard + screen incident
    Edited by 2 at 03/11/08 @ 15:47

  • Garulon #26 3 years ago

    "If they could burn the game to Blu ray on the spot and save you a tenner than maybe this would be a good idea. "

    Then Mr Pirate wheels one of these beauty's away, right?

    This is sooo... nuts. Sony have spent many moons spitting in the eye of retailers, how do they think that retailers will respond? Shrinky-dinky shelf space I'll wager.

  • kangarootoo #27 3 years ago

    Why are people rattling on about these machines getting knocked off? They are not reinventing the vending machine here, they are just making a new kind of vending machine.

    If previous vending machines have not been situated in alligator infested swamps or the middle of the burbs of south central, what makes anyone think they will treat these ones any differently?

  • Quint2020 #28 3 years ago

    Good idea.

  • SEVQA #29 3 years ago

    "Why are people rattling on about these machines getting knocked off?" because it seems to annoy you,lol!

  • Rpt81 #30 3 years ago

    So what happens if your newly shrink-wrapped game comes out of the box faulty?

  • paulf #31 3 years ago

    it'll be shrink wrapped <a href = "http://www.p hotomann.com/japan/machines/">panties</a> next

  • Garulon #32 3 years ago

    " they are just making a new kind of vending machine."

    Yes one that instead of a packet of Jelly Tots and some Dr Pepper contains dozens of £40 retail units that are easily fenceable down that slasher pub over the bridge.

    I bet one of them has Ken Kutaragi's stinking corpse buried inside though.

  • Garulon #33 3 years ago

    "So what happens if your newly shrink-wrapped game comes out of the box faulty?"

    Well you cry, obviously. I thought PS3 owners liked crying?

  • phatb0y #34 3 years ago

    They'd be better off just burying all those copies of Genji in the desert instead of this.

  • collateral89 #35 3 years ago

    u should put them in a pub somebody pissed up will buy 1 lol just offer a free condom with any purchase

  • Ryze #36 3 years ago

    Good idea, but I expect it'll be a rip off.

    It'd be intersting to see who is the first to try and rob one of these.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #37 3 years ago

    "end up costing too much, sony need to get the money back from running this venture from somewhere, taking in acccount the loss they are making on the ps3! if people want a game, book or media they use the internet as cheaper. "

    Sony are clueless, first they pack the machine with features gamers can and will live without, now this shit.
    They need to make the machine cheaper, sadly the only way is to f### the blu-ray drive off and do a cheaper machine for downloadable games only.Then lets see the whole range of dowloadable games at £19.99 or cheaper, blu-ray is failing miserably (3% of dvd market when sony expected 50% in 2008!) and we fucking paid for that failure, the gamer was Sony's risk ticket.
    Leaving wireless out could save a few bob too, if my aunt can run telephone extension cable under the carpet theres no reason not to use ethernet for a static device. LOL at the Sony employees paid to litter the internet with comments like "but you must add £30 to the xbox for wireless to make it fair". Like fuck, gamers can live without it and get a better connection to boot.
    So turn it back into a games machine with a price of £149, and leave blu-ray to the videophiles.

  • dingo75 #38 3 years ago

    Heathrow has vending machines with books already at some gates.

  • ToekneeC #39 3 years ago

    WTF! stupid idea, trying to cut out the middle man retailers. You know sony, the retails that big up your machine day in day out. I spend my week as a retail manager for a large company, saying how sony's ps3 is the future, and this is how you pay us back. well screw you. see you in the death pages next to the neo geo.....

    oh also just thought, i wonder if i could send my 12 yr old sister to pick up dead space from it if it dont have age protection.
    Edited by 1 at 03/11/08 @ 20:19

  • toy_brain #40 3 years ago

    Not that interested in the vending of physical media, but the memory stick stuff could be all sorts of awesome - allowing PSP owners to buy games direct to their machines without the tedious wait for a download. It also suits the 'out and about' nature of the handheald more.

    Stick a few of them at train stations and airport terminals and you'll get some custom no doubt.

  • shotgun44 #41 3 years ago

    Some of the posts here are classic!

  • Bohatahyah #42 3 years ago

    Tis True I went to the Suff Show and I used it, they only had the platinum games at the time but they will have more soon, But they also have DVDs and Blu ray discs and you can download music to a memory stick off it. I bought Knocked Up and Green Street for only £7.00! It was a special offer. the only thing is that they only take credit cards. But does this mean the end of age certificate ratings?

    PSN: Bohatahyah

  • hahayou #43 3 years ago

    Why PS3 and not PS2? I could see myself grabbing some classic PS2 game for 10 quid on impulse at a machine.

  • SPKRFCKR #44 3 years ago

    @ hahayou

    Now THATS an idea! I can see myself doing that, but not for PS3 games. Someone get this guy a marketing job!

  • Fab4 #45 3 years ago

    Having been to Japan, they put everything in vending machines eventually...and I do mean EVERYTHING!

  • Lepperman #46 3 years ago

    Damn it! Not train stations! I'll end up buying shit loads of stuff when I'm pissed and on my way home. I get the train home from Kings X, there's bound to be one there...

  • TonCapone #47 3 years ago

    'tis a silly idea.

  • wanderingkid #48 3 years ago

    Is it called POP because that's exactly what happens to the disc in the case as it falls into the collection tray?