Gamestop ($GME) is struggling. Its market cap is currently a third of what it used to be, and foot traffic is slowing down at the video game retailer.

But last month's E3 video game conference appears to have given GameStop a bit of a lift, as pre-orders for hotly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 topped the best seller lists according to sales rank data that we track. Even with the help of E3, however, nine out of the ten top products by sales rank at Gamestop in June were gift cards.

Name

Brand

Category Rank (Average)

Category Rank (Count)

PlayStation Store $10 Gift Card

SCEA

1.2414

29

Cyberpunk 2077 Collectors Edition

WB Games

2.2500

4

PlayStation Store $20 Gift Card

Sony Computer Entertainment

2.4138

29

PlayStation Store $50 Gift Card

Sony Computer Entertainment

4.8621

29

$20 Xbox Gift Card

Microsoft

7.1379

29

$10 Xbox Gift Card

Microsoft

9.2759

29

Nintendo eShop Digital Card $50

Nintendo

9.8621

29

$5 Xbox Gift Card

Microsoft

10.1379

29

Nintendo eShop Digital Card $20

Nintendo

10.2759

29

PlayStation Store $25 Gift Card

Sony Computer Entertainment America

10.7586

29

Nintendo eShop $10 eCard

Nintendo

11.6552

29

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening Dreamer Edition

Nintendo

11.8421

19

$50 Xbox Gift Card

Microsoft

14.6552

29

Super Mario Maker 2

Nintendo

23.8621

29

Final Fantasy VII Remake Deluxe Edition

Square Enix

24.6000

20

PlayStation Store $100 Gift Card

Sony Computer Entertainment

25.9310

29

Google Play $50 eCard

InComm

27.9310

29

Roblox $10

InComm

27.9655

29

Google Play $10 eCard

InComm

28.5862

29

Pokemon Sword & Pokemon Shield Double Pack

Nintendo

29.4000

25

Note that this data is only for June, so some products that may have done well in previous months may not have made the top-20. Furthermore, this is sales rank data — not units sold — but it provides a proxy for what is (and isn't) selling as it moves up and down the ranks.

The PlayStation Store $10 Gift Card, or $10 worth of currency on Sony ($SNE) consoles that can be used to purchase games, downloadable content, or make microtransactions, was the top seller at GameStop in June, beating out Cyberpunk 2077.

Cyberpunk 2077 was only on sale for four days in June, which makes its ascension to the fourth spot behind gift cards even more impressive.

Below Cyberpunk 2077 are two more PS currency cards, followed by two for Microsoft ($MSFT) Xbox currency cards, and then a mix of PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo ($TYO:7974) currency.

The order of best-sellers paints Gamestop in a situation where more people may be buying gift cards — either for themselves or others — to purchase games online than buy physical copies of games.

Much like the commerce industry at large, the gaming industry may be at a state when online transactions may soon outweigh physical purchases. Clicks may not have eclipsed bricks yet, but with online sales growth severely outpacing brick-and-mortar sales, and with plenty of infrastructure in place for online sales — from on-console marketplaces like the PlayStation Network to apps like Steam and Amazon's game store — the traditional brick and mortar video game retailers are in danger of facing a game over.

About the Data: 

Thinknum tracks companies using information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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