Amazon to hit the gaming pre-order market today

Steam has more competition coming its way as Amazon is expected to offer PC game pre-orders on digital downloads starting today.

The online sales giant already offers downloads of current titles such as Civilation V and NBA 2K12. Now, they will join Steam, EA’s Origin, and other online retailers in offering pre-orders with additional content and other pre-order-inducing incentives. They plan on starting with some of the popular games due out before the holidays, including Battlefield 3, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Saints Row: The Third, and Sims 3.

Amazon has long used their clout, superior infrastructure, and bulk-pricing abilities to go after smaller companies in different markets. Gaming pre-orders will be no different with an Amazon representative telling CNET that “pre-order pricing could be up to 30 percent off launch list price.”

As with other items they currently offer as pre-orders, they will not charge customers until the games are available.