If for some reason you don’t buy your XBOX Live Arcade games directly through XBOX Live, it looks like there’s going to be one less place for you to get them. Amazon has decided to stop selling XBLA games.
Amazon had been offering XBLA games due to a partnership with Microsoft that allowed gamers buy these games at their actual cost and to not have to buy the somewhat unpopular Microsoft Points to redeem them first. Ironically, Amazon will continue to sell MS Points.

By retail versions, I mean a card with a code on it. Not an actual disc for an XBLA game.
I wonder if the pricing on retail versions will differ? I like the idea of having a disc copy of the XBLA titles, but I’d have to think the pricing would increase since essentially, I could share them whereas you could not before.
Joystiq is reporting that GameStop and Microsoft have reached a deal so that the retail chain can start selling retail versions of XBLA games. Not sure if perhaps the two stories are related….
This is a shame. I actually bought some titles this way. I liked that I could just buy a game outright, instead of buying a clunky amount of points I didn’t want. Though, since MS revamped how many points you get when you buy them, it hasn’t been a big of an issue.