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GameStop to carry Kindle Fire, give $25 gift card with purchase

The video game retailer also is offering customers up to $100 in store credit for trading in an original Kindle Fire.

Shara Tibken Former managing editor
Shara Tibken was a managing editor at CNET News, overseeing a team covering tech policy, EU tech, mobile and the digital divide. She previously covered mobile as a senior reporter at CNET and also wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. Shara is a native Midwesterner who still prefers "pop" over "soda."
Shara Tibken
2 min read
Amazon Kindle Fire HD James Martin/CNET
Shoppers can now get their hands on a Kindle Fire tablet in a new location -- GameStop stores.

GameStop, the large video game retailer, now offers the Kindle Fire family of tablets, including the 7-inch and 8.9-inch versions of the HD device and the 7-inch version of the regular Kindle Fire. The devices will sell for the same price as on Amazon's site.

As a perk, up to January 31, buyers also will receive a free $25 Amazon gift card with any Kindle Fire purchase.

And if GameStop customers trade in an original Kindle Fire, they'll get up to $100 in GameStop store credit.

"Gaming is one of the most popular activities on Kindle Fire, so we're excited that GameStop is offering the new Kindle Fire family to its customers," Mike McKenna, vice president of Amazon Kindle, said in a press release.

Amazon in September unveiled three new models of its popular tablet that it hopes will pose a bigger threat to Apple's popular iPad. Amazon doesn't make as much money from its tablets as some other device makers but instead counts on customers to buy and stream content from Amazon through the product. Few tablets have been able to truly rival the iPad in terms of popularity, but the Kindle Fire, with its low price, is one that has seen strong demand.

GameStop, meanwhile, faces a changing environment as fewer customers visit its stores to purchase new consoles and software. In response, the company has been broadening its focus, offering refurbished Apple iPhones and iPads and selling Android tablets. It also has been going more digital by offering gaming content that's delivered via the Internet.