For the past few months, GameStop seems to have been phasing out their Edge cards and replacing them with a new, similar program: the PowerUp Rewards program. This new program is only available in certain states (Ohio being one of them), and gives you all the perks the Edge cards gave you, plus more. And, unlike the Edge card, the PowerUp Rewards card comes in two varieties, a free version and a "Pro" version with more perks that costs $14.99 per year.

For those who don't have an Edge card, here's how they used to work: for the yearly $14.99 subscription fee, you get a subscription to GameInformer magazine, 10% off all used games purchased from any GameStop, and 10% more store credit when you trade in used games.

If you do already have an Edge card, you can trade it in for a PowerUp Rewards card for no additional cost, and you get all the same Edge card benefits, plus tons of new ones. The main function of the program, which is available for both the free and Pro versions of the PowerUp Rewards card, is that customers earn rewards points with every purchase. They can then trade these in for rewards like games and accessories after accruing enough points.

Another neat feature of the PowerUp Rewards cards is the regular contests that GameStop now holds. Customers earn entries into these contests with every purchase or trade in; one entry per purchase or trade in for customers with the free program, and two for the Pro version.

And finally, customers who subscribe to the Pro version of the program get some one-time signup bonuses like 250 rewards points to start you off on the right foot, and some exclusive coupons.

If you liked the Edge cards, you'll love the PowerUp Rewards card. I've only been participating in the program for a few months, but due to my video game addiction and the ease of earning points, I've already accrued almost enough for some great rewards. Even though the program is still in beta, it seems to be successful so far - so keep your eyes peeled for when it comes to a location near you!

With the PowerUp Rewards program, you earn 10 points for every dollar you spend on new games, consoles, and strategy guides; 20 points for every dollar spent on used games, accessories, and consoles; and 20 points per dollar on every game or console that you trade in.The amount of points it takes to get rewards ranges from 1000 (for a lifetime guarantee on any product purchased from GameStop) to 50,000 (for a coupon for $50 off any purchase).The rewards you can earn range from physical merchandise to digital rewards like coupons. Many items are not yet available but have been conceptualized, such as gift cards and downloadable content. But they already have a wide variety of physical items available. Some of the more enticing ones include an HDMI cable, an NES wallet, a Zelda belt buckle, a pair of earbuds, and a set of Call of Duty dogtags.I have 4,075 points - which means that I have enough for the dogtags when they become available :)