How do you feel about an all-digital future?

[AvianFlame]

With the rise of digital distribution playing a large role in the industry, it would seem that we are inching ever closer to making physical media nearly obsolete. Many people are heralding it as the welcome future of video games - convenient access to your entire game library, straight off a hard drive or even streamed to your system from a server. And with the widespread availability of high-speed internet in so many areas, it almost seems like a no-brainer.

However, many people, like myself, are already beginning to lament the death of actually having the product you buy in your hand - a certain attachment can be had with a physical copy of something that you just can't have with a file on a server or a hard drive. Plus, when the service goes offline, or the file corrupts, or any number of things go wrong, you're never getting that game back.

How do you feel about the likely all-digital future?

[Mighty Hatman]

I'm okay as long as my penis doesn't become digital. It's small enough already. As for games I'm not too bothered. Having stuff in your hands is nice, yes, but finding somewhere to keep all your games can be a real bitch. I have to keep that stuff neat and tidy and it gets harder every year.

[Tarvu]

This is what I heard in my head upon reading the thread title.

[JJMccallum]

How can I watch the world burn if it's all digital? DIGITAL FIRE DOES NOT GIVE ME THE SAME JOY IN MY PENIS.

[Knux56k]

I do like the convenience of digital distribution, but at the same time (being kind of a collector), the thought of not being able to physically collect new games any more doesn't make me very moist...

[Espio]

My internet is too slow for all digital. I cant even stream HD. Fuck that. And then what about all the HDD space?

[ClownBaby]

In all seriousness, if storage space became a LOT cheaper, better wifi more prevalent and also cheaper, and prices went down for games I would be OK with it.

If we go all digital, and the game that costs $60 now still costs $60, that's bullshit.

I'd prefer we didn't though.

[Cyber Altair]

Digital is nice but if the market went all digital in the next 5-10 years the industry would break. You're not taking into account the used market that helps sustain the industry.

[NemesisXposed]

I sure hope it doesn't. Although I can honestly say if it did, I wouldn't be too bothered. I'm just one of those types that likes to have a physical collection. Plus my internet sucks.

[Knux56k]

If we go all digital, and the game that costs $60 now still costs $60, that's bullshit.

And you know that's how this is going to turn out. Just hop on XBL or PSN and all of the current gen games will cost just as much as they do if you were to cruise down to the store and buy them. It's ridiculous that sometimes you can even get a physical copy that comes with other random things (gift cards, manuals, guides, etc) for the same price as if you were to just buy the digital copy.

[Doskias]

I'd really love to see publishers re-think their pricing on digitally-distributed games before we make that switch, and not for the most common reason. People talk about how the case, the manual, pressing the disc, and the shipping costs must factor into the price of the physical medium, but I don't think that's really so great an issue.

When I buy a console game's disc in a store, I own it. It's mine. I can do anything I want with it, up to and including selling it to someone else. Now, I know that when someone else buys my copy of the game, the publisher doesn't get any of that money, and that's why they want me to buy the digital version. But I'm paying sixty dollars for the freedom to do whatever I want with the product I purchased.

But here's the thing, if I buy the digital version, I have it forever. I don't have a physical thing, I don't really own it, and I can't re-sell it. The publisher gets all of my money (minus whatever they pay to the platform-holder), and they have the assurance that I can't put my copy back on the market for someone else to buy in lieu of a new copy. I've given up a small amount of my freedom, and I think that's worth them charging me a little less.

Post-Script: Also, games are pretty freaking huge. With big internet providers slapping bandwidth caps on regular customers, it's not going to take too long to rack up extra charges on your monthly bills, especially if downloading is the ONLY means by which you can acquire this content. That's not really an argument for or against, but it's a serious concern that I hope The Big 3 will take into consideration going forward.

Post-Post-Script: Finally, I actually do get a tiny bit of joy out of having a large collection of games on a shelf to look at, but it's a pleasure I'd readily part with if all of the likely problems of a digital future are ironed out properly.

[Mr. Gobbldigook]

In all seriousness, if storage space became a LOT cheaper, better wifi more prevalent and also cheaper, and prices went down for games I would be OK with it.

If we go all digital, and the game that costs $60 now still costs $60, that's bullshit.

I'd prefer we didn't though.

I agree,
I think the biggest problem for someone like me is that I have such a collection built up I hate buying digital games because I cant show them off. I think the pricing is also a big thing. there are alot of games I'd love to play but don't want to spend $60 on. If i could get a digital copy for 10 bucks though that would be awesome.
Also id like those games to be put out on physical formats as well. we haven't even seen what sony is planning on doing with the releases that were supposed to have come out this month. what happens if something like that happens in an all digital world? not only indie and smaller games would be delayed but big budget blockbusters as well. if something like that happened around a call of duty launch it would be devastating for the games profits. I don't think publishers are ready to take that chance yet.

[Arttemis]

People talk about how the case, the manual, pressing the disc, and the shipping costs must factor into the price of the physical medium, but I don't think that's really so great an issue.

When I buy a console game's disc in a store, I own it. It's mine. I can do anything I want with it, up to and including selling it to someone else. Now, I know that when someone else buys my copy of the game, the publisher doesn't get any of that money, and that's why they want me to buy the digital version. But I'm paying sixty dollars for the freedom to do whatever I want with the product I purchased.

But here's the thing, if I buy the digital version, I have it forever. I don't have a physical thing, I don't really own it, and I can't re-sell it. The publisher gets all of my money (minus whatever they pay to the platform-holder), and they have the assurance that I can't put my copy back on the market for someone else to buy in lieu of a new copy. I've given up a small amount of my freedom, and I think that's worth them charging me a little less.

This article is several years old, but it still applies to the current gaming generation.

The final cost of publishing a game that we'll delve into is the distribution of the game, and that's the process of getting the game sold to wholesalers and then to retailers where you'll then have a chance to buy it. Wholesalers typically pay around $30 per game and with the costs of getting the goods to the wholesalers, any co-op advertising or marketing, and return of good contingencies being roughly $14 per game, the publisher is going to typically get $16 for every unit sold.

Digital distribution doesn't cut down all of the above costs, but it saves ridiculously large amounts of money in manufacturing, shipping, and completely circumvents any issues with shelf space at retailers. Buying digital versions of games that aren't priced significantly lower is just asking to let publishers continue to rip people off.

[VenatioDecorus]

I love being able to download my games to any computer when I need it. I'm terrible at taking care of my CDs, so I like this. Although I would be worried about security of my information, but Steam is primarily what I use and they have a pretty good record so far.

[Cyber Altair]

People are forgetting the fact that the ones who have any sort of control over this are The Big 3 and they would never do so for at least the next 15 years. The PSPGo guaranteed it.


Also they're companies who realize that all their consumers can't buy stuff online, have shit/no internet access or prefer buying used games.

[ClownBaby]

Digital is nice but if the market went all digital in the next 5-10 years the industry would break. You're not taking into account the used market that helps sustain the industry.

...

what?

[Tarvu]

So I just tried taking this thread seriously, that didn't last long.

Y'know who else wanted a Digital future?



The market will never be entirely digital unless life actually becomes the sort of bullshit you see in films with holographic displays everywhere and flying cars.

[Cyber Altair]

...

what?

Not singlehandedly but a lot of people trade in there games or borrow. Digital doesn't give you this freedom.

[Tarvu]

The industry would break if for some massively retarded reason it all went digital. But not because of that. It would be the casuals having nowhere to buy games on the high street and not buying games, and then lots of monies will be lost. Nintendo would implode.

[ClownBaby]

Not singlehandedly but a lot of people trade in there games or borrow. Digital doesn't give you this freedom.

Which is actually HURTING the industry. Game companies play it up more than it is, but it's true.