GameFly's Sean Spector Talks About Digital Distribution For Games

[darth los]

http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/69...For-Games.html This was always the one problem with the hd-dvd/blu ray format war. It was moot because everyone and their mama knows that digital distribution is where it's all headed.

[bassman]

The thing about digital distribution for xbox is that you have to pay. I may download games for the PS3 where it's free(like it should be), but I refuse to pay extra for Live while i'm already paying for the internet service...

[darth los]

The thing about digital distribution for xbox is that you have to pay. I may download games for the PS3 where it's free(like it should be), but I refuse to pay extra for Live while i'm already paying for the internet service... I would normally agree with that statement....if they were even comparable services. You have both so you know that x box live is the far superior service. (imo)

[CoinReturn]

Digital distribution is already here. With the new Xbox Live update, they added about 20 retail games (Mass Effect, Assassin's Creed, etc) up for download. It's only a matter of time before you'll be purchasing and pre-loading games before their release. Also, you can't compare PSN to Xbox Live. The latter is incredibly feature rich, and you're paying that $50 for far more than the ability to play online. Video updates on new games, cross-game chat, the ability to party up with friends, exclusive access to betas, dashboard updates, etc. The ability to stream movies from Netflix alone is worth the price of entry, imo.

[bassman]

True.....Live has more features than PSN, but it still doen't change the fact that it's ridiculous to have to pay for it, imo.

[capncnut]

True.....Live has more features than PSN, but it still doen't change the fact that it's ridiculous to have to pay for it, imo. I think it's reasonably priced as it happens.

[bassman]

I think it's reasonably priced as it happens. I suppose it's because I wouldn't use it enough to justify the high price.

[capncnut]

Well, I guess. I mean, I don't use it all that often either but £40 to be hooked up, download all the demos, spend your points, play with others, watch films, etc, it's not too bad really. When L4D2 comes out, I'll get more than my £40 worth. That said, a nice price drop wouldn't go amiss.

[bassman]

Wait a tick.....is the streaming netflix free with the purchase of Live? If so....that would probably convince me to keep it connected.

[darth los]

Wait a tick.....is the streaming netflix free with the purchase of Live? If so....that would probably convince me to keep it connected. If you already have a netflix subscription yes the streaming is free.

[bassman]

If you already have a netflix subscription yes the streaming is free. Pffft. What a surprise. Another subscription and more money needed.

[krakenslayer]

There's still a few (pretty minor) things standing between digital distribution and market dominance: 1. Christmas. Sure you can buy XBLA gift cards, but as someone who worked in a games department of a large retail chain for the past two Christmases, however big DLC gets, there seems to be a huge attraction towards buying physical gifts that you can wrap up, hand over to someone and they can immediately shove in and play. Especially as a lot of the people who buy games are older parents and grandparents who don't know shit about gaming, and anything other than a box they can hold in their hands is just too much of an abstract concept to handle. 2. Kids. Still a huge chunk of the market - many of them own Xboxes and PS3s, but are under 18 and are unable to register a credit card with the service for verification purposes. A lot of parents will refuse to use their own cards to guarantee their kids' access (I know my mum was a bit iffy about giving my little brother her credit card numbers). It's not insurmountable, but it's just a pain in the ass obstacle to a lot of younger players. 3. Download speeds. This is improving but there are still a lot of people who either don't have access to high speed internet because of where they live, or simply can't afford it. I, personally, have a measly 2MB connection, which costs me £15 a month and is really the maximum that I can afford just now. Downloading a 4GB game is a fucking long-term project, it would be quicker to just go to the shop and buy it. And my download speed is a lot better than a lot of peoples', especially those in rural areas. Moving entirely to digital distribution too soon would ostracise a lot of users. 4. Honesty. Or lack of it. This isn't such a huge issue for consoles (although it is a growing one, as more and more people learn how to hack their systems), but for a lot of people given the choice of downloading a game for free or downloading it for a price, they'll take the free option. There is a psychological difference (silly, I know) between downloading and buying a physical object - people can justify the cost if they see there is an actual difference between what they buy and what they can get for free (even if it's just a box, disc and manual).