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Denver, 5:06 PM
Wed Dec 2
63 posts in the last 24 hours
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11/12/09
One large aspect that remains unmentioned, though is the legal and technical aspect of this. Digital Distribution can leave difficult results on the consumer. Loss of data, corruption, and the hassle of maintaining the store space for everything that they own. Theft of Digital content could potentially become possible as this becomes more mainstream, perhaps not.
Legally, though, there'll be major backlash because Digital Distribution ultimately shafts the consumer, as the individual doesn't actually own their own copy - legally it's more of a rental.
Furthermore, thanks to Digital Distribution, the consumer can count on seeing the rates of products only going down on a blue moon. #taketwo
11/12/09
11/12/09
That being typed, I hope they start giving more for trade-ins and that the obnoxious 'pre-order bonus' trend dies a painful death in a dark ditch. I know it's just wishful bitching, since pre-orders are likely helping retailers stay afloat, but I don't like being punished for being a prudent shopper. #taketwo
11/12/09
I think this is the biggest obstacle to retail going away, quite honestly. Because think about it. Let's say 10 years ago that 100% of gamers bought games at retail. Now let's say that 70% of those people will someday switch to downloading, and 30% of people will be resistant for one reason or another. It's pretty simple math to figure out that somebody's gonna lose out on this deal. You can't switch distribution mediums and lose a bunch of customers in the process and make *more* money.
Or at least, most companies can't - certain middlemen and other people in the process might make more money, and they're the ones promoting the switch to digital downloading. (This includes the console manufacturers, btw, who want to be the new middlemen in the process of getting games from third party devs to you). But overall, the industry as a whole will lose.
And btw, the music industry already learned/is learning this.
11/12/09
I understand that there are agreements that have been made and fears about the digital version undercutting the brick and mortar stores. But this is an aspect that i think needs an overhaul for the digital distribution model to become adopted by EVERYONE. #taketwo
11/12/09
11/12/09
11/12/09
Honestly. Even price parity between the different versions would be inscentive enough to think about buying the digital version, but under the current pricing structure, I can see it being adopted for some time to come. #taketwo
11/12/09
1) Value - A digital copy of a game in most modern cases becomes worthless once it's purchased. It can't be resold or traded. I'm sure that has the potential to change in the future, though.
2) Collections - I much prefer having a shelf full of boxes to showcase my game collection to loading up 5 different PC programs/consoles to see what I own.
3) Borrowing - Ever since I was a kid, I've been a fan of swapping games with a friend for a little bit to try games I wouldn't have necessarily spent money renting/buying before while showing off a game I love to them. In the current day when so many games have online play, this is a great benefit. I leant my friend my copy of Borderlands (which he didn't buy because he didn't like the art style) and he loved it, and he's going out to buy it to play with me soon.
4) Vanishing Act - Say I buy 30 games on Steam. But my hard drive doesn't have room for them all, so I delete them time to time to make room. Then in 5 years Steam dies (which I doubt, but it could happen to any online distributor I buy a game from.) The games I bought from them that aren't currently on my hard drive are now lost in the void.
5) Age - Similar to above, imagine 20 years from now we're on our 4th generation of Xbox/Playstation. I have a fit of nostalgia and dig out my 360. I want to play some of the old games I loved but, shucks, I can't download those old games I used to have anymore. Shame I hadn't bought a physical copy!
6) Bandwidth - A large percentage of North Americans have no access to broadband internet. In my current situation, I only have access to dialup, as the only viable alternatives are prohibitively expensive or don't meet my needs. Cell phone company wireless has a tiny download limit, gets horrible reception in my area and isn't shareable over a network. Satellite wants a ton of money to buy hardware and about $70/month for their basic package. I'm surrounded by trees, so I don't have line of sight to the other wireless type. And even for those who do have broadband, most companies these days impose bandwidth limits. Some are reasonable, others are prohibitive to downloading anything other than email.
Digital distribution is definitely not going away, and it's a great medium for distributing indy games that can't afford all the money and red tape required to package a game up and stick it on the shelf at EB Games, Walmart, etc.
11/12/09
1) You SELL your games... for shame
2) My steam list is impressive.
3) i don't lend discs out cause they get scratched.
4) Valve have stated that physical copies would be issued if steam goes under.
5) Physical copies can also be damaged, lost or stolen...
6) Un-metered downloads FTW! #taketwo
11/13/09
1) I rarely sell games. I'm a collector, so they stay on my shelf. I can think of 3 games in the past 10 years I've sold, and that's because they were horrible and I never wanted to play them again or have them dirty up my collection with their badness.
3) Scratched discs are easy to fix with one of those kits. Besides, I'm a social gamer. I like to involve my real-life friends in my gaming, not just play online with Random_Joe_09.
4) My use of Steam as an example was just that; an example. Any of the digital distribution companies out there could go under and yank the rug out from under people who deleted bought content off their HDD. And I highly doubt every single one of them would spend millions of dollars mailing out DVDs to customers after filing bankruptcy.
6) And congrats on you being one of the very few who have no bandwidth limit. If they catered gaming to the needs of the people with the best tech available to them, the gaming industry would die in a flash as everything went to streaming games (requiring high speed and reliable bandwidth with no monthly limit.) #taketwo
11/15/09
11/12/09
Lets hope so, because i'm not a fan of digital downloads.
11/12/09
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11/12/09
To be fair, though, it was GameCrazy's last day, and they were 80% off. I think I spent about $20 total. :D
Thanks to that purchase, though, I've got one heck of a backlog to work through. Not that I didn't already. Game sales and clearances are both blessings and curses.
11/12/09
Yeah i'm going to be busy for a while as well...once i'm able to play again that is :Þ #taketwo
11/12/09
11/12/09
But the second option sounds pretty good (^_~) #taketwo
11/12/09
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11/12/09
Say what you will about used games being bad for the industry, yada yada, but I manage to subsidize my game playing habit by selling old ones, either on Craigs List or Ebay (forget Gamestop's horrendous trade in values).
I purchased both MW2 and L4D2 using monies earned from the resale of old games I wasn't playing anymore.
I understand why digital downloads are attractive from a publisher's standpoint, but as a frugal consumer, I'm going to be buying the physical product for a long time to come. #taketwo
11/12/09
11/12/09
you cant borrow a game, resell a game, rent a game, play your game on another system...
all the while they charge you the same price as retail......
who really wins when it comes to digital downloads? not you. #taketwo
11/12/09
*pulls head out from under rock* #taketwo
11/12/09
I used goozex a few times, and gave up. You are much better off going the ebay/craigslist route, or trading with friends. #taketwo
11/12/09
10/08/09
Please offer alternative controls, Bloober Team. The idea and style of your game are promising, but I do not want to waggle like crazy.
I would limit that type of movement to triggering combos or for finishing attacks. Otherwise, folks are going to balk. BALK, I say!
10/08/09
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10/08/09
The points go to Capcom.
10/08/09
The real money will be in making the Samuel L Jackson movie version.
10/08/09