Kia ora guys, seeing as I’ve had this blog lying around for a while now, I thought I’d finally put it to some good use! I’ll try come back every once in a while to offer my thoughts on games and the games industry. So to start off…
Digital Distribution or Whatchamacallit
Since prehistoric times we’ve had a variety of physical mediums to access our games on; floppy disk, cartridge, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and Blu-ray. As games have gotten bigger, the need for these physical mediums has increased.
Let’s face it, we’ve always had digital game downloads since the early days of shareware. However, since the arrival of broadband, people have started to see the benefits of downloading their media online. The speed and bandwidth available is ever increasing, making the option even more appealing for consumers. Digital distribution is becoming more common and some developers are now choosing to develop their games as download exclusive.
Platforms such as Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA), PlayStation Network (PSN), Steam, and iTunes App Store are the clear forerunners of this new era. The new PSP Go will also play a part as it solely runs downloaded games. WiiWare and DSiWare offer game downloads but their games are tied to the consoles themselves, which is setting up for potential disaster.
A few developers are venturing out into this relatively new space including DICE’s Battlefield 1943 and Rockstar’s GTA IV: The Lost and Damned. Who says that download games have to be less value? Shadow Complex and Trials HD are perfect examples of what can be done to make smaller games that are still high quality.
Full retail games are accessible from the increasing amount added to services like Steam and Xbox Live Games On Demand. Forgetting about pricing (I’m looking at you Games On Demand!) and all the rest, this is forever changing the way we buy our games.
What matters to you?
Digital distribution is a double-edged sword; for each positive feature there’s a negative waiting on the other side of the fence. Now I could go on and on about many things but instead I decided to save you the torment and I put a few brief pointers in the table below. Aren’t I thoughtful?
| Pros | Cons |
| Creativity encouraged. Indie developers finally alongside the big boys. | The good games can get lost amongst a sea of garbage. |
| Lower prices. | Possible smaller budgets. |
| No cost for packaging and disc printing. | No physical case. |
| Even if your console gets lost or stolen, you can re-download as your games are tied to your account. Developers don’t lose money on used games. | Can’t trade in, resell or lend to a friend. |
| A mix of small and big games. | Limited hard drive space. |
| Limited time sales (Steam is fantastic in this regard). | Publishers have a monopoly on the price. No other stores to compete for prices. |
| Pay & download from your couch. | Lengthy download times, bandwidth usage. |
| Games released worldwide at the same time. | Some games not available in all countries. |
| Piracy less of an issue. | Harder to restrict kid’s access to R rated games. |
| Old games continue to be sold with an infinite amount of copies available. | Clearance prices may be a thing of the past. |
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads
I’m excited for the future possibilities that digital distribution has in store for us as gamers and media consumers. Game hires could be a new avenue with the option of renting games for a shorter time period much like the iTunes movie rental system.
Of course retailers aren’t going to be one bit happy about this future move. Digital distribution is their kryptonite. Let’ see if their aggressive tactics can help them survive the fight.
Previously on Soulcalibur
I’m also hoping that episodic gaming really takes off. As companies like Telltale have proved, it is possible to create games in an episodic format. Although they have mastered the PC, they really need to get their act together on the consoles (though that could be the console companies fault more than their own).
Telltale are still doing better than Valve. Most of you know about the infamous amount of time it takes for them to finish a Half-Life episode! It’s not just the length of time, Valve refuses to tell us ‘when’ the next episode will be released. To be anything like TV we need a consistent schedule. Developer’s who love to push thing’s back will need to change their ways.
Alright, shut up already!
Only time will tell how this take over will turn out, or even if it will be a take over at all. We’re already experiencing the transition, but a complete shift away from the retail box may be quite a while away still.
