Next gen - full support for digital distribution?

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starwarsjunky

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#1 starwarsjunky
Member since 2009 • 24765 Posts

With the size and relatively cheap price of hard drives these days, do you think that in the next generation of consoles, (for MS and Sony at least, since nintendo already said they wont have a hard drive in the wii u) we'll see the majority, if not all, of full titles available as downloadable purchases, similar to PC services such as steam or D2D?

EDIT:i don't mean that it'll be ONLY DD. just that we'll have an option. you can either buy the physical media from a store, or you can buy and download from PSN/XBLA

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rragnaar

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#2 rragnaar
Member since 2005 • 27023 Posts
I think that bandwidth caps will keep it from being the only method of distribution. I suspect we are stuck with physical media for a while longer.
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LJS9502_basic

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#3 LJS9502_basic
Member since 2003 • 178810 Posts
I hope not. I'd hate to have to give up games.:(
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starwarsjunky

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#4 starwarsjunky
Member since 2009 • 24765 Posts
I think that bandwidth caps will keep it from being the only method of distribution. I suspect we are stuck with physical media for a while longer.rragnaar
i didn't really mean that it'll be ONLY DD. maybe i worded it poorly. just that it'll be an option. you can either buy the physical media from a store, or you can buy and download from PSN/XBLA
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rragnaar

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#5 rragnaar
Member since 2005 • 27023 Posts
[QUOTE="rragnaar"]I think that bandwidth caps will keep it from being the only method of distribution. I suspect we are stuck with physical media for a while longer.starwarsjunky
i didn't really mean that it'll be ONLY DD. maybe i worded it poorly. just that it'll be an option. you can either buy the physical media from a store, or you can buy and download from PSN/XBLA

I hope it becomes more common going forward. I really like having games just ready to go on my HDD.
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illmatic87

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#6 illmatic87
Member since 2008 • 17935 Posts
Probably PC games and handheld games. Physical media will be around for lounge based gaming consoles.
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BuryMe

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#7 BuryMe
Member since 2004 • 22017 Posts

I think we'dd see a lot more of it, but it won't be the only way of getting games for a LONG time.

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Vinegar_Strokes

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#8 Vinegar_Strokes
Member since 2010 • 3401 Posts

i hope we have the choice of both... choices are great

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NiKva

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#9 NiKva
Member since 2010 • 8181 Posts

I wouldn't mind downloading full games, because I already do.

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Jackc8

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#10 Jackc8
Member since 2007 • 8515 Posts

I'm sure the publishers will keep pushing it, because they can sell games at full price yet not have to pay any manufacturing or distribution costs, thereby increasing their profit margin.

Don't see consumers going for it unless they offer a good discount for downloadable titles, which certainly isn't the case so far.

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Devouring_One

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#11 Devouring_One
Member since 2004 • 32312 Posts
yes, in, games will be distributed digitally. the question is when.
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trastamad03

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#12 trastamad03
Member since 2006 • 4859 Posts
I hope so... One thing I annoys me on my PS3 is swapping discs. I guess I'm too used to playing games on PC.
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wiouds

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#13 wiouds
Member since 2004 • 6233 Posts

I hope not.

I hate dealing with the middle man for my games. More of a pain than going to the store.

I do not think of DD as buy the game since you are really just doing a long term rental.

I have lost more games in DD than the buy the games.

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starwarsjunky

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#14 starwarsjunky
Member since 2009 • 24765 Posts

I hope not.

I hate dealing with the middle man for my games. More of a pain than going to the store.

I do not think of DD as buy the game since you are really just doing a long term rental.

I have lost more games in DD than the buy the games.

wiouds

considering it'd be sold through PSN or XBLA, you'd essentially be eliminating the middleman aka gamestop/amazon/best buy :?

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Archangel3371

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#15 Archangel3371
Member since 2004 • 43998 Posts
I much prefer buying the physical copies of games but having more options is always a plus especially if you can't easily find the game in stores. The 360 already has a sizeable library of games that you can download now and they even have at least one that I know of that only had a physical copy release in Japan. However you don't want to leave the stores that sell the physical copies of games out in the cold by selling digital copies at cheaper prices and/or on the same day as the physical copy release.
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wiouds

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#16 wiouds
Member since 2004 • 6233 Posts

[QUOTE="wiouds"]

I hope not.

I hate dealing with the middle man for my games. More of a pain than going to the store.

I do not think of DD as buy the game since you are really just doing a long term rental.

I have lost more games in DD than the buy the games.

starwarsjunky

considering it'd be sold through PSN or XBLA, you'd essentially be eliminating the middleman aka gamestop/amazon/best buy :?

After you buy the game, some DD have it where you need to login with them from time to time to play.

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starwarsjunky

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#17 starwarsjunky
Member since 2009 • 24765 Posts

[QUOTE="starwarsjunky"]

[QUOTE="wiouds"]

I hope not.

I hate dealing with the middle man for my games. More of a pain than going to the store.

I do not think of DD as buy the game since you are really just doing a long term rental.

I have lost more games in DD than the buy the games.

wiouds

considering it'd be sold through PSN or XBLA, you'd essentially be eliminating the middleman aka gamestop/amazon/best buy :?

After you buy the game, some DD have it where you need to login with them from time to time to play.

PSN doesn't :? and i don't think that XBLA does either.....

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RACiEP

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#18 RACiEP
Member since 2010 • 687 Posts
If that happened, I'd probably stop getting new consoles and pick up some legacy ones. I much prefer having a physical collection.
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hrt_rulz01

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#19 hrt_rulz01
Member since 2006 • 22369 Posts
I think there is room for both DD & hard copies... I know it's probably inevitable, but I hope we don't go 100% DD. I like owning hard copies of games, ecpecially my favourites I want to keep.
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mikeyMKII

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#20 mikeyMKII
Member since 2009 • 754 Posts

The publishers can push digital distribution all they want, I know I won't go for it. I'm wary of some hardware failure or whatever, and there goes your games.

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lensflare15

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#21 lensflare15
Member since 2010 • 6652 Posts

I certainly hope not. Wouldn't be a good idea since there are many people like me who would stop buying the new consoles.

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c_rakestraw

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#22 c_rakestraw  Moderator
Member since 2007 • 14627 Posts

I could definitely see every game being released digitally. Maybe not day-in-date with the retail release (gotta keep those guys happy), but it could very well become a standard in the next console generation or two.

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ZombieKiller7

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#23 ZombieKiller7
Member since 2011 • 6463 Posts
Nope. I don't trust "services." Physical product or nothing. And I'm not going online to activate it either. You'll just push me underground or out of gaming completely.
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GeoffZak

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#24 GeoffZak
Member since 2007 • 3715 Posts

That would suck and I hope it never happens. I like having my physical copies, I actually feel like I OWN the game.

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nick21081

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#25 nick21081
Member since 2009 • 141 Posts

I don't have a problem with DD being an option, however I am a collector and I would just be a retro gamer if it ever came down to DD being the only option to purchase games. I just think having a physical copy guarantees my ownership.

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ShadowDragon78

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#26 ShadowDragon78
Member since 2011 • 371 Posts
Some people don't have internet or can't get online when they wish, so it would be a bad idea to do digital-only. I prefer hard copies anyway...
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Ashley_wwe

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#27 Ashley_wwe
Member since 2003 • 13412 Posts
If that happened, I'd probably stop getting new consoles and pick up some legacy ones. I much prefer having a physical collection.RACiEP
I agree with this. It just wouldn't feel as interesting for some reason, and there are many against factors for DD only too. The only games that I am happy with physically downloading is XBLA games that are classics, or just one-off short games that are new (such as Lara Croft & the Guardian of Light). I love collecting and the same goes for movies and music too. There's just no fun (personally) in digital downloads. Call me weird, but I like having the full thing in my hands :P. Collecting things is an hobby in itself.
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wiouds

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#28 wiouds
Member since 2004 • 6233 Posts

If they do have DD then there would be no reason for the consoles since the PC is better at DD. I like the place and play of consoles without a worry for downloads or the spec listing.

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jcopp72

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#29 jcopp72
Member since 2007 • 5375 Posts
highly doubtfull, the digital distribution has not appealed to enough people and would end up loosing sales if it was only digital distribution on next gen. I would not get the next gen if it was only digital distribution.
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Elann2008

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#30 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts
I am 100% sure this will not happen next gen.
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Ashley_wwe

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#31 Ashley_wwe
Member since 2003 • 13412 Posts
I must say, I am actually surprised there is a lot of people against this, as before when I last saw this topic being discussed, it seemed that a lot more people were for it than against. I am hopeful like you guys though that this does not happen :). Having the physical thing is just a lot better, personally.
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Iffy350

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#32 Iffy350
Member since 2004 • 8345 Posts

Downloading new games over steam is a pain in the butt. The soulution would be to make non valve games on steam that can be bought in stores but have them also capable of being activated on steam for use with the steam app.

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DecadesOfGaming

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#33 DecadesOfGaming
Member since 2007 • 3100 Posts

I will always want to own the disc, not a download

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soulless4now

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#34 soulless4now
Member since 2003 • 41388 Posts

I hope not. I prefer physical media for collection purposes.

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kenchen23

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#35 kenchen23
Member since 2006 • 486 Posts

It will be both just like now but more of it. Arent we doing this already?

Why would they just offer digital when a disc cost like 25 cent to make, maybe even cheaper. pssss.

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EvilSelf

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#36 EvilSelf
Member since 2010 • 3619 Posts

Honestly, i am not a fan of digital distribution. I have grown up with physical case, manual and a cartridge in my hand (well, more recently DVDs, and CDs), and i have grown to like the look of my collection on the shelf. Even though i am employed in the IT sphere, i am totally against digital distribution ONLY as far as video games.

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SciFiCat

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#37 SciFiCat
Member since 2006 • 1750 Posts
Microsoft will be the one pushing the hardest for a next gen that is mainly based on digital distribution since they don't own patents for proprietary physical media formats unlike Sony that has invested heavily on Blu-ray, (a format of theirs that finally won a format war) and will most likely be used on the next PlayStation. Sony may offer the option of giving away a DD version of the game for it, if the customer buys the retail either for Vita or PS4. MS has Live SkyDrive which it would be no rare having it sync with Xbox Live in the future to encourage the service. Nintendo will be happy just doing some dabbling into DD but for small titles but not with high profile releases (which anyways they have no storage space to accommodate on WiiU as of now) Their business model is going to remain retail based for the most part. But let's not kid ourselves, retail brick and mortar stores will be less relevant for this industry with each passing year. Services like Steam, D2D and GOG are proof that PC gaming can continue and thrive without physical media. Physical media will be around as long as it is more cost effective and reliable than DD.
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LazySloth718

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#38 LazySloth718
Member since 2011 • 2345 Posts

Physical only for me.

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farslip

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#39 farslip
Member since 2006 • 317 Posts

I would stick to old gens if that were the case. I highly doubt games would be cheaper if it were all DD. We have proven we are willing to pay $60 for a game.

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starwarsjunky

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#40 starwarsjunky
Member since 2009 • 24765 Posts
why do so few people actually read the OP? :|
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#41 jnjreams76
Member since 2008 • 770 Posts

That would suck and I hope it never happens. I like having my physical copies, I actually feel like I OWN the game.

GeoffZak
Exactly. I don't want to pay full price to rent a game. If there was a significant discount, maybe. But as of now, all new game releases on psn are full retail price, even though they are not paying any manufacturing costs or whatever portion the 3rd part distributer gets. Those savings should be passed on to the gamer to gain support for digital games.
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calvinsora

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#42 calvinsora
Member since 2009 • 7076 Posts

If it'd be an option, I wouldn't worry. But I'll never support that model on its lonesome.