[QUOTE="LordOfPoms"][QUOTE="blue_hazy_basic"] In order for that to be logically followed the console companies would now have to be launching an entry product into the market. Thats not the case is it?blue_hazy_basicYou forget the challenge of balancing retail and digital with game consoles. PC doesn't have this issue because the market crumbled at retail. Remember, Steam sales didn't really start until a few years ago, but around mid-2000s big box retail and even GameStop stopped ordering retail copies of PC games. It was a considerably easier transition, but ultimately a good one and the market allowed it to happen without too much pushback. Consoles are not in this situation, not this gen -- maybe next. It's harder when you expect GameStop/Best Buy to be your No. 1 seller of the console and launch it into homes, then turn around and say "but we're going to take all our games out of your store and sell them through our store instead. Sorry." That's not going to fly with retailers, so there still needs to be a physical market and that market can't undercut your digital one because it's going to create all sorts of issues. Consoles can't just copy Steam because they need retail to begin with and retail won't want to sell their systems if they're going to get the short end of the stick in the long run. Furthermore, if one competitor doesn't go all digital, then you need to be at retail to compete with said non-digital competitior because you're going to lose there, hence why Sony forced Microsoft's hand. Steam/Valve doesn't need to worry about pleasing retailers or competition because there is none, unless you count Amazon Games/GOG, but even they're years behind Steam. The "be more like Steam" argument is shortsighted and frankly stupid because it assumes that you can just uproot your product entirely from the retail world without any repercussions and without threat of competition capitalizing on your decision. Are you suggesting that the console companies need gamestop? Gamestop needs them not the other way round. There are plenty of other options, from Walmart to Target that will provide an alternative that don't rely on game sales. Or do ytou think the average console consumer is too stupid to not be able to find out things on their own?
If you think game companies don't want the support of the No. 1 game retailer in North America, then I have a bridge to sell you... GameStop is another conversation entirely and it should be telling that Microsoft's policy changes benefited one particular retailer and that one retailer has suddenly thrown a huge ad buy to broadcast the launch of Xbox One.
One doesn't need the other, they need eachother and if one system were not on sale at GameStop and the other was, I'd put some good money on the GS-supported system blowing the other out of the water. They're a force in the industry and writing them off is pretty daft.
That's beyond the point of why Steam-like distribution isn't possible (yet) as a standard on consoles. Maybe next gen. Not this gen.
To your point, you're not wrong that consumers might migrate to another store but GameStop has an unbelievable amount of penetration in the market, so much so that they stole Best Buy's market share in gaming to the point that BB started doing used games and matching their midnight openings. That's impressive.
hahahaha
Log in to comment