Digital Distribution: Will We Really See The End Of The Digital Disk Any Time Soon?
Ok Digital distribution – will we really see the end of the digital disk any time soon?
For me the answer is a massive no. I’m not rejecting the idea that digital downloads will never become a big factor in game distribution, but the physical medium is not going to go away.
A major recent console launch has highlighted this fact. The PSP Go looked all set to fly off shelves and into people pockets. It is in many respects the iPod of the handheld gaming market. However, the iPod’s success cannot be said to be soley due to the digital distribution of music. Its success was in taking a persons physical CD collection and fitting it all into a device that fits in the palm of your hand. In this respect the PSP Go completely fails. There is no way to get digital copies of the games you may already own onto the device. Sony’s own plans to do this have failed miserably and consumers aren’t ready to put their faith in a device that only supports digital downloads. The fact that the PSP go has already had a price cut by £50 at many retailers highlights this.
Two devices where digital distribution does seem to be working is on the iPhone/iPod Touch. It’s a new platform for inexperienced and experienced game developers to create and port games, with fairly simple publishing (assuming the game is published and marketed). Games are relatively cheap if not free in many cases and its this cheaper price point that is really having an effect. However it must be noted with the iPhone and iPod Touch, most consumers are not simply buying these devices to play games on, they are buying them for the wealth of other features. (not that Apple’s latest iPod Touch advertising would have you believe) I cant help but think that if it was a dedicated gaming device, very few people would actually purchase it.
Now down to pricing… If digital distribution is going to take of in the mainstream, consumers need to be getting a benefit from getting their games in this way. Yes they have the benefits of being able to begin downloading games instantly (when it finishes though is another issue), and the quicker load times achieved from having a game installed onto a hard disk, but at the end of the day your not gaining anything physically. Yes gaming is about the experience, however a very large part of that experience is going out, purchasing the game, opening it up, looking through the instruction manual and inserting the disk into the console. The experience starts there, and builds up the excitement of playing a new game. Recently special editions of games include figures, memory sticks, art books and a wide range of interesting memorabilia, the most exciting without a doubt has to be the night vision goggles in modern warfare 2. This is a part of gaming culture that is growing and it makes publishers and developers more money. This obviously cannot exist in a world that is solely based on digital distribution.
Likewise more and more games are becoming peripheral based, Guitar/DJ/Band Hero, Mario kart, Buzz, Singstar, Eye pet and Wii Fit to name but a few. Digital distribution cannot allow for the sale of these title’s, it may add to them in the case of guitar hero but ultimately it cannot get the full experience to the consumer.
This is probably one of the biggest debates in the gaming industry at this time, and I have to conclude by saying that digital distribution is here and it will get bigger and more mainstream. But, as for it killing physical media… I can’t see it happening. People like to own something tangible as it gives more ‘worth’ and appreciation to the purchase. Digital distribution hasn’t killed the music CD despite massive popularity of digital downloads, so it wont kill the hard copy of a game. And besides, if we all downloaded our games, how could we trade them in to game retailers for a quick buck? (But that’s for another day!)
Leave any thoughts and opinions in the comment section!
October 22nd, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Couldn’t agree more with your article. Physical media has never really been killed off, just replaced with better physical media. I know some people who love downloading content etc and don’t care about having a physical product, but for me it’s half the enjoyment of buying anything.
October 25th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Good article. I’m one of the few people that still buy CDs. If I like an album, I feel like I’m cheating myself out of a nice memento to treasure and appreciate, by downloading it digitally. And for only perhaps a £1 or £2 saving. I LIKE seeing my games stacked up on a shelf in prime viewing position, hell..with the price tag I say they’ve earned that real estate! Although digital is nice and convenient, it’ll never take away that feeling of discontent at having spent your hard-earned money on something that doesn’t even physically exist.