Digital Distribution is definitely starting to be a new trend in gaming. However, unlike motion controls, I am more apt as a gamer to move with this trend. Digital distribution is not something new to the consumers however. The 360 uses it with movies, even Xbox originals. while there are very successful forms of digital distribution i.e. Steam, it can also be a gamble i.e. PSP Go. So what are our thoughts?
Eric Bouchard: The Two Edged Sword
Whether we like it or not, Digital Distribution is here to stay. It’s the direction things are headed. The 360, PSN, Steam…everyone is coming up with ways to deliver their product directly to the consumer. Some people really like the idea of being able to directly download games, music or movies. Personally, I have never been a big fan.
Some of the people who know me may find that hard to believe. After all, I own an iPod with my entire music collection on it, I have ripped several of my movies onto my hard drive and I have digital copies of more than a few of my games. The main difference there is I own physical copies of almost everything. I like having the actual copies in case something ever went wrong. As I have gone through 2 different MP3 players before getting my current iPod, having physical copies of the CDs has been very important to me.
And that brings me to one of my biggest issues with Digital Distribution: you do not really own the product. Anyone who has had to change 360’s knows that. Though Microsoft allows you to redownload any of the arcade games you have bought, you have to go through a rather extensive process to have them relicensed to your new machine. Otherwise you cannot play the games while not connected to XBox Live.
So is Digital Distribution all bad? Not by a long shot. One of the advantages it has is it has allowed smaller developers a channel to release their games. Without it, games like Flower, Groov and Audiosurf would never have been released to the general public. Even larger companies can take advantage of the freedom allowed by Digital Distribution as well. After all, do you really think Epic would have created Shadow Complex if the only way to distribute it had been standard game discs?
Then there are groups like Good Old Games. For those of you who do not know, GOG takes older games, gets them working on current machines and operating systems and then sells them over the net. GOG has two major things going for it. First, many of the games you can download off GOG are not available in a format that is playable on anything current. The other is the company does not believe in attaching DRM to any of its files. In other words, when you buy a game from GOG, you can install it on as many computers as you like and redownload an unlimited number of times if you have the need. Instead of just buying the right to download a playable version of the game, you are buying the rights to the game itself, just as you would if you owned the physical copy. Steam doesn’t even give you that.
Whether we like it or not, Digital Distribution is here to stay. While we can all hope more companies will take the approach Good Old Games has when it comes to DRM, most will not out of fear of piracy. What that will mean for the consumer as far as the question of ownership and usage rights still remains to be seen.
Laren Hawkins: The Future of Gaming
I have to agree with Eric, Digital Distribution is definitely a growing trend in gaming. So much so that Sony recently released an all Digital Distribution hand held. The PSP Go is a big step in the growing strength of Digital Distribution. I was very skeptical of the PSP Go at first. I have always liked owning a physical copy of a game. There are many problems that can come with Digital Distribution. 1: Many people will make the argument that you will never truly own that game and I have to say that is a pretty good argument to make. 2: Many gamers like to trade their games after they are done with it, me included. With something like the PSP Go, you can’t do that, once you drop that money, that’s it. 3: Many consumers may not be comfortable with only buying content online and owning no physical copy of that game. I know I had many concerns about the PSP Go and many questions. So, I hopped on to the information super highway and did some research.
- What if a friend wants to borrow a game? (There is a feature on the PSP Go that is similar to that on the DS’s download play. I am not sure however how many games are compatible with this feature.)
- What if your little brother some how manages to delete a game? Like in iTunes, there is a history of your purchases and you have to do is re download it
- What about the slow internet speed on the Go? That was one of my biggest concerns however, after doing some digging I found a solution. Sony released a software that comes with the Go in which you can transfer music, movies, photos and download games. You can use your computer to download the games and have a faster download speed depending on your internet.
So, are there any positives to Digital Distribution?
Well, yes. For one, you don’t have to make a trip to Gamestop. ( That is enough to make me cry tears of joy and break into a chorus of Hallelujah) With systems like the go all the games are right there on the system you don’t have to carry UMDs. You may still have a question, why am I so wrapped up in the Go? Well lets just say that was the only thong on my Christmas list. Albeit, I am taking a bit of a risk but, what better to understand Digital Distribution then to fully experience it? Like with many things in life, Digital Distribution has both positives and negatives. For now, we can only sit back and watch what Digital Distribution brings to the table in the future.
