We all know Digital Distribution is the way of the future. The question is, and remains, just how far in the future will it be before we move away from retail and purchase the majority of our content from the digital realm?
Most of us realise the notion of widespread adoption is, at the very least, a console generation off. It would be a very bold prediction to make that any next, next gen system would discard the optical drive in favour of larger internal storage space and a download only approach to getting content onto the console. Limiting your install base to users with a fast, uncapped internet connection is something you’ll want to think long and hard about before even considering – games require far more space this generation than they did in the last, and this continuing trend of jamming as much content onto the media as possible could certainly hold back the interest in digital distribution. Although personally, I’d argue that in a DD world, the download size of a game would be a competitive factor – the same as graphic quality and game length are today.
A strong argument against the widespread adoption of digital distribution is that gamers enjoy the experience of making a retail purchase. For many, going to the store, looking at the games and being in that environment is an enjoyable experience. But if the booming casual market continues to grow, video game boutiques may become a less appealing place for hardcore gamers.
Continue reading ‘Digital Distribution Defacto – Sooner rather than later?’
