If you could download and rent/buy full version games, would you?

[Sardauk]

Squilliam said:

Microsoft intelligently designed their system to have a smaller disc capacity to take advantage of next gen internet speeds. Thats why I put it here rather than in the gaming forums as the Wii doesn't have a HDD and the PS3 doesn't have games you could reasonably download anyway. Obviously many people already do so with Steam so yes, you got here first apart from the rental part.

If Microsoft started offering you the chance to download and buy/rent games which are older than say 3 months (to not piss of the retailers too much) would you take advantage of that feature?

 

Yes, of course . I believe it is the futur of gaming distribution. I believe XBL and the new software architecture of the NXE is the first step towards this model.

I wouldn't be suprised to see the next xbox being disc-free..

Lets face it : HDD cost less and less, while distributing medias and softwares on discs is the middle-age !

The only worries I have is that this model might not be popularized too quickly: Countries aren't equally equipped with internet infrastructure, capability and prices. It is a dangerous bet to standardize this mode of distribution in a single shot.

I personnaly dislike retailers, their added-value is minimal, but their are still fullfilling an important purpose : Distribution.

 

I believe that MS will aim at an hybrid model for the next generation, but will cleary keep pushing the online content instead of the traditional model. Lets face it, the new model could easily generate more revenues and better marging, and quickly close the gap to abandon the retailers.

It is about having a (customized) service oriented distribution system, instead of a constrained-logistic-driven distribution system.