Why a digital distribution console is bound to fail.

[Imagination]

Cypher1980 said:

NJ5 said:

@Cypher1980: That could piss off gamers more than retailers, I'm not sure they'd go that route. Isn't it better to just get retailers out of the picture (for gamers who want DD) and offer games at a lower price for download? With retailer margins out of the way, games can be cheaper and/or publishers can profit more.

For those gamers who don't want DD, there's always the possibility of offering an optical media add-on for playing games from DVD/Blu-Ray/HD-DVD whatever...

 

 

I do think this will be implemented. Its that or a big developer crunch like in the mid nineties. Do you really want the number of games released for your next console to be halved.

A lot of Devs are just about breaking even in todays overly commercial market. Sales are their lifeblood.

Every game resold deprives the originating companies of all revenue.

I agree DD alongside standard physical sales would be nice but if the second hand market survives people wont bother. Cash is King.

For example in England I picked up a copy of Saints Row 2 for 19.99 a week after launch on Deal of the week. Thats roughly what they buy the game at.

So you think fine, it's a loss leader.

Guess again. Just one week after the offer closed if you traded in your copy of Saints Row 2 you could get 15 GBP off another latest release.

It worked. Days after the offer was posted the shelves at this store are stocked up full of second hand copies of Saints Row 2 for sale preowned at 24.99

24.99 per sale none of which goes back to the Devs. Its all store profit.

Commerce as they say is a dirty business.

 

 

Well said. The margins for used games are way higher than new ones.