Sony realizes mistakes, the time is still not right for an all digital console!

[mjk45]

Reasonable said:

MasterVG71782 said:

Reasonable said:

twesterm said:

The time is absolutely right for an all digital console, you just have to actually do it right. The Go was a fantastic idea, Sony just did a poor job of doing.

If you want all digital to be a success, just look at Steam. Make every game available day one, make it cheaper, and have constant sales and bundles. From what I remember of the Go, not all games were there, games weren't day one, and games were as expensive or more than the physical copies. It's no surprise the Go failed.

I would love for them or someone else to give digital distribution only another go because when I travel I hate carrying around 10-20 games.

That can't work for Sony or any company in their position though.  Steam works (and outside US it's not always the cheapest) because it is a single store.  Valve are running their own store and can do what they want.  Sony (and MS or Nintendo for that matter) are in a different position.  They must have retail copies too and the retailers pressure them for equality of price - they'd push back if it was always cheaper on PSN or XBLA.

I agree you can have a digitial console, but none of the big suppliers are in a position to offer one easily due to other channels and arrangements.

I guess my view is what Sony is saying is that the time isn't right for Sony to have an all digital console.

I don't think retailers would suffer that much if it all the games had a digital version, because there are still plenty of people out there who like a physical product in their hands. Also, companies like Atlus always provide some kind of retailer bonus, so people will go after that, too; there are also collector's editions.

Also, why shouldn't the digital copies be cheaper? They're saving money on distribution, like the discs/carts, boxes, manuals and the like, so they don't have to worry about those costs. Granted, there might be some costs associated with fees for downloading rights (I know PSN does this, but not sure about LIVE or Steam).

The digital copies often aren't cheaper simply because of arranged with retailers.  For example I'm pretty sure Sony cannot offer a game digitally at a lower price until a certain period of time elapses vs on-sale at retail.  Look at the numbers on this site.  Huge numbers of games are sold at retail and the retailers do not want their own suppliers undercutting them.  Now of course often you can find a game cheaper online, but the issue for Sony is they are both supplying retail and competiting with it, whereas Amazon or Steam are simply direct competitors with retail vs say Sony.

Large companies like MS and Sony often have issues such as this when they are locked or at least constrained by agreements and focus for other channels.

I'm pretty sure Sony and MS and others would too - all digital would more or less kill second hand market and force everyone to buy first hand or nowhere - so it's not desire but difficulty of execution that holds them back.

Exactly I agree with all you mentioned, both steam and psn are stores so from that side  Sony and Steam can be seen as being the same  ,So what are the differences ? One thing is in Steams case PC games being that's what they sell and it's history with piracy and multiplat games selling  at a lesser rrp compared to console at retail plus unlike consoles no real hardware sales link at these same stores,so even though they are competitors with retail  it is in a segment that retailers have pretty much pushed into the corner, Sony though need retail to sell its hardware and it's 3rd party licensees want their games sold to as wide an audience as possible and speciality retail see digital as killing there most lucrative revenue streamused games, i went into a store and bought a game brand new 25% off and was told that they could sell so many new games under RRP because of second hand sales underpinned it ,but back to Sony really they and MS. Nintendo should have looked at entering  a retail joint venture years ago.