lol while I don't disagree publishers are going to struggle more then ever. As long as the industry has big budget titles we will need publishers as long as retail copies exist we need publishers. Fact is say you have this amazing studio that makes its games all in house without a publisher. That studios income is limited to the profits of its last title. So a company has 7 major hits and a reserve of 20 million dollars. The next big game they are making will have a budget of 18 million the studio uses its reserves to fund the game. But the game falls flat the studio only has 2 mill left and can't recover. But lets say the studio worked with a publisher that publisher helps the studio fund the game and when the game bombs the publisher has enough confidence in the developer to bail it out. So that AAA+ studio stays in business.
As for the risks small studios don't have them because they can't create a big budget new IP without help. Even if digital distribution took over a in dependant developer could not release a high end new IP without a publisher they simply wouldn't have the resources.
Lets also not forget marketing. EA, Sega, THQ, Ubisoft, Activision they can really market their products in a way a developer could not. This means more risky games can succeed. Not to mention brand recognition when you see a new IP what is the first thing you look for? Who published the game. If the new IP is from CodeMasters will you likely purchase it? Over a title from EAGames? Nobody wants to spend 59.99$ on a game that couldn't get a publisher.
Will their be another EAGames in the future? Not so sure but I am positive that new publishers will emerge. Just look at WB they proved you can create a new publishing label today and be successful.
-JC7
"In God We Trust - In Games We Play " - Joel Reimer
