badgenome said:
It's a worse explanation than the reality, if so. I can get on board with the idea that it costs MS something to deliver it to you. Not so much with, "Ugh! If we let them give this to you for free, you'll just think everything should be free!" Which is basically what they said.
I kind of feel like I keep saying this over and over again, but I suggest making going digital a very compelling option. Steam did it, and they did it on an open platform without killing off or degrading the retail experience. Everyone who is a loyal Steam customer today was lured there by Valve's carrots, not beaten there with sticks. There is no reason that Microsoft can't continue with the retail market for those who want that option while simultaneously trying to convince people to go digital by being price competitive, something they have steadfastly refused to do this generation. Maybe that's because they haven't wanted to piss off retailers, or because their use of spacebucks made them settle into a very rigid 400 MSP/800 MSP/1200 MSP/1600 MSP pricing scheme, but the latter is going away and if the former is the case, well, they were willing to start squeezing them out this generation anyway. So fuck it, go whole hog on making people want to download their games. They could get even more creative by making games timed digital exclusives for the first month or so, which would send digital sales through the roof and get people who are hesitant about going digital to give it a shot for perhaps the first time. Or giving all digital versions free season passes. Or any number of possible other incentives. I'm not sure any of this fixes how predictable AAA games are, though, because like I said, I don't think the homogenization of AAA games is all that related to used games in the first place. The companies who are guilty of this will always continue to chase trends and ape the last wildly successful thing until forever. It's about maximizing profit, and with or without the used games factor, AAA games will still be absurdly expensive to make so they will always try to make them a "sure thing". |
That is a very resonable approach that could work when it comes to digital distribution becoming the norm with the masses. I am sure it will play out like that actually but I am not sure it will keep the current gaming companies at the forefront of gaming... It is in everyones interest to build out these console ecosystems as fast as possible when it comes to digital due to competing ecosystems that are currently growing in marketshare and also offer compelling gaming. Microsoft fully knows this and that is probably the main reason why they lacked the finesse needed for executing what you've described above.
To add to your incentices list, I can see Microsoft offering shit like "Mail us a disk, get digital code in your email" like stuff in a few years lol
Otherwise I think Steam, Apple and Android invading the livingroom will really put the heat on AAA game publishers and these consoles in general. 60 bucks for retail/digital version of Battlefield buys a lot of fun games on these platforms. X-Com Enemy Unknown for example got ported to iOS and is 90% the same game it was on PC or consoles for less money. The graphics are scaled back somewhat but its the same as playing Crysis 3 on a 600 dollar PC VS a 2000 dollar PC. Maybe these platforms are the future for original and awesome AAA gaming... I have yet to hear of any paid DLC or tacked on pointless multiplayer for iOS or Android games.
