archer9234 said:
Adinnieken said:
Digital only doesn't mean you have to download it.
Let's use Microsoft in this case. Microsoft could provide a kiosk at a retail location, where you make your purchase. From that kiosk, you insert a thumb stick, enter in your gamertag, and it copies your copy of the game to the thumb drive.
Go home, stick it in your console, and either it just works or you enter in a code from your receipt to fully license it. No long downloads. For those who have fast connections or are willing to wait, they can download directly from home, but for those who can't a quick and easy way to get the game.
Or maybe you purchase the game via your console but obtain the game via the kiosk using your mobile phone as verification. Walk up to the kiosk send the authorization code to the kiosk from your phone, it copies a fully licensed copy to your thumb drive or once again provides you with a code to plug in when you get home and install it.
You could also have a Special Edition digital retail package too. Where you get a special edition thumb drive with the game installed on it, a code to enter in, and possibly other goodies.
Digital doesn't have to mean download only. There are options with digital.
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So your going to the store. Downloading the game. Then downloading the game to your system. All to avoid disc loading which would be faster. And you'd need a 64GB SDXC card. Still not cheap yet. What if you buy more than one game. You'd need more cards or a bigger SD card. More waiting. 256GB SDXC is over 500$ The point of digital is to avoid going to the store is it not? And switching the game to a thumb drive in a retail pacakge is just changing the media its stored on. You'd still add in an extra step. Unless you can run the game off the thumb drive. Which voids a digital option again.
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No, you're copying the game at the store, and installing the game on your console. Copying is infinitely faster than downloading.
You wouldn't use an SD card. If you really wanted to, you could use an external HDD, but a thumb drive is much more convenient. Most games will fit on 32GB, but otherwise if they were larger you'd need 50GB. Just because a Blu-Ray holds 50GB doesn't mean games will be that big. They rarely exceeded 10GB Gen 7, I doubt they will be bigger than 32GB early in this generation.
64GB SanDisk USB Flash drive is $40. For $80 you can get two (128GB). For $160 you can get four (256GB).
The ability to download at home is a potential feature/benefit for consumers, but it isn't the only benefit. I would say the primary feature/benefit of digital distribution for consumers is lower priced games.
As for the USB Flash Drive, once you've installed the game you can leave it on the flash drive or delete it. If you need to copy it again for archival purposes, just copy it from your internal HDD to an external HDD. Neither system, even with disc-based games, will allow you to play off the disc in Gen 8. Both PS4 and Xbox One will require an install. If a game was distributed on a flash drive, you'd install it from the flash drive and then you'd be able to remove the flash drive and either archive it or delete the game off it. It wouldn't be necessary to run the game.
