Digital future is slow to transition and digital customers have to suffer.

[Pemalite]

Burek said:

Pemalite said:

The higher prices are because publishers are required to do so in order to keep the retailers content.
There are many back-room deals, assumptions and financial reasons in order to do so.

It's akin to the Game of Thrones issue, they don't release the show widely in Australia, you cannot legally purchase it on the day it becomes available, instead because of the (In this case "Retailer") having made back-room deals, all other legal alternatives are essentially blocked, if you wish to watch it, then you need to sign up for a pay-television package. (Which I can't get because of my particular location anyhow.)

If it was digital, all problems would be solved for everyone, but just like retail video games, the archaic business models need to be supported to maintain current status-quo.

 

i just want to point out that you are using a bad example.

Game of Thrones is a show made by HBO, a subscription-based TV channel. Therefore, in any place that HBO has its subsidiaries, GoT will not have a free public release, but is a part of the paid subscription package.

That is the case in the US, Europe (in Croatia, GoT is shown on HBO Croatia, a 6€/month channel) as well as in Australia (my research tells me that there is HBO in Australia, as a part of Warner Bros entertainment division).

That's why you have to subscribe, nothing to do with "back-room deals" or other conspiracy theories.

That would be true if Foxtel wasn't a completely different company to that of HBO.

We have to use VPN's to watch it from the USA over the internet, yes really.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/box-seat/foxtel-and-hbo-get-exclusive-20121023-282gh.html
http://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/foxtel-insider/foxtel-signs-new-hbo-deal-203024.htm

Fact of the matter is, Foxtel made an exclusivity deal with HBO, aka. "Back-room deal".
I would *love* to pay cash for just the episodes as they air, but can't, so I don't.