Nextbox - Will we get MGSV and FFXIV and GTVI?

[Final-Fan]

JaggedSac said:
@Final-Fan - So you are telling me that if a publisher/developer could avoid printing discs and avoid shipping costs, it would be a bad idea. They either make more profit, make the game cheaper, or both. Everyone wins except the un-needed middle person. Not sure what your point is about hardware. Any company would sell hardware. Walmart would sell hardware. Look at Steam. It works. Also not sure what your point was about the interview. The vp was obviously aware that Sony had plans to have a long shelf-life for the PS3.

OK, let me lay it out: 
1.  The current retail setup for video game consoles is that retailers make practically no money on console sales.  They get their profits from game sales. 
2.  How do you think they will react to a console manufacturer saying, "OK guys, we're not going to be selling games through you anymore, but please keep devoting huge shelf space to our console anyway"?  They might just retaliate by dropping that console in favor of other ones.  On the other hand, they might just jack up the price on the console to make a profit on it. 
2b.  PC gaming doesn't have this problem because retailers don't have the same incentive -- PC sales turn a profit without the help of games.  And for an example of retailers dropping a console, I give you the Saturn.  (It was for a different reason, but still.)  I believe Wal-mart was one of the ones that shunned the Saturn in retaliation for not being one of the launch retailers. 

As for the interview, I find it hard to believe you truly do not understand that as a VP of Microsoft, his job is not to answer interview questions with evenhanded thoughtful analysis but to offer analysis that makes Microsoft look good and for bonus points makes everyone else look bad.  Besides which, only one of the questions was even remotely on point to this discussion and if I recall correctly he didn't even say anything substantial.  Just fluff that sounded confident about the 360.