MCVUK

Games will not arrive on Xbox Live on the day they hit retail shelves any time soon, says Microsoft.

The computer giant has not been influenced by Sony’s push to launch titles on its online PSN platform the same day they arrive in stores in boxed form. Many PS3 titles – such as Mass Effect 3 – are released like this, while all Vita retail titles are available to download.

Instead, Microsoft will continue to release its Games on Demand titles around six months after they hit shelves. 

“It comes down to choice,” Xbox Live’s UK product manager Pav Bhardwaj told MCV. 

“The customer has the choice of going to retail on day one if they really want to buy a particular title, or to wait a couple of months and buy it full price from the Xbox Live marketplace. 

“It’s a successful part of our business, we’re very pleased with the growth and it continues to do really well. Clearly there’s an audience out there who are happy to purchase a product at full ERP six or so months after [its retail release].”

When asked if Microsoft would follow Sony’s lead and release new games at retail and in download form on day one, the platform holder emphasised the importance of retail.

“We don’t do Games on Demand on day one, we focus on boxed retail for day one,” added Bhardwaj. 

“That’s where our focus has always been and will remain that way for the foreseeable future. 

“We release a game roughly six months after it arrives at retail at full ERP. That’s our model and we’ll be sticking to that. 

“It’s a successful model, so why change something you don’t need to?”

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/microsoft-resists-simultaneous-digital-and-retail-xbox-360-releases/095084

Did anyone really expect them to change this before next-gen?

For the next-box it would make sense as more and more people will flock to DD, but it currently isn't a requirement yet.

Simultaneous digital and retail isn't going to happen until stores like Walmart are no longer needed to sell hardware and software. I personally don't care for digital distros because I like to actually own the things I buy instead of just purchase a license to use it.

This is probably so the publisher can get their profit on retail sales. The publisher is the one who pays for all retail packaging. So they want to see units fly of shelves. If people bought DD instead there would probably be less retail units sold. Publishers would rather have the game sold out at retail first before DD is incorporating into the process. For Sony, they publish more of their games themselves so it probably doesn't effect them as much. Most of the PSVita games released with published by Sony. I still would rather have a hard copy of the game. I can't see how gamers can pay full price ($60) for a DD copy of a game know you can never sell or trade it with a friend. If the game was 1/2 the price it probably wouldn't be as bad. Most games aren't even worth $60 to begin with.

Exactly why I don't see an issue really.

You can also go to Best Buy, Wal-Mart and Target for day one releases on the PC (at least the big ones). I think this is a bad move on Microsoft's part, and why can't publishers offer their games on day one if they want to? If companies want to push for digital content then they have to have their games up for sale day one on Games on Demand and offer discounts. I am telling you from experience that if a game is of AAA quality and is $50 to download I would take it over a disc release 90% of the time.

Doesn't bold well for all this digital only push that game companies ultimately seem to want. What are we, 30 years off now? Never?

So far I've only bought Dead Space 1 because it was $20 new on disc or download at the time, and I wanted to support the development of future Dead Space games.

Edit: Yeah as the guy above me, did he really say full price six months later? I'm sure that attractive price point will help sales... lol.

Actually, this is a reason for publishers to prefer digital distribution.  If you can expect more digital sales, you can get away with printing less retail copies, thus saving money on manufacturing and shipping costs.

Of course,  retail presence is still fairly crucial when it comes to mindshare and marketing, and retailers are also fighting digital distribution quite strongly, so publishers are trying not to bite the hands that feed them, so to speak.

“It’s a successful model, so why change something you don’t need to?”

To...make your new model more successful. Derp.

Ironic now that Ninty has entered the digital distribution too, i think they should give it a try, or at least try the waters.

Retail is simply more important early on.