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

LMU Uncle Alfred on 14 November 2014
Intrinsic said:
LubeMeUpUncleAlfred said:
On topic: There's no way in hell I'm waiting for a 50+ gig game to download off my slow ass internet. The installs are bad enough, but waiting for that kind of a size to download is BS in any case. Unless wireless providers all of a sudden found a way to allow for ridiculous download speeds, no tank you, please come again.

Lol... these kinda comments. Two questions.

 

  1. 5 years ago how long did it take you to download 1GB of data?
  2. 5 years ago what was the average HDD size?
Point is, these things change. Tech gets better and cheaper. If tehre is a growing need for digital content, trust me network providers will step their game up. Just like they have been doing so far. Some countries are slower than others, but most are right on point.
Besides, the way these games are made these days (at least with eth PS4), you don't even have to download the entire game before its avialable to start playing.

 


5 years ago it took me about....let's see carry the two and...5 YEARS! :D

Actually I never downloaded anything off a wireless connection 5 years ago that was even close to 1gig.  Now it takes roughly about an hour I think for me per gig, although I may be underestimating it.

It took me about 3 days of several long stretches of download time to download the digital version of COD: Body Odor.  18 gigs I believe.



Lube Me Up

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okr on 14 November 2014

All you need is Steam & GOG.



Dr.Henry_Killinger on 14 November 2014
yvanjean said:
prayformojo said:
Meh, I'd be happy if we NEVER went digital. I don't mind it as an option, but having physical games should always be something you can buy imo.

Music CD used to cost $12-15 and most of the song were crap for the one or two good songs. 

Now it cost $1 or less per song digitally. 

The cost of paying game digital would be cut by half.... new release would cost $19.99-29.99 compares to the $59.99-69.99. Would you still want to pay $59.99-69.99 at retail when you can go digital for $19.99-29.99??? 

I took about 5-10 years and the music industry being completely reformatted for this to happen. 



In this day and age, with the Internet, ignorance is a choice! And they're still choosing Ignorance! - Dr. Filthy Frank

alabtrosMyster on 14 November 2014
yvanjean said:

I'm getting really annoyed with digital gauging of customer. We already know that digital game should cost 20-50% less then retail. 

*Zero retail mark-up (avg 25%)
*No manufacturing and distribution cost
* Reduce marketing cost (game can be sold with just digital marketing)
* No resales lost revenue
* Reduce risk and zero change for overstocking and potential loss of Digital compare to Retail.

Even for gamers we all agree that there more value if you can get a retail copy vs digital copy.

Xbox One owners will also benefits since Microsoft will have to match the digital price set by Sony.

You forgot that downloaded games lend themselves much more easily to DLC type add ons and other in game transactions... that also raise revenues...



Imaginedvl on 14 November 2014
yvanjean said:

I'm getting really annoyed with digital gauging of customer. We already know that digital game should cost 20-50% less then retail. 

*Zero retail mark-up (avg 25%)
*No manufacturing and distribution cost
* Reduce marketing cost (game can be sold with just digital marketing)
* No resales lost revenue
* Reduce risk and zero change for overstocking and potential loss of Digital compare to Retail.

Even for gamers we all agree that there more value if you can get a retail copy vs digital copy.

Why do we accept to pay the same price or pay more if you live in Europe when we know that games should cost less digitally. 

So far only Nintendo seem to have gotten it right... they offered the Deluxe digital promotion and games actually go on special pretty quickly on the digital store. I fully expected Sony and Microsoft to follow suite. But, so far change have been really slow and digital sales are few and far between on Xbox one anyways.  

Console manufacturer should partner with Electronic and computer store to sell their hardware and accesories and reduce their reliance and power that retail have over them. I'm an Xbox One owner and has the market leader (Sony's PS4), I can't wait for PS4 to be a massive success. Heres hoping that PS4 can sale over 5 million hardware this Holiday. This would get them very close to the 20 million mark worldwide. At this stage Sony could greatly increase revenue by promoting digital sales. With an establish hardcore customer base they won't have to rely on retail and screw digital customers. 

Xbox One owners will also benefits since Microsoft will have to match the digital price set by Sony.

Where do you get that 25% to 50%? Do you understand that the majority of what you are paying cost for a game (digital or not) are in development and marketing. Selling the game digitaly will not change anything to those costs. And then developping the proper infrastructure etc cost some money. So yah it may cost a bit less but it is very marginal.

I'm not sure to understand why Sony would also change that. Full games on Playstation network are not less expensive than Xbox One? Are they (I mean other than special offers etc.)

Starting with this generation I'm buying only digital games/movies (Xbox One and Video) and I see this becoming easier and easier. My friends are also doing the same thing.



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prayformojo on 14 November 2014
yvanjean said:
prayformojo said:
yvanjean said:
prayformojo said:
Meh, I'd be happy if we NEVER went digital. I don't mind it as an option, but having physical games should always be something you can buy imo.

Music CD used to cost $12-15 and most of the song were crap for the one or two good songs. 

Now it cost $1 or less per song digitally. 

The cost of paying game digital would be cut by half.... new release would cost $19.99-29.99 compares to the $59.99-69.99. Would you still want to pay $59.99-69.99 at retail when you can go digital for $19.99-29.99??? 

Most of the music people stream and/or download legally, sound like garbage compared to vinyl or even a CD. For instance, Spotify's desktop free service streams it's music at a level that is 10 TIMES lower than the actual ablum. So when you spend more money at the store, buying the real deal, you get your money's worth.

With games, it's the same thing. You get the resell it, collect it and own it for however long you want and never have to worry about it again. To me, that's worth the extra money.


Having said that what percentage of music is bought retail vs digitally? maybe 10-15% at retail now ?? Both are being replace by streaming services.

I believe physical sales of full albums are nearly at 50% still. Over 4 million vinyl records were purchased this last year and is growing by leaps and bounds. Digital and Streaming isn't as popular as you think it is.

But even so. Even IF CD's and Vinyl completely die and the only way to listen to music is through Streaming, that doesn't change the fact that it will still sound like utter shit. Spotify streams at under 200KB... that's less than a damn iTunes download lol



Experimental42 on 14 November 2014
yvanjean said:

Once Sony and Microsoft establish a big enough customer base... you will see the digital price greatly reduce. EA access is an early promised of that digital future. Many gamers have complained about EA access but where else can your access to six games and have access to five 6-hours full game trials for only $5. This is greatly going to reduce the cost of a hobby we all love and Sony and Microsoft revenue will actually increase has our cost go down.

 


Nowhere, because EA lied through their f*cking teeth. It says full game but you can finish what they intended you to play earlier than expected and it tells you your time is up and to buy the full game, regardless of whether or not it has been 6 hours.



prayformojo on 14 November 2014
Teeqoz said:

Or you could just use spotify. 10 dollars a month, and you can listen to whatever you want.

Yeah, at less than 1/3rd the quality of a real record. I was always told that a fool and his money are easily parted and I know after all these years, this is true but still, that doesn't mean I have to be a fool with them.

Try hooking your laptop or smart phone into a speaker system and turning the volume up. It sounds like garbage.



Imaginedvl on 14 November 2014
Experimental42 said:
yvanjean said:

Once Sony and Microsoft establish a big enough customer base... you will see the digital price greatly reduce. EA access is an early promised of that digital future. Many gamers have complained about EA access but where else can your access to six games and have access to five 6-hours full game trials for only $5. This is greatly going to reduce the cost of a hobby we all love and Sony and Microsoft revenue will actually increase has our cost go down.

 


Nowhere, because EA lied through their f*cking teeth. It says full game but you can finish what they intended you to play earlier than expected and it tells you your time is up and to buy the full game, regardless of whether or not it has been 6 hours.

Did you play it or did you get that randomly on the internet?

It is six hour and you can do whatever you want in the game, you are even getting the achievements and goes as far as you want (you do not get any message before the 6 hours telling you to stop and buy the game). It is exactly what they adverstise: I played 6 FULL hours of the game and what you are saying is simply not true at all.

Also, 5$ is for more than just playing this demo of the full and unrestricted game. You have access to the vault, you pay 10% less off all EA games, 10% off DLCs and can have those early access to the "full" game.



Experimental42 on 14 November 2014
Imaginedvl said:

Did you play it or did you get that randomly on the internet?

It is six hour and you can do whatever you want in the game, you are even getting the achievements and goes as far as you want (you do not get any message before the 6 hours telling you to stop and buy the game). It is exactly what they adverstise: I played 6 FULL hours of the game and what you are saying is simply not true at all.

Also, 5$ is for more than just playing this demo of the full and unrestricted game. You have access to the vault, you pay 10% less off all EA games, 10% off DLCs and can have those early access to the "full" game.

http://www.geeksdontlie.co.uk/ea-incomplete-access-trials-real-games-limited-like-demos/

"Not Available in Trial."

Pretty cut and dry. Several places around the internet have been reporting similar things. I don't care what else that money goes to, it was a deliberate lie.

 

EA Access is a terrible idea in general though. Hurray for paying for discounts that should be free I guess? And the vault will get worse as time goes on.