Can you list these A game developers which were killed by digital distribution?

For many indie and A developers digital distribution was a godsend. For retail games they needed a publisher (to get their games on the limited shelves of retailers) who took most of the profits and often claimed the IPs.

Digital distribution allowed them to self-publish and cut out the middleman.

It also was quite hard to estimate how many reatil copies they should produce. If they manufactured much more than the demand, the production costs of the unsold games (cd/dvd, booklet, package, distribution costs to retailers and back...) cut severely into the profits they had from the sold games.

If they manufactured not enough, a second or third edition took much time... would the demand still be there when the new edition arrives at the retailers?

With digital distribution and theoretically unlimited licenses  they were much more flexibel.

Subscribed to Gamepass after being with playstation for 20 years. And its amazing.
Not only I save a lot of money but also I can try so many different games that I would otherwise never play, from AAA to indie titles. Its brilliant.

I'm genuinely curious how anyone has time to 'try games I would otherwise never play'. I can't even keep up with the games I own, and I've got dozens of games I know I'll love rotting in my collection that I still can't get to. I know I'll love nioh 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn and FFVII Remake and Mortal Shell and Salt and Sanctuary and Bayonetta and Ghost of Tsushima and South Park the Fractured But Whole/Stick of Truth and the Batman Arkham trilogy and Persona 5 and...so many others I own but haven't gotten around to playing. 

How does anyone have time to work, have healthy relationships, and play so many games? I genuinely thought my game library was vast and varied and diverse but I feel genuinely inadequate compared to some of you folks. 

Who needs 599 games if 550 of them you'll never play or pick up once and never touch again? 

It works the same way as Disney plus and netflix  works and so far like netflox u get pretty good variety of movies and TV series. Same goes with Disney plus. With gamepass u give developers more freedom and allow them to take risk with producing a different style of game.  Big blockbuster games are good and fun but to only have that variety gets stale and boring. Example medium wouldn't sell much if it wasn't on gamepass as its not something most people will pay money for. With gamepass the game recouped all the cost and made profit in 3 days. Outerworld. That game wouldn't sell much if released on physical copies. Because its on gamepass more people are willing to try and play it. If I am not mistaken, outriders on gamepass had the same amount of players as people bought the game physically on ps5. 

Suscription service allows to also have free dlcs. That brings in a much better value for gamers than having to fork out money. Even if we have to, its still cheaper than buying a game and dlc.  We need more variety of games and games that don't have to rely on dlcs or even microtransactions. Helps the games to stay at 60 bucks. We don't need games to be 70usd if it can be avoided.. 

Also EA killed ssx and burnout. Nothing to do with it being digital. If burnout and ssx was on gamepass, it would have alot of money as people would try. 

SvennoJ said:

Well. imo movies have declined in quality, I hardly watch new movies anymore.

The games that are getting bigger are the AAA blockbusters that are in no danger, they'll find a way to recoup costs, more dlc and mtx. The concern is for the more niche games, like the A game developers that all but disappeared with the advance of digital distribution. Smaller budgets, content, scope for more nice games are already more standard as people aren't willing to pay full price for those anymore.

And indeed, I don't buy DLC nor any other in game purchases, the only exception being a couple music packs for Beat Saber. For anything with a story, beginning, middle, end day one, finished story.

Anyway yep, it's fine for AAA studios, they have to do less work to keep getting paid regularly.

Does it really trigger you that much that you can't stand someone enjoying gamepass and its value?

That's where our opinions differ as I don't have any praise for the state Netflix and Disney are in. I watch about 10% the amount of movies and tv series I used to watch before streaming. I don't see any risk taking, just more copy paste in different languages when it comes to Netflix. I guess having Brazilian actors or Danish actors is a different style...

I find the variety of (full) games much less nowadays, will game pass turn it around?

Anecdotal stories mean little as Minecraft, PUBG, Demon's Souls, The Witcher series had no trouble breaking out before game pass. Anyway is that what gamepass is, get people to play what they don't really want to play, or not enough to buy it anyway. That's what I feel Netflix has become. Just watch it to wind down from playing games before going to sleep. Not watching it because it's actually good anymore. Everything is so padded out for length :/ And that's what I fear will happen to games. (and is already happening)

Well I would hope so as there 23 million users and if a game goes on gamepass, then there's a potential 23 million peoe who try it. Developers have said that gamepass a has allowed them to take risk because people will try the game. Just look at the game medium. It wouldn't have happened if there was no gamepass. Similar to outer worlds. Both amazing games. I am hoping with gamepass we get to see lost oddysey 2 or scalebound or even another blue dragon or even games comebacks like legend of dragoon or clock tower. 

Tbh gaming for me has become boring as single player games haven't done anything new thats exciting. Its the same type of experience with such better graphics.. After awhile, the nostalgia of next gen graphics will wear out. Alot of single player games don't even have good story line anymore.. They are all predictable lol. 

Runa216 said:

I'm genuinely curious how anyone has time to 'try games I would otherwise never play'. I can't even keep up with the games I own, and I've got dozens of games I know I'll love rotting in my collection that I still can't get to. I know I'll love nioh 2 and Horizon Zero Dawn and FFVII Remake and Mortal Shell and Salt and Sanctuary and Bayonetta and Ghost of Tsushima and South Park the Fractured But Whole/Stick of Truth and the Batman Arkham trilogy and Persona 5 and...so many others I own but haven't gotten around to playing. 

How does anyone have time to work, have healthy relationships, and play so many games? I genuinely thought my game library was vast and varied and diverse but I feel genuinely inadequate compared to some of you folks. 

Who needs 599 games if 550 of them you'll never play or pick up once and never touch again? 

Anyone realise Netflix does a lot of bad copy jobs. They have about half a dozen fake Great British Bake Off's, fake Kitchen Nightmares, and a bunch of other filler content.

Right now I mostly use Netflix for Korean series and anime.