The Microsoft E3 press conference was so full of big announcements and celebrities that they couldn’t fit everything in. So it was left to a press luncheon for one of the most important announcements.

Games on Demand will allow games to be bought, using credit cards, from the Xbox Live service for direct download onto the hard drive. Starting in August with 30 games with more added on a regular basis. They are talking about titles like Crackdown, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 2, Assassin’s Creed, Oblivion and BioShock. There is no reason why they shouldn’t make the entire catalogue of Xbox games available for purchase this way.

Of course Microsoft are, for once, behind Sony in going down this route.

The whole concept of high street retail and physical stock for digital distribution is looking decidedly archaic now, we are only holding onto it by habit. Getting rid of bricks and mortar is brilliant for publishers who can launch a game simultaneously worldwide without having to carry any inventory and without having to give massive margin away to the distribution chain.

Link?

sounds cool, but i dont have enough space . also i really don't want to put my credit card number on my xbox

Already posted..

Microsoft will need to tread carefully here.

If stores can't make money selling the software, they might not sell the low margin hardware.

Also, given that broadband is not universal, that some providers have ridiculously low download caps (as low as 5G per month -- which would be one game), and that there is limited hard drive capacity, this is a supplement and preparedness for the future we all know will eventually get here. The question though is when.

Mike from Morgatown

Paying $5-$10 for a DL title is one thing. Paying $50 is something else. I really wonder how many console owners today will do that.

i dont mind downloadng downloadable games ie the small ones.

but full games 5 gig or so each is not on.

a good example is burnout on psn, its £28.99..........i bought the ultimate edition retail for £29.99

its a waste of time.

I can see them in the future offering new releases in both ways..in DD and physical discs...I´ll take the discs.

I prefer my box and manual thank you very much.

@seece

Exactly, and that´s why I´d hate if the future is all about DD...and ONLY DD (which is something I definitely don´t want).

Duplicate thread
http://www.vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=74824

If a game is available on Steam I usally get it there. I don't think game size is relevant here. Lord knows that pirates have no problem downloading games that are 7-8 GB.
The real problem is Microsofts ridiculously priced storage option. I love the idea of downloading games to my Xbox. No disc swapping and the like but until I can get a new 120GB for a reasonable price it's just not an option.