What are the benefits if the consoles went digital only ?

richymcdermott

i am just thinking with rumours of games used being blocked from microsoft console , sony saying they were close on having ps4 digital only and nintendo pushing there retail games also on the nintendo network if the consoles market went digital what would be the benefits to us ?

would games be cheaper than they are right now ? , would dlc be dead or not as bad as they seem now ? and most important to me would Japanese developers be less worried bringing their titles over to the west as they wont be taken a hit shipping games over if they didnt sell to their expectations.

if everything above is answered yes then i be somewhat satisfied but same time be upset that the days of having the games displayed in my room on my shelf be no more.

i suppose the second part of the question would be when do you think it will happen ? i myself think it could happen after the xbox 720, wii u and ps4 if the broadband internet speed improves in the next 10 years.

it going to be a interesting future ..:cool:

Potential-Monke

richymcdermott wrote: »

if the broadband internet speed improves in the next 10 years.

Boom. This is why it won't happen anytime soon. Not enough of the world is online yet for them to be making profits like they do with both shops and online. They would be alienating a helluva lot of people (if wikipedia are to be believed, only 1/4 of the world population is online ((and yes, i know, i seriously doubt the 3rd world countrues have consoles!))).

But, to answer your questions:

Games would be cheaper, just look at the difference between console and pc prices and i'd imagine the digital version would follow a similar structure.

I reckon DLC would be worse and there would be more "disposable" money to be spent and the publishers would want more income so they would use that money to make (probably crap) dlc.

I also believe that it would be easier for the Japs to have their games sold over here on digital only, but if it would push them to do so? I don't know, probably not, shur aren't they making enough over there?

And i wouldn't be upset about not displaying the games in your room, by the time digital download only happens, your walls will be physical 3d touchscreen where you can pick up digital representations of the game boxes from a digital shelf and read a digital booklet. Well, i want that anyway. I just want a room like the kid in Gamer!!!

PS: Drinking again?

gizmo

Well at least people wouldn't be able to whine about locked content on-disc. :pac:

richymcdermott

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Boom. This is why it won't happen anytime soon. Not enough of the world is online yet for them to be making profits like they do with both shops and online. They would be alienating a helluva lot of people (if wikipedia are to be believed, only 1/4 of the world population is online ((and yes, i know, i seriously doubt the 3rd world countrues have consoles!))).

But, to answer your questions:

Games would be cheaper, just look at the difference between console and pc prices and i'd imagine the digital version would follow a similar structure.

I reckon DLC would be worse and there would be more "disposable" money to be spent and the publishers would want more income so they would use that money to make (probably crap) dlc.

I also believe that it would be easier for the Japs to have their games sold over here on digital only, but if it would push them to do so? I don't know, probably not, shur aren't they making enough over there?

And i wouldn't be upset about not displaying the games in your room, by the time digital download only happens, your walls will be physical 3d touchscreen where you can pick up digital representations of the game boxes from a digital shelf and read a digital booklet. Well, i want that anyway. I just want a room like the kid in Gamer!!!

PS: Drinking again?

interesting , and no i dont drink but some of the threads i be writing sometimes it make ya wonder :P. just alittle thought i have being having after still looking at valkyria chronicles 3 on youtube wondering would digital bring games like that over. :pac:

RobbingBandit

We could all return to our natural reclusive way of life.

CORaven

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Boom. This is why it won't happen anytime soon. Not enough of the world is online yet for them to be making profits like they do with both shops and online. They would be alienating a helluva lot of people (if wikipedia are to be believed, only 1/4 of the world population is online ((and yes, i know, i seriously doubt the 3rd world countrues have consoles!))).

But, to answer your questions:

Games would be cheaper, just look at the difference between console and pc prices and i'd imagine the digital version would follow a similar structure.

I reckon DLC would be worse and there would be more "disposable" money to be spent and the publishers would want more income so they would use that money to make (probably crap) dlc.

I agree with your first statement regarding the use of shops due to poor net infrastructure. There are many here in Ireland that I know who have an xbox, but have never hooked it up to the net either.

However, I believe that prices for first hand games are lower on PC for other reasons than distribution costs. It may be a factor, but the demand for PC games tend to be smaller (PC gaming is more expense and as such is a deterrent) than their console releases and this would force suppliers to be more competitive for the smaller market share.

In relation to the OP's question. I would say that prices for games will increase, depending on how games are distributed online. Take a game on a disc in Gamestop or HMV. The price is currently low due to competition with each other and other game retailers.
If you take this away for consoles, you may end up with just one place to buy games for your xbox - on the xbox market place. Yes, the XBM will have to compete with the Playstation store for multi platform games, but they could charge what they see fit on a platform exclusive.

But you could have a hybrid of the two, where Gamestop and HMV sell codes for you to redeem a full retail game to download from a marketplace service. This would retain some level of competition between suppliers and probably lower costs for them as they could have more liquid stock and better credit terms if dealing with Microsoft/Sony directly. These cost reductions could be passed on to consumers.

DLC will become more prominent however. Basically you will be able to pay what you want to play a game, and receive more of the game for what you pay. It is another way of segmentation the market.

Helix

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Boom. This is why it won't happen anytime soon. Not enough of the world is online yet for them to be making profits like they do with both shops and online. They would be alienating a helluva lot of people (if wikipedia are to be believed, only 1/4 of the world population is online ((and yes, i know, i seriously doubt the 3rd world countrues have consoles!))).

enough of the world is online for consoles to go online only. the vast majority of xbox 360s and PS3s in operation at the moment are connected to their respective online networks. look at broadband speeds 10 years ago compared to now, then consider than 10 years further into the future there's likely to be 4 times as much of an increase in speed as there was in the last 10

bottom line is that they wouldnt actually be alienating as many people as you think they would

Dozen Wicked Words

Helix wrote: »

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Boom. This is why it won't happen anytime soon. Not enough of the world is online yet for them to be making profits like they do with both shops and online. They would be alienating a helluva lot of people (if wikipedia are to be believed, only 1/4 of the world population is online ((and yes, i know, i seriously doubt the 3rd world countrues have consoles!))).

enough of the world is online for consoles to go online only. the vast majority of xbox 360s and PS3s in operation at the moment are connected to their respective online networks. look at broadband speeds 10 years ago compared to now, then consider than 10 years further into the future there's likely to be 4 times as much of an increase in speed as there was in the last 10

bottom line is that they wouldnt actually be alienating as many people as you think they would

I can't compare broadband speeds from 10 years ago as I didn't have access to broadband, surprise surprise, I still don't.

The real bottom line is why will they bother alienating anyone though when they don't need to? The status quo of online and physical media is fine for them as it is.

Helix

dooferoaks wrote: »

I can't compare broadband speeds from 10 years ago as I didn't have access to broadband, surprise surprise, I still don't.

The real bottom line is why will they bother alienating anyone though when they don't need to? The status quo of online and physical media is fine for them as it is.

if it was fine for them they wouldn't have bothered to introduce digital downloads at all

Dozen Wicked Words

Helix wrote: »

dooferoaks wrote: »

I can't compare broadband speeds from 10 years ago as I didn't have access to broadband, surprise surprise, I still don't.

The real bottom line is why will they bother alienating anyone though when they don't need to? The status quo of online and physical media is fine for them as it is.

if it was fine for them they wouldn't have bothered to introduce digital downloads at all

Well digital downloads offer them more profit in not needing to produce the physical media, so no surprise they offer the option, but there is no profit at all from people like me if that's all they offer. Hence the status quo in so far as still offering the choice download/physical media. They make money from downloaders and maybe slightly less, but still make money, from me, why wouldn't they want to keep that going? . Good on you if you have an Internet connection that's up to it, mine runs at a more sedate pace. I took the best part of a day downloading sly raccoon ffs!

robertowjr

Potential-Monke wrote: »

Boom. This is why it won't happen anytime soon. Not enough of the world is online yet for them to be making profits like they do with both shops and online. They would be alienating a helluva lot of people (if wikipedia are to be believed, only 1/4 of the world population is online ((and yes, i know, i seriously doubt the 3rd world countrues have consoles!))).

As I'm brazilian myself I can guarantee that there are millions and millions of consoles in the brazilian market, by that I mean PS3, Xbox and Wii.
Just open your mind a bit, in our third world country we have 80 million people with access to internet, thats 18 times the total irish population.

http://br.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idBRSPE85A04Z20120611

Some of the biggest gaming companies have seen the potential of the brazilian market and the latin america in general, but what I want to say is that a lot of the new releases are coming out with Brazilian Portuguese audio in the whole game, cinematics and the whole lot, that's a huge factor to show how serious they are about that.
Because is not simply getting Br people to speak one or two lines, especially in games like Diablo, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, Killzone 3 etc

Sorry for the offtopic bit, but I felt like a needed to enlighten you about that.

I wouldn't mind if game went digital only, actually that's the way I like, but I don't think we would see any change on the prices.

ShiverinEskimo

PC games are cheaper because there's no expensive upfront licence payment to hardware makers like console games to develop the game. I could go and develop a PC game tomorrow if I wanted.

As for those assuming prices would come down you only need to look at the PC market again. Digital downloads for new games are actually far more expensive (see steam pricing for newer games - €50) despite the lack of packaging, shipping and rent that steam don't have to pay.

Diablo 3 is about 40 or 50 euro in the shops. It's 60 euro to download and play from your house. Total bullshít and inverted economics.

When it goes digital things will get more expensive because we'll be charged extra for 'the convenience'. :rolleyes:

Skerries

the only reason that new games are expensive on Steam is because of shops as the developers don't want to piss them off by undercutting them and it is the developers that dictate the prices not Steam

Skerries

robertowjr wrote: »

but what I want to say is that a lot of the new releases are coming out with Brazilian Portuguese audio in the whole game, cinematics and the whole lot, that's a huge factor to show how serious they are about that.
Because is not simply getting Br people to speak one or two lines, especially in games like Diablo, Uncharted, Heavy Rain, Killzone 3 etc

Have you played Max Payne 3 yet as it is all set in Brazil with a lot of dialogue in Portuguese?

thorbarry

most new releases on the store are €69.99. If the games were the same price as in shops or a fraction cheaper I'd consider buying from it.

Cuddlesworth

robertowjr wrote: »

As I'm brazilian myself I can guarantee that there are millions and millions of consoles in the brazilian market, by that I mean PS3, Xbox and Wii.
Just open your mind a bit, in our third world country we have 80 million people with access to internet, thats 18 times the total irish population.

http://br.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idBRSPE85A04Z20120611

I think you should learn about what exactly makes Brazil a third world country. It's a expression from 70 years ago, splitting the world between the US and its allies, the USSR and its allies and the rest of the world(third world). It has no real bearing on any Economic situation in today's terms. It didn't really back then except for coincidence that the poorest country's couldn't afford to involve themselves heavily in any large scale state wars.

Varik

ShiverinEskimo wrote: »

Diablo 3 is about 40 or 50 euro in the shops. It's 60 euro to download and play from your house. Total bullshít and inverted economics.
:

With Digital supply meets demand, in a shop they've got the stock sitting there and there's an incentive to shift it.

You can see it with games that didn't meet expectations, shops order a load but find that after people see what it's like then sales drop off and they have to try to make back some of their investment.