Sony Prophecies Death Of 'Disc-Based Delivery System'
While Sony's vision of a downloadable future for console game sales is nothing new, the level of certainty about the disc-less future appears to have skyrocketed.
I remember that Phil Harrison waxed rhapsodic about the topic at GDC 2007 when he announced that several PS3 games would be available on both Blu-ray disc and for download over the PSN, and now SCEE president David Reeves has come out with a full-on prediction:
The key to the future is the PlayStation Network, Games put straight onto PSN are the big opportunity.
We do believe that the disc-based delivery system will fall as the power of the network base rises. At the same time, the overall industry growth will continue to go upwards as we push out into emerging markets.
What we don't see is an overall decline in the market. This is a golden era of video games.
With Reeves reporting that 40% of PS3 owners are downloading games, these predictions sound fair - although since there aren't any many games out yet that are available for purchase via both delivery systems - disc-y and disc-less - it's a bit early to start trumpeting the demise of the optical format.
But it is probably only a matter of time - take a look at the PC market, which is really the only place where gamers have been given this choice - the success of Valve's Steam, of Direct2Drive, and of boutique online stores such as those in place at SOE, NCSoft, or EA (Spore Creature Creator, for example), and it becomes obvious that at the very least, physical media face a serious decline in both importance and desirability.
Sony says that the 'disc-based delivery system will fall' [Dtoid]
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, Miscellany on 20 June 2008
· Comments (10)
Other stuff like this: david reeves, disc-based delivery system will fall, downloads, optical media, physical media, scee
"since there aren't any games out yet that are available for purchase via both delivery systems - disc-y and disc-less - it's a bit early to start trumpeting the demise of the optical format."
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue and Warhawk are both available disc-y or disc-less. SOCOM: Confrontation is coming up. plus, there are the psone games that are available on the store as well as on disc too, if you really wanna get technical.
;-)
I will give up on gaming if it goes full digital media, I prefer having a copy that I know I will always have and that I can play whenever I want. Instead of if I have to get a new system or mine breaks relying on haviing to download it all again.
@ DJ Fluke
D'oh - foiled by a single 'M'
I suppose the PSone games count, but it's the sales split on the NEW titles that I'm really curious to know. How well dual-format launches are going, etc.
I haven't bought a PC game from my local EB in like 2 or 3 years. Everything I want is on EA's Downloader or Steam. Steam is really good these days too.
I have been using the PSN and WiiWare stores quite often too, so I look forward to the day I only have to go to EB for the consoles and accessories. I'm sure they can stay in business just selling Rockband and Guitar Hero stuff.
The main reason they want disc based delivery to die is so they can sell a new copy to everyone. No more on-selling of your old games or buying a preowned copy at a reduced price.
wait, I thought we needed the awesome magnitude of the Blu-Ray disc? thanks to its mighty power, we don't need to switch discs to play MGS4!! (not that we needed to for MGS 2 or 3 . . .)
seriously, if more storage space for the game = better, why is digital download going to be the wave of the future? I do not see this really wiping out physical media, as I don't see 9gb downloads really becoming common for a while.
If they ask me my answer is "NO!!!!!"
One: On big games I will only buy a physical copy. Nothing else will do.
Two: Right now I only have dial up so I'd be screwed anyway lol
Three: I would only buy old download able games if I haven't played them or never had them.
If they ask me my answer is "NO!!!!!"
One: On big games I will only buy a physical copy. Nothing else will do.
Two: Right now I only have dial up so I'd be screwed anyway lol
Three: I would only buy old download able games if I haven't played them or never had them.
I hate all this "cloud in the sky" business. I want to collect and keep my games, and know that I'll be able to play them in 20 years time, not just have fond memories of them because the authentication servers have closed down or the PS3 breaks.
Maybe I'm the only person who went out and bought Spore Creature Creator on disc, but that's because I want to send a clear message that I don't want to download my games - I want to own them.
Of course, with even online authentication of the discs now we're losing the chance to come back in 20 years. I wish people would look and ring an alarm bell, but everybody just thinks about now.
My other annoyance is the fact that most download games don't offer me a discount for not having a disc, manual or box. If you're making a saving, you should be passing that on to the customer IMO. And it's not just games.
I would be happy with a system whereby you could download a game to play now, but they send your boxed copy in the mail, so you always have the game that you paid for.
I always thought that I would prefer to have the actual disk but the more I download games off PSN the more I prefer it, maybe it's just laziness.