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Digital Distribution vs Distribution through retailers such as Walmart, EBGames, etc...
HebrewBomb
Member UncommonPosts: 520
Source:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=15089
"The reasons for that were simple. Firstly, game publishers were desperate to avoid saying anything that might annoy their partners in traditional retail and distribution, most of whom have studiously spent the last few years sticking their hands over their ears, singing loudly, and hoping that the Internet will go away if they keep their eyes closed for long enough." Rob Fahey.
Does anyone know what it could mean for the game industry if one can get rid of Walmart, gamestop, other off-the-shelf retailers and some affliated game media from the chain of game distribution line ??
Here is a speculative yet possible scenario what this could mean for both independant / affiliated game developers (small and large) and their cost of game production.
1. Shortened up development cycle.
- Critical decision on base architecture, content management will be rendered quick since there is always room for more flexible adoption of streamlined modification. This isn't possible if everything are already hardcoded and should physically be prepared for delivery.
2. Tremedous development cost reduction.
- i.e. as result of 1. Plus no astronomical expenses on marketing ads or bribing reviewer are needed since everything will be digitally offered for free trial for everybody to experience for given length of period. Consumers will decide for themselves whether the games are for them or not without any intermediate mouthpiece dictating what they should think.
3. Big fat return check for consumers.
- i.e. as result of above two points. Lower cost of development could easily translate to lower retail cost at other end of the table.
- Money goes where it's rightfully due: the developers and their royal fans without getting spilled over in other camp.
Some of you guys might not be interested in this kind of stuff.. but whether you choose to hear this or not, someone could soon reach your doorstep with a return check made in your name if this ever becomes well accepted reality.
The path the industry takes in near future on the outcome of this issue might have huge impact on our habit of purchase, availability of choice, and even the way game-media/retailer is handling subtle "screen quota" of anti-competitive nature on range of products and their bistandard review practice which exclusively promotes a specific well established brand while leaving countless other thriving ones in the shadow which often comes with sheer innovation.
It is a reality that an absolute control on our purchasing practice are in the hands of these intermediate agents, so much so that they dictate what we should see, how often we should see it, how to view it and what variety of products we should choose from.
Not only do they represent unbearable point of entry for those who plan to set a new foothold in this business with fresh new idea. They are essentially acting as gatekeeping agent deciding our access to free medium of content exchange and communication.
These are the reasons that I will not hesitate for a second to promote digital distribution of content (i.e. MMOG), either they are offered with a fee or not.
Before anyone starts to argue that quality comes with a fee in a package, ask yourself, have we even gave them a chance to compete in this market with these gatekeepers holding their doors firmly shut and not letting any intruders in?
"Freedom of the expression and choice of content is limited to those who own one" - an independant journalist.
Comments
Call me an old fart, but I like to flick through a manual or look at a wonderfully created map whilst the servers are offline or whatever, reading an Acrobat version or heck printing it off then reading it just doesn't feel the same. They already take up less room because they are in those DVD cases, I'm quite happy to pay a little more for a physical copy. I suppose I would've been one of those who said people would always want horses.
Excellent thread HebrewBomb...
I'm glad to see that there are others who recognize important issues when they see them. I just want to add a couple things to the points you've already mentioned: One is that developers will have the freedom to decide what types of games they create instead of having it dictated to them by the publisher. And two, developers would be able to rollout new content much more quickly and easily (no more "expansion packs").
The key to Direct Distribution is, of course, faster internet connections. I will have a VDSL-2 connection early next year which would enable me to download a 4-5 GB MMOG in just a few minutes! Of course internet connections like this will make all maner of game features and enhancements possible.
I definately appreciate it when games are available through digital purchase/download. Saves me the trouble of worrying about whether it's sold out or not, and games generally cost less sans their cardboard outer shells.
Single player games will always have a shelf waiting. Online exclusive games however, should only be distributed online with a demo or a trail. Most of the reason I haven't played some of the newer MMOs is because there is no trail. This causes me to jump on about 3 to 6 monthes later than everyone else.
Another thing I think is that subscription based games, like MMOs, shouldn't be charging a seperate price for the box. I'll pay a sub or I'll pay for the box, but not both. It really doesn't make sense to sell a box for an online only game anyway. The only people that can play it are already online. And think of all the money they'd save on packaging and shelf space at retailers.
The whole purpose of writing the post is much more than tackling the convenience issue of gaining access to a given medium of choice.
The whole post is about exposing the danger in the union of Game Press and Mass Retailers and their craftmanship of manufacturing consent to the masses by imposing a selective quota on product's exposure by various mean which I don't even need to mention.
The reason why the whole thing is so alarming is that it could easily create an environment where everyone is urged to assume a homogeneity of view, a view that is imposed by few and save their breath through conforming to established status quo which often doesn't cross boundary of its own unless severly challenged.
"Freedom of the expression and choice of content is limited to those who own one" - an independant journalist.
For single player games or for games where offline play is an option, I certainly see the traditional box on shelf as viable for many years to come.
Perhaps the publishers could offer an affiliate portal for online purchases. This could be accomplished many ways but what I was thinking about would be something like a user goes to walmart's website and completes a secure transaction for the game. The user then is directed to a download server at the publisher. After downloading and installing the game the user activates it using the code provided by the retailer. This protects the partners and allows online purchases.
On a related note, I would like to see an option for MMO's whereby in the installation process, the user could install just the installer and not the game itself. Consider the person who goes out and buys SWG today and after installing 3 CD's then has to download a newer version of every single file anyway. Why not just install a very flexible installer that will pull down the latest files once the user is authenticated?
*something wierd happend to my original post LOL! Ill rewrite it later.,..*
Oblivion and Civ4 are availible for digital download through direct2drive and for MORE than cost at the retail store and you pay for tax on both.
Digital Download only works when the companies behind it pass the saving onto the customer which only seems to be the case with Valve.
I also prefer a retail package then a download. I think the boxes of World of Warcraft (come on haters, you gotta admid at least the box is pretty!) and RF Online looks really nice. I have a nice collection of mmorpg boxes, and its just getting bigger and bigger...sigh.
Wow...people who read manuals...this should be copied over to the 'Girls don't play MMO's' thread as hard evidence that they do.
Seriously:
No trip to the store.
I can stay right here in front of my computer and get the game I want?
No running from store to store looking for who has it on sale, or is sold out, or has the 'special collector's version'.
Cheaper price
Shorter development time
Fewer dead trees
I have to say I'm all for direct distribution, and while I'm not quite convinced impending doom of cookie cutter games due to the Game Magazine/Developer conspiracy theory, I do see where we would all benefit from an environment where free trials are the norm. (Many of us probably wouldn't have paid the money for DDO if we'd had some time to check it out first.)
Im with you. I have done a few digital downloads and it always seems like a hassle to me. No documentation, have to wait on the download and if you uninstall it at some point and want to reinstall it you have to go back to the service and hope they still have it available for you.
I still fondly remember the golden age of games like Red Storm Rising, F-19 or Falcon 3.0 when they used to give you those catalog sized jobs chock full of game and background info as well as additional inserts with keyboard maps etc. Nowadays you are lucky to get a piece of paper with some legal crap written on it stuck in there.
still going on my buy the actual box that i was ranting about before, if you have to download it, so many things can go wrong. if you have to download a good game, which are normaly big games, and you get a hiccup in your connection it can screw everything you downloaded so far and you would need to start over. having the box just seems like the good thing to do. then you have everything you need, everything can be set up by you whenever wherever you want. and i know for a fact that ppl with wireless connections, when having to download stuff, can have to try several times while downloading off the net. just throwing 2 more cents in there.
Yeah, I miss having complete manuals. If they aren't going to give me a manual they can atleast reduce the costs by putting it in a jewel or DvD style case, but chop the price down also. Less costly to ship (or mail even), less space taken up on shelf and convenient to store you master discs.
*looks over to the shelf*
Since I never throw out a MMO install disc/box just incase I want to return...I currently have 16 boxes of various shapes and sizes eating up a bookshelf. Now if i could just store them in a DvD rack
And honestly, if i don't get a real manual and such the box shouldn't cost $50 new. DS gamesa re $35 on average now and are more complete and have better storage setups. Kinda sad huh?
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In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on August 13, 2008.
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Originally posted by HebrewBomb
These are the reasons that I will not hesitate for a second to promote digital distribution of content (i.e. MMOG), either they are offered with a fee or not.
Before anyone starts to argue that quality comes with a fee in a package, ask yourself, have we even gave them a chance to compete in this market with these gatekeepers holding their doors firmly shut and not letting any intruders in?
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I was sympathetic to online distribution, or "taking out the middleman."
I am not so sure anymore. Because while I agree with you that the retailer and distribution chain is a headache for the developers, I have to say there are three good things that working within a retail distribution system can help provide to customers.
1) It keeps the developers and production houses honest, on schedule, and responsible. When its their own money at stake, production houses can create any justification they feel like making in order to justify their slack. I have found that many of these companies, like Farlan, SOE, and New Horizons Entertainment (the producers of Mourning), can be very slick marketeers, who refuse to take responsibility for making the product resemble the claims. But when the retailer's economic interests are at stake, they just cannot push out junk made pretty by their own spin, and no substance. Retailers and buyers for the retailers have a vested interest to not mislead their customers, and as a result, will ensure that the product they are selling is the product the development houses say it is.
2) It is a level of consumer protection that will be lost. The ONLY way SOE could get away with selling the Trials of Obi Wan expansion for a game that would be qualitatively obsolete in a week, is that there was no middleman or retailer. Because if there had been, chances are there would have been many returns, a lawsuit, and a strain or even a cancellation of the manufacturer/retailer partnership. Retailers and supply chain provide a necessary and important link between the manufacturer and customer, and provide the sort of customer service that the providers are unwilling and unable to do. While I am sometimes skeptical that the retailers have my best interests as a consumer at heart, they seem to me to be far more interested in my satisfaction, than the MMO development houses.
3) It creates a "contract" of sorts, whereby the producers commit to a solid plan that does not change dramatically from the time the customer makes the decision. You can't change a manual after it ships. You have to hard code the CDs. Yes, this makes change difficult, but is that necessarily a bad thing? Some of these services allow for players to purchase an experience marketed to them in a specific form, and are required to pay upwards of a month or more. I don't think it disallows for small bug fixes and additions. What it does do is prevent, or at least make difficult, wholesale redefinitions in the middle of long term subscription plans.
We want to buy games, not question marks. I wouldn't see it as so bad, if it wasn't for all the "slimy" schemes we have seen lately from the MMO developers. Retailers provide a necessary check on the developer's pereogative to arbitrary and wholesale deception, fraud, abuse, and cheap quality.
If MMO providers can be trusted to have the consumer's interests at heart, then digital downloading seems reasonable. But these people have shown that they cannot be trusted.
__________________________
"Its sad when people use religion to feel superior, its even worse to see people using a video game to do it."
--Arcken
"...when it comes to pimping EVE I have little restraints."
--Hellmar, CEO of CCP.
"It's like they took a gun, put it to their nugget sack and pulled the trigger over and over again, each time telling us how great it was that they were shooting themselves in the balls."
--Exar_Kun on SWG's NGE
But the trend seems to be going in other direction.
I see parallel of this issue with "net-neutrality" issue ....
The sad reality is that media is everything these days. They have too much control over our lifes.
I have to say I didn't read it.
But that part is just laughable. Fatter pockets for the devs is more like it. lol
A Work in Progress.
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Check around, download prices are often more expensive than buying a retail box from a reputable online store.
Recently bought CoV for my son...
Online retail box was £17 ($30?)
Download was £29 ($50?)
Everquest 2 (last time i looked) also had a similar pricing disparity.
Tam
would be nice if indeed the digital downloads actually cost a good deal less.
In reality i notice that newer game cost on average from 0-10 $ (and that $10 is more or less the extreme most cost under $5 less) less
Now tbh for 0-5$ i rather get the box with the CDs,maunal and a map.With download i lose all of that and worse still if you clean up you are looking at a 4-6 gb download nowadays.That even with a fast connection takes much longer then if u got a descent CD/DVD reader.
If a new game came out and cost $50 in shops and $30 DD i would indeed pick the download option