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GameStop stock price tanks after Microsoft announces new digital-gaming service
Mikeha
Member EpicPosts: 9,196
Looks like Microsoft has done it again. 
http://news.xbox.com/2017/02/28/introducing-xbox-game-pass/
GameStop’s stock price has dropped nearly 8 percent today following Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealing the Xbox Game Pass service. This is a program where Xbox One owners can pay $10 per month to have unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and backward-compatible Xbox 360 games. Of course, these are all digital games that you download from Microsoft’s Xbox Game Store, and it’s likely that investors are seeing this as a major threat to GameStop.
http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/28/gamestop-stock-price-tanks-after-microsoft-announces-new-digital-gaming-service/
http://news.xbox.com/2017/02/28/introducing-xbox-game-pass/
GameStop’s stock price has dropped nearly 8 percent today following Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealing the Xbox Game Pass service. This is a program where Xbox One owners can pay $10 per month to have unlimited access to over 100 Xbox One and backward-compatible Xbox 360 games. Of course, these are all digital games that you download from Microsoft’s Xbox Game Store, and it’s likely that investors are seeing this as a major threat to GameStop.
http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/28/gamestop-stock-price-tanks-after-microsoft-announces-new-digital-gaming-service/
Comments
I remember when we use to go to the Movie Rental and pay $5 just to rent a 1 game for 2-3 days.
This is just the start so of course it will grow and get getter.
They said EA Access had no value when it first launched and look at it now.
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Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm
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Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™
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To people who don't already "have half the games from XBox gold" it could be very attractive.
An early version of MS's FAQs - subsequently changed - also talked about the service being available on XBox 1 and Windows 10 devices. So?
Will it work? Probably only a question of time before games go the way of films as @Kyleran indicated.
Now we have to see what Sony will come up with to counter this. They have to at least match Microsoft, of course, that is just how things work in the console wars !
I think Amazon also recently announced that they're starting a digital games marketplace. More competition for Steam can only be a good thing. I think...
MS's move is interesting. If they can put the brick-and-mortar stores out of business, they can probably reap greater profits in the long rub. No more buying "cheap used games" from the local GameStop.
Sure, the XBox pass will probably contain a great selection, but it will no doubt take a few months before new releases are added to the catalog. So MS will most probably be selling more new release copies at full price as impatient gamer's won't want to wait. With the current sales model, you can often pick up "used" games at half price just a few weeks after release...
Isn't MS copying what Sony has been doing for a long time now with its Playstation Now just not with current games?
It'll work out until the movie companies decide it is more economical to just digitally release everything, at which point the company will close their doors. (Same goes for gamestop as well)
EA has been doing this for pc quite a few years now.
Sega Channel FTW
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Gamestop really should move towards other products, boardgames for instance still sells pretty well and more then a few people prefer getting their hardware in a physical store while they buy their games online.
They've had plenty of time to change with the times and get their own digital service up and running. If they haven't seen this coming, well... you know.
They've been digging their own grave.
"Be water my friend" - Bruce Lee
Well, yes and no. See, I remember when PC games used up more real estate than console games in a game store. Now they've been relegated to a small section. I don't think steam presents any clear and present danger, since they already made an impact. That being said, investors SHOULD be wary, only because if they didn't have consoles, they may already be shut down due to the digital age. The major issue right now is storage and game size. If they solved that on console, it could be night-night.
It's really no wonder than they've started leaning towards selling product. That, and it's better margins than games. Honestly, if you tried to pitch a video game retailer to an investor these days they'd probably laugh in your face. Your whole business model is based around used games, simply because you're selling consoles for basically no profit and you're selling new games for basically no profit. Honestly, the console games market confounds me.
Crazkanuk
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AS for game stop only thing I thought was fun was calling them and asking about "Battle Toads" lol...
Just more lost jobs right?
But then the digital age has slowly been taking down all jobs...
Because of Steam, and Digital Downloads there is no need to ever buy a PC Game from a store.
There is now no need to buy an Xbox game, and soon Sony will follow.
And The only new threat is "Xing Code" "Game Guard" and "Denuvo" spying on people and similar systems, Denuvo ruined me from purchasing Ghost Recon Wild Lands, I won't buy this game because of section 3.1 that can't specify what files it will leave on my system and where.
This has actually happened already in 1991...
Here you go kids...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX8RHeSuZZc&t=1s
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-04-08/news/mn-130_1_manual-switchboard
One of the best things about Xbox Game Pass is that you can discover and download the full titles directly on your Xbox One. That means continuous, full-fidelity gameplay without having to worry about streaming, bandwidth or connectivity issues.
Read more at http://news.xbox.com/2017/02/28/introducing-xbox-game-pass/#KoiTADs3jj0DgOEW.99
New players can get a welcome package and old/returning players can also get a welcome back package and 7 days free subscription time! Just click here to use my referral invitation
I self identify as a monkey.
Foresight is important here, because companies that don't update, won't stick around. I see a push as a bigger online retailer presence when it's "too late", like how Blockbuster did their kiosks when there were already redbox kiosks everywhere.
To think how popular those kiosks were and now, the prevalence of streaming is so preferred that the reign of the kiosk barely lasted 5 years - and yet it was enough to break a renowned brick and mortar chain.
Console generations have most recently lasted 5-6 years at best. That's a decent amount of time. However, if your purchases are now locked to your account for that console specifically, we may not see a huge push for console digital download only. Look at how many games are available for the PS3/Vita online store, but none of those games are available for the PS4. So I would need a PS3/Vita/PS TV to play any of those games.
The new MS services states select backwards compatible 360 titles. If you still have your 360, you still can't really get rid of it, and to play whatever portion of your library that isn't available on the service, you still need to keep your 360 available to connect to your TV/Monitor.
Compare that to Steam, Origin, Uplay, my games are connected to my account and regardless of how many PC upgrades or straight up new builds I have, those games will always be available. Potential OS issues could arise for older games, but there seems to be some type of work around or patch that's either officially made or modded by private individuals.
The next generation of Sony and MS concoles might determine what happens to GameStop and other gaming retailers. If they basically make a machine that is able to be upgraded and have even more backwards compatibility, in addition to larger storage space. Then we may see the old brick and mortar finally go away.
Regardless of MS or Sony, we know GameStop will be the official Switch retailer with a 32GB HDD and games like BotW taking up roughly half of that usable storage if you digitally download the game.