Whether you like it or not, the push towards a mostly-digital game industry is ahead of us. It may not be next year, it may not be in the next five years... but it's coming.
Brick and mortar retailers like GameStop have known this for years, and have been planning accordingly. The latest move, according to GameStop COO Paul Raines, is to let customers purchase downloadable content right in the store.
When they get home and turn on their console (or PC), that content will be waiting for them. While the logistics of this remain unclear, this would mean a few things -- GameStop clerks could upsell you on downloadable content as you buy the game, and you could use your trade-in credit directly towards that same content. You'd just never be able to sell it back. Or return it.
"We believe we can convert a significant portion of our in-store traffic to digital for publishers," Raines said.
Interesting concept, this leaving the house to buy downloadable content. I'll have to think this over. I have a little time -- the program is said to begin testing in early 2010.
Contest:
5:20 PM on 11.12.2009
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If you've got to fill out some sort of form for 5 minutes than I can't see this working at all.
I guess this makes sense if you don't have a credit or debit card. Don't they sell points cards already?
You can't do that now, either.
If the DLC could still be attached to your XBL account, I think it'd a good idea. Maybe it could encourage GS to have deals, and MS to have better DLC DOTWs.
To undermine this developers and publishers should sell DLC for cheaper, from their sites or on Live/PSN, and show Brick and Morter stores that they wont be needed when the time comes... Its sad, trust me I feel for them, but a middle man in the download era makes no sense unless they're a regulatory service, like the Livemarket or PSN does..
I agree, but even then, the most popular content is of the Mature kind and the younger market will still be screwed.
If they somehow threw a small discount and paid for my wasted gas, I'll think about it.
Competition is always good, but something makes me think that Microsoft would only allow gamestop to do this if they don't get undercut...
In before Gamestop-exclusive DLC / costumes / whatever - YOU KNOW it's coming.
Well I know TONS of little kids who play M rated games, and their parents buy M games for them. I don't see that being a huge problem.
I keep hearing about this mostly digital future, but when it comes to video games, I'm not so sure.
Why is it that no matter how much I hear about digital content, it hasn't really caught on? Usually I find that the future of entertainment is dictated by the customers; customers loved ipods, so that became the future of music. They loved netflix, and that became the future of DVD rentals. But I keep hearing that the future of video games is all digital, even though every current model has failed to inspire the consumer confidence of services like the app store and NetFlix. Even if the future is all digital, why do all the game companies assume that the future will pan out in the assumed preset manner? Because looking back, it would be like saying that music will go all digital, and then placing full support in the MP3 format instead of the ipod.
So I don't see how it'll matter to kids.
But I guess it's not really the same.
Yeah what about point cards?
I feel sorry for Ronald Dale Rice Jr.
DLC in stores is all well and good, but don't start trying to phase out physical media. Please god let them co-exist.
I really wish this WASN'T coming. I love my boxes and manuals =[ Life just will not be the same.
"you wanna pre-order x-game? you know this game has dlc for an extra 9.99 you can get 2 new things with that, you want an edge card? you can save %10 AND get a magazine subscription filled with all the game news you read on the internet 2 weeks ago."
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1254/home-broadband-adoption-2009
* Low-income Americans: under $20,000/yr - 35%
$20,000 to $30,000/yr - 53%.
* High-school graduates: 52%
* Older baby boomers: Adults ages 50-64 - 61%
* Rural Americans: 46%
* Upper-income Americans: 85%
* College graduates: 83%
Is it getting better? Yep. Loads better. But it's not pervasive enough. There's multiple factors at play. Out of all these people with broadband, who has internet enabled consoles, who has current gen consoles, who wants DLC or downloadable games?
We are all part of that majority that'll fall into those categories, but not everyone will. And stores that sell DLC codes in a physical environment are selling a bad business. The market for code cards is there, and it sells for people who know what they're for, but you won't ever find me walking into Gamestop to buy Horse Armor, because I ain't fuckin' paying tax on a $2 purchase I could make through an online marketplace and NOT pay taxes online.
And I don't have to pay for gas or have to put up with people. If I can buy DLC on Amazon, why would I go to Gamestop. They stand a better chance to sell DLC on their website than they do in a store. Dedication to the company goes away when you can be beaten on convenience and price. Kids may not have credit cards, but kids can't drive. Mom and dad do. Kids don't have money, they get allowances. If a kid wants something bad enough, credit cards can get used. If mom and dad are the ones that are paying for their games (whether through allowance or direct purchases), then they'll bust out a credit card for a code card or buy points directly.
iTunes already has "allowances" built into their system. You think a game console would already have this system in place.
But cool idea I would like to see it happen.
I know that I avoid buying incomplete games that will tax me for more content later. I know that I would buy more games if I was sure that they wouldn't ask for more of my money later to have the "complete" experience. Heck, the issue with pokemon and legendaries that can only be obtained via special event by itself is motivation to hack the restricted pokemon out of the code, imagine the temptation and anger that arises when a gamer buys Dragon Age: Origins and is told by the game that his previous promises requires him to pay for DLC so as to complete quests he already obligated himself to complete in-game. I can imagine that would turn many a loyal Bioware fan into a pirate, if only for the sake of getting the content they feel should have come with the game.