Sony finds digital distribution confusing

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SCEE president Andrew House has confirmed the thing we all knew by now, that physical media will still be an important part of the games industry for at least a few more years. House has also added that digital distribution has a set of issues that need to be overcome before it becomes the norm.

“The reason retail has been around for thousands of years is because it works really well at showing you a range of content,” he says, “having experienced store staff that can find the game you are looking for, tailor choices to your needs and up-sell you something you hadn’t thought of.

“Digital, for me, still has a challenge in that it doesn’t have the equivalent of that. Browsing is a little overwhelming and too confusing, and that’s the challenge that makes me think there’s a strong role for physical media for years to come.”

Here’s the thing, though — digital content’s biggest challenges are the publishers themselves, and especially publishers who think like Sony. The PSPgo was total junk because the PSN wasn’t support properly and Sony insisted on overcharging for its games. Sony’s own ignorance was its largest stumbling block, not the nature of digital distribution.

I do agree that digital content can get lost in the shuffle, but is that not also true for retail games? I think the biggest challenge Sony faces is the office full of chimps that keeps making stupid decisions more than the “confusing” browsing options. 

Sony: Digital retail is confusing [MCV]


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