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Console Makers Pushing For More Network Reliance

Posted by Soulskill on from the can't-escape-the-cloud dept.

There's a story on Joystiq about the convergence of games consoles and network play, suggesting that the industry is slowly moving away from physical media, preferring the control and simplicity of online distribution. The article points out that Microsoft's Games for Windows Live, despite being relatively unpopular, has seen continued development with an eye toward interacting with Xbox Live. Quoting: "While it's unlikely that the next generation of consoles will completely forgo disc-based media, downloads are quickly becoming a much bigger part of the experience. Some games, such as Rock Band 2 and Gears of War 2, are now shipping with codes for free downloads. This isn't because the publishers like you and want to give you free stuff. It's part of a larger strategy to increase the importance of the online presence, where content can be tightly controlled and decrease the importance of physical media, and thus, used-game sales and rentals."

4 of 198 comments (clear)

  1. Arrrr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Plus, any online connection forces you to have a legal purchased copy. But that's not part of it at all :)

  2. Preferring by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    the control and simplicity of online distribution.
    control and simplicity of online distribution.
    control and simplicity
    control

  3. No thanks by Rik+Sweeney · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I've bought a couple of games on the PSN recently and now that I'm done with them, what can I do? Here are my choices:

    1. Leave it to fester on the HDD
    2. Delete it

    Great. What's worse is that a couple of the games I bought turned out to be shit so I can't even trade them for something different.

    Make a subscription service instead if you're going to do this. Here's one way it could work:

    You pay a certain amount each year and the amount you pay determines how many games you can have downloaded at a time and each game have a number of points allocated to it, so you could for example have Braid (1 point) and Bionic Commando (1 point) and Geometry Wars (1 point) or just BioShock (3 points).

    When you're done with the games you can delete them to refund the points.

    Good idea? Bad idea?

    --
    Summation 2
  4. They are LYING. by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They want internet connected and online distribution for two main reasons.

    1 - it instantly KILLS the secondhand game market. you can no longer buy used games, this drives the price of old games back up to retail levels. no more buying Gears of War for $12.99 used at the local EB or on ebay.

    2 - it eliminates 60% of the cost of a game. Packaging and distribution.

    Game prices will stay the same or go up, your Quality of gaming will go down, and you can no longer buy used games or rent games to try them out.

    That is their goal, everything else is pure BS to make the consumer have buy-in to their plans to screw you over.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.