152
rate

Digital Content is the Future of the Games Industry?

December 28, 2009 in Blog comments 15

This is an opinion-editorial from the staff at PlanetXbox360.com regarding the future of the video game industry, and how digital download (Xbox LIVE, PSN, etc.) is set to take over the way we play video games.

When many gamers were little, there was always a decided excitement from running into a store and beholding wall upon wall of video game boxes. There were always different reasons for this, be it the exquisite cover art that stood out, causing many youths to beg for the latest and greatest titles or perhaps it was the potential of what lie in the box. It simply could have been the possibility of the fun we as young gamers could be having should we be able to get our hands on that box and the video game goodness inside. However, over time, things have slowly begun to change for those boxes containing small potential worlds for players to enjoy. The ability to download content digitally presents significant growth potential for both gamers and the gaming industry.
PlanetXbox360 via planetxbox360.com »
Favourite this article Add source
| More
Report!

Comments

Register as a member to subscribe comments.
  • 0
    Guugley Dec 28, 09
    We're in that 'era' of gaming now, at present day..?
  • 3
    Chris717 Dec 28, 09
    I'm will buy physical copies of games till as long as they're availiable. Just being able to hold what i've paid a lot of money for gives me satisfaction.
  • 0
    Daweii Dec 29, 09
    I think it will get to a point where digital distribution will be massive though physical distribution will still exist. Think of it like the music market and the film market. I can go onto iTunes right now and buy an album and listen to it almost instantly, but the physical CD can still be purchased. The same goes for movies, for the time being I can see digital distribution staying as merely a contributor even if it becomes a 50/50 thing where every game has a download presence as well as a store presence, there will still be more than enough people wanting a physical copy of a game to keep that avenue alive.
  • 0
    Slumpy monkey Dec 29, 09
    It will become more viable as HDD's become smaller and larger. A couple of years from now we will have Petabyte HDD's.





    http://www.madewithcomputers.com/storage/whatsapetabyte.gif?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1256562323521

    Click for bigger version, it got made smaller for some reason.
    • 0
      Fury Dec 29, 09
      I love that statistic about how much the price of one gigabyte has decreased. I remember the first computer I ever really used had 2GB on the hard drive. I had another computer prior to that, but that was when I was like 5 or 6. Pretty sure it was running like Windows 3.1. I have no idea how much hard drive memory that had... Probably like 256MB .
      • 0
        HisServant77 Dec 29, 09
        Yup. I remember my first computer had less than a gig of HDD space haha

        Although, Slumpy, that info isn't all entirely accurate It's just best to say a Petabyte is 1024 gigs.
        • 0
          Dio Dec 29, 09
          No, a terabyte is 1024 gigs. A petabyte is 1024 teras.
        • 0
          HisServant77 Dec 29, 09
          Ah! I said 1024 gigs didn't I? Lol, I meant terabytes Sorry, lost my mind there for a second and went on auto pilot.
  • 1
    chautemoc Dec 30, 09
    This is the future.
    • 0
      Slumpy monkey Dec 30, 09
      That is awesome.

      It would be awesome if you got a digital copy with a Physical game you got.
    • 0
      HisServant77 Dec 30, 09
      Yeah but isn't that just like ordering online and picking it up at the store? It's really no different from having just a physical copy. Beside of course the stores not having to buy all the physical copies, just the discs needed to print them on as they're needed.

      I say they SHOULD have a digital copy with a physical game you have.
      • 0
        chautemoc Dec 30, 09
        Well I mean digital games will become the norm, then those that want a physical copy can just go to the Microsoft store (or eventually, other game retailers and maybe even print shops) and get it. Works for everyone, and the environment~

        Steam does the physical/digital thing already. Impulse as well? Not sure.
        • 0
          Slumpy monkey Dec 30, 09
          Ah yes.

          When I bought SINS it made me install Impulse. Not sure if it actually gave me a digital copy of it though.
        • 0
          HisServant77 Dec 31, 09
          Ah okay, yeah that sounds like a good idea It'll end up saving Stores money too. They really won't have to buy unnecessary stock, only the discs to burn, as the customer wishes

          That probably WILL happen then
  • 0
    chautemoc Dec 31, 09
    It does that for updates only, I believe -- it's their way of fighting piracy. Pretty sure it's optional otherwise. Fine by me.

This news story is archived and is closed to comments now.