Analyst Predicts GTA V Will Be Digital Only

[Xanadu84]

Is there anyone who actually wants digital only distribution for games?

I do. Cut down the overhead for retail copies, and that will lead to lower prices, and discounts sooner. Also, it will put that fewer middlemen between developers and their consumers, meaning more of the money you spent on a game goes to making the next game, and making risky, innovative titles more financially feasible. Ill grant you that that is in an ideal world where some people don't need a retail copy because of their internet, but if DD could accommodate everyone, it would be better for everyone.

 

[Electric Gel]

A few people have mentioned that steam, amongst other things, is cheaper than acquiring a retail copy. I'm sorry, but that's a right load of hogwash. Steams prices, excluding sales or promotions, is far from cheap, and when considering new releases is often a couple of quid higher than buying a physical copy. To say otherwise is to live in a storybook fallacy where digital distribution actually provides a more convenient, cheaper alternative too owning a physical item. Sadly, this is not the case.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

What bullshit. There will be a disk otherwise it will hurt sales. I for one will not download a full game onto my 360. Why would i fill up my entire hard drive with it. Also i would be pissed buying a game new from a shore and having a "download game with code" in it. What a waste of money, also how can games be expensive to download when companies dont have to pay distribution costs, packaging etc. I bought Batman AC, and was annoyed that the manual was online only. Also bought Gears 3 and their manual was bullshit and basic. Its a disgrace. I love looking through game manuals. Its just cheap having to pay full price for a game and you dont even get a manual. This would stop me buying full price.

 

[Rednog]

Is there anyone who actually wants digital only distribution for games?

I do, it pushes a greater demand on ISPs to provide faster and faster internet speeds. Seriously speeds in the US have become fairly stagnant because there really is no huge push to increase it.
Second, I'm a bit sick of the whole used game argument, and the switch to digital only will kill the market.
Finally, this is becoming the standard for PCs already, it really is about time people just get on the boat, seriously people are saying that companies are going to lose a sale because they want a retail disc. Especially for the PC more and more discs contain very little actual game data, especially if it is for steam. The steam based games basically have some pre install information and a good chunk is just downloaded from the steam servers. And even then having the retail cd means less and less today. The days of pop in and play really don't exist for the PC, now its pop in and register with some DRM. That DRM goes down or bans you, you're shit out of luck, retail cd or not.

 

[Ghengis John]

Surprise! It's not Michael Pachter!

I-- I say what?!? Do you know what you have just done to my monocle!?! My new monocle!?!

 

[Rednog]

A few people have mentioned that steam, amongst other things, is cheaper than acquiring a retail copy. I'm sorry, but that's a right load of hogwash. Steams prices, excluding sales or promotions, is far from cheap, and when considering new releases is often a couple of quid higher than buying a physical copy. To say otherwise is to live in a storybook fallacy where digital distribution actually provides a more convenient, cheaper alternative too owning a physical item. Sadly, this is not the case.

Actually it is true at least for the US. Steam is more often than not cheaper. Preorders going for 10% or so off, and no tax. So you end up saving at least like $10 or so on games by buying from steam.
And there are other digital distributors that go even cheaper for some games, greenmangaming I picked up Arkham City for $31, Direct 2 Drive usually has 10% off preorders + 15% extra for ign members.

 

[dnose]

Haha. I knew it wasn't Pachter as soon as I read the headline. Pachter tends to make intelligent predictions.

 

[tehweave]

I would only buy it off of steam, but not everyone has a gamimg-quality PC. TBH, I won't in about 1 year.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

Steams prices, excluding sales or promotions, is far from cheap, and when considering new releases is often a couple of quid higher than buying a physical copy.

It depends on your location then. Here in the US, Steam has sales literally, every week. The entire damn catalog goes on sale during the holidays, no joke.

I can't say the prices for other countries (obviously), but a brand new game sells (in the US) for the same price as a retail one does. Every time, without question.

Is there anyone who actually wants digital only distribution for games?

Not me, and I only buy digital. People need a variety and I'd hate to see it shrink down to just digital since I know not everyone can roll that way (or wants to).

 

[XT inc]

They would have to pack in some pretty tight exclusives, which in their own way are just as annoying, trying to pick out a store where price and exclusivity are at the right level.

Why would I take time out of my day to go buy a code from a brick and mortar store to come home and download it? I can just sit on my ass and let it download normally.

But then I'm guessing the digital copy won't hit XBL or PSN for some time after launch.

 

[Electric Gel]

Actually it is true at least for the US. Steam is more often than not cheaper. Preorders going for 10% or so off, and no tax. So you end up saving at least like $10 or so on games by buying from steam.
And there are other digital distributors that go even cheaper for some games, greenmangaming I picked up Arkham City for $31, Direct 2 Drive usually has 10% off preorders + 15% extra for ign members.

That's quite interesting. I must confess that I presumed that digital distribution prices, because of their nature, where the same across the board, no matter what country you lived in. I guess this signifies that once more England's pricing plans are more expensive, as I've never witnessed a day of release game being cheaper than a physical copy on any of the major digital platforms. Or at least any significant difference.

 

[Electric Gel]

It depends on your location then. Here in the US, Steam has sales literally, every week. The entire damn catalog goes on sale during the holidays, no joke.

I can't say the prices for other countries (obviously), but a brand new game sells (in the US) for the same price as a retail one does. Every time, without question.

We have steam sales over here in England, and game prices are often insanely cheap. The sales are probably the only reason that I own steam. But day of release prices are usually the same, or a little higher.

 

[uppitycracker]

I predict that someday, game analysts will get paid entirely too much money to make completely uneducated, retarded predictions that result in wasted bandwidth on articles that highlight the wasted money thrown at said analysts.

Now where's my paycheck.

 

[therandombear]

Calumon: But isn't the shelf nearly fuckk and probably gonna collapse soon?

What kind of words are you teaching Calumon, Jack? D:

OT: As if, as mentioned above, consoles needs way more built in storage then when you buy the console. And games get bigger, so won't be enough with a 20GB harddrive.

 

[MarsProbe]

Is there anyone who actually wants digital only distribution for games?

Amazingly yes, though these people are a bit touched in the head, really...

Anyway, onto the topic at hand. I can't see this happening right now. If GTA V did appear to be download only, that would really put me off. I wouldn't have time (nor the disk space on my 360s HDD) to download a full AAA game. Maybe Rockstar will shock us all by GTA V not actually being a AAA game, instead an XBLA/PSN only title with a top-down perspective, going back to the roots of the GTA series.

 

[emeraldrafael]

yeah, Im thinking he's going to be wrong. even today not everyone is connected to the internet and just play whats on the disk.

 

[gallaetha_matt]

Probably not going to happen. I don't have internet on my console and I know a few people that don't. I doubt it's going to happen.

Same here, I could never justify paying the money for XBL and my internet connection at it's best can stream only two or three porn clips a day. Not even full movies. Clips. It could never manage to download a full game.

Seems like it would be more feasible to just charge less for a digital copy. I mean, it makes sense, doesn't it? Retail copies cost the publisher a good deal more, why wouldn't they charge more for things that cost more? Then, rather then alienating customers wholesale, they provide an incentive for the consumers to start getting used to DD, as well as bring about the demand for faster internet.

This seems like the most business friendly suggestion. Make a retail copy but offer the same content cheaper for downloads. If Rockstar wanted to go digital this seems like the friendliest way to do it.

I don't think they will though. I don't need to tell you that one of the main reasons some companies are discussing all digital versions of games is because they all seem to be butthurt about used sales at the moment. I'm not sure where Rockstar's official line is on this but I think something like GTA has the brand recognition to make a huge amount of cashmoney as soon as it comes out. It'll probably sell millions of copies on launch day so they don't really have a need to go all digital.

But then I'm no analyst and I've just crossed my toes (all fingers are busy typing) hoping that they won't go all digital for GTA-V, so I'm not exactly unbiased either.

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Calumon: But isn't the shelf nearly fuckk and probably gonna collapse soon?

What kind of words are you teaching Calumon, Jack? D:

...Hold on, Calumon's voice to text software might be having some Freudian slips. It just can't stop thinking about Audacity and it's desires for it sometimes.

[sub][sub]That's right, I just shipped computer programs to cover a typo. A new low.[/sub][/sub]

Believe me, Calumon is still innocent. I swear. I cover the little guy's eyes and ears whenever I look at things more intense than "Brave Little Toaster."

Calumon: What, what did it say? Scroll up! Scroll up!

Jack: Never! You shall be innocent in my eyes forever more!

 

[Rawne1980]

I highly doubt it's going to happen but if it does I won't be buying it.

I like my disks.

I said it when it started and i'll say it now. As soon as it all turns to digital distribution only then thats the day I stop buying games.

 

[gbemery]

Anyone else worried about a possible troubling trend that could show up? I was the unfortunate recipient of a AT&T U-verse sells pitch and I actually thought it was interesting up to the point where I read the fine print that said they capped your internet usage. Then after you went over the 250 gigabyte cap they charged you overage fees and for every 50G after that. That cap is set up as one 250G cap on ALL of your media outlets. So pretty much your phone, TV, and internet all comes through the internet and is subject to the one 250G cap.

I know that is a lot of gigs but when you think about the number one usage of gigs in phone plans is streaming movies and downloads, and thats with one phone, and thats pretty much all you'll be doing on your tv and computer. Well if you have your whole house hooked up to the AT&T U-verse, TVs, computers, and gaming systems then you could shoot through that 250G in no time in a month especially if you are watching movies on line all the time, downloading on your computer, downloading games or even streaming games.

I don't fain to know or be an expert on the usage of this. Like does downloading a 1G game use up 1G of data out of your plan? How much does playing a MMORPG for hours add up on that gig cap? If I had to stream all of my games and/or download them that would be a huge chunk of gigs and then add streaming movies from netflix or other services, watching videos on line that adds up quick. Then add the fact that there are four other people in my family who use the internet and watch movies and play games just as much if not more than i do in certain areas.

I am just worried that we are going to get to a point as a society where you don't own your games or movies out right and have to use them all online and that using them online uses up your caps for the month quicker and you get charged a ridiculous bill for accessing your product you bought. Pretty much cost us more then it does now to get the same products we already have.

Call me a conspiracy nut but it seems people don't own anything anymore. They just own rights to a certain amount of usage of a product and then the maker has the right to change it or take it away at anytime they see fit. Then we get charged if we use our products too much in one month and everyone is just rolling over and accepting this. :/ call me crazy but thats how I see it.