At the moment digital distribution is just really starting to take off in earnest and the online gaming community (both console and PC) is bigger than ever, it's striking me more and more that game publishers are using our location on the planet to basically price gouge us, restrict game releases and even block access (or force us to pirate when this happens) for no apparent reason.
Now I use steam a lot my install directory is about 600-700gig in size, I also use Impulse a bit and probably end up with origin for BF3 and ME3, I find having access to a much bigger catalogue of games on hand to be very handy given the selection of games in stores in New Zealand to be pretty pathetic in most cases.
One thing I have a hard time understanding and accepting is that digital distribution methods are a far cheaper means of getting a publishers games out to paying customers, so why isn't there some sort of saving for the customer? In the main digital distribution stores are the same as brick and mortar stores price wise and often it's more expensive, at least here in NZ. Now take into account that many people will have data caps to manage as well we are kind of paying a premium for the use of DD services and that big catalogue.
The second is regional locking, this annoys the shit out of me in a big way. There is absolutly no good reason to delay/block the release or sale of a game in a given country short of the country actually banning the game.
Digital Distribution should effectively be removing gaming borders allowing distribution to a larger market all at the same time. Instead we still end up with certain games not being available in certain areas (unable to buy Anno 1440 online in NZ due to this), delays in game release, ToR won't be available in the Australasia are for weeks after the US and I'm still waiting for Deus Ex: HR to unlock in steam as I type this up.
Seriously why block games base on region or delay game releases, surely seeing we aren't getting the game any cheaper there shouldn't be an issue with us all being able to access the game at the same time?
Any way the 40K Space Marine demo just finished downloading so I'm going to go play that
Now I use steam a lot my install directory is about 600-700gig in size, I also use Impulse a bit and probably end up with origin for BF3 and ME3, I find having access to a much bigger catalogue of games on hand to be very handy given the selection of games in stores in New Zealand to be pretty pathetic in most cases.
One thing I have a hard time understanding and accepting is that digital distribution methods are a far cheaper means of getting a publishers games out to paying customers, so why isn't there some sort of saving for the customer? In the main digital distribution stores are the same as brick and mortar stores price wise and often it's more expensive, at least here in NZ. Now take into account that many people will have data caps to manage as well we are kind of paying a premium for the use of DD services and that big catalogue.
The second is regional locking, this annoys the shit out of me in a big way. There is absolutly no good reason to delay/block the release or sale of a game in a given country short of the country actually banning the game.
Digital Distribution should effectively be removing gaming borders allowing distribution to a larger market all at the same time. Instead we still end up with certain games not being available in certain areas (unable to buy Anno 1440 online in NZ due to this), delays in game release, ToR won't be available in the Australasia are for weeks after the US and I'm still waiting for Deus Ex: HR to unlock in steam as I type this up.
Seriously why block games base on region or delay game releases, surely seeing we aren't getting the game any cheaper there shouldn't be an issue with us all being able to access the game at the same time?
Any way the 40K Space Marine demo just finished downloading so I'm going to go play that
