The Future of Business of Gaming

[Tech614]

Are you aware that his point is that physical sales are higher for console games today, he even said earlier that digital is the future.

Nah, his shtick is that he strawmans. He is frustrated because it's not working and I don't humor it to get into a different argument I didn't present.

[paralleluniverse]

Yet, you have only linked numbers including such.

Even the graph you posted is accounting for DLC, because it accounts for ALL purchases on Steam/XBL/PSN/other digital distribution stores. But apparently you missed it.

Too bad, so sad. Try to google harder my friend.

The graph above shows unit sales, so it doesn't include DLC. You are in denial of reality. Every year, whether it's books, musics or games, digital grows.

[Jtbrig7390]

Actually, discs are becoming a thing of the past because they're a pointless waste of money.

Tell me this if disk's are so bad and all. Why is there digital titles on ALL platforms that cost more then the hardcopy.

I'm sorry but ur whole OP is a joke. The day gaming for consoles go's 100% digital is the day I refuse buy a console and the day I stick with old stuff. Your whole post reads like a CEO's post with no proof. Disk's cost companys almost nothing to use so cost isn't even a problem there.

Also Digital Only will not happen in the US for quite sometime since 90% of it has shit internet.

[Tech614]

The graph above show units says, so it doesn't include DLC. You are denial in reality. Every year, whether it's books, musics or games, digital grows.

Considering there is no reliable numbers on games only sales from PSN and XBL without DLC, once again have a clue what you're talking about.

You are still in denial if you think someone is arguing digital growth. Keep the strawman up.

[paralleluniverse]

You mean emotionally attached to owning something that you can later resale for value?

I don't think emotionally attached is the right word. More like value.

I literally have thousands of dollars in my closet if I ever choose to fire sell it. I also get basically cheap rentals of games to beat them if I don't wish to keep them($48 GCU price on brand new game, $40 guaranteed trade credit first month). Let me know when you can buy and beat digital games in their release month for $8.

You're right though, it's totally personal attachment, has nothing at all to do with that thing called VALUE.

And this is one reason that physical is dying. Higher prices because people want to resell them: if you're willing to pay $40 for a game that can resell for $20, then you're willing to buy it for $60 (then resell it for $20, so that you paid only $40 on net). It's no wonder PC games are currently cheaper than console games (not that this PC games vs console games distinction will last in the future, eventually there will just be games that work on both).

[Jtbrig7390]

Discs are a thing of the past...

Yet disc based video games still dwarf the digital market every year, and it only shrinks by a very small amount every year. It has only been shoe horned into PC gaming because of DRM and piracy. Digital games are still a developing country by comparison on consoles, and consoles are the primary market of AAA games.

Hell, blue ray sales still dwarf digital movie sales.

In reality the digital market is dominant in only 2 markets. PC gaming thanks to steam, and DRM and Music thanks to Apple. Console gaming and movies are still heavy physical dominated markets. Seeing as console gamers and movie collectors have grown accustomed to physical media, and also like to resale it that's not changing any time soon.

This whole post reads as a crybaby rant mad because console gamer backlash ended what PC gamers allowed steam and others to create and took it freely. PC gaming didn't used to be a DRM infested, no resale value shell of what it is today. It was glorious back then.

Digital may be the future, but as evidenced by the Xbone backlash it's not happening any time soon to the main stream gaming market. You think MS or Sony would even risk that again heading into their next gen 5 years from now? Nope. It's not happening for at least a decade or longer.

Tech I rarely agree with you but this post I 100% agree with.

Offtopic: Finally played and beat The Order 1886 I quite enjoyed it.

[Gorgodeus]

Apparently you can't even read the article you post, or look at its sources and where the numbers are coming from. You seem to lack the understanding that the forecast does include DLC sales.

Keep trying.

Nowhere does the forecast say a damn thing about DLC. Apparently you do not understand what the term "Unit Sales" means. But I guess when proven wrong, one must resort to outright lying.

[Ryme]

You still don't understand. Let me put it in simple speak for you.

CoD sells 15-20 million physical copies every year. Digital no where close.
Assassins Creed sells 10+ million physical copies every year. Digital no where close.
GTAV has sold 40+ million physical copies. Digital no where close.

AAA game market is heavily dominated by physical game sales. You keep linking data that includes facebook, mobile, dlc, microtransaction, and sub fee money in it which has no bearing on the argument at hand. Again, when you understand come back.

Probably because the online service for consoles is woefully outdated* and terrible yet somehow want to charge more or at least as much, I prefer digital but would always go for disc when playing on a console until console gamers decide they want to stop being fucked over at every turn.


*Like the consoles themselves amirite?

[Tekkommo]

And this is one reason that physical is dying. Higher prices because people want to resell them: if you're willing to pay $40 for a game that can resell for $20, then you're willing to buy it for $60 (then resell it for $20, so that you paid only $40 on net). It's no wonder PC games are currently cheaper than console games.

Witcher 3 costs £44 for PS4 on Amazon, Witcher 3 costs £49.99 on Steam for the PC. GTA V is also cheaper on the PS4.

[Jtbrig7390]

And this is one reason that physical is dying. Higher prices because people want to resell them: if you're willing to pay $40 for a game that can resell for $20, then you're willing to buy it for $60 (then resell it for $20, so that you paid only $40 on net). It's no wonder PC games are currently cheaper than console games.

PC games are no where close to being cheaper then console games depending when you buy them.

Lets say Watchdogs came out tomorrow. On PC you mite get lucky and get it for $50 on console I can buy it for $60 and then resell it for $40-50. Therefor it cost me $10 to buy before tax. Later down the line it depends on if it go's on sell and when. Right now watchdogs is around $40 on steam but I can buy a hardcopy for $25 at gamestop. Your whole PC gamers are cheaper depends on a steam sell and nothing more.

Also to add lets say your right and 100% of the time PC games are cheaper then console. Look what you gave up to get that. You no longer own the games you buy. If steam was to shutdown tomorrow you would lose everything you paided for. If SoE/XBL shuts down tomorrow I can still play my games.

[Tech614]

It's no wonder PC games are currently cheaper than console games.

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Theft-Au...d+theft+auto+v

Both $59.99 MSRP, Console physical version selling cheaper then digital PC version.

http://www.amazon.com/Witcher-Wild-H...ords=witcher+3

Both $59.99 MSRP. Console version $1 cheaper then PC digital. Funny enough the PC PHYSICAL version is the cheapest atm.

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-...+arkham+knight

$59.99 MSRP all platforms

So wait, what where you saying again? Are you going to do something laughable like link G2A right now?

[Gorgodeus]

Disk's cost companys almost nothing to use so cost isn't even a problem there.

I hope you don't think that manufacturing, packaging, and shipping are considered "almost nothing", not to mention that by selling a digital copy, they eliminate the middleman. The difference in profit margins between selling a physical copy and a digital one are huge.

[Jtbrig7390]

Probably because the online service for consoles is woefully outdated* and terrible yet somehow want to charge more or at least as much, I prefer digital but would always go for disc when playing on a console until console gamers decide they want to stop being fucked over at every turn.


*Like the consoles themselves amirite?

How are console gamers getting fucked up at every turn. If you mean the cost on PSN/XBL then fine ya a membership sucks. But with the games we get each month that makes up for it. Digital games on both XBL and PSN cost more then hardcopys 99.9% of the time and stay that way thoughout the life of the console.

Also like I said a min ago I perfer to own my games not rent them.

[Tech614]

Nowhere does the forecast say a damn thing about DLC. Apparently you do not understand what the term "Unit Sales" means. But I guess when proven wrong, one must resort to outright lying.

So are you going to link where they got their strictly games only sales numbers from? Seeing as none exist? Only a handful of games have had their digital/physical splits released by publishers and it is always in favor of physical heavily. The only reliable PSN/XBL numbers are total store sales numbers, meaning EVERYTHING.

[Jtbrig7390]

I hope you don't think that manufacturing, packaging, and shipping are considered "almost nothing", not to mention that by selling a digital copy, they eliminate the middleman. The difference in profit margins between selling a physical copy and a digital one are huge.

I was talking about the disk itself. Yes all of that add's up but if the game sells half decent then the cost is small if the game bombs then there is more problems then that.

[paralleluniverse]

Witcher 3 costs £44 for PS4 on Amazon, Witcher 3 costs £49.99 on Steam for the PC. GTA V is also cheaper on the PS4.

On Amazon, Witcher 3 is $60 on consoles, $50 on PC. On Steam, it's $60.
http://www.amazon.com/Witcher-Wild-H...ords=witcher+3

[Jtbrig7390]

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Theft-Au...d+theft+auto+v

Both $59.99 MSRP, Console physical version selling cheaper then digital PC version.

http://www.amazon.com/Witcher-Wild-H...ords=witcher+3

Both $59.99 MSRP. Console version $1 cheaper then PC digital. Funny enough the PC PHYSICAL version is the cheapest atm.

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-...+arkham+knight

$59.99 MSRP all platforms

So wait, what where you saying again? Are you going to do something laughable like link G2A right now?

Like I said a min ago. These "PC games are cheaper" comments all relay on a steam sell half a year later. Most of the time console is infact cheaper due to resell alone. I can buy a new released game for $60 resell it for $40-50 and that means it cost me $10 to play it on release day.

[Gorgodeus]

http://www.amazon.com/Grand-Theft-Au...d+theft+auto+v

Both $59.99 MSRP, Console physical version selling cheaper then digital PC version.

http://www.amazon.com/Witcher-Wild-H...ords=witcher+3

Both $59.99 MSRP. Console version $1 cheaper then PC digital. Funny enough the PC PHYSICAL version is the cheapest atm.

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Arkham-...+arkham+knight

$59.99 MSRP all platforms

So wait, what where you saying again? Are you going to do something laughable like link G2A right now?

Now this is the only post of yours in this thread I agree with. Currently, on average, digital buyers are paying more per game than physical buyers are, which is stupid. I guess there are too many lazy gamers that can't be bothered to drive the the store. lol

With that in mind, what do you think is going to happen when the game companies shift the other way, and start selling digital copies cheaper, on average? The current explosion of digital growth will only accelerate even further.

[Tech614]

I hope you don't think that manufacturing, packaging, and shipping are considered "almost nothing", not to mention that by selling a digital copy, they eliminate the middleman. The difference in profit margins between selling a physical copy and a digital one are huge.

So you think Steam, XBL, and PSN don't take a retailer cut? They all take 30% pretty much the same thing Amazon takes to sell physical copies. The only people then benefiting from "eliminating a middle man" are in fact, Sony, Nintendo, MS, and Valve. Every other publisher still has a middle man by the name of Steam, XBL or PSN.

[Jtbrig7390]

On Amazon, Witcher 3 is $60 on consoles, $50 on PC. On Steam, it's $60.
http://www.amazon.com/Witcher-Wild-H...ords=witcher+3

Its $50 on PC because its on sell if you look below it says save $10. At release it wasn't. Also on console I can buy for $60 resell for $50 or maybe even $55 and only spend $5-$10 to play it.

Also tell me why should a digital game cost anywhere near the same price as a hardcopy.