Pachter: Only hard drive size is keeping MS from releasing new digital releases, retailers won't mind new mode of distribution |
Michael Pachter is of the opinion that it's only the hard drive size keeping Micrsoft from releasing new digital releases for the Xbox 360. On the other hand, retail stores can whine and groan all they want, but in the end, they are likely not going to have any other recourse but to jump aboard the digital distribution bandwagon because even Microsoft's publishing partners will back this service.
Talking to GamesIndustry, Pachter expressed his thoughts:
I don't see the timing between new release and digital download being a function of anything other than hard drive sizes. I think as soon as we have large hard drives - I think th rumored Project Natal 'new' Xbox 360 with a terabyte storage in 2010 - we'll have a day-and-date downloads.
As for the issue of retailers getting their feathers all ruffled, Pachter used the example of the iPod.
I don't think that the publishers care at all if downloads are day-and-date, and in fact, my guess is that many publishers favor such a model. It's true that retail partners wouldn't like it, but it is not necessarily true that they would have much to say about it.
I don't see how they could scream too loudly about day-and-date downloads, unless the price for the download was lover than the packaged product price. I don't see any retailers refusing to sell iPods, even though all the content on an iPod is distributed digitally.
Much in the same way, while retailers may baulk at the possibility of day-and-date downloads, I don't see too many refusing to carry Microsoft product in retaliation. Should a retailer boycott Microsoft, I think that the full force of the publishers would be brought to bear on that retailer, and they would find themselves starved for product.
The newly renamed Games on Demand service for XBL is launching in August, and Microsoft is promising to have 30 titles available for launch. Among the launch titles are Crackdown and Assassin's Creed. New games will then be added every week.
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- LucasArts producer: digital distribution is increasing interest in retro gaming
Via GamesIndustry
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Comments [refresh]
use laptop hard drives. Since when did we have affordable terabyte laptop hard drives. Cause I don't think newegg sells anything even above 500GB for laptops.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item+N82E16822136314
This is currently the biggest hard drive on newegg and is what most PS3 users use to replace their hard drive. I'm pretty sure it would work equally as well for the 360 Hard Drive that is of course if you know how to modify the Hard Drive and install the correct data in it to have it work properly. Though I think this would get you banned since the biggest MS offers is 120 which costs more than this Hard Drive already. So if you are going to modify your 20GB I would suggest sticking with a replacement 120GB. Would save you a lot of money.
Not sure which is good but you can find for yourself but the cheapest one is of the same family and only costs $50 a lot cheaper than what MS charges you.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item+N82E16822136072
change plus sign to equal sign for the links to work.
I think it's more of the price of the damn things that is keeping Microsoft from releasing digital stuff. People just don't buy the hard drives as much as Microsoft would like.
All the hard drive is is a laptop hard drive stuck inside a proprietary enclosure. You can't open it and mod it with a larger hard-drive because Microsoft won't let you. It's all a money thing and they don't want to lose that.
A 120G hard drive is more than $100 from microshaft, anyone wanna bet how much a 1TB HDD will be with the signing intact? I'm guessing initial asking price will be more than a current premium xbox bundle, despite the fact you can already get 1TB consumer SATA drives for less than their current 120G offering.
As for so called Day-and-date dowloads of full games on demand, bypassing the retail outlet... do these people/idiots/whatnot even know that not everyone has the opportunity to stream multiple gigabytes of data over their internet connection in a comparative amount of time to what it takes to go to the store and get something that is resealable? I mean, not all that many have access to fibre, and especially not with restrictions on speed/amount.
You can mod it without getting caught to a 60GB or 120GB if you know how to. It is tough though. The 2nd link i posted before had the first review saying he did it for the Xbox 360 but it was a lot harder than the PS3. But that's where it stops unlike the PS3 which you can go up to the biggest 500GB without getting banned.
1TB Hard Drives that the Xbox 360 uses since they are laptop Hard Drives. Though desktop Hard Drives at 1TB is about 99 which is how much a 500GB Laptop Hard Drive costs. Gamestop currently sells the 120GB Hard Drive for $150.
Retailers wouldn't care at all. It would only be robbing them of everything they have, both new and used game sales.
They'd have no problem at all.
Pachter is such an idiot. IDIOT!
QJ has been like that for as long as I remember, and that's a long time. Can't use equals signs in replies, only in regular comments
+++++++
they already sell codes for DLC at gamestop. lost and damned, fallout3 addons... don't expect it to stop there.
they will still have the ability to off tangible items with pre-order that microsoft simply cannot with digital only distribution...
the only thing even remotely valid about your post is used games...
i could easily see microsoft starting a program for giving up your license for say 30-50% off a new title... now that would piss off gamestop. otherwise most gamers will opt for the disc they can trade in for credit toward their next purchase...
is a nice idea but it will never happen. Microsoft makes money off of selling empty discs really. Then its up to the developers to put whatever they want on that disc. When you sell a game at gamestop they give you money with the hope they make money by reselling it. Microsoft can't resell it or else the game publishers would be blaming Microsoft as much as gamestop. So therefore Microsoft will never give back money to the consumer because there is no way for them to make money since the price per disc they sell to developers won't cover for the amount they have to give back to the consumer.
For a lack of a better example. Two companies buy fabric from one company. They each make their own clothing. Say you bought from one of the companies and wear this piece of clothing and want to return it for a fraction of what you paid. Instead of going back to the clothing company you go to the fabric company and ask for the money.
I can only see one way of this working and its most likely never going to happen and it is for the developers to give back money but they want more money and if they were to say lease the game they will probably lose out more money than they are now.