Pondering of the day: Is Retail Going to Die?
We see how things are changing in terms of digital distribution. With sales from PC gaming hubs like Steam, Direct 2 Drive and Impulse growing with each passing year, there is obviously a demand from people who want their games, but don’t care to have a physical media. I, personally, still enjoy having that sense of ownership of an item and keeping a visual library of my goods. But I am of the older generation of gamers with cane at the ready for any young whippersnappers who dare trudge on my lawn. I think as time goes on though, more people, myself included, grow to accept the, “I trade you my ones and zeroes for your ones and zeroes” attitude that goes along with saving space in your domicile and being more environmentally friendly.
When the biggest name in the retail video game market, GameStop, sees the writing on the wall and forges plans to sell DLC in stores, you have to start scratching your head. But I have to wonder if retail will really ever die. I can see maybe retail as we know it change, but you will still have physical product to sell in terms of hardware. People will still want to demo the latest and greatest games on the current-gen consoles. How will I know which plastic instrument game to buy if I can’t try it out first? But is that what direction we take? Does GameStop lose out to someone like Best Buy who can simply act as the middle man for gaming hardware, then leaving the software to be downloaded from the consumer’s home?
I can honestly understand why GameStop would make a move to sell DLC. If you are a retail giant who is being threatened with extinction, you have to make some crazy decisions in order to stave off death. I think part of the reason why collector’s editions of games are becoming so over the top lately is because of retail trying to keep their slice of the pie. You can’t download night vision goggles.
With that, how many people are out there who still game, but do so without the means of the internet? How many users have an Xbox 360 or a PS3 and simply never update anything due to lack of an online connection? Sure it’s small, but do these consumers become ostracized because they simply don’t want to have an online connection?
What do you think; Is retail really going to die?
November 24, 2009 - 8:12 am
Yes.
Online downloads have certain issues though. Most recently my modem died, and in the two days it took for me to find some time to go out and replace it, I was not able to play Dragon’s Age, because it requires online verification before anything else.
That was irritating.
But that is more of a personal circumstance than the fault of the system.
November 24, 2009 - 7:20 pm
I don’t know when it will happen, but yes I think it will die as well. I do like having the software in my hand from a comfort standpoint, but the more games I purchase online, the more confident I am that I am not going to lose that game that I bought.
You can see the effects of digital distribution is having by looking at the dwindling stock of PC games at Gamestop and Best Buy.
November 25, 2009 - 9:56 am
I think its sad. I try to buy physical media as much as possible, but still, it’s turn down an outrageous Steam/D2D sale.
It’s also nice being able to pass along video games when you are done with them, but even that is being hamstringed by requiring games to register with an online provider.
I know a guy that creates a new Steam ID for every game he buys, so if he wants to give/sell it, he can do so without compromising his other games.
November 25, 2009 - 9:57 am
oops, meant its “hard to turn down an outrageous Steam/D2D sale”