One CEO wants an end to games retail

An all-encompassing shift to digital distribution would be a forwards step for the games industry, the boss of Finnish studio Remedy has declared.

Remedy CEO Matias Myllyrinne believes a digital-only games ecosystem would help all in the industry, aside from one group he appears to have no sympathy for.MCV UK

The above is only an excerpt. You can read the full article here.

I am sure some people here in System Wars will clash over this. 8)

Its gonna happen eventually anyway. MrSelf-Destruct

Funny how not even a year ago people were basically calling me an idiot for saying such things. People can be so short sighted at times.

Funny how not even a year ago people were basically calling me an idiot for saying such things. People can be so short sighted at times.

sandbox3d

This is the future eventually. You can literally see it unfolding beforeyour eyes.

he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterlamprey263

It's amazing how everything started on PC first before going mainstream.

[QUOTE="sandbox3d"]

Funny how not even a year ago people were basically calling me an idiot for saying such things. People can be so short sighted at times.

BedBugMan

True, but I was being bashed (even here on SW) for saying that digital distribution and services like Onlive will likely do away with our current system not next gen, but by the one after and I had plenty of great arguments to support my claim.

I don't think that is unrealistic at all, but you'd be surprised at how many people were under the impression that everything will be exactly the same two gens from now.

[QUOTE="lamprey263"]he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterLocutus_Picard

[QUOTE="Locutus_Picard"][QUOTE="lamprey263"]he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterShadowDeathX

[QUOTE="ShadowDeathX"][QUOTE="Locutus_Picard"] In theory...but Microsoft/Nintendo would charge more royalties instead of bringing the game cheaper to customers, making the prices stay the same or even higher. Now retailers can do their own price wars and it's up to the customer to find the cheapest price...if there is only one retailer after everything is DD-only...well you can pretty much guess what's happening. Like Microsoft is trying to monopolize the OS/PC market (which they pretty much succeeded in) and keeping the prices of their PoS OS sky-high due to the monopoly.Hexagon_777

Only if consoles had more than one "store" for digital games.

[QUOTE="Hexagon_777"][QUOTE="ShadowDeathX"] Yup. That is one huge Con on Digital Download on consoles. The first-party (Microsoft, Apple, Nintendo, and Sony) will have full control of the sole marketplace. No competition = No Cheaper Games. In addition, that first-party can also create some stupid rules that everyone has to follow or else, the game won't be at that platform. Thankfully the PC has no owner. =DLocutus_Picard

[QUOTE="Locutus_Picard"][QUOTE="Hexagon_777"]Surely the publishers and developers will have a say when it comes to pricing so as to remain competitive with regards to other publishers and developers.Hexagon_777

[QUOTE="Hexagon_777"][QUOTE="Locutus_Picard"] Publishers and developers can pretty much all agree to keep the prices of ALL games high. That way, there'd be no competition between devs/publ's and consumer would be forced to buy the games at ridicilous prices anyway...after all, they made the first investment to purchase that console. Buying no games on it would defeat it's purpose.Locutus_Picard

he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterlamprey263

Excuse me? What rights are being retained by digital distribution? The one where you're stuck playing your game on one profile? Sometimes one system? Why are there PSN and XBLA games that require you to be online to play singleplayer? What rights is that retaining? You try playing any of those games offline when XBL or PSN are down?

Or the DRM schemes of Steam that come packaged in even with retail releases. I beat a game, I let my uncle borrow it. he beats a game he lets me borrow it afterwards. Where with digital distribution are my rights retained? Is it the part that says "YOU DO NOT OWN THIS GAME! YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEDGE TO PLAY IT!" Is that the part that retains my rights as a consumer? Because every other product, when I buy it, I own it. Why are games different from everything else? I can buy used DVDs and used CDs from people that don't want it. I can buy used games for older generation systems that I missed out on, some of the best games that I'm only now experiencing, but you get rid of physical copies and that disappears. And who is to say that with DD those games will stay? There are games on the XBLA that are no longer sold. What if I wanted those games? Where's my shot at purchasing them now? What part of any of this is retaining my right to games? If anything a digital system does the exact opposite of that. It becomes a license to play rather than rights over what you paid. Digital distribution takes games and changes them from a product to a service. There is a huge difference between the two. You can own a product, you can't own a service.

Same story here, coorporate businesses have stretched their arms around everything to make your life sour. Even in Europe.
I mean, even the house market is bloated beyond belief, I'd have to pay around $600 (adjusted from euros to dollars) just to a rent 16 square metres (size of a average living room) as a college-student.

Latest example would be in my country;
Telephone bills rounding up seconds to whole minutes. Calling 1 minute 1 second will register as having called 2 minutes. As such, you are charged for 2 minutes. Whether you're using re-paid or having a contract with your provider. Suddenly the three largest (mobile) phone providers, that have around 95% of the market share, started doing that. Like a cartel happening overnight. Nobody has been able to do a #%#^!! thing about it yet and this is going on for months now.

I'm torn on this. For the industry, I have no doubt it'll be better... as a consumer... I like owning physical copies of my games... but oh well. Over the years I embraced Mp3s... I've embraced Netflix... guess I'm going to have to embrace DD on my video games as well... BedBugMan

[QUOTE="lamprey263"]he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterNeonNinja

Excuse me? What rights are being retained by digital distribution? The one where you're stuck playing your game on one profile? Sometimes one system? Why are there PSN and XBLA games that require you to be online to play singleplayer? What rights is that retaining? You try playing any of those games offline when XBL or PSN are down?

Or the DRM schemes of Steam that come packaged in even with retail releases. I beat a game, I let my uncle borrow it. he beats a game he lets me borrow it afterwards. Where with digital distribution are my rights retained? Is it the part that says "YOU DO NOT OWN THIS GAME! YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEDGE TO PLAY IT!" Is that the part that retains my rights as a consumer? Because every other product, when I buy it, I own it. Why are games different from everything else? I can buy used DVDs and used CDs from people that don't want it. I can buy used games for older generation systems that I missed out on, some of the best games that I'm only now experiencing, but you get rid of physical copies and that disappears. And who is to say that with DD those games will stay? There are games on the XBLA that are no longer sold. What if I wanted those games? Where's my shot at purchasing them now? What part of any of this is retaining my right to games? If anything a digital system does the exact opposite of that. It becomes a license to play rather than rights over what you paid. Digital distribution takes games and changes them from a product to a service. There is a huge difference between the two. You can own a product, you can't own a service.

....and OnLive is vaporware :P

whatever you like it or not it most likely happen due simple fact that physical distribution costs more and if they could they would throw it right now. You don't be so sceptic, as world move full DD people will start demending services that was left behind with retail and solutions for that might show up.

[QUOTE="NeonNinja"]

[QUOTE="lamprey263"]he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterShadowriverUB

Excuse me? What rights are being retained by digital distribution? The one where you're stuck playing your game on one profile? Sometimes one system? Why are there PSN and XBLA games that require you to be online to play singleplayer? What rights is that retaining? You try playing any of those games offline when XBL or PSN are down?

Or the DRM schemes of Steam that come packaged in even with retail releases. I beat a game, I let my uncle borrow it. he beats a game he lets me borrow it afterwards. Where with digital distribution are my rights retained? Is it the part that says "YOU DO NOT OWN THIS GAME! YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEDGE TO PLAY IT!" Is that the part that retains my rights as a consumer? Because every other product, when I buy it, I own it. Why are games different from everything else? I can buy used DVDs and used CDs from people that don't want it. I can buy used games for older generation systems that I missed out on, some of the best games that I'm only now experiencing, but you get rid of physical copies and that disappears. And who is to say that with DD those games will stay? There are games on the XBLA that are no longer sold. What if I wanted those games? Where's my shot at purchasing them now? What part of any of this is retaining my right to games? If anything a digital system does the exact opposite of that. It becomes a license to play rather than rights over what you paid. Digital distribution takes games and changes them from a product to a service. There is a huge difference between the two. You can own a product, you can't own a service.

....and OnLive is vaporware :P

hatever you like it or not it most likely happen due simple fact that physical distribution costs more and if they could they would throw it right now. You don't be so sceptic, as world move full DD people will start demending services that was left behind with retail and solutions for that might show up.

[QUOTE="lamprey263"]he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterNeonNinja

Excuse me? What rights are being retained by digital distribution? The one where you're stuck playing your game on one profile? Sometimes one system? Why are there PSN and XBLA games that require you to be online to play singleplayer? What rights is that retaining? You try playing any of those games offline when XBL or PSN are down?

Or the DRM schemes of Steam that come packaged in even with retail releases. I beat a game, I let my uncle borrow it. he beats a game he lets me borrow it afterwards. Where with digital distribution are my rights retained? Is it the part that says "YOU DO NOT OWN THIS GAME! YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEDGE TO PLAY IT!" Is that the part that retains my rights as a consumer? Because every other product, when I buy it, I own it. Why are games different from everything else? I can buy used DVDs and used CDs from people that don't want it. I can buy used games for older generation systems that I missed out on, some of the best games that I'm only now experiencing, but you get rid of physical copies and that disappears. And who is to say that with DD those games will stay? There are games on the XBLA that are no longer sold. What if I wanted those games? Where's my shot at purchasing them now? What part of any of this is retaining my right to games? If anything a digital system does the exact opposite of that. It becomes a license to play rather than rights over what you paid. Digital distribution takes games and changes them from a product to a service. There is a huge difference between the two. You can own a product, you can't own a service.

If you actually read the fine print it specifically says you never owned the copy to begin with.. That you paid for the license to use it.. No where does your Uncle fit in this equation to begin with.. The only diffence is you could conviently ignore it with the phyiscal copies to begin with.

[QUOTE="NeonNinja"]

[QUOTE="lamprey263"]he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much bettersSubZerOo

Excuse me? What rights are being retained by digital distribution? The one where you're stuck playing your game on one profile? Sometimes one system? Why are there PSN and XBLA games that require you to be online to play singleplayer? What rights is that retaining? You try playing any of those games offline when XBL or PSN are down?

Or the DRM schemes of Steam that come packaged in even with retail releases. I beat a game, I let my uncle borrow it. he beats a game he lets me borrow it afterwards. Where with digital distribution are my rights retained? Is it the part that says "YOU DO NOT OWN THIS GAME! YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEDGE TO PLAY IT!" Is that the part that retains my rights as a consumer? Because every other product, when I buy it, I own it. Why are games different from everything else? I can buy used DVDs and used CDs from people that don't want it. I can buy used games for older generation systems that I missed out on, some of the best games that I'm only now experiencing, but you get rid of physical copies and that disappears. And who is to say that with DD those games will stay? There are games on the XBLA that are no longer sold. What if I wanted those games? Where's my shot at purchasing them now? What part of any of this is retaining my right to games? If anything a digital system does the exact opposite of that. It becomes a license to play rather than rights over what you paid. Digital distribution takes games and changes them from a product to a service. There is a huge difference between the two. You can own a product, you can't own a service.

If you actually read the fine print it specifically says you never owned the copy to begin with.. That you paid for the license to use it.. No where does your Uncle fit in this equation to begin with.. The only diffence is you could conviently ignore it with the phyiscal copies to begin with.

And physical copy will still available in *insert something here* Edition. Of course, they will be more expensive to nickel and dime collectors.

Noooooo i want a disc copy of games.TheGuardian03

I second

I love my box and disc:cry:

[QUOTE="ShadowriverUB"]

....and OnLive is vaporware :P

hatever you like it or not it most likely happen due simple fact that physical distribution costs more and if they could they would throw it right now. You don't be so sceptic, as world move full DD people will start demending services that was left behind with retail and solutions for that might show up.

Locutus_Picard

It actually should low price of the games too, i think currently they are afraid that they make DD version cheaper, retail version sales will lower

Alan wake should of been PC exclusive then eh Remedy?

god damn sellouts

[QUOTE="sSubZerOo"]

[QUOTE="NeonNinja"]

Excuse me? What rights are being retained by digital distribution? The one where you're stuck playing your game on one profile? Sometimes one system? Why are there PSN and XBLA games that require you to be online to play singleplayer? What rights is that retaining? You try playing any of those games offline when XBL or PSN are down?

Or the DRM schemes of Steam that come packaged in even with retail releases. I beat a game, I let my uncle borrow it. he beats a game he lets me borrow it afterwards. Where with digital distribution are my rights retained? Is it the part that says "YOU DO NOT OWN THIS GAME! YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEDGE TO PLAY IT!" Is that the part that retains my rights as a consumer? Because every other product, when I buy it, I own it. Why are games different from everything else? I can buy used DVDs and used CDs from people that don't want it. I can buy used games for older generation systems that I missed out on, some of the best games that I'm only now experiencing, but you get rid of physical copies and that disappears. And who is to say that with DD those games will stay? There are games on the XBLA that are no longer sold. What if I wanted those games? Where's my shot at purchasing them now? What part of any of this is retaining my right to games? If anything a digital system does the exact opposite of that. It becomes a license to play rather than rights over what you paid. Digital distribution takes games and changes them from a product to a service. There is a huge difference between the two. You can own a product, you can't own a service.

savagetwinkie

If you actually read the fine print it specifically says you never owned the copy to begin with.. That you paid for the license to use it.. No where does your Uncle fit in this equation to begin with.. The only diffence is you could conviently ignore it with the phyiscal copies to begin with.

This would have been my response. Thanks.

Hell no!...Physical copies will always be better...

[QUOTE="NeonNinja"]

[QUOTE="lamprey263"]he's right, a digital system would be bettter, it'd stop used game sales, help consumers retain rights to games, and the money studios get would better fun projects and studios and the overall quality of games would be much betterShadowriverUB

Excuse me? What rights are being retained by digital distribution? The one where you're stuck playing your game on one profile? Sometimes one system? Why are there PSN and XBLA games that require you to be online to play singleplayer? What rights is that retaining? You try playing any of those games offline when XBL or PSN are down?

Or the DRM schemes of Steam that come packaged in even with retail releases. I beat a game, I let my uncle borrow it. he beats a game he lets me borrow it afterwards. Where with digital distribution are my rights retained? Is it the part that says "YOU DO NOT OWN THIS GAME! YOU ARE PAYING FOR THE PRIVILEDGE TO PLAY IT!" Is that the part that retains my rights as a consumer? Because every other product, when I buy it, I own it. Why are games different from everything else? I can buy used DVDs and used CDs from people that don't want it. I can buy used games for older generation systems that I missed out on, some of the best games that I'm only now experiencing, but you get rid of physical copies and that disappears. And who is to say that with DD those games will stay? There are games on the XBLA that are no longer sold. What if I wanted those games? Where's my shot at purchasing them now? What part of any of this is retaining my right to games? If anything a digital system does the exact opposite of that. It becomes a license to play rather than rights over what you paid. Digital distribution takes games and changes them from a product to a service. There is a huge difference between the two. You can own a product, you can't own a service.

....and OnLive is vaporware :P

whatever you like it or not it most likely happen due simple fact that physical distribution costs more and if they could they would throw it right now. You don't be so sceptic, as world move full DD people will start demending services that was left behind with retail and solutions for that might show up.

Digital distribution involves cutting costs to maximize profits, right? Who is to say that actual cost to consumer would go down? Would I be saving money? With the cost of games rising to $60 and the difference between physical and digital copies being almost nothing, barring special sales which happen to both physical and digital copies regardless, what benefit do I get from it? Sure, solutions MIGHT show up, but how long will they take? Am I really going to go out on a "maybe things will get better" mentality?

Sure, digital will probably end up being the future. I don't dispute that. But it isn't a future where I see too many positives for me as a consumer. Sure the games will still be playable, but the online-only future is something I'm very skeptical of, and Sony's recent SNAFU's should have just as many people thinking the same way with both PSN and SOE. DD/Online Distribution isn't as secure as physical copies. Nothing can change that, no amount of assurance or added security.

I just bought Sim City 4 Deluxe Edition today off Steam. :P I use to be against it, but not anymore. I love being able to just download my game and not have it taking up space. I have never sold a single game of mine ever, so not being able to resell them doesn't bother me.

I just bought Sim City 4 Deluxe Edition today off Steam. :P I use to be against it, but not anymore. I love being able to just download my game and not have it taking up space. I have never sold a single game of mine ever, so not being able to resell them doesn't bother me.

AmazonTreeBoa

[QUOTE="AmazonTreeBoa"]

I just bought Sim City 4 Deluxe Edition today off Steam. :P I use to be against it, but not anymore. I love being able to just download my game and not have it taking up space. I have never sold a single game of mine ever, so not being able to resell them doesn't bother me.

PurpleMan5000

It will happen eventually. Maybe not next generation but the one after that.KC_Hokie

Besides If I'm paying 60$ for a game I want a hard copy not a digital copy they can take away if the mood strikes them and it's not like it's going to cost less DD cost just as much if not more than the Disc version with a case & booklet. Without a hard copy you pretty much have no rights to the product you bought and payed for.

[QUOTE="ShadowDeathX"][QUOTE="Locutus_Picard"] In theory...but Microsoft/Nintendo would charge more royalties instead of bringing the game cheaper to customers, making the prices stay the same or even higher. Now retailers can do their own price wars and it's up to the customer to find the cheapest price...if there is only one retailer after everything is DD-only...well you can pretty much guess what's happening. Like Microsoft is trying to monopolize the OS/PC market (which they pretty much succeeded in) and keeping the prices of their PoS OS sky-high due to the monopoly.Hexagon_777

On the Wii, Nintendo decides the prices of all downloadable games that go up on the Wii Shop Channel. That's why all Virtual Console games are all the same price based on the system they originated from(NES games are 5.00 bucks, Genesis games are 8.00 bucks, and N64 games are 10.00 bucks as an example) with the only expections being import games which are given a higher price.

Pretty much the same thing happens with Wiiware as well. Nintendo has the final say on the prices of Wiiware games that go up on the Shop Channel.

Bascally, Nintendo has the final say on how games are priced on the Shop Channel.

God forbid we actually own the things we pay for.

Call me when ISP's dont have horribly low bandwidth usage caps so I could actually download more than one or two games per year.

ya no one should ever want that to happen. The gaming market would take a huge hita nd so would Nintendo would probably go out of buisness. and Sony would take a huge hit