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Sony Won E3 (But That Doesnt Matter)
- Thread starter Poetic.Injustice
- Start date
Mass Effect
Member
I have to agree with this. The fact that we offer praise to retaining the status quo is troubling, but at the same time pro-consumer actions in the face of ever-looming and increasing anti-consumer behaviours need to be recognized and rewarded.
Double-edged sword, etc.
This is wrong. Valve provides keys to other sites simply because it expands the userbase of Steam.
But this is potentially true at least in the console space. Look at prices on XBL/GoD for example.
SolidSnakex
Member
This thread is going to be really interesting if that new rumor turns out to be true.
People who want to reduce costs can always release an all digital game on all the platforms listed above.
I don't see what benefit for the consumer Microsoft is bringing forward by forcing you to go digital, even because they still have retail product and retail space to worry about.
It's basically only cutting out those without the means to go online, telling them to fuck off.
EVERYTHING you can do on Xbone, you can do on PS4, for example.
You want to release your game digital only at a lower price? You can do that.
What rumor?
Ploid 3.0
Member
What new rumor?
Edit: Oh snap
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=596581
hahha please be true, I want this console gent to be competitive. A lot more people will buy xbox one and sony won't be able to relax because of a slaughter and will continue to work harder.
Mass Effect
Member
That rumor about MS dropping DRM/always on. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=596581
It's not gonna happen, but if it does, I won't be complaining.
It's not gonna happen, but if it does, I won't be complaining.
Ploid 3.0
Member
Yeah, it will be good for everyone, gamers.
Kobun Heat
Member
No shit.
Then actually argue these points with facts instead of just trotting them out there as vacuous statements.
1. What does the Xbox One offer in terms of "access it anywhere" features that set it apart? Digital ownership that you can opt to have with your PS4? How does that translate to accessing it anywhere? Last I checked Sony is the one talking up streaming games content via Gaikai to Vita, smartphones, and tablets, without an OS barrier that you need to skip through.
2. Great, in what way? "shit is going crazy" isn't an argument that current events are meaningless, it's the argument of the uninformed "yeah, well just because the Cardinals are the best team in baseball NOW doesn't mean they might not fall apart by the end of the season! Shit going crazy!"
3. Nothing is set in stone over the next 5 years in any industry, but both Sony and Microsoft are betting that a home console tethered to you HDTV is a valid product over that time frame. They're taking the same risks regarding the games industry at large, only MS is adding a ton more by bucking traditional industry trends with no provable advantage other than forcing their own marketing strategies down user's throats.
This can't happen as long as they're attached at the hip to retail. If this was the goal MS should have gone all digital from day one. Having digital authentication for all content isn't going to suddenly change that publishers ship millions of units out to retailers and if those millions of units aren't selling because the game is 50% less on the digital service those retailers will suddenly just eat the difference.
Publishers will still have to compensate the retailers for marketwide reductions in MSRP, like they currently do. Publishers will still have a block of value tied up in physical distribution that they aren't going to suddenly eat. These are the differences with Steam.
People need to stop preaching this false equivalency where piracy and used sales boogie men account for the price differences on Steam versus consoles. Piracy is far less prevalent on any console (including the PSP and NDS) than it is and has always been on PC. Used game sales have never been statistically proven to actually hurt the industry (Gamestop's numbers indicate that 70% of all trade ins are for credit that then get spent on more games) and the XB1 isn't even removing them completely, instead limiting it to "retail partners" (likely something that will be used to negotiate advertising, as all publisher to retail relationships are handled in this industry).
The reason Steam works is that the physical channel of sunk cost merchandise doesn't exist, so the only focus of a publisher for digital only goods is to find the price point that maximizes profit. If that means selling 200k at $50 per unit profit or selling 1M at $10 the total profit generated is still $10M. This is why digital and physical diverge on pricing. At retail you have sunk materials cost that drives down the profit component the more units you sell at lower price points. There are also supply constraints that might bottleneck sales, where one region is sold out and the other is overstocked, but you can't quickly redistribute via your retail partners. None of this exists for digital. You never miss out on a sale due to lack of supply and you never see rising costs the more total units you move.
What MS has built is a digital model that explicitly can't benefit form this all digital economy explicitly because it still keeps itself attached to retail.
Felix Lighter
Member
I guess that means MS felt their short game needed a little work.
Maybe we should be thanking him instead, if he held his silence maybe they'd NEVER drop it!
Though I kind of expect more of a "you gotta be online to play this game" push on X1 over the PS4, initially anyway. Depending on how THAT works out that could influence games on PS4 as well, and admittedly if they're game designs that justify it and they go smoothly people will probably accept it.
Ploid 3.0
Member
If it happens does it mean MS have no future plans? I kid
Ploid 3.0
Member
Wow I didn't even know he was the author. No wonder he was defending it so much, understandably, but I figured he would be in favor of options and stuff. I kinda never really knew his gaf persona, but he was around a lot. Interesting.
SolidSnakex
Member
This is going to be so good if the rumor is true. I'm hoping that someone decides to create a thread for a list of all the journalists that actually defended this.
nckillthegrimace
Member
Developers always overestimate game length.
Did he come up with the title? I thought that was typically the job of the editors.
Looks like a lot of crow is about to be eaten
It must be done.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
A witch hunt for gaming journalists? Oh boy. lol
DangerMouse
Member
This. The argument makes no sense, Sony's already pushing this as a choice.
Sony's been offering Day 1 downloads for a while now and every Vita game offers this and most have the choice of physical. It doesn't matter what they're each pushing when you could go just as "all digital" on PS4 if you want to and PS3's pushed digital pretty hard not to mention digital discounts through Plus (with nice back catalog sales). I'd say having the choice would be "making it easier for mom and pop to give their kids access to games". Not to mention, the online check-in making it harder or potentially impossible to give their kids access to older games in the future.
Kind of doubt it will happen with how they were saying "we're not changing anything" only just yesterday, but if they change enough of those bad policies that would be cool for people interested in the Xbox's games. The DRM, 24-hour check-in and Kinect having to be plugged in for the console to work requirements need to be removed IMO.
So far I'd still have no interest anyway though since like with PS3 I prefer Sony's (and Nintendo's - got a Wii U already) games and all the multi third party games should be better on PS4's superior hardware.
Ploid 3.0
Member
And now we have a real gaming show. Healthy competition, healthy games.
xaosslug
Member
so, if the rumor is confirmed... are you gonna retract your story? Because now 'Sony won E3' period, right?
rotfl
rotfl
Jinfash
needs 2 extra inches
Yes, please. A shaming thread must be done.
freenudemacusers
Member
yes yes someone needs to do this. wall of shame.
Kobun Heat
Member
What I get for taking my time! If I'd written it a few days ago...
PetriP-TNT
Member
^ well time to revise, quickly before no one notices!
Maybe you should have taken a little more time...
Ploid 3.0
Member
Brought gaf down, and it's still on it's knees catching it's breath.
Joe Molotov
Member
Kohler's playing the long game.
Jinfash
needs 2 extra inches
freenudemacusers
Member
How does that crow taste?
MikeE21286
Member
Hahaha. Really amazing irony timing.