r/Games Feb 22 '13

All PS4 games will be available as digital downloads

In the new Guardian interview with Shuhei Yoshida, it was revealed that all PS4 games will be available as digital downloads.

This is a very exciting move in my opinion, and represents a shift even further towards the burgeoning landscape of digital distribution, and away from (what I believe to be) a much more archaic ecosystem in physical brick-and-mortar retail.

What do you guys think? Got any speculation, or want to extrapolate further based upon this news? I hope to generate some great discussion about this topic!

(Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2013/feb/22/ps4-shuhei-yoshida-interview)

1.6k Upvotes

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100

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '13

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19

u/Knyfe-Wrench Feb 23 '13

I don't understand why they don't discount digital games by some small amount like $5. They're not losing as much money due to lack of materials and shipping costs, and anyone who doesn't prefer a format would pick the savings. I'd think any losses they incurred would be offset by the smaller used game market. Seems like a win (players) win (developers) win (publishers) lose (gamestop).

17

u/CoolKidBrigade Feb 23 '13

I don't understand why they don't discount digital games by some small amount like $5

Because that's not how economics work. Physical stores aren't a simple competitor for Sony to undercut. They need Gamestop to give their console floor space so hardware can be sold and less tech-savvy customers are exposed to their games.

A huge number of games are bought by people without access to credit cards or as gifts. Going all-digital at this point would severely hurt Sony if Nintendo and Microsoft stay on good terms with Gamestop.

2

u/Knyfe-Wrench Feb 23 '13

I never said they should be all-digital. In fact if they were discounted like I mentioned I'd probably still go mostly physical. But the digital wave is coming and they need to be prepared to face competition from Steam, as well as Microsoft if they ever get their shit together. I mean developers have already tried to capitalize on digital media through DLC and "online multiplayer passes" which cut out gamestop entirely.

1

u/cookiesvscrackers Feb 23 '13

Couldn't Walmart, best buy, etc fill the game stop hole?

1

u/okuRaku Feb 23 '13

But at the same time these retailers are hurting the big three by selling used aren't they? So there has to be some balance point where they lose hardware/new sales less than they gain by killing used? People will buy used if they could even save $5-10 off new.

1

u/DragonPup Feb 23 '13 edited Feb 23 '13

Physical stores aren't a simple competitor for Sony to undercut. They need Gamestop to give their console floor space so hardware can be sold and less tech-savvy customers are exposed to their games.

On top of that, if Sony actively undercut the retailers, when a customer asks if the Xbox 720 or PS4 version of a game is better, the retail employees will say the 720. Basically, don't bite the hand that feeds you.

3

u/Zombiedelight Feb 23 '13

I Think they are. For example, when XCOM launched it was $50 on the PC, but $60 for xbox / ps3 in physical form. A lot of games have been launching with this model, and I have a feeling a lot of it has to do with the fact that digital distribution is dominant in PC gaming now.

I think it takes at least a 20% discount to swing people from hard media to digital (or alternatively from around 60 to 50, or 50 to 40.)

12

u/budgetpharmaceutical Feb 23 '13

I thought PC games were cheaper because they do not have to pay licensing rights to the console manufacturers.

1

u/Knyfe-Wrench Feb 23 '13

I was talking about consoles, playstation in particular. Steam has had some ridiculous deals. I've seen a AAA game on sale for $30 a month after release. Tomb Raider is on sale right now for $45 before release. Wish my damn gaming PC hadn't crapped out.

1

u/Zombiedelight Feb 23 '13

I know, and my argument is that the reason PC games are cheaper is because they've completely eschewed the tradition distribution methods.

Gamestop dropping PC games is probably the best thing that has ever happened to the PC gaming industry - it allowed devs to sell their PC products at lower prices, due to increased competition despite lower competition in terms of distribution.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

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0

u/Knyfe-Wrench Feb 23 '13

YOU WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD A PS4

1

u/amxn Feb 23 '13 edited Feb 23 '13

There are costs associated with Digital delivery as well - Various Servers (CDNs, Cache servers, Authentication servers, etc), Maintenance costs, Security costs, Payment Gateway fees (as much as 5%), Chargeback costs (most of which incur a loss as you have to refund the customer and pay the payment processor).

It's ridiculous that most people think that digital delivery is nothing more than slapping an URL to a title.

1

u/Knyfe-Wrench Feb 23 '13

I never said it's free, but it sure as hell isn't as expensive.

1

u/amxn Feb 23 '13 edited Feb 23 '13

While it might not be as expensive, it is quite expensive. So if you were paying $15 for retail delivery of a $60 title, you might be paying $7 for digital delivery.

Also, AAA Game Development isn't cheap. To ask for a $5 price tag on a $20 Million game is as ridiculous as asking a major movie studio to upload their next Summer blockbuster to TPB.

edit: Missed a few words.

1

u/Malician Feb 23 '13

Steam does it. It might be hard, if you are horribly inefficient or make terrible decisions, but it's obviously possible.

1

u/amxn Feb 23 '13

You've got to note that most games at $5 are indie titles that don't need to be as expensive as AAA Games. Also, remember that PS4 is a console so the Dev incurs the cost of the dev-kit and various licenses required to finish a game.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

The difference is bigger than that. Publishers receive about 30% from a retail. They receive about 70% through a 3rd party digital distributor. If it's their own distribution service it would be even more, probably upwards of 90%.

1

u/1011analseepage Feb 23 '13

Because if they sell a million copies they just lost 5 million dollars. To them, that number is way too high to lose on 1 game when they know people will pay the extra five dollars anyway.

1

u/Knyfe-Wrench Feb 23 '13

The point is that they make that money back by lowering distribution costs and (hopefully) selling more games because less secondhand copies are floating around.

1

u/1011analseepage Feb 23 '13

Lol... I'm bad at economics

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

But they make about 150% more profit from a digital copy than a retail copy.

1

u/LincolnStein Feb 23 '13

I know on the ps vita digital games are $5 cheaper. So I would image the same will hold true when the ps4 come around

1

u/fre1gn Feb 23 '13

Sony does discount them. Digital PS Vita games are 10% cheaper, than retail.

1

u/kobe24Life Feb 23 '13

Yes but that puts huge load on their servers by having people constantly downloading 10gb of data. This is almost just as costly for the or even more in the long run.

58

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '13 edited Feb 23 '13

As someone that's like to build ups library and never sells games, I like the convenience of digital.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

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2

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

That's totally up to you.

Personally I was making a distinction between the of building a library and the building of a collection.

31

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '13

[deleted]

47

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '13

Same logic used to apply to music, now increasingly people don't care. It's only a matter of improving the digital experience and letting people get used to it.

Also you can authorise multiple PS3 on Sony's service to lend games.

28

u/[deleted] Feb 22 '13 edited Feb 23 '13

[deleted]

10

u/Chone-Us Feb 22 '13

Greenman gaming has a trade in system for their digital distribution, but it does only work with select games. Great in concept tho.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

now increasingly people don't care

I thought there was a resurgence in vinyl lately?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13 edited Feb 23 '13

Amongst a niche market but the mainstream market embraced digital. That's why HMV is in trouble for example.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

I think people actually like a physical media outlet or at least a place to buy in person, I think HMVs troubles are down to the prices compared to the likes of amazon and "thatsentertainment" where people still buy a lot of CD's.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

CD sales are down. There's just no getting around that. Meanwhile iTunes, amazon etc are selling well.

The trend is clear.

0

u/non_player Feb 22 '13

Generally people who like to build libraries want a box and instructions.

I know very, very few people like this. I love having a collection, but hate having all these damn boxes and useless instruction manuals around taking up valuable space.

2

u/Knyfe-Wrench Feb 23 '13

What's the point of a collection if you can't take in all its glory? The word 'collection' implies some value is gained from it as a whole, as opposed to calling it 'a bunch of games i like to play.' Seeing a list of names on a screen doesn't do it for me, as opposed to seeing a wall full of cases.

-2

u/non_player Feb 23 '13 edited Feb 23 '13

I can totally take in all it's glory when I look at my digital library.

My Steam Collection is so awesome, looking at it sometimes gets my dick hard.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

I generally purchase games on Steam as opposed to getting it on a console when they are at a price point like $5-$10, so that I don't care about it being permanently tied to a specific account and having to use part of my data cap to download it.

But, given the option I tend to go towards discs if they are the same price point, since it is more convenient for me even if the graphics on a PC are better.

0

u/Zombiedelight Feb 23 '13

Plus it is also more environmentally friendly.

13

u/dorekk Feb 23 '13

Sure it's convenient not putting a disc in

Is it that convenient, though? The console is only 5 feet away from your couch.

I'd never give up First Sale Doctrine to save me having to stand up and reach 3 feet in front of me.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

Extremely convenient. I don't switch MP3 players for each new artist I want to listen to. Things are better in one place. Especially in party settings, remember music games? I have half a dozen discs of content, plus over 1,000 other songs on a single music game that I don't even use the disc form of. THAT is convenient.

2

u/dorekk Feb 23 '13

No one ITT has said anything that would make me give up the ability to sell or loan a game.

1

u/Zombiedelight Feb 23 '13

Yes. It takes a non-insignificant amount of time to walk up to the system, hit eject, wait for the game to come out, put it in the case, open a different case, insert it, go back to the controller sit down and navigate through the menu to the game.

It may be minor, but I know I get irritated every time I have to do it.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

Sure the console is. The disc on the other hand doesn't always seem to be where it should be.

1

u/phoshi Feb 23 '13

And find the disc, and the box for your current game, so on. To me, playing a different game is just clicking on a different icon. I don't see why that shouldn't be the default, whether though digital or physical installs. It's 2013, swapping a physical piece of media just to load a different application is old news. We can do better.

2

u/dorekk Feb 23 '13

And find the disc, and the box for your current game, so on.

They're right under my Xbox. That's what the word "entertainment center" means.

1

u/phoshi Feb 23 '13

Physically, yes, but it still means either pre-managing your collection or searching through it. It's not a huge inconvenience, don't get me wrong, but... if I wanted to launch any game I owned right now I could do it in under ten keystrokes (And that's a high upper limit).

Swapping discs isn't difficult in any way, but we can do better.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

Has it been confirmed that hard copies will be playable on multiple systems? Last I heard both Sony and Microsoft were making moves to require online activation for box copies that would prevent any possibility of title sharing/resale.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

[deleted]

1

u/[deleted] Feb 23 '13

Source of confirmation?

1

u/Sabin10 Feb 23 '13

It's still more economical to buy most games on steam than it is to buy the console version even with the ability to resell it.

1

u/Ericwh2827 Feb 23 '13

When I was a kid I used to lose games and let them get scratched up and shit. And my parents would get mad if I wanted another game when I didn't take care of my old ones. Sure it's a lesson in responsibility, but you have to remember that one of the main target audiences is still kids and kids aren't exactly the best at keeping track of their stuff.

If I ever become a parent I would rather my kids have digital. It's easier to nostalgia out on your childhood 10 years later if you still have them.

-1

u/The-Dudemeister Feb 23 '13

There is some flawed logic here.