The Origin of Species of GamersThe Origin of Species of Gamers
The Move to Digital Distribution
Posted on Apr 14th 2009 at 07:21:30 PM by (bickman2k)
Posted under DLC, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo

With the recent announcement that Patapon 2 for PSP will be available only via download (Ars Technica), I began wondering how that will affect my future in gaming. At first glance, it seems like this is the new trend. I have seen speculation that disc-based games appear to be on their way out with the popularity of Microsoft's Xbox Live Marketplace, Nintendo's WiiShop and new DSi App Store, and Sony's PlayStation Store.

I am just a little skeptical though. As games continue to grow in size, acquiring a game via download will become a chore for those of us living in the US. The majority of us that do have access to broadband cannot get much higher than 6-8Mbps connections unless we pay a large premium for it. Couple that with Time Warner's announcement of a wide-spread deployment of "bandwidth tiers" and we are quickly going to be paying for more than just the game. At 5.5GB for an HD movie, you are already over the lowest tier, not even taking into account your normal Internet usage. Plus, even with a speed of 8Mbps (1MBps) maxed out the entire time, you are looking at 94 minutes to download. As you all know, that perfect scenario never plays out, so you are probably looking at 2.5-3 hours minimum to watch a 90-minute movie in HD with 2.1(!) audio. Imagine downloading a game that is 10, 20, 30+GB, then waiting for the install, then the patch, etc.

I do think that handhelds are in line for it. Due to their portable nature and the cost of an SD card, you can easily hold a bunch of small games/apps so you don't have to swap. But I have to believe that, for now, the disc is going to be the preferred method of console distribution.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
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As much as the world has changed, our still somewhat niche spot as gamers has adapted to the times as well as the games. We have created our online museum of our past. We share our experiences about the present. And we will evolve together as the gaming community continues to change. I hope to write about some of my experiences with gaming, as well as on some topics that were not directly relevant to me, but to the community or you personally.
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