Back when I were a lad (back with the steam engines and workhouses) you'd be able to pay £4-5 a time for C64/Spectrum games on tape, it was only the cartridge-era which saw £30-40 games come along, and now there is a different delivery method gaming will likewise adapt once again.
To put that into the real world of games dev, those C64/spectrum games costing £4-5 only had a team of 1-2 making them in a matter of weeks/months. Now games take months/years to make of teams 5-10-20-50 people.
To put that into the real world of games dev, those C64/spectrum games costing £4-5 only had a team of 1-2 making them in a matter of weeks/months. Now games take months/years to make of teams 5-10-20-50 people.
Delivery methods dont change the cost of dev!
Depends on the scale of the Dev, weird little indies like Retro City Rampage can be from almost single-person teams.
But back when you and (even further back) I started gaming there was no such thing as digital downloads, no such thing as Free-To-Play with micro-transactions, no such thing as DLC expansions. For less than a tenner now you can buy/DL classic PS1/2(etc) era games that will give you 30-40 hours of gameplay in many cases, games that young gamers will never have experienced before.
Back when I were a lad (back with the steam engines and workhouses) you'd be able to pay £4-5 a time for C64/Spectrum games on tape, it was only the cartridge-era which saw £30-40 games come along, and now there is a different delivery method gaming will likewise adapt once again.
High-street game shops have for too long been making easy money through 'pre-owned' sales while contributing nothing to the creators of the titles they're selling.
Yes, that's all true. Actually my first console was the Spectrum ZX so I also bought £2.99 games from the local corner shop.
At the moment gaming is probably more affordable than it has ever been. Average new game prices are less then when I was a teenager, discounting is widespread and ebay has dramatically expanded the 2nd hand market. I do worry though that the game industry is looking to reverse that via a number of different restrictions.
DLC and micro-transactions both face the risk of increasing costs via the back door. Look, if some idiot wants to pay £5 to get the flame thrower in GTA5 before it's unlocked in the game that's up to them. However if EA releases a version of FIFA in which you can't compete against other gamers without paying to unlock the best players than that is another. And with your debit card directly linked to your system it is all too easy for people to be tempted to spend extra money in small amounts that eventually add up.
I'm playing a Tiger Woods game on my PS3 at the moment and I am truly awful. Now I genuinely don't know that's just because i'm cr*p at the game or whether it's because I haven't paid to unlock all the decent equipment or extra courses or whatever. I assume it's the former but i'm not sure . . . . .
And with your debit card directly linked to your system it is all too easy for people to be tempted to spend extra money in small amounts that eventually add up.
Wheres the
I will NOT buy either console if they expect a constant online/ban 2nd hand games
A console like that which will render my existing catalogue to be pointless, and stop me from going overseas working in places without an internet connection/or a stable fast one (Afghan/Iraq/Nigeria for example)
will basically have me buying whichever allows ME to choose what I do with MY money.....
If I want to buy a game, then sell it on afterwards....... I should be allowed...... Much like I can with a car, a watch, a phone etc.......
If they think that people can spend 40-80 pounds on a game that is possibly rushed, badly coded and might be absolute tosh, and then it will go up the shelf as an ornament.......
I hope it might encourage faster broadband. Or encourage the world to be hooked up to the Internet.
There was probably this arguement when electricity came in. At the turn of the century you probably had people saying "what? I have to keep it plugged in. I'm not buying electric lamps if they have to be plugged in. Ill stick with gas "
I wont happen anyway but I wish it would
From polls you are pretty 50 50% so ps4 does one thing and xbox3602 does another everyone happy
Its actually 2 very different subjects which PC gaming is ahead of consoles in (one is amazing better, the other was a massive failure)
The second hand market - PC games haven't really had a second hand market for a while. Most shops stock lots of preowned console games, but very little or no second hand PC games. Steam pretty much put 2nd hand to bed in the western markets, but it has its upsides. I am sure anyoen into gaming has heard of the legendary sales Steam has on games. Personally I got all the Mass Effect games, all the DLC, for £15. Even second hand without the DLC consoles never get to them levels. So digital distribution has the potential to offer much cheaper games as its much cheaper to sell them. Not to mention an exploding indie market which is always good.
Thats the amazing part, now for the crap part...
Always Online - Ubisoft tried this to help counter piracy, and it was a huge failure. A few times the servers went down, and everyone was locked out of the games they bought, even single player games as well. Always online needs the user to be online, as well as the servers for the games as well (in this case it was ubisofts). No server system is perfect, in fact no system is perfect, so this was a real issue. Also, lots of gamers in Africa and South America complained about how poor the service was on account of there internet infrastructure was poor in a lot of areas.
In conclusion - Digital distribution could mean cheaper games for everyone which is awesome. But constant connection could lead to some massive problems. Not to mention, if everyone is buying the games online, with credit cards, and you have a sony system, who lost all those details....well I think you can see where thats going.
Trouble is, option two does not differentiate between those not buying because of always online/no used games and those that just don't want to buy for any other reason.
Option 2 in the poll was I will not buy the new Xbox/Playstation at all
Which doesn't differentiate between buying one of the consoles because it doesn't tie you to a permanent connection/ new games only market.......
In my downtime if/when Im in theatre/away....... I like to relax, play video games.......... can't do that when I have no net connect, nor should I not be able to sell something on, that I don't no longer need, want, like etc.....
One day, when there are NO shops on the high street, and everything media is a download, and we are left with no option to trade/sell/swap.........the prices of that media will shoot through the roof.
and retro gaming will be the way to go again....
(then the 360 will be alongside the PS2/Dreamcast/Snes plus games that are all safely boxed and in the attic)
Trouble is, option two does not differentiate between those not buying because of always online/no used games and those that just don't want to buy for any other reason.
Sony Worldwide studio boss Shuhei Yoshida "We're shifting our platform more and more to the digital side. PS4 will be similar to PS Vita in that every game will be available as a digital download, and some will also be available as a disc," said Yoshida, before revealing plans to introduce multi-tiered subscription models"
I wonder will they push for certain titles to be released on Digital download only or digital exclusive for XXXX months. Either way this is pushing me towards the new xbox at the moment.
I think it's been confirmed now Sony won't be using any tactic like this (or leaving it up to Publishers), and that pretty much rules out Microsoft doing it, unless they want to commit suicide in the business.
Once again people making a fuss over nothing and seeing the negatives instead!
I wonder will they push for certain titles to be released on Digital download only or digital exclusive for XXXX months. Either way this is pushing me towards the new xbox at the moment.
If developers can ever get episodic content right I can see a time when a game gets delivered in episodes over 12weeks via the network and then a "Box Set" appears on disc on the same date as the final episode get released.
Considering that most games now automatically require patches/updates to be downloaded before you even start them I think the line between physical and digital has already been blurred. Sure, you can still have your 'precious' gaming disc on the shelf, but without an initial internet connection you can never play the full and complete game.
I can see a time when even in shops all you're buying is a card with a voucher code which you can input to download the game. Apart from people who like to 'collect' game boxes I can't see a downside.
I think download limits are going to be a much larger factor than connection speed.
If the PS4 is always on in low power mode and able to download in this state (Which it sounds like it will) then the download speed shouldn't be too much of an issue, especially if you can play level 1 while level 2 is still downloading. Add in a system for pre-loading games like Steam and you get over most of the issues with download speeds.
Although granted people with slow connections are not going to get an optimal service like those on high speed connection will get.
If developers can ever get episodic content right I can see a time when a game gets delivered in episodes over 12weeks via the network and then a "Box Set" appears on disc on the same date as the final episode get released.
This, it's worked in the past. Doom and stuff all done in this manner. If it's done right it'll work. Pay a few quid get 10hrs worth of storyline, then the next month do more. Keep it cheap and it'll do well.
How about people living in areas with poor broadband speeds. They would be completely left behind.
I was looking 10 years or so into the future. Obviously companies are going to have to offer physical versions until download speeds catch up.
It won't take that long - I'm sure that technology will move on to give us a cheaper way of providing decent connects to everyone within a few yera. Today's average internet speed must be over 100 times faster than it was 10 years ago.
As someone has pointed out i think it's time to stop waving your hands frantically shouting 'I don't like change'!!
Look I have been a BIG user of second hand games and the first thought here is that if MS block used games thats it ... all over.
But seriously open your eyes a bit. Games on demand on XBL are only high because it's the shops complaining that they are being under cut if they cheaper even though, one would assume with the lack of a physical disk and distribution costs they should be cheaper. These shops are also the ones selling second hand games with all the profit going to them and them only.
So lets look at this week ... games on demand have had a sale ... Max Payne was less than £5 now i would never have bought that yet at that price I'm willing to and have it in a format that I can't trade.... because everyone has a value for something... all MS have to do, like STEAM is find that value and exploit it!!
I see a world where the next COD will be say £20 for the online component and £10 for the SP online... yup sell the game for £30 or £20 for the Mp or heck £30 for the MP with a season pass ... find that point where people who don't pick it up full whack will pick it up a a second hand price as it's cheaper.
This could be a really interesting time for the way things are priced and more importantly sold .... it's all about finding the right price point to make it attractive!!
Comments
To put that into the real world of games dev, those C64/spectrum games costing £4-5 only had a team of 1-2 making them in a matter of weeks/months. Now games take months/years to make of teams 5-10-20-50 people.
Delivery methods dont change the cost of dev!
Depends on the scale of the Dev, weird little indies like Retro City Rampage can be from almost single-person teams.
Yes, that's all true. Actually my first console was the Spectrum ZX so I also bought £2.99 games from the local corner shop.
At the moment gaming is probably more affordable than it has ever been. Average new game prices are less then when I was a teenager, discounting is widespread and ebay has dramatically expanded the 2nd hand market. I do worry though that the game industry is looking to reverse that via a number of different restrictions.
DLC and micro-transactions both face the risk of increasing costs via the back door. Look, if some idiot wants to pay £5 to get the flame thrower in GTA5 before it's unlocked in the game that's up to them. However if EA releases a version of FIFA in which you can't compete against other gamers without paying to unlock the best players than that is another. And with your debit card directly linked to your system it is all too easy for people to be tempted to spend extra money in small amounts that eventually add up.
I'm playing a Tiger Woods game on my PS3 at the moment and I am truly awful. Now I genuinely don't know that's just because i'm cr*p at the game or whether it's because I haven't paid to unlock all the decent equipment or extra courses or whatever. I assume it's the former but i'm not sure . . . . .
Didn't we all remove those after the PSN hack
Prepaid card FTW
Wheres the
I will NOT buy either console if they expect a constant online/ban 2nd hand games
A console like that which will render my existing catalogue to be pointless, and stop me from going overseas working in places without an internet connection/or a stable fast one (Afghan/Iraq/Nigeria for example)
will basically have me buying whichever allows ME to choose what I do with MY money.....
If I want to buy a game, then sell it on afterwards....... I should be allowed...... Much like I can with a car, a watch, a phone etc.......
If they think that people can spend 40-80 pounds on a game that is possibly rushed, badly coded and might be absolute tosh, and then it will go up the shelf as an ornament.......
then that company deserves to LOSE!
There was probably this arguement when electricity came in. At the turn of the century you probably had people saying "what? I have to keep it plugged in. I'm not buying electric lamps if they have to be plugged in. Ill stick with gas "
I wont happen anyway but I wish it would
From polls you are pretty 50 50% so ps4 does one thing and xbox3602 does another everyone happy
Err.. Option 2?
No.
A parody should contain humour or satire. Your post included neither.
The second hand market - PC games haven't really had a second hand market for a while. Most shops stock lots of preowned console games, but very little or no second hand PC games. Steam pretty much put 2nd hand to bed in the western markets, but it has its upsides. I am sure anyoen into gaming has heard of the legendary sales Steam has on games. Personally I got all the Mass Effect games, all the DLC, for £15. Even second hand without the DLC consoles never get to them levels. So digital distribution has the potential to offer much cheaper games as its much cheaper to sell them. Not to mention an exploding indie market which is always good.
Thats the amazing part, now for the crap part...
Always Online - Ubisoft tried this to help counter piracy, and it was a huge failure. A few times the servers went down, and everyone was locked out of the games they bought, even single player games as well. Always online needs the user to be online, as well as the servers for the games as well (in this case it was ubisofts). No server system is perfect, in fact no system is perfect, so this was a real issue. Also, lots of gamers in Africa and South America complained about how poor the service was on account of there internet infrastructure was poor in a lot of areas.
In conclusion - Digital distribution could mean cheaper games for everyone which is awesome. But constant connection could lead to some massive problems. Not to mention, if everyone is buying the games online, with credit cards, and you have a sony system, who lost all those details....well I think you can see where thats going.
Option 2 in the poll was I will not buy the new Xbox/Playstation at all
Which doesn't differentiate between buying one of the consoles because it doesn't tie you to a permanent connection/ new games only market.......
In my downtime if/when Im in theatre/away....... I like to relax, play video games.......... can't do that when I have no net connect, nor should I not be able to sell something on, that I don't no longer need, want, like etc.....
One day, when there are NO shops on the high street, and everything media is a download, and we are left with no option to trade/sell/swap.........the prices of that media will shoot through the roof.
and retro gaming will be the way to go again....
(then the 360 will be alongside the PS2/Dreamcast/Snes plus games that are all safely boxed and in the attic)
Spot on!
I wonder will they push for certain titles to be released on Digital download only or digital exclusive for XXXX months. Either way this is pushing me towards the new xbox at the moment.
Once again people making a fuss over nothing and seeing the negatives instead!
If developers can ever get episodic content right I can see a time when a game gets delivered in episodes over 12weeks via the network and then a "Box Set" appears on disc on the same date as the final episode get released.
I can see a time when even in shops all you're buying is a card with a voucher code which you can input to download the game. Apart from people who like to 'collect' game boxes I can't see a downside.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/122335-All-PS4-Games-Will-Be-Available-as-Downloads
Imagine trying to download something like that with rubbish broadband speeds.
Why not try it out now? Uncharted 3 Multiplayer has just gone Free To Play, only a good massive few GB's to download.
If the PS4 is always on in low power mode and able to download in this state (Which it sounds like it will) then the download speed shouldn't be too much of an issue, especially if you can play level 1 while level 2 is still downloading. Add in a system for pre-loading games like Steam and you get over most of the issues with download speeds.
Although granted people with slow connections are not going to get an optimal service like those on high speed connection will get.
This, it's worked in the past. Doom and stuff all done in this manner. If it's done right it'll work. Pay a few quid get 10hrs worth of storyline, then the next month do more. Keep it cheap and it'll do well.
I was looking 10 years or so into the future. Obviously companies are going to have to offer physical versions until download speeds catch up.
It won't take that long - I'm sure that technology will move on to give us a cheaper way of providing decent connects to everyone within a few yera. Today's average internet speed must be over 100 times faster than it was 10 years ago.
Look I have been a BIG user of second hand games and the first thought here is that if MS block used games thats it ... all over.
But seriously open your eyes a bit. Games on demand on XBL are only high because it's the shops complaining that they are being under cut if they cheaper even though, one would assume with the lack of a physical disk and distribution costs they should be cheaper. These shops are also the ones selling second hand games with all the profit going to them and them only.
So lets look at this week ... games on demand have had a sale ... Max Payne was less than £5 now i would never have bought that yet at that price I'm willing to and have it in a format that I can't trade.... because everyone has a value for something... all MS have to do, like STEAM is find that value and exploit it!!
I see a world where the next COD will be say £20 for the online component and £10 for the SP online... yup sell the game for £30 or £20 for the Mp or heck £30 for the MP with a season pass ... find that point where people who don't pick it up full whack will pick it up a a second hand price as it's cheaper.
This could be a really interesting time for the way things are priced and more importantly sold .... it's all about finding the right price point to make it attractive!!