Home » » Through Sony's Eyes, "Vast Majority" of Gamers Prefer GameStop Over Buying Online

Through Sony's Eyes, "Vast Majority" of Gamers Prefer GameStop Over Buying Online




PlayStation 4Sony speaks the half-truth

The next generation of game consoles from Sony (PlayStation 4) and Microsoft (Xbox One) isn't just about the hardware, it's equal parts software and whether or not the gaming industry as a whole is ready to transition to a digital distribution model. For the most part, the transition is mostly complete on the PC side thanks to services like Steam, and had Microsoft stuck to its guns, the Xbox One would have leaned much more heavily on digital downloads than physical media. As for Sony, it wasn't even a consideration, because gamers simply don't want to buy games online, the company says.

"What we try to do is offer a relatively level playing field and let the gamers decide. We're not trying to advantage them, we believe in consumer choice," Sony SVP Guy Longworth told GamesIndustry International. "It's clear that the vast majority of people want to go down to GameStop or Best Buy, they don't want to buy it online right now. I think physical games will be around a lot longer than some people think."

Longworth isn't incorrect, but it's also only the half truth. As PC gamers have proven, digital downloads are perfectly acceptable, especially when they lead to lower priced titles across the board and frequent sales, as Steam is known to hold. It's not uncommon for a triple-A title to receive a deep discount on Steam, and if the same pricing structure was in place for the Xbox One or PlayStation 4, would gamers be so quick to pay a premium for physical media? Probably not.

The other issue is DRM. Microsoft's original strategy was doomed from the start because the company wanted its console to dial home every 24 hours. In reality, it's the same general concept as logging into Steam when you want to play a game, only the Xbox One would log in automatically every 24 hours. Even so, the idea creeped out gamers, perhaps rightfully so when things like PRISM come to light.

What's your opinion on all this? More specifically, if Sony or Microsoft switched to a Steam-like model where you could download games at a cheaper rate and would only need to log in when you're getting ready to play a title (versus automatically every 24 hours), would you have a problem with that, or is Sony correct in thinking that gamers simply don't want to buy games online?

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook


Click Here To Compare Product



Search Result

In this editorial, Game Developer editor Brandon Sheffield tackles the difficult relationship between developers/publishers and retailers such as GameStop, suggesting ...,... I prefer to buy them months or even years ... so the vast majority of the used games my kids have ... I got used to buying online before Gamestop ...,I have over 250+ games and there's ... most gamers dont want to buy online because ... Funny to hear SONY say this because when SONY's first party games come ...,Loyalty cards can only do so much and if customers feel theyve had the wool pulled over their eyes ... buying games online as ... buy my games from GameStop, ...,PS4 NewsSony: "The Vast Majority" Of Gamers Still Prefer Physical Media - PS4 News,PlayStation marketing executive say it's clear that the "vast majority" of consumers want to buy games at traditional physical retailers. Physical discs aren't going ...,Sony: Most gamers "don't want to buy online right now" Gaming Discussion,Home»News»Sony VP: Most Gamers Dont Want To Buy Games Online. ... I like deals but I prefer physical games Submitted by Chag (not verified) on June 25, 2013 - 9:22pm,Through Sony's Eyes, "Vast Majority" of Gamers Prefer GameStop Over Buying Online Sony speaks the half-truth. The next generation of game consoles from Sony ...,Through Sony's Eyes, "Vast Majority" of Gamers Prefer GameStop Over Buying Online. Posted 06/25/2013 at 11:53am | by Paul Lilly. 1. Comment. Print.

0 komentar:

Posting Komentar