Amazon planning digital game distribution

by Scott Jon Siegel { Feb 16th 2008 at 3:00PM }

A recent job posting to Gamasutra has revealed that online retailer Amazon.com is planning a digital distribution service for games and software. Amazon currently has a tentative software download service in place -- though only available for tax software -- and this news at least partly confirms that Amazon will be extending that service to games.

The position is for a full-time software development engineer to join the "Software and Video Games Digital Technology team," who are working on the Amazon Software Download store. Up to now Amazon's digital distribution services have been limited to video, music and e-books; moving to digital distribution for games puts Amazon alongside other mainstream services like GameTap and Steam, making for some heated and (hopefully) productive competition. Let's just hope it fares better than Amazon Unbox.

[Thanks, James]

Tags: amazon, dlc

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ThornedVenom @ Feb 16th 2008 3:14PM

..... RIGHT AFTER THE BLURAY VICTORY ARTICLE

I SEE THE PATTERN

kojo87 @ Feb 16th 2008 4:30PM

so true. i heard somewhere that MS just backed HD-DVD to create confusion and competition when in reality they just wanted to go straight to digital distribution. i think there may be some truth to that. i think digital distribution is way better than optical media. ultimately you end up ripping any disk to your HDD anyway. at least i do.

ssuk @ Feb 16th 2008 4:53PM

Digital Distribution isn't quite as main stream as optical media at the moment, the Apple TV, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are all there as media streamers, however are a bit of a hassle for people to get up and running... I mean, normal people.

You have to read along the lines of MS when they chose HD DVD. Since it's made by Toshiba, the same people whom have been supplying DVD drives for MS to put inside the Xbox and Xbox 360, plus have a fairly good relationship between the two companies, I think there may have been a bit of conflict of interest between the two if MS had picked Blu-Ray over HD-DVD.
Plus, the Playstation 3 is the Xbox 360's main competitor in the marketplace. Unlike the Wii, the 360 and PS3 both push themselves as home entertainment systems as well as home consoles and it's that which creates such a competition between the two consoles. To give Sony the 'leg-up' by MS wanting to have a Blu-Ray peripheral when HD-DVD looked like a viable option is stupidly bad press for MS and insanely good press for Sony, something which MS will not want.
Regardless of this, Microsoft still backs digital downloads through external vendors and then streaming content through the Media Centre to the Xbox 360. But then again, Microsoft is starting up IPTV on the 360 sometime this year with BT, yet there's no way to tell how popular that'll be.
So perhaps Microsoft IS pursuing Digital Downloads but isn't their main priority. Perhaps, for once, Microsoft is actually pushing for features to benefit consumers rather than 'confusing' and manipulating format wars as you so elegantly suggested.

James @ Feb 16th 2008 5:20PM

What? My grandparents who only just got a DVD player, also bought their first PC and an Apple TV and they're using it without any problems.

Now consoles are another kettle of fish. Just don't lumber in easily accessible media.

And yes. DD is the future.

ScottyGEE32 @ Feb 16th 2008 6:13PM

Microsoft backed HDDVD due to it using their own format of HDi, rather than bluray using java

Nick the Hero of Canton @ Feb 16th 2008 3:25PM

I would really, really, really rahter just have a hard copy in my hands.

Really.

Don't that out of context...

Ignatius @ Feb 16th 2008 4:34PM

Which makes me wonder how Amazon's policies will be concerning these things. DRM's gonna eat the crap out of this.

Ian Murray @ Feb 17th 2008 10:06AM

Most people prefer some sort of physical, tangible object that they can claim. When it's on a hard drive, or (worse) streamed off the internet, it doesn't really feel like you own it. If servers crash and hard drives fail, you'd wish you had a physical version of it. Sure, you may just back it all up to a disc of some kind, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of going DD in the first place?

I'm just saying. DD may be the future, but it'll be a long time before people get comfortable with the idea that they own something they can't hold or store.

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 16th 2008 3:27PM

Honestly... I don't like digital distribution... I want the physical object in my hands...

Cesaria @ Feb 16th 2008 6:08PM

Agreed. People have that need for something tangible to let them know they own it. I also like to display my games and movies proudly. Does it make me a nerd? Yes.

Cesaria @ Feb 17th 2008 12:47PM

My Wii isn't online right now because of the setup at my house, but I'm looking to rectify that by the time Brawl and Mario Kart come out. Here's my friend code: 4754 2132 6440 4435

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 17th 2008 12:50PM

Ok... let me add you... here is mine. You can add now if you want... once your Wii is online, we will be Wii Friends code automatically.

6140-3530-5783-6618

FidliousWong @ Feb 16th 2008 3:36PM

Yeah, Physical media for the win. the only time I buy off iTunes is when audio quality doesn't matter.

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 16th 2008 3:38PM

You and me agree in one thing?

That's weird =p

Slayer @ Feb 16th 2008 3:58PM

Yeah I agree with you too. I just don't like the idea of digital distribution. I think physical copies are the best way to go.

FidliousWong @ Feb 16th 2008 4:43PM

Actually, we agree on many things, remember? Or do you still forget your whole "ZOMG! YOU WANTS DA SMASH BRATHAS?!" reply?

Cesaria @ Feb 16th 2008 6:39PM

@Fernando
Thought you don't buy any CDs? That's a physical medium. ;)

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 16th 2008 8:25PM

@Cesaria... I do buy physical media... tapes and vynil records =)

PS. Live, Friend Code?

Fernando Rocker @ Feb 17th 2008 12:58AM

sheppy...

Want to be Wii Friends? I want to play SSBB and Mario Kart Wii with you...

This is my Friend Code... 6140-3530-5783-6618

Let me know.

mundox @ Feb 16th 2008 4:02PM

Steam > all

I prefer my digital media, I don't need more useless disks lying around taking needed space.

ThornedVenom @ Feb 16th 2008 4:10PM

Just a question (since I've never purchased via digital distribution before): if for example, your hard drive crashes or the download connection broke or something, can you redownload that game you've already purchased from your account for free like Nintendo is doing for VC titles?

JakubK666 @ Feb 16th 2008 4:20PM

I think Steam does that.

Slayer @ Feb 16th 2008 4:21PM

Yeah if you've purchased it, you can download anytime you want to. If your hdd crashes you can download it again.

kojo87 @ Feb 16th 2008 4:34PM

i love Steam. i share Venom's concern though. they do offer some sort of re-download thing right? i was thinking of reinstalling Vista but i havent yet because i dont want to lose all my Steam stuff. they gotta let you download it again though right?

Rususeruru @ Feb 16th 2008 4:54PM

I'm not sure about Steam and re-downloading stuff, but for sure their app lets you back things up to CD/DVD or a folder on an external drive. Might as well back it up in case.
Disclaimer: All I've purchased from steam was Psychonauts.

HighFiveJesus @ Feb 16th 2008 4:54PM

You can download it on any computer you have steam and log your account into. And yeah, i've had to re-download some games on steam several times. I don't know many other services let you do that.

James @ Feb 16th 2008 5:01PM

You can download as much as you want on Steam. Fuck it's so good. I can be at home playing a lovely game on TF2 racking up some even more lovely stats. Drive over to my girlfriends/friend/uni, download Steam, log in and download TF2 and we're back in action.

Steam is just golden.

ThornedVenom @ Feb 16th 2008 5:07PM

So after hearing those comments, it's safe to assume that Steam allows you to redownload, right?

FUCK YES. =D

mundox @ Feb 16th 2008 5:31PM

Yes you redownload the games as much as you want. Also it gives you the option to burn dvds/cds/whatever to backup what you download.

Now I think that there is an exception to this, Bioshock, if I'm not mistaking you can only install the game 5 times before the copy protection or whatever kicks in. But that stuff is up to the developer to decide. Most of the games you can download and install as many times as you want.

ATM I own about 7 games on steam (orange box, cod4, cod2, CS:S, CS:1.6+CZ, Bioshock, and dark messiah M&M) and I can't be happier, they all run great and with almost no problems at all.

SeriousKriss @ Feb 17th 2008 9:01AM

You don't even need to re-download everything if you have an external hard drive. Just take a copy of your Steam folder, then put it on any other computer, and there you go. I really love this feature.

James @ Feb 18th 2008 7:39AM

Just be sure to delete that clientregistry.blob file! I've got my Steam on a 60gb USB-powered external drive. It's like my sex drive.

Slayer @ Feb 16th 2008 4:23PM

I still prefer having the physical copies for backup though.

ssuk @ Feb 16th 2008 4:35PM

I'm not against this at all. I think those worried about back ups should consider the fact that you can back up these games yourself on CD/DVD media, the download will cost less because of the packaging cost, and DVD media is dirt cheap now-a-day. So in reality, you're saving money by backing up your own games. Sure, it requires a bit more effort but hey.

I wont say back up isn't the only reason for getting physical copies of games, I like to own physical copies of games for the lovely box art and manuals which I don't have to print out or minimise a game to get help files to find out how the controls work. But I think for those games where this isn't a factor, you know those games you play but don't really like them enough to warrant a whole £30 for them.

FidliousWong @ Feb 16th 2008 4:47PM

Direct2Drive says, "Cheaper price through Direct Distribution? Dis motha crazy or sumphin?"

Seriously... in retail chains, prices drop. In DD channels, price drops suck. And since they often launch at the same price...

James @ Feb 16th 2008 5:07PM

I prefer DD. It means I can preload an upcoming game and play it the second its out (give or take a few hours since Steam is heavily US based - "game out on the 14th!" not to Australia it isn't).
Redownload games. Free DLC. Incredible friends, community and events integration. Option to back up games onto disc for whatever reason. Since you can just redownload as many times as you want.

But it did need something as big as HL2 to launch this. I hated it at first and Steam was a necessary evil, but the criticisms were answered and it's now the mutts nuts it is today.

Oh and the prices are just hot. 10% preorder discount (do shops do this?), some very nice sales every so often. Steam prices do drop. £10 for HL2? It's the same in shops here...
Theres also not a place in hell that will sell the whole id games collection for the £25 I paid on Steam. Or the whole GTA collection for £19.

Amazon? You're too late. I doubt even MS could bring out something equal now.

James @ Feb 16th 2008 5:12PM

FFS I wrote too much when I was just saying Steam owns you.

ScottyGEE32 @ Feb 16th 2008 6:17PM

With Australia's shitty broadband services (they've set it up so that the loses and every other ISP has followed suit), I don't see digital distribution becoming a reality until download limits are removed, the speeds are increased and prices decrease...
Yeah, all three of those. Now when companies are already making plenty of money of people doing this, you really think they'd go for cheaper faster and more? No, not really.

So screw digital distribution of games...Wait for the ps3 full bluray sized downloads and you'll hear me weep.