Shane Kim iffy regarding on-demand Xbox 360 games releasing day-and-date with retail
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Jul 30th 2009 at 10:32AM } 
Kim explains that day-and-date digital releases would require technical effort by publishers to make the process smooth, and there are also business decisions to weigh -- like, you know, upsetting a major retail games giant. According to Kim, Microsoft still has a lot of work to do before offering games through Xbox Live Marketplace on a grand scale.
[Via CVG]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tony @ Jul 30th 2009 10:37AM
I almost wonder if there will ever be stuff that is only on the online service. There's some PC stuff I'd love to see brought over that's too big for XBLA, but maybe not worth the whole retail move.
johnny @ Jul 30th 2009 10:40AM
who wants to be stuck with full games on a hard drive. if this is the future the problem i have is lets says i buy nba 2k10. after a new version comes out i am stuck with it and cant recoup some money by selling it? i would be all for this if there was a way to do that cause there are some games i will never touch again once i am done with them.
Sidebuster @ Jul 30th 2009 10:43AM
Maybe the next step after ondemand gets popular is that they just update the rosters for a while (ala Dreamcast).
GhostofGrendel @ Jul 30th 2009 11:02AM
@sidebuster
Or maybe the next step is allowing you to sell your game back? That would be pretty awesome. Not likely to happen, but still a good idea. Eventually maybe there could even be an ebay type auction area on live where you could put up old games you don't want anymore and let people bid on them for live points? On second thought there is probably no way MS would do that because then it would cut in to their market. Unless MS took a percentage maybe. I'm not sure. Anyone else have an idea on this?
Anthony M. @ Jul 30th 2009 11:32AM
You'd only get $0.35 for it at gamestop anyways, what sports game has EVER has resell value?
Storm Eagle::The Blood Edge @ Jul 30th 2009 10:39AM
Personally, I'd only use the On Demand service to download bargain bin games. When I buy a new game, I want the box, the instructions, everything. I'm a completist and I need the entire package. That's just me though.
JoeTheBlow @ Jul 30th 2009 10:51AM
Thats what lots of people used to say about music CD's, now few people could give a shit.
Price and convienience will ALWAYS win over anything else.
Knowing MS though, they'd only have the games at the full retail price anyway, rendering a digital copy a bit pointless.
Storm Eagle::The Blood Edge @ Jul 30th 2009 10:54AM
Well do you think they're going to charge less for the games because they don't include the box or manual? Yeah, right.
As far as music is concerned, I don't buy any music really, unless it's from Rock Band 2. And if I do, I buy a CD, it's cheaper usually.
Nerdy Desi @ Jul 30th 2009 11:04AM
Yep, if the game costs the exact same, I'm going for the physical copy. My brother regrets buying Fallout 3 on Steam at launch instead of the physical copy.
RavenLord @ Jul 30th 2009 11:34AM
I agree with you Storm Eagle. I prefer to have the physical copy in my hand when it comes to buying a new game. Then again I'm a collector so there's something to be said about having something to look at on your book shelf. I also agree with JoeTheBlow about convenience but I still refuse to buy cds or games in digital download format only. The two problems with digital download 1) The hard drive space and time it takes to download the game files 2) If your system crashes or dies on you the data is lost and you have to redownload it all over again or lose it forever (as with MP3 downloads from services like iTunes you unfortunately have to re-buy all you lost if you don't create backups) . Frankly I would rather have the disc to put into my console as many times as I want without worrying about the game taking up space on my hard drive. There are pros and cons to a download only service but until the technology is more advanced and things can be delivered at instantaneous speed with few to no hiccups it isn't going to work well. I think it'll take a few more years before we see a true migration to digital distribution. I don't think this generation of consoles will be the final line on that idea. This current console generation is the testing ground and could go well into the next generation before it's the standard.
JUNG GUNS @ Jul 30th 2009 11:40AM
Me too man I gotta have the instruction booklet at least.
CzAr @ Jul 30th 2009 1:16PM
I prefer owning hard copies of my music,movies and games.
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jul 30th 2009 10:42AM
Death to Gamestop!
Dirty @ Jul 30th 2009 11:32AM
Get off my lawn!
dark_inchworm (on Steam!) dark inchworm (on XBL!) @ Jul 30th 2009 11:46AM
It does seem more powerful with your avatar, I must admit. /bow
Sidebuster @ Jul 30th 2009 10:42AM
I wouldn't mind there being an on demand rental part. Instead of paying 50-60 dollars for the game you pay 10 or 14 or whatever for 2 weeks and if you like the game you can buy it minus the amount you paid for the rental. Then again you can just do that with Gamefly. Even though Gamefly takes a week to get to me and I lived about 3 hours away from Inglewood (always up to no good) or where ever there distribution center is.
JXCgunrunna @ Jul 30th 2009 10:45AM
I just want the Games on demand to be as smooth as Steam. I have my pay pal set up in steam so all i have to do is choose what I want and log into paypal and start downloading right then and there. Plus, I can download games before they are out and play them at midnight.
And on steam you can get good deals for cheap on old games and set them up on multiple systems.
JoeTheBlow @ Jul 30th 2009 10:53AM
" Microsoft still has a lot of work to do before ....."
Bullshit. The framework is there, they could do it now, but is shit scared of being bounced out of retail in favour of Sony or Ninty.
Ironically, this is a battle that will require MS and Sony to fire their shots at the same time, this will get messy when the war begins.
Dave @ Jul 30th 2009 11:00AM
Ironically, this is a battle that will require MS and Sony to fire their shots at the same time, this will get messy.
rofl
MichaelG @ Jul 30th 2009 12:26PM
It's not fear, dude, it's strategy. How are consumers going to get the Xbox to download the games if no retail outlets will sell it? MS is opening a couple retail stores this year, but I don't think anyone expects them to become as numerous as Apple stores, which they would need to be to take away the retail stores' bargaining chip. Wal-Mart/Gamestop have MS by the balls on this, I assure you, and that's not changing any time soon.
yep1337 @ Jul 30th 2009 10:57AM
I'd much rather have a box with a disc, can't resell a digital download now can i?
CaveDan @ Jul 30th 2009 11:07AM
Almost sounds like that is their ultimate goal. After all it wasn't long ago that companies were bitching about not getting kickbacks after their games are sold and resold again and again at Gamestop. You watch, this will be the only form of media before you know it. Something you can't trade in... something you have no physical tie to. Something that feels less real than before.
You know what they'll use to speed up this process?
They'll call it "Going Green" like every other Starbucks chugging yuppie fuck in the good old USA and every suit wearing yokel will agree, but of course not because of anything to do with being "Green". We know the only kind of green they give a shit about.
CyberKnight @ Jul 30th 2009 11:10AM
Nope, you can't resell it. You can't rent it. You can't loan it to a friend. You can't play it on another console unless you (and only YOU) are connected to Live (classic case: 360 is replaced after a RRoD/E74 and licenses don't get transferred). You can't give it to your brother to play on the 360 in the basement. You can't trade it. You can't return it if you don't like it. And if, for whatever reason the game is no longer available on Marketplace (e.g., a merger or acquisition that results in a change of licensing terms that means Microsoft can no longer provide the game on XBLM), it's gone for good (which has happened to 3 XBLA games so far).
(Not a fan, can you tell?)
yep1337 @ Jul 30th 2009 12:01PM
not only all of that but i won't have pretty artwork to look at :(
Vcize @ Jul 30th 2009 11:02AM
Well then, that pretty much means I won't use it.
Downloading a game digitally means you can't resell it. If it's a game I've waited 6-8 months after release to pick up (about the time it would go digital), then it's probably just a single player game that I want to play through and sell off when I'm done.
But, digitally downloading a game would be useful for games I KNOW I'm going to want to keep for a long, long time. Those games however, are likely games I'll be buying on release date.
tenor77 @ Jul 30th 2009 11:03AM
This really isn't a surprise. First you have to sell publishers on the service, which in turn means selling it to the consumer. I'm all for it personally (I install the games and I'm lazy and constantly cursing having to switch disks) but I know 90% of the people aren't there yet.
spirit1969 @ Jul 30th 2009 11:04AM
I'll never give up buying my games retail new and used. Unless they make DD really really cheap. I mean really..it's not like we really will "own" the digital download. It would be great if DD could totally cut out every middleman and give us great prices.
Has a price come up yet for MS's digital downloading full games yet?
Nerdy Desi @ Jul 30th 2009 11:06AM
Aside from the issue of renting and buying/selling used games, what about the limited selection of 360 hard drives and their high prices?
In regards to selling a digital copy, why not give the option of selling and buying a license, a "CD-Key" of the game to a member of Xbox Live for whatever price you quote? Say you want to sell a game to a member for 1200 MS points, he buys it and has the permission to download the game to his hard drive from the server.
Manly Mcbeefington (Mr. ESC) @ Jul 30th 2009 11:15AM
We don't even have access to the full xbox original library so I'm sure they will only use this for certain 1st party games.Now that a new game here cost around a 100$ for about 6 to 12 months,if they released games at the same time in the x360 at 60$ like in the U.S I would rather buy it online as long as I can use points.
chris.rackley @ Jul 30th 2009 11:15AM
Well, how they're doing it now is smart; because they're now competing directly with the USED games market. They're not so much after increasing game sales as taking away the game sales of Gamestop and other places selling used games. By putting them on demand at, potentially, prices competitive to what you're seeing games sell used for, they're going to sell more games that way - and essentially the publishers are going to start recouping a lot of money that they lose in the used game market, where the the retail store collects 100% of the profit.
tmmoore_nc @ Jul 30th 2009 11:29AM
I'm guessing if it happened anytime soon, support for the 360 among retailers would quickly diminish. They'd still carry it, but not in the numbers you're seeing.
Preston @ Jul 30th 2009 11:33AM
I just hope that they have a reasonable amount of delay between retail release and digital release. Anything more than a month is going to be aggravating. (Though honestly unless some type of rental option is included, I don't see myself buying games off here unless I'll know I'll keep them).
ganrob @ Jul 30th 2009 11:35AM
wait - you can't download night vision goggles??
ChomskyKnows @ Jul 30th 2009 11:36AM
They should start the on-demand with Halo3, ODST, Halo Wars, COD4, MW2, GoW, GoW2 and the other good mutliplayer games...the ones people play the most...makes things convenient...I'd also love to see Halo2.
When the fuck do we get a LARGER HARD DRIVE!???
StephenB @ Jul 31st 2009 4:14AM
How about you get all the retail game giants on board and make their own digital download shop on the marketplace rather than MS just doing it by themselves so that everyone is getting some sort of deal somewhere along the line. UK GAME and most of the pc market has a digital download store so its possible with Live if done correctly
Misfit Toy @ Jul 30th 2009 11:54AM
All I have to say is, I hope the day does come. I think its a great option for people. I especially love the "I can go from game to game without the hassle" aspect. Like having a carousel player. And no...I'm not lazy. Its just makes pick up and play that much more convenient.
If retail remains important, then there will have to continue to be innovative ways to keep us buying retail disc, such as lowering the cost, or including certain DLC. Or, in the case of Modern Warfare 2...freaking night vision goggles of which I plan to put on my Halo 3 Master Chief helmet. Oh yeah!
tmacairjordan87 @ Jul 30th 2009 11:56AM
How about we just get SOME goddamn games up there? I signed up for the update preview, got in....and there's no 360 games up there. Figures with my luck, the only part of the update I care about they end up leaving out of the preview.
atx1980 @ Jul 30th 2009 12:26PM
SAME HERE!
WERE ARE THE GAMES MICROSOFT!
Misfit Toy @ Jul 30th 2009 11:59AM
Understood. Yes, the resale market is where this will take the biggest toll. This would, however, really make sense for someone who you know would play the game a lot, such as a Halo 3 or Call of Duty: World at War. I can see this download market making a lot of sense for multiplayer games. People would just need to be more selective in what they think they'll invest a good amount of time in to make it worth the permanant ownership.
And, of course, lets not forget that a game sitting on the hard drive will make your system run quieter.
Sean @ Jul 30th 2009 12:03PM
Just have a standard policy of three months of retail exclusivity. The retailers, publishers, and consumers would then have a consistent policy the could plan around. The retailers get the game at it's most expensive that fans will pay for. The publishers get some free marketing of their game from retail exposure and a chance to decrease used game sales. The consumer gets to choose what they want.
I personally prefer downloads. I hate having all these disks around my house.
Subscription/rental gaming is what I really want though. I could see paying $100.00 month to have access to all the content on Xbox Marketplace if every retail game was available on the release date. I mean all the videos, music, games, down-loadable content available on the 360 (and my Zune HD?).
I would choose that over cable any day. But again make it a choice, so consumers can choose the ownership/subscription model that's right for them and their budget.
MichaelG @ Jul 30th 2009 12:38PM
"I would choose that over cable any day."
This is exactly why it'll be like ten years before your vision becomes a reality. The company that's selling you internet access is the same company that is also trying to sell you cable TV. So they're doing everything in their power to slow down the dominance of Hulu/Netflix and any service like what you describe has some powerful built-in enemies.
Sean @ Jul 30th 2009 12:50PM
@ MichaelG
I have to agree with you. Plus a lot of us in the US have no real choice at all when it comes to Cable/ISP. We are either locked in due to exclusive deals arranged for by the city or town (or even building) you live in or the choice is lesser capability that doesn't meet your needs.
Roto13 @ Jul 30th 2009 12:28PM
See, I don't think this is ever really going to happen. People are counting on hard drive and internet speeds to increase, which they will, but for some reason they're expecting actual game sizes not to increase with them.
drdre74 @ Jul 30th 2009 12:46PM
forget upsetting stores. They are the ones reselling used copies. Make digital same day or at least same week.
nriveraexpress @ Jul 30th 2009 1:15PM
correction, you cant download NVG's...yet
Michael Paul @ Jul 30th 2009 1:54PM
Not only can't you sell a DLG, you can't even archive it to another drive to make room for newer games later. Unless you got one of the not-so-legal kits that used to be around.
There'll be a day when my 120GB drive hasn't got space left, and unless there's a 1TB drive to migrate to I'll be SOL...
Martin @ Jul 30th 2009 8:34PM
I'll start giving a shit when they have a decently priced HDD.
Lucas @ Jul 30th 2009 9:14PM
agree w/ Storm Eagle. I'll def buy REAL games, I like the feeling of unboxing new games.