EA Sports head honcho Peter Moore is all about digital distribution. During a panel on monetization at the PLAY Berkley Digital Media Conference this past weekend (as reported by IGN), Moore extolled the many virtues of a digitally distributed future, when discs are a long-forgotten remnant of an old business model. "I'd say the core business model of video games is a burning platform ... absolutely," Moore said.
Thankfully for all of us disc-owning fools, Moore doesn't believe we'll be seeing a digital distribution–exclusive business model next week. "As an industry, I still think we may be as many as a decade away from saying goodbye to physical discs," he said, positing that Microsoft would likely be the first to release a download-only console (surely, not to be confused with a digital-format portable system or pc-based device). In the meantime, EA continues to ship 125-130 million discs each year while moving toward Moore's envisioned future.
Reader Comments (100)
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:04PM Peter Moore said
I agree with that man. He is well versed in knowledge when it comes to his field of practice.
He is also incredibly sexy.
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He is also incredibly sexy.
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:28PM ToTheMoon said
You are incredibly sexy but in a "I am the Devil" kind of way. Stay away from my grandmother.
By the way, thank you for stating what Valve started years ago and something we all knew what was coming. Maybe we will see you next week when you say that DLC is a huge money maker for game developers/publishers. ;)
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By the way, thank you for stating what Valve started years ago and something we all knew what was coming. Maybe we will see you next week when you say that DLC is a huge money maker for game developers/publishers. ;)
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:38PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said
Where do I sign up my grandma?
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:44PM Peter Moore said
I have no fucking idea. Why would I? Do I look like a fucking Smurf?
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:47PM darkinchworm said
Well, she is pretty small. Maybe an inchworm is all it takes. I'll get back to you on that.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:48PM Shagittarius said
Very well put.
Maybe they can also increase the cost of all games to offset the increased advertising necessary to keep consumers informed of new releases.
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Maybe they can also increase the cost of all games to offset the increased advertising necessary to keep consumers informed of new releases.
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:53PM Peter Moore said
Just because you double posted that, consider your grandmother next in line.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:56PM Shagittarius said
If airlines are chaging by the pound now which weighs more: Gabe Newell or Peter Moore's Bullshit?
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 2:00PM Peter Moore said
Actually, Shag, the correct answer is: Go fuck yourself.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 2:28PM Captain Planet Planeteer Power said
I don't even have to write you a formal letter/invitation. I'm making you an honorary Planeteer Peter.
Peter Moore [Planeteer | Power of Peter Fucking Moore & Shagging Your Grandmother]
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Peter Moore [Planeteer | Power of Peter Fucking Moore & Shagging Your Grandmother]
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:05PM (Unverified) said
You know what I don't get in all this digital distribution discussion?
Am I the only guy that has a bunch of games sitting on his shelf he's barely, if ever, played because he wanted the box, or it was part of a series he owned the rest of, etc.?
C'mon, how many copies of Phantom Menace or Star Trek: The Motion Picture would anyone own if it weren't for the gaping omission in the set on the shelf?
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Am I the only guy that has a bunch of games sitting on his shelf he's barely, if ever, played because he wanted the box, or it was part of a series he owned the rest of, etc.?
C'mon, how many copies of Phantom Menace or Star Trek: The Motion Picture would anyone own if it weren't for the gaping omission in the set on the shelf?
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:13PM (Unverified) said
Agreed. It just doesn't feel like I truly own it without being able to hold it in my hands.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:15PM CaramelZappa said
I dunno, I get the same feeling of looking at a collection on the shelf from scrolling through my massive collection of steam games. Except steam doesn't take up shelf space, which is good, because I don't have any to spare.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:25PM Shagittarius said
If you don't want the cases you can throw them away...then you can fit 100 games in sleeves in a shoebox.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:27PM TheDarkWayne said
it's true, i only own phantom menace and attack of the clones so my star wars collection is complete
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:42PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
Traceur so by that logic your sperm is not YOUR sperm unless you jackoff and nut in ya hand??
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:54PM TheDarkWayne said
that's not a fair comparison Chris, Steam games are stored in your hard drive, not INSIDE YOUR BALLS
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 2:26PM eat it said
I hate owning and accumulating things. I feel like a loser if I have a collection of DVDs or games just sitting on a shelf it's like having money that you can't spend or enjoy.
My friend always talks about how he wants to visit japan but has no money, meanwhile he has a few hundred dvds and games sitting on his shelf. If he sold all of that stuff he'd have more than enough to go.
for that reason, I just keep one or two games at a time. as for movies I'll just netflix something if I want it.
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My friend always talks about how he wants to visit japan but has no money, meanwhile he has a few hundred dvds and games sitting on his shelf. If he sold all of that stuff he'd have more than enough to go.
for that reason, I just keep one or two games at a time. as for movies I'll just netflix something if I want it.
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 5:46PM AoE said
Is that an upside or a downside though? It sounds to me like you just admitted to buying a bunch of crap products so your collection would be complete... if for some reason digital distribution doesn't also inspire you to buy crappy products to complete collections of otherwise good products... isn't that an upside?
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 6:14PM GewurztraminerX said
I will happily never own the third Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean, or X-Men movies, thank you very much.
As for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I just consider it a necessary evil. I never should have gotten rid of my VHS copies because they looked pretty cool side-by-side.
Oh well, at least I photographed both sides of the boxes for posterity:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/4026892141_0861886988_o.jpg
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As for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, I just consider it a necessary evil. I never should have gotten rid of my VHS copies because they looked pretty cool side-by-side.
Oh well, at least I photographed both sides of the boxes for posterity:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2498/4026892141_0861886988_o.jpg
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 10:43PM (Unverified) said
@Space
"My friend always talks about how he wants to visit japan but has no money, meanwhile he has a few hundred dvds and games sitting on his shelf. If he sold all of that stuff he'd have more than enough to go."
Did you consider that at least he HAS the option to re-sell media he's already bought and recoup some of the cost?
You realize that is generally not an option with digital only stuff?
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"My friend always talks about how he wants to visit japan but has no money, meanwhile he has a few hundred dvds and games sitting on his shelf. If he sold all of that stuff he'd have more than enough to go."
Did you consider that at least he HAS the option to re-sell media he's already bought and recoup some of the cost?
You realize that is generally not an option with digital only stuff?
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:19PM (Unverified) said
I bet EA is just counting the days to when they don't have the expense of including a four page instruction manual with their games.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:17PM Gaming Expert said
Part of collecting games is getting a disk/memory card/cartridge, without that it's not quite the same.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:30PM KillerRamen said
So, in 10 years we will be unable to find a good deal on any game, unable to buy/sell games on ebay and we have to wait hours to download a terabyte of game data? ...god damn it... If a gaming company like EA or Microsoft has a monopoly over distribution by totally bypassing the retailers in 10 years, I'm out.
There are thousands of great games out there that I have yet to play, I'll play those instead.
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There are thousands of great games out there that I have yet to play, I'll play those instead.
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 3:33PM Klitorisaurus said
Couldn't agree more! And what about rentals? I currently pay $35 a month for unlimited game and movie rentals... Is there gonna be a similar model for digital distro?No! Renting movies over DD is currently an F'n rip off! PSN is $4 per SD movie and even more per HD, even if the movie is 10 years old! And while Netflix has cheap DD, it's 95% useless garbage. And what about swapping with friends? Or even bringing games over to peoples houses? They're taking away a lot of the usability here.
I've played a very large portion of the videogames released in the last 15 years thanks to rental... when this shit does DD they'd better not get too greedy. Otherwise I'll be purchasing a parrot... and an eye patch... and a peg leg.
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I've played a very large portion of the videogames released in the last 15 years thanks to rental... when this shit does DD they'd better not get too greedy. Otherwise I'll be purchasing a parrot... and an eye patch... and a peg leg.
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:29PM The angry pro consumer gaming ga said
The day games are digital only, will be the last console I purchase. I've gotten Uncharted 2, Borderlands, AC@, GOW3, MW2, and GOW collection for no more than $23 each because of Amazon and trade ins. I bought 6 games for the price of 1 1//2 at retail which is the same cost that digital would sell it at.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:34PM BIGGEN said
i hear that. i look at all the current downloadable games and i just can't understand the pricing. example, rockstar table tennis is $9 at gamestop (i won't shop there either), but the point is it's $30 on LIVE. no thanks! when will companies learn, the cheaper it is, the more they sell. it's baffling.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:35PM Peter Moore said
The day music is digital only, will be the last song I purchase. I've gotten Beatles, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Queen, and Bob dylan for no more than $12 each because of Amazon and trade ins. I bought 6 CDs for the price of 1 1//2 at retail which is the same cost that digital would sell it at.
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:47PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
Uhhh Peter.....whats a "CD"??
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:58PM Shagittarius said
My grandpa was in the Navy and during WW2 he slept with a local girl who he said gave him a "CD".
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 2:05PM Chris DPSN AggieCEO XBLThe Aggi said
Shag I think he meant VD....and the Chlamydia was there so long it fucked with his brain cells and he thought it was a CV
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 2:44PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said
perhaps he gave her a "seed"
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Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:36PM jrejre said
The last disc based console produced, will be the last console I own.
Box, Disc, Manual, or I'm out. There's 30 years of videogame history left out there to experience. I'll have no problem sinking my money into that, instead of the new games that companies actually, you know, make money off of.
Have fun with your digital future of $5 jerseys and half completed games that have to be patched. I'm sitting that one out Pete.
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Box, Disc, Manual, or I'm out. There's 30 years of videogame history left out there to experience. I'll have no problem sinking my money into that, instead of the new games that companies actually, you know, make money off of.
Have fun with your digital future of $5 jerseys and half completed games that have to be patched. I'm sitting that one out Pete.
Posted: Oct 19th 2009 1:41PM RKN said
If digital distribution is the future, there'd better be a way to rent games, gift them, sell them, etc.
But I will bet probably not as the developers start getting the greed that Gamestop does while throwing them at the bus at the same time.
I'm afraid each day, the videogame companies seem to be getting more douchey and greedy and more anti-consumer. : (
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But I will bet probably not as the developers start getting the greed that Gamestop does while throwing them at the bus at the same time.
I'm afraid each day, the videogame companies seem to be getting more douchey and greedy and more anti-consumer. : (
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