Moore talks digital distribution; disc-based business model 'a burning platform'

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 19th 2009 at 12:58PM }

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.

Tags: digital-distribution, ea, ea-sports, electronic-arts, monetization, peter-moore, play-digital-media-conference, the-future

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 1:04PM

I agree with that man. He is well versed in knowledge when it comes to his field of practice.

He is also incredibly sexy.

ToTheMoon @ Oct 19th 2009 1:28PM

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. ;)

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 1:30PM

No, next week I'll be fucking your grandmother.

Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 19th 2009 1:38PM

Where do I sign up my grandma?

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 1:39PM

Sorry, Cap, no blue chicks.

Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 19th 2009 1:41PM

:sad face:

dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Oct 19th 2009 1:43PM

What's Smurfette so excited about then?

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 1:44PM

I have no fucking idea. Why would I? Do I look like a fucking Smurf?

dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Oct 19th 2009 1:47PM

Well, she is pretty small. Maybe an inchworm is all it takes. I'll get back to you on that.

Shagittarius @ Oct 19th 2009 1:48PM

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.

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 1:50PM

ಠ_ಠ

Dirty @ Oct 19th 2009 1:52PM

The will probably need to increase the cost of games to fly Peter Moore out to fuck peoples grandmothers. Which is still cheaper than flying Gabe Newell anywhere.

Dirty @ Oct 19th 2009 1:52PM

They will probably need to increase the cost of games to fly Peter Moore out to fuck peoples grandmothers. Which is still cheaper than flying Gabe Newell anywhere.

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 1:53PM

Just because you double posted that, consider your grandmother next in line.

Shagittarius @ Oct 19th 2009 1:56PM

If airlines are chaging by the pound now which weighs more: Gabe Newell or Peter Moore's Bullshit?

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 2:00PM

Actually, Shag, the correct answer is: Go fuck yourself.

Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:28PM

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]

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 2:35PM

Cool beans.

jstanfi1 @ Oct 19th 2009 1:05PM

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?

Traceur_Ryuk [All Digital until December] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Oct 19th 2009 1:13PM

Agreed. It just doesn't feel like I truly own it without being able to hold it in my hands.

CaramelZappa @ Oct 19th 2009 1:15PM

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.

Shagittarius @ Oct 19th 2009 1:25PM

If you don't want the cases you can throw them away...then you can fit 100 games in sleeves in a shoebox.

The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Oct 19th 2009 1:27PM

it's true, i only own phantom menace and attack of the clones so my star wars collection is complete

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Oct 19th 2009 1:42PM

Traceur so by that logic your sperm is not YOUR sperm unless you jackoff and nut in ya hand??

PR0F3TA (PSN - PROPHETA) @ Oct 19th 2009 1:50PM

lol chris

The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Oct 19th 2009 1:54PM

that's not a fair comparison Chris, Steam games are stored in your hard drive, not INSIDE YOUR BALLS

Space @ Oct 19th 2009 2:26PM

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.

Olicon @ Oct 19th 2009 5:12PM

Uh...I'm totally guilty of that.

While digital distribution is convenient, I do prefer getting a hard copy of my favorite games. But that's just us old folks who likes to sit there and stare at our shiny toys, I guess.

AoE @ Oct 19th 2009 5:46PM

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?

GewurztraminerX @ Oct 19th 2009 6:14PM

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

Plastic Rat @ Oct 19th 2009 10:43PM

@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?

Eih'Beir @ Oct 19th 2009 1:19PM

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.

Gamer4Life @ Oct 19th 2009 1:17PM

Part of collecting games is getting a disk/memory card/cartridge, without that it's not quite the same.

michas_pi @ Oct 19th 2009 1:19PM

Steam is a great distribution platform. Yet when a new game comes out, I purchase the Steam-enabled, disc-in-box version if I can because I don't have supafast Internet.

Backing up the GCFs aside, it's also great when reinstalling any game.

BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Oct 19th 2009 1:21PM

i don't know if i would consider a decade (at least) a "burning platform"

FNG @ Oct 19th 2009 2:52PM

well maybe the platform is really big and will take a while to burn up...

Jerel @ Oct 19th 2009 1:30PM

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.

Extinction @ Oct 19th 2009 2:13PM

Agreed

klitorisaurus @ Oct 19th 2009 3:33PM

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.

roger @ Oct 19th 2009 1:29PM

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.

BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Oct 19th 2009 1:34PM

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.

Peter Moore @ Oct 19th 2009 1:35PM

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.

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Oct 19th 2009 1:47PM

Uhhh Peter.....whats a "CD"??

BIGGEN (LIVE-PSN: BIGGEN1103) @ Oct 19th 2009 1:54PM

@chris

i'm gonna say corn dog?

Shagittarius @ Oct 19th 2009 1:58PM

My grandpa was in the Navy and during WW2 he slept with a local girl who he said gave him a "CD".

Chris D.(PSN: Aggie_CEO | XBL:The Aggie CEO | Steam: Aggie_CEO @ Oct 19th 2009 2:05PM

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

johnnynumber5 @ Oct 19th 2009 2:44PM

perhaps he gave her a "seed"

Jrejre @ Oct 19th 2009 1:36PM

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.

Night Elve @ Oct 19th 2009 5:17PM

Amen my brother.

RKN @ Oct 19th 2009 1:41PM

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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