Psst … hey, you. Yeah, you with the cash – wanna buy a game?
Digital distribution means a lot of different things to different people. To some, it’s digital rights management (DRM) and the loss of freedom that implies. To others, it’s a convenient way of avoiding the shops. To me, it’s a screaming temptation ranking somewhere between a good single malt and pure crack. Like it or not, it’s here to stay.
But, what does that mean for the average gamer? More than you think – what we’re seeing at the moment is a tectonic shift in the way we buy and play games. And, what that means in practice may surprise you. For those unable to read to the end, here’s the summary – used game sales are going to disappear, you’re going to pay more and less for games even while you play more of them, and the system as you know it today is pretty much going to disappear. Continue reading →