Digital Versus Physical: The Future of Distribution

Xbox Live. WiiWare. PlayStation Network. Undoubtedly, all of these are changing the way we purchase video games. For over twenty years, gamers had to travel all the way to the video game store to pick up the latest release - but nowadays, we can simply download games onto our systems by using 'Points'. This is obviously more convienent, but does it spell the future for the way all games are distributed?

With a quick look at some forums on the Internet, you'll realize that players have some pretty strong feelings about the topic. Those on the side of Digital Distribution list some of the more obvious benefits of their choice of distribution: more convienence, less trash produced without packaging, and lower cost due to the lack of packaging. Being able to play demoes of the games you are downloading is also a bonus.

Of course, despite the growing prevelance of WiiWare and DSiWare, Nintendo is still sticking to it's old ways. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Mario and Zelda series, as well as many others, stated, "Personally, I'm one of those guys who, even if I have all the songs from iTunes, I want the CD as well. It's something that makes me - I feel more reassured with the physical media." Miyamoto is a pretty big name in the video game business, so his support of "traditional" distribution is definitely a big deal.

That "reassured" feeling is not the only benefit of Physical Distribution, however. Without a physical copy of the game, used copies can't be bought, and the game cannot be shared with friends unless you carry around your entire console. And if games went completely digital, game stores would go completely out of business, which would seriously hurt the economy.

The Verdict: We'll never reach such an extreme that all games are released digitally, but that doesn't mean that format will go away. Digital Distribution will likely grow to a comforatable size within the next few years, and find a perfect balance with the Physical Distribution that we have all come to know and love.

Image credit: MSXbox World (here), Second Hand Karl (here).