The "General Games Chat" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
No, this topic isn't in the wrong forum, despite the title. Let me explain:
I was browsing MP3.com the other day, looking for some new music. I was streaming a track that I really liked, and wanted to download. However, it wasn't available for download, I had to buy the album that it was on. That's when I noticed it.
There were two options to buy the album. The first was called CD and was $12, the second was called NetCD and was $7. I'd never heard of a NetCD before, so I looked into it a bit more.
A NetCD is simply a load of MP3's that you download, which you can then burn onto a CD if you want, or stick onto an portable MP3 player, or just leave on your PC. It's cheaper for the buyer, as the seller does not have to supply any physical media, or pay for postage, or let the shops take their share. Cutting out the middle man, as it were.
Would this be possible for games?
Well, it already happens to an extent. Who's played a demo that they've either downloaded or got with a magazine, and then bought the full thing? The way it works is that you go to a website, give your details over, pay the money, and they email you a code which you put into the game and unlocks the whole thing for you. The only problem for the developers is that it's easy for 1 code to unlock several copies of the game.
Surely with broadband becoming cheaper every week, it would be possible for people to download the 700MB+ the games weigh in nowadays, and a similar thing could happen?
You download the demo. Play it, like it, want to buy it. Pay the money, and then the developers email you a link where you can download the rest. Easy peasy. Don't even need to leave your chair.
But what about piracy? Surely, if I bought the game, I could give the link to my mate, so he could download it, without paying for it. Either that, or It would be easy for me to burn the game that I've just downloaded, onto a CD, and then distribute this as I saw fit. Not good for the game developers/publishers.
What do you think?
Would you want a system like this? I personally don't feel I've bought something unless I have the box in my hands, and the instruction booklet to look through. If a load of files were just dumped on my computer, I wouldn't have felt I'd bought something, as I wouldn't have anything physical. I couldn't say "My money bought me this", holding the CD/DVD. I'd just say "My money bought me a load of 1's and 0's that are now on my computer somewhere". Not quite as satisfying.
I think we will get there eventually, but how long it'll take? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing's for sure though, it'll be bad news for publishers and shops, who would both lose a LOT of money.
Thoughts?
I was browsing MP3.com the other day, looking for some new music. I was streaming a track that I really liked, and wanted to download. However, it wasn't available for download, I had to buy the album that it was on. That's when I noticed it.
There were two options to buy the album. The first was called CD and was $12, the second was called NetCD and was $7. I'd never heard of a NetCD before, so I looked into it a bit more.
A NetCD is simply a load of MP3's that you download, which you can then burn onto a CD if you want, or stick onto an portable MP3 player, or just leave on your PC. It's cheaper for the buyer, as the seller does not have to supply any physical media, or pay for postage, or let the shops take their share. Cutting out the middle man, as it were.
Would this be possible for games?
Well, it already happens to an extent. Who's played a demo that they've either downloaded or got with a magazine, and then bought the full thing? The way it works is that you go to a website, give your details over, pay the money, and they email you a code which you put into the game and unlocks the whole thing for you. The only problem for the developers is that it's easy for 1 code to unlock several copies of the game.
Surely with broadband becoming cheaper every week, it would be possible for people to download the 700MB+ the games weigh in nowadays, and a similar thing could happen?
You download the demo. Play it, like it, want to buy it. Pay the money, and then the developers email you a link where you can download the rest. Easy peasy. Don't even need to leave your chair.
But what about piracy? Surely, if I bought the game, I could give the link to my mate, so he could download it, without paying for it. Either that, or It would be easy for me to burn the game that I've just downloaded, onto a CD, and then distribute this as I saw fit. Not good for the game developers/publishers.
What do you think?
Would you want a system like this? I personally don't feel I've bought something unless I have the box in my hands, and the instruction booklet to look through. If a load of files were just dumped on my computer, I wouldn't have felt I'd bought something, as I wouldn't have anything physical. I couldn't say "My money bought me this", holding the CD/DVD. I'd just say "My money bought me a load of 1's and 0's that are now on my computer somewhere". Not quite as satisfying.
I think we will get there eventually, but how long it'll take? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing's for sure though, it'll be bad news for publishers and shops, who would both lose a LOT of money.
Thoughts?
No, this topic isn't in the wrong forum, despite the title. Let me explain:
I was browsing MP3.com the other day, looking for some new music. I was streaming a track that I really liked, and wanted to download. However, it wasn't available for download, I had to buy the album that it was on. That's when I noticed it.
There were two options to buy the album. The first was called CD and was $12, the second was called NetCD and was $7. I'd never heard of a NetCD before, so I looked into it a bit more.
A NetCD is simply a load of MP3's that you download, which you can then burn onto a CD if you want, or stick onto an portable MP3 player, or just leave on your PC. It's cheaper for the buyer, as the seller does not have to supply any physical media, or pay for postage, or let the shops take their share. Cutting out the middle man, as it were.
Would this be possible for games?
Well, it already happens to an extent. Who's played a demo that they've either downloaded or got with a magazine, and then bought the full thing? The way it works is that you go to a website, give your details over, pay the money, and they email you a code which you put into the game and unlocks the whole thing for you. The only problem for the developers is that it's easy for 1 code to unlock several copies of the game.
Surely with broadband becoming cheaper every week, it would be possible for people to download the 700MB+ the games weigh in nowadays, and a similar thing could happen?
You download the demo. Play it, like it, want to buy it. Pay the money, and then the developers email you a link where you can download the rest. Easy peasy. Don't even need to leave your chair.
But what about piracy? Surely, if I bought the game, I could give the link to my mate, so he could download it, without paying for it. Either that, or It would be easy for me to burn the game that I've just downloaded, onto a CD, and then distribute this as I saw fit. Not good for the game developers/publishers.
What do you think?
Would you want a system like this? I personally don't feel I've bought something unless I have the box in my hands, and the instruction booklet to look through. If a load of files were just dumped on my computer, I wouldn't have felt I'd bought something, as I wouldn't have anything physical. I couldn't say "My money bought me this", holding the CD/DVD. I'd just say "My money bought me a load of 1's and 0's that are now on my computer somewhere". Not quite as satisfying.
I think we will get there eventually, but how long it'll take? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing's for sure though, it'll be bad news for publishers and shops, who would both lose a LOT of money.
Thoughts?
I was browsing MP3.com the other day, looking for some new music. I was streaming a track that I really liked, and wanted to download. However, it wasn't available for download, I had to buy the album that it was on. That's when I noticed it.
There were two options to buy the album. The first was called CD and was $12, the second was called NetCD and was $7. I'd never heard of a NetCD before, so I looked into it a bit more.
A NetCD is simply a load of MP3's that you download, which you can then burn onto a CD if you want, or stick onto an portable MP3 player, or just leave on your PC. It's cheaper for the buyer, as the seller does not have to supply any physical media, or pay for postage, or let the shops take their share. Cutting out the middle man, as it were.
Would this be possible for games?
Well, it already happens to an extent. Who's played a demo that they've either downloaded or got with a magazine, and then bought the full thing? The way it works is that you go to a website, give your details over, pay the money, and they email you a code which you put into the game and unlocks the whole thing for you. The only problem for the developers is that it's easy for 1 code to unlock several copies of the game.
Surely with broadband becoming cheaper every week, it would be possible for people to download the 700MB+ the games weigh in nowadays, and a similar thing could happen?
You download the demo. Play it, like it, want to buy it. Pay the money, and then the developers email you a link where you can download the rest. Easy peasy. Don't even need to leave your chair.
But what about piracy? Surely, if I bought the game, I could give the link to my mate, so he could download it, without paying for it. Either that, or It would be easy for me to burn the game that I've just downloaded, onto a CD, and then distribute this as I saw fit. Not good for the game developers/publishers.
What do you think?
Would you want a system like this? I personally don't feel I've bought something unless I have the box in my hands, and the instruction booklet to look through. If a load of files were just dumped on my computer, I wouldn't have felt I'd bought something, as I wouldn't have anything physical. I couldn't say "My money bought me this", holding the CD/DVD. I'd just say "My money bought me a load of 1's and 0's that are now on my computer somewhere". Not quite as satisfying.
I think we will get there eventually, but how long it'll take? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing's for sure though, it'll be bad news for publishers and shops, who would both lose a LOT of money.
Thoughts?
I like to have some physical evidence of having bought something. I download a hell of a lot of mp3s (especially now that I have ADSL) but it doesn't stop me buying music. I use audiogalaxy etc as a HUGE demo disc for my music collection: if I like I tend to buy. There's just nothing like a shelf full of vinyl or CDs. The only stuff I would download and burn to CD would be songs I couldn't get elsewhere.
I feel the same about console games: I like the boxes and the printed instructions.
PC games, though, are a bit different: I'd rather install a game, have it on my hard drive and chuck the packaging. Clears up my workspace, you see. (The only time I'd want physical evidence of ownership would be with a strategy game - where a big thick manual is a delight.) And in fact, I think I read somewhere that Valve were going to distibute the next CS on an online subscriber's model. Might cut down on costs: which, hopefully, would get passed onto us. As for piracy: those who don't want to pay will find a way around it; but if developers used an XP-like activation system then casual piracy would be cut drastically. So, on the whole, I like the idea of online distribution, as long as I also get a hard copy of the manual.
I feel the same about console games: I like the boxes and the printed instructions.
PC games, though, are a bit different: I'd rather install a game, have it on my hard drive and chuck the packaging. Clears up my workspace, you see. (The only time I'd want physical evidence of ownership would be with a strategy game - where a big thick manual is a delight.) And in fact, I think I read somewhere that Valve were going to distibute the next CS on an online subscriber's model. Might cut down on costs: which, hopefully, would get passed onto us. As for piracy: those who don't want to pay will find a way around it; but if developers used an XP-like activation system then casual piracy would be cut drastically. So, on the whole, I like the idea of online distribution, as long as I also get a hard copy of the manual.
Your Honour wrote:
> No, this topic isn't in the wrong forum, despite the title. Let me
> explain:
>
> I was browsing MP3.com the other day, looking for some new music. I
> was streaming a track that I really liked, and wanted to download.
> However, it wasn't available for download, I had to buy the album that
> it was on. That's when I noticed it.
>
> There were two options to buy the album. The first was called CD and
> was $12, the second was called NetCD and was $7. I'd never heard of a
> NetCD before, so I looked into it a bit more.
>
> A NetCD is simply a load of MP3's that you download, which you can
> then burn onto a CD if you want, or stick onto an portable MP3 player,
> or just leave on your PC. It's cheaper for the buyer, as the seller
> does not have to supply any physical media, or pay for postage, or let
> the shops take their share. Cutting out the middle man, as it were.
>
> Would this be possible for games?
Yeah i believe it would be. it was said on reports that id seen that downloading games may be used forthe ps3. theres is a downside to this tho as people like me dont have a fast internet connection.
> No, this topic isn't in the wrong forum, despite the title. Let me
> explain:
>
> I was browsing MP3.com the other day, looking for some new music. I
> was streaming a track that I really liked, and wanted to download.
> However, it wasn't available for download, I had to buy the album that
> it was on. That's when I noticed it.
>
> There were two options to buy the album. The first was called CD and
> was $12, the second was called NetCD and was $7. I'd never heard of a
> NetCD before, so I looked into it a bit more.
>
> A NetCD is simply a load of MP3's that you download, which you can
> then burn onto a CD if you want, or stick onto an portable MP3 player,
> or just leave on your PC. It's cheaper for the buyer, as the seller
> does not have to supply any physical media, or pay for postage, or let
> the shops take their share. Cutting out the middle man, as it were.
>
> Would this be possible for games?
Yeah i believe it would be. it was said on reports that id seen that downloading games may be used forthe ps3. theres is a downside to this tho as people like me dont have a fast internet connection.
<:8 )~~Blaze~~( 8:> wrote:
> Yeah i believe it would be. it was said on reports that id seen that
> downloading games may be used forthe ps3. theres is a downside to this
> tho as people like me dont have a fast internet connection.
But by the time the PS3 comes out, in about 3 or 4 years time (at the earliest), broadband will be normal.
It's already down to around £20-25 a month now, and with unlimited 56k dialup costing about £15, it's not going to take much more of a price drop to really get people into it.
I'm going to get it as soon as I get my own place.
> Yeah i believe it would be. it was said on reports that id seen that
> downloading games may be used forthe ps3. theres is a downside to this
> tho as people like me dont have a fast internet connection.
But by the time the PS3 comes out, in about 3 or 4 years time (at the earliest), broadband will be normal.
It's already down to around £20-25 a month now, and with unlimited 56k dialup costing about £15, it's not going to take much more of a price drop to really get people into it.
I'm going to get it as soon as I get my own place.
I doubt they would ever really consider this option for gaming.
When you consider the amount of money that is lost at the moment due to piracy, this internet idea will just result in major problems.
Until they can find a way to completely kill piracy, they would never risk an idea like this.
You can already download PC games off of P2P programs, that's costing the industry loads at the moment.
Gonna change name back now!
When you consider the amount of money that is lost at the moment due to piracy, this internet idea will just result in major problems.
Until they can find a way to completely kill piracy, they would never risk an idea like this.
You can already download PC games off of P2P programs, that's costing the industry loads at the moment.
Gonna change name back now!