Yeah, I think what we're all forgetting for the sake of debating various points is that anything Zune is a failure continuing to survive by deep MS pockets underwriting it. Zune has no viable market, therefore Zune content has no viable market, ergo if NBC wants in on DLC they will be back to iTunes in addition to other outlets. It's been said before but worth repeating, Apple is first in the digital media player and DLC market. MS is second. But this is misleading. This is far more misleading than saying McCain was first in the national Republican nominee race and Huckabee was second. Apple has about 80% of the worldwide hardware -- even flash players, now -- and DLC market. EVERYONE ELSE, EVERY SINGLE MAKER of some kind of media player and/or some kind of DLC store, has the remaining 20%. For MS to be second, they could have 1.5% of the market. It may not be that small, but it's small.
You can make the case that Apple did fine with 2.4% of the computer market. Sure. If MS will settle for a niche market, they can have 2.4% of the media hardware and DLC market. But when EA published The Sims, they did not make a version only for Mac OS. In order to make money with DLC, NBC can certainly sell on the Zune store, but they have to sell on the iTunes store, too.
NBC is just playing more in the long line of "we can teach Steve Jobs he is not going to remake the entertainment media content industry". Just like the record labels. Just like the movie studios: No movies, TV only. Okay, catalog movies only. Okay, new movies, but not the good stuff, and no day-and-date w/ DVD new release movies. Okay, the good stuff. Okay, day-and-date new releases, but rentals only, maybe indefinitely. Okay, day-and-date new releases, rental or purchase, your choice. Way to show that idiot Steve Jobs, boys.
Let NBC have their try. They've always been recalcitrant, holding back ER from the iTunes Store when it was -- and may still be, which says something -- their signature property. But let them give it a go. Won't work. People like what Jobs and Apple are doing in entertainment media. It's fast, convenient, has infinite stock and a massive, diverse catalog, even including lots of "imports" -- digital download agreements for artists with no physical media distribution contracts in the States -- the return of the hallowed single, darling of my youth, at right about the freaking cost of the vinyl single when it vanished, the best price on albums 99+% of the time. And now video, day of release, rent or buy, at rental prices equal to the all but defunct traditional rental outlets -- hell, just about more DVDs are sold now than rented at a place to Blockbuster, the physical stores -- and purchase prices a dollar cheaper than the steepest release-week discounts.
Wow, we're getting reasonably slammed and nefariously gouged left and right at retail and in the hospitality industry based on "rising transportation and fuel costs", getting killed at the gas and diesel pump -- $40 to fill the tank of late-model Honda Civic coupé; that's even funny! -- we practically HAVE to stay home most of our off time and holidays, and here's this freak Jobs at Apple giving us something we can enjoy at a price we can afford. And NBC wonders why he has such power in the industry? And Jobs is making a killing, but he figured out the trick: You can get filthy rich making a good deal for your customers, no altruism required.
