[NEWS] Sony: Expect game discs for at least 10 years

[gkarris]

Well, at least we'll get discs for games for awhile...

(collector here - hates "downloads")


http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20014775-17.html

Sony: Expect game discs for at least 10 years
by Don Reisinger

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Kaz Hirai, a person who is definitely in the position to decide the fate of physical media, says he expects game discs to be around for quite a while.

Hirai told game industry site MCV that Sony still operates in areas across the globe that do not offer the "network infrastructure" necessary to handle downloadable games. And due to Sony's size and reach, Hirai said, "there's always going to be requirement" for physical discs.

This doesn't mean that Sony doesn't see physical discs eventually giving way to downloadable titles. Hirai just doesn't see it happening anytime soon.

"To think everything will be downloaded in 2 years, 3 years or even 10 years from now is taking it a little bit to the extreme," Hirai told MCV.

That said, downloadable content is continuing to spread. There are several titles on Sony's PlayStation Network that can be downloaded, and Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade has become a successful platform for the company.

Still, the prospect of every full-fledged title being made available as a download in the next few years, at least according to Hirai, just isn't in the cards.

 

[Hellhammer]

Sony owns Blu-Ray so this wasn't a surprise. Also, imagine 50GB download if you're capped, that's not nice! Games will also keep growing in size while internet speeds are still what they are. As Hirai said, the internet is the issue because not everyone has uncapped, high speed internet which is IMO needed for downloading something like games

 

[txa1265]

Of course, since it now appears that Sony orchestrated the PSP Go to be a failure in order to bolster exactly this sort of thing, it is not surprising.

 

[0098386]

Thank god for that. I love downloads for PC (140 Steam games and counting) but I love the occasional collectors edition when it comes to console games.

I used to hate DD because of our connection speed. But now we're at 40mbps (downloaded the new Worms Reloaded in 2 minutes) and I'm still not convinced. It's a great way for manufacturers to grab you by the balls, to surrender your software to their reliability record and to prevent sharing of games. But it's not for me.

Reading between the lines I guess this means the PSP 2 will continue the optical and download method used by the PSP-3000.

 

[kernkraft]

So the question is: when will Apple have the first Blu-Ray drive installed? Or do they think that downloading 50GB data for a film is OK (or even a quarter of that)?

 

[sikkinixx]

How is this surprising? PS4 will have discs (duh.) and that'll be about it. PS3 has another few left it in, then PS4's life-cycle. It'll be close to a decade by the time PS5 ever comes out.

 

[gkarris]

So the question is: when will Apple have the first Blu-Ray drive installed? Or do they think that downloading 50GB data for a film is OK (or even a quarter of that)?

For shows, studios want to eventually go to an on-demand, Pay-Per-View model (they hate making discs and only making money when the disc is first sold). Hence, the whole discussion about 720 being "good enough".

Game publishers are on ground with this type of thinking - what happens when you need to "go to the next level" but can't because your connection is down?

My concern is that with all the wireless carriers now capping usage or charging "extra" for going over, will wired carriers follow? (remember when ATM's were FREE to use?)

Imagine paying $40 for a "game download" and then paying an extra $30 to download it that month...

 

[rezenclowd3]

Good, because I would be so very irked when dusting off the PS3 to find my downloads corrupted...

I do agree, I do not see physical media being replaced anytime soon.

 

[StruckANerve]

I hate discs but I also realize Internet speeds are not up to par yet to eradicate physical media. I would be perfectly happy with a game cartridge. Something similar to a flash drive that you just plugged into the console would be so much better than discs becoming unplayable because they are scratched.

 

[txa1265]

I hate discs but I also realize Internet speeds are not up to par yet to eradicate physical media. I would be perfectly happy with a game cartridge. Something similar to a flash drive that you just plugged into the console would be so much better than discs becoming unplayable because they are scratched.

See ... I don't get that - it is like you guys are drinking the Sony kool-aid. PC gamers are regularly downloading 15 - 20GB games already, and have been for a few years. So ... what is the problem?

 

[zap2]

See ... I don't get that - it is like you guys are drinking the Sony kool-aid. PC gamers are regularly downloading 15 - 20GB games already, and have been for a few years. So ... what is the problem?

Can you give an example of a "full" PC game thats been released download only? I fully support downloadable "full" console games(as some PS3 and Xbox 360 games are,the Wii just doesn't have the storage to support it), but not as the only way to play buy games. Based off Sony's PSP Go, I'd say we have a while before they could do a downloadable console.


Also following the PC's lead on gaming things isn't likely to happen considering the shape of the PC gaming market.

 

[0098386]

Can you give an example of a "full" PC game thats been released download only?

Disc sales of Valves titles have always been very poor. So technically they're not download-only (except maybe Counter Strike Source) but them, and Steam itself, has proved that PC users don't mind DD.

See ... I don't get that - it is like you guys are drinking the Sony kool-aid. PC gamers are regularly downloading 15 - 20GB games already, and have been for a few years. So ... what is the problem?

It's a different kettle of fish with consoles though. Sony, MS, Nintendo... they're known to be quite obstructive with their "download rights". The console second hand market is also a lot bigger than the PC one, not sure why that is. With DD you don't have that - there's no trading, no portability, can be lost by either losing the console or account and have no value at all with them. And to collectors and people who enjoy the possession of a game then you're going to stick with discs.

I've only got a few Limited/Collectors Edition games and it does make me feel warm and bubbly inside just for owning them. There are games on Steam that I adore and am a massive fanboy of (L4D, TF2) but theres still no real value in them.

 

[gkarris]

It's a different kettle of fish with consoles though. Sony, MS, Nintendo... they're known to be quite obstructive with their "download rights". The console second hand market is also a lot bigger than the PC one, not sure why that is. With DD you don't have that - there's no trading, no portability, can be lost by either losing the console or account and have no value at all with them. And to collectors and people who enjoy the possession of a game then you're going to stick with discs.

I've only got a few Limited/Collectors Edition games and it does make me feel warm and bubbly inside just for owning them. There are games on Steam that I adore and am a massive fanboy of (L4D, TF2) but theres still no real value in them.

TRON Legacy (Sequel to TRON) will be out in December - as well as the videogames... My bank account is going to be soooo empty.... (Special Editions will be $130... )

The TRON Legacy Controllers for XB360/PS3/Wii will be keeping my Mattel M-Network TRON Joystick for the Atari 2600 good company...