EA VP Pushes Digital Content Distribution (March 3, 2006)

ChrisReid

ChrisReid

Super Soaker Collector / Administrator
The Electronic Arts vice president of sales for Europe has predicted that virtually all entertainment media will be available via download within ten years. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Dr. Jens Uwe Intat said that music, movies and video games will all be primarily served by distribution systems such as EA Downloader. The company currently sells expansion packs via the service and is also a major partner is offering trailers and demos via XBox Live Marketplace. You can find the complete article here.
Dr. Intat told GamesIndustry.biz that ten years from now "CDs, DVDs and boxed games will be as antiquated as cassette tapes and vinyl records."

"Secondly, there will always be - well, always is a little too far-reaching maybe, but for a very long time there will still be distribution of physical products. We should not underestimate the value of the reach that we do have today with our products - the impulse purchases that people are making, and that there are a huge amount of consumers out there who still want to buy physical products. The gift market also, the parents and grandmothers who still want to purchase presents for kids, and will still continue purchasing products in physical form," he concluded.
Click to expand...


--
Original update published on March 3, 2006
 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is a truly disturbing trend but one that has gained momentum over the past few years. The record industry would love to adopt this model but so far hasn't convinced the buying public, yet oddly enough it's the public's desire for "on demand" content that seems to be driving it. It only takes a few well placed executives to take advantage of this and steer it in a industry friendly direction.

I'd go one step further then this statement and say in 15-20 years there will be no downloadable media, you will only pay to gain access to the media. Much like television, maybe more like a cross between a TV and a vending machine. It'd be like going to the theater every time you wanted to watch a movie, having to pay for it each and every time you do, left with only your ticket stub to show for it.

I hope this isn't the way things go, I like having the freedom to watch what I want, when I want and not having the hassle of getting someone else's say so.
 
I don't have a problem with downloadable media as long as I can burn a backup copy on any media I choose AND as long as it can be installed on as many machines as I choose (so no need to reregister or anything should parts of your hardware go belly up and need replacing). Basically as long as it is ensured that even if the producer of the game goes bancrupt or doesn't want the game to exist anymore that he cannot do a thing about me continuing using it I am fine. Anything else is simply unacceptable.
And yes, this definitely means that Steam is NOT acceptable.
 
Sonic TH said:
This is a truly disturbing trend but one that has gained momentum over the past few years. The record industry would love to adopt this model but so far hasn't convinced the buying public, yet oddly enough it's the public's desire for "on demand" content that seems to be driving it. It only takes a few well placed executives to take advantage of this and steer it in a industry friendly direction.
Click to expand...
Oooh, here we go with the evil record industry.

Lemme get this straight. It was all well and good while it was just Napster and Kazaa that were doing the music distribution online... but when the record industry steps in and tries to counter piracy by allowing people to buy music online, it suddenly turns out that they're cynically trying to convince the public towards a cheaper model of distribution? Wake up, it's the public that's managed to convince the record industry, not vice-versa.
 
Didn't I just say that? Oh well you don't get it now but if things go for worse you will.

Take for example DVDs with DRM. Or try playing half-life 2. Try using 3DS without backburner. It's like the old "get out your manual" copy protection only on everything from OS software to music and the manual is now an internet account.

Just for the record I have out of print games I bought brand new but since lost the manual and now cannot play them. Can't contact the company either since they are no longer around. But at least I only had to buy that game once and not pay a fee every month.

I would love to pay for things and download them, I don't have a problem with the industry making money as long as we still have some ownership of what we pay for.
 
That's the thing, though. You're fusing together two entirely separate things - downloadable content, and... well, all that Steam idiocy. I agree that things like Steam are absolutely horrible and stupid (at least from the perspective of people that want to be able to play HL2 fifty years after Valve is dead and buried; Valve itself presumably has their reasons for it, though I'd still argue that if fighting piracy is their main reason, then they're a bunch of total imbeciles). But the other thing - the idea of using the internet as a distribution channel, where you pay to download a game rather than for a CD/DVD, that's an entirely separate and entirely positive thing. I mean, I personally would never buy a downloadable edition if I could have a proper boxed edition, but I'm sure there's people out there who are happy about this.
 
That's one of the few things I like about DVR, I can get a PPV event(for instance, last night's UFC 58), and watch it at my leisure any time in the future. Now, a broadband solution (perhaps the cable company's "On Demand" system as an example, but on a broader scale), wouldn't be bad at all. as it stands, one of the only reasons I don't have cable instead of satelite is the abysmal DVR and On-Demand support. (Time-Warner being my particular option for said service)
 
Theoretically downloadable games and media should result in lower prices as the cost to distribute is much less than actually printing and manufacturing a box copy of game. However, I seriously doubt any major publisher is going to lower their prices just because they push out an "online distribution only" game with lower margins. I don't have a strong opinion either way on this except to echo Cff's thoughts on I should be allowed to install it over and over again as I see fit (say if I have to wipe my hard drive or I buy a new computer etc). I also hope it wouldn't involve a long registration process etc. Theoretically it should be as simple as just clicking a button...
 
I've bought download only games but that's not what I'm refering to.

Now mind you I haven't tried it yet so I could be wrong but there was a news story posted a few days ago about GampTap. You pay a access fee so you can play older games. Great, but you don't buy the games, as I understand it, you only buy the service. That's what I'm afraid will happen with all content, in fact it is already happening with some content to be sure.

I guess it's just a rant on my part but sometimes I feel the need to say "the end is nigh" or I'd just explode. Maybe it'll all work out, I hope it does but I'm not a trusting person. We're talking about a business after all, the goal of which is to make as much money as possible. Having things like "fair use rights" isn't profitable. Unless, of course, it's the only way people will buy the product. That's where it seems to stand right now, people aren't yet willing to give that up, once people accept that it's a service and not a product the end user will be at the content provider's mercy.

Yeah I could be totally wrong, just paranoid, hope I am.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top