Striped Shirt Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Uh, why the hell should Nintendo care about making digital distribution the norm? I personally like having cartridges and manuals and packaging. Because it would be incredibly profitable? Everyone prefers their packaging, which is why no one will buy a game digitally for the same price as a physical copy. But again, digital distribution has a lot of potential for easing acquisition for the customer, and maximizing profits for the developer, but no one's attempting to explore that potential for fear of upsetting the status quo. Many well-known developers have come out admitting that the standard retail price for a single game is too expensive, and that lower costs all around would result in a much more stable industry, but ultimately no one's followed through on this. Nintendo could've pioneered this, but they can't even figure out how to price their smaller things correctly. And no doubt if retailers could get rid of developers they would probably do the same. Capitalism! Except, wait, Nintendo /aren't/ taking the opportunity to undercut physical retailers. So I guess you're wrong. I'm not even sure what you're trying to say, but I'm not talking about undercutting retailers, I'm talking about not making a digital copy cost more than a physical one. All publishers have been guilty of this, it's like they're actively trying to get you to buy your games used and discounted, but Nintendo just doesn't know how to price their digital media correctly; their Wii and 3DS eShops are all too overpriced for them to catch on, and the same is going to happen here. They're just constantly passing up opportunities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Othin Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Despite its shortcomings, digital distribution inherently means lower prices for the consumer, more profits for the developer, or both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jediabiwan Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Because it would be incredibly profitable? Everyone prefers their packaging, which is why no one will buy a game digitally for the same price as a physical copy. Really? I'm primarily a PC gamer and its far different here. Plenty of people buy the game digitally for the same price. In fact, I'm often willing to pay slightly more just to be able to download a game through steam as its far more convenient having all my games in one place. I mean look at one of the recent top PC games Diablo 3. I don't think there are actual numbers of the digital downloads but I know all my friends that bought the game got it digitally. Now the system Nintedo has set up is nowhere near as nice as most other download services. With most other services its easy to re-download any game you have purchased making that purchase more secure than an actual physical copy you could lose or break. I'm not sure how hard it is to transfer downloaded 3DS games but it does make the digital version less appealing. However having all your games in one place without having to carry around the cartridges is VERY convenient and is a good point in digital downloading's favor. Plus there is something to be said about the ease of simply downloading a game instead of trying to find a store that has it or waiting for it to be shipped to you. Anyways, I actually support digital downloads, even at the same price. Unlike everyone else who seems to hate them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Odinson Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 (edited) Well, they let you redownload things you already have done. Would it keep my save files though? I like my save files. If it keeps my save files I'd consider getting it over the hard copy, actually ,due to my unfortunate tendency to misplace things. Edited June 16, 2012 by Fat Bunny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Would it keep my save files though? I like my save files. If it keeps my save files I'd consider getting it over the hard copy, actually ,due to my unfortunate tendency to misplace things. If you're going for a digital purchase, your save files'll be on the sd card, I think. Pretty much the way it works with a PSP. I doubt you'd be able to lose your data in that case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor Odinson Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 I see, that'd be pretty cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Actually, now that I think about it - Everything, including the game data, will be on an SD card, so unless you lose the card itself, neither your games nor your data will vanish (unless you delete it or something). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striped Shirt Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 (edited) Really? I'm primarily a PC gamer and its far different here. Plenty of people buy the game digitally for the same price. In fact, I'm often willing to pay slightly more just to be able to download a game through steam as its far more convenient having all my games in one place. Exactly. Digital distribution is much more widespread on the PC because they have the proper means to support it. Services like Steam and other online aggregators have shown that people are more than willing to give up their precious manuals and DVD cases for the convenience of having all their games neatly at their fingertips. As long as they have an internet connection. Console gaming seems to fall flat on it's face with nearly every attempt at this, though. And while it's not a perfect comparison, I really do think the ridiculous popularity of Steam's sales is proof that lower game prices would go a long way towards helping games become more widespread, which means more games for the individual and more sales for the companies. Of course, that's assuming there's an audience waiting for those extra games; the anime industry's a good example of what happens when there's no market left to expand into. Edited June 17, 2012 by Striped Shirt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Polaris Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 I don't think Steam games are sold at lower prices though. In fact, some developers actually price higher than the physical copy, especially in the eurozone, according to wikipedia. So your point is kind of moot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Striped Shirt Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 (edited) I don't think Steam games are sold at lower prices though. In fact, some developers actually price higher than the physical copy, especially in the eurozone, according to wikipedia. So your point is kind of moot. I was talking about Steam's sales, and the huge amount of awareness they provide games that people would otherwise pass up as being not worth the full pricetag. Games are, in general, overpriced. Everyone knows this, many developers have come out and stated that retail price should be lowered, as well as the benefits of doing so, but no one has taken the initiative to actually do so to reach a broader market. I'm just getting really tired of watching the games industry constantly shoot itself in the foot with every attempt to push digital distribution. Edited June 17, 2012 by Striped Shirt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrashGordon94 Posted June 17, 2012 Share Posted June 17, 2012 Would it keep my save files though? I like my save files. If it keeps my save files I'd consider getting it over the hard copy, actually ,due to my unfortunate tendency to misplace things. I don't think so but you wouldn't have to buy the game again. However the other guy said otherwise so maybe I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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