The beginning of the end of specialist retailers?

[Nightshape]

I've been predicting it...

 

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010...s-in-first-half

[Gfted1]

Specialist retailer GAME has revealed an

[Nightshape]

GAME suffers

[entrerix]

i'd rather see a return of the mom and pop than the success of the specialist retailer. neither seems likely to happen soon though.

 

i don't know enough about economic policy to try to suggest changes which would encourage mom-n-pop shops without causing undesired effects throughout the economy though, so i will just whistle wishes on stars for utopia while the megacorp takes over, and then gets taken over by the government, which then files bankruptcy causing a catastrophic depression in which the mom and pop store can rise again and the cycle begin anew

[Niten_Ryu]

The beginning of the end of specialist retailers?

 

Hopefully.

 

The sooner the game industry moves to direct downloads only, the better. Maybe sell ultra expensive collector editions from publisher / developers own web store. Sony will probably stay with their blue ray format at least one console generation longer (meaning up to 2020-2025) but MicroSoft might move to direct downloads only with their next console (if it's out by 2014 or later). They'll probably make exclusive deals with ISPs, especially in US (and similar places) since otherwise draconian downloads caps will become bottleneck.

 

With Steam and other DD services, I'm basically moved away from boxed games complitely (on PC obviously). Unlimited bandwidth, relatively cheap prices and fast connections make sure that in Finland specialist retailers days are numbered.

[Mamoulian War]

less specialist retailers = less places to see games = less advertisement, which can lead to lower sales numbers, which can lead to more publishers crying about piracy... we'll see how it turns out, but I am not willing to pay 50+ EUR for digital only products... 10 - 15 EUR is enough for a game without manual, artwork and other stuff which is added into real collector editions of games...

[Nightshape]

less specialist retailers = less places to see games = less advertisement, which can lead to lower sales numbers, which can lead to more publishers crying about piracy... we'll see how it turns out, but I am not willing to pay 50+ EUR for digital only products... 10 - 15 EUR is enough for a game without manual, artwork and other stuff which is added into real collector editions of games...

 

The end of specialist retailers doesn't mean that at all. No new release, with a AAA budget is ever going to cost 10-15 EUR. There will always be a select few who don't move with the times... Evolve or go extinct. In the end, I think you'll be left behind, which is fine by me. I really do hate it when people are so adverse to change, especially when they appear to be reasonable people.

[Mamoulian War]

I don't mind to change, but you need to change as well... 50 EUR for a disc, manual bonus artwork is fine, 50 EUR for digital download is ridiculous... i can tell that to you as well stop producing game which needs to sell 2 million copies to break even, and you might not extinct as well

 

Look how awesome minecraft is selling, look how awesome dragon quest IX is selling, take notes, and you might see a profit soon... you don't need horrendous budgets to make good games and make big profits...

 

and one more question... how do you want to compete with 50 EUR digital downloads with "free" digital downloads? imo it's much harder than to compete than with collector's editions with that kind of downloads...

[Raithe]

Frankly I stopped shopping at Game years ago.. their selection of pc games was minimal.. a couple of shelves amidst a store of console games.

 

That's what started me using Amazon to pick up my games...

[LadyCrimson]

Are we only talking about game retail stores here? Cause I think extreme "specialist" stores in general are in trouble & have been for a long time.

 

With any "specialty" retail store, as times/tech/demand & business practices change, the viability of that type of store can change. The game market & tech have changed, what people expect/want is changing...so in terms of retail store game market, yes, I think it's going away. I'm not sure the boxed game is entirely going away...you'll just have to buy it online & have it shipped to you, or do DD. No walking into a store & grabbing it from a shelf.

 

And I also tend to agree that paying the same amount of money for a DD game as we did for a boxed game is a bit of a cheat....but then, I don't know what the related costs of DD are vs. retail store costs. I'd guess less, but how much less I have no idea. For instance, how much of the retail price tag is for the marketing, manufacturing, shipping & other fee type expenses vs the actual game development related costs? Anyway, I don't think big release DD games should be $10-$15 when they first come out, but maybe $40 instead of $50-$60. Assuming it does cost less for a DD only business model, to me that should = less cost to the consumer, not just less cost/more profit to the companies.

Edited September 29, 2010 by LadyCrimson

[Humodour]

I've been predicting it...

 

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010...s-in-first-half

 

Is that GAME Australia or some other country? You can hardly compare GAME Australia to GAME UK considering the completely different states of the economies of each country for instance (for a start the UK's = **** condition, Australia's = Brilliant condition).

[Nightshape]

I don't mind to change, but you need to change as well... 50 EUR for a disc, manual bonus artwork is fine, 50 EUR for digital download is ridiculous... i can tell that to you as well stop producing game which needs to sell 2 million copies to break even, and you might not extinct as well

 

Look how awesome minecraft is selling, look how awesome dragon quest IX is selling, take notes, and you might see a profit soon... you don't need horrendous budgets to make good games and make big profits...

 

and one more question... how do you want to compete with 50 EUR digital downloads with "free" digital downloads? imo it's much harder than to compete than with collector's editions with that kind of downloads...

 

I'm sorry but I do not sell games. I do not have any control of this situation. I mostly pre-order digital downloads, becaue they're often cheaper than their disc counter-parts, alternatively, I'll pre-order from Amazon, which also works out alot cheaper.

 

The digital download market is

 

Look at how Halo : Reach, and CoD have sold... Current generation consoles are expensive to develop for, and that's where the games industry see's the money.

 

Sure you don't need a big budget to release a handheld or indie PC title, like Dragon Quest and Minecraft, but they're exceptions more than anything really.

[Nightshape]

I've been predicting it...

 

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2010...s-in-first-half

 

Is that GAME Australia or some other country? You can hardly compare GAME Australia to GAME UK considering the completely different states of the economies of each country for instance (for a start the UK's = **** condition, Australia's = Brilliant condition).

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_(retailer)

 

Wikipedia has the information you're looking for.

[Nightshape]

Frankly I stopped shopping at Game years ago.. their selection of pc games was minimal.. a couple of shelves amidst a store of console games.

 

That's what started me using Amazon to pick up my games...

 

I hear that, I eventually stopped shopping at GAME because they did the same with shelf space for new games, everything is pretty much second hand. I was a fairly early steam adopter.

 

The PC market is certainly making a move over to digital. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11397504

[mkreku]

Piracy would only stop (or at least be marginalized) if people felt they were getting the value they seek with the minimum amount of fuss.

 

Digital downloads is (currently) one step forward and two steps back. Steam is the perfect example: you only need to enter your credit card details once and then it's as easy as a few mouse clicks and you're on your way to downloading your product. Very little fuss. BUT! Steam is also offering games for

[Nightshape]

I don't disagree with you at all mkreku.

 

DD is the future though, but there will always be piracy.

 

I love services like GOG.com, whilst I also use Steam.

 

I do still occasionally buy boxed products from amazon, but I rarely seek them out, when you end up with a collection as large as my own, the boxes are infact a problem, and something I don't want.

 

I do hope prices fall though, and as such I am fond of steam sales, which have been proven to shift more units and make more cash, but I do think it will take time.

[Monte Carlo]

I like to own a physical copy of a game. I also like, like any other rational human being, to pay the most competitive price. So, yes, I've bought games at supermarkets although I'm a long-standing Game loyalty card holder and buy stuff there too.

 

Specialist retailers have to offer more to offset the competitors, the most obvious one for Game is the trade-ins for console gamers but even that doesn't appear to be working.

 

And please don't talk to me about Steam, their prices are scandalous. I'm now shopping for games online, mainly, nowadays.

[Gorgon]

Personally I think STEAM has an unrealistic idea of how prices are maintained. I'm not going to pay half the price of a new game for something that's 10 years old unless it's something I really want. I like their collection of older games, but I would rather go bargain bin hunting at those prices.

 

I also dislike all the sales. Makes me think I'm getting shafted if I buy anything at full price.

 

 

I'll be getting FO NV but other than that I'm falling out of love with STEAM.

 

 

 

 

Also, who is ever going to pay 49.99 for Caine and Lynch 2.

[Nightshape]

I like to own a physical copy of a game. I also like, like any other rational human being, to pay the most competitive price. So, yes, I've bought games at supermarkets although I'm a long-standing Game loyalty card holder and buy stuff there too.

 

Specialist retailers have to offer more to offset the competitors, the most obvious one for Game is the trade-ins for console gamers but even that doesn't appear to be working.

 

And please don't talk to me about Steam, their prices are scandalous. I'm now shopping for games online, mainly, nowadays.

 

I've got my hands on stuff dirty cheap on Steam.

 

Though software can be overpriced, it isn't always.

 

Most of all I don't understand this desire to have a physical copy, I try and avoid it whenever possible if the price isn't insanely stupid.

 

Way back when in the days before CD case's when you'd get a big old box and a manual that resembled a tome, it kind of made sense, hell if I could legally have every game I owned on digital media, I would.

 

I'm not a typical case, so my perspective is off, I purchase alot of games every month somewhere between 3-20, really depends what is released, there are many reasons for this, but mostly its a side effect of being a passionate gamer, and a developer. It's always a mixture of both download and boxed products, and naturally the boxed products take up a serious amount of shelf space, the digital ones don't.

 

So I'm really interested in what the specific reason is for desiring a boxed product.

 

On another note, on the odd occasion I do actually enter a store, I hate it when the staff try to advise me on what I should buy, pointing me to the used game section, recommending games with are terrible etc... I bought a PSPgo a while back, it annoied the crap out of them, they did EVERYTHING to try and get me to buy any other psp, past offering me anything free. My main problem is that your average consumer will trust the retailer, and as a result you're likely to be advised in regards to what is best for them, and not what is best for you. Then again... I use automated check out till, go to late night cinema's, and generally try and avoid other people... So it's probably me.

[Gfted1]

So I'm really interested in what the specific reason is for desiring a boxed product.

 

 

IMO, its because having a physical copy gives people a feeling of ownership where a digital copy is at the discretion of the supplier. The faux GoG going out of business and the resultant "what about my games" is a good example of this. If we could somehow "own" the digital version I dont think as many people would be adverse to it.

[Serrano]

Most of all I don't understand this desire to have a physical copy, I try and avoid it whenever possible if the price isn't insanely stupid.

 

The prices on steam when something is on sale can't be beat. Cities XL for

[Nightshape]

So I'm really interested in what the specific reason is for desiring a boxed product.

 

 

IMO, its because having a physical copy gives people a feeling of ownership where a digital copy is at the discretion of the supplier. The faux GoG going out of business and the resultant "what about my games" is a good example of this. If we could somehow "own" the digital version I dont think as many people would be adverse to it.

 

I see your point, but lets just pretend that for some reason steam and gog, went bust, and I'd not backed-up anything physical myself... Well, i assure you at that point "other means" become perfectly acceptable in my opinion, regardless of legality.

 

I agree though, I think there needs to be more assurance in terms of access to software purchased regardless of the suppliers result.

 

In gog.com's case, I've bought alot of stuff from gog, had they shut, I'd be angry at myself because I've not held onto the installer packages, at which point I'd be looking for access to those files.

 

I would like to see what would happen if a subscription service was in place, access to X number of installed games at any point for a cost of Y dollars a month. That could work as you'd be constantly renting games.

 

Your right though, right now its a matter of how much an individual trusts steam, or GOG.com. As one of the lucky individuals in the word who hasn't been bit in the butt by DRM, Steam etc... (With the exception of gamers gate which I shall never be using again), I'm still fairly trusting. I do understand that is an issue for people, I just don't see those people as being satisfied consumers in the long run. Retailers days are numbered.

[Gfted1]

In gog.com's case, I've bought alot of stuff from gog, had they shut, I'd be angry at myself because I've not held onto the installer packages, at which point I'd be looking for access to those files.

 

Interesting you should mention that, I have a question. When I purchased BG from GoG the first step was to download or run the file. I chose to download it to a folder and then run it from there. Is that the installer package you are referring to? Does my downloading it to a folder on my PC mean Im safe from GoG going belly up? That I can just install it whenever I want regardless of GoG or does it still phone home to GoG before firing up the installer?

[Nightshape]

In gog.com's case, I've bought alot of stuff from gog, had they shut, I'd be angry at myself because I've not held onto the installer packages, at which point I'd be looking for access to those files.

 

Interesting you should mention that, I have a question. When I purchased BG from GoG the first step was to download or run the file. I chose to download it to a folder and then run it from there. Is that the installer package you are referring to? Does my downloading it to a folder on my PC mean Im safe from GoG going belly up? That I can just install it whenever I want regardless of GoG or does it still phone home to GoG before firing up the installer?

 

Basically having the installer package means you can install it where you want and when you want.

[LadyCrimson]

Retailers days are numbered.

For video games and perhaps movie rentals, I'd agree....as long as cable/network companies can/are willing to keep up (in a fairly timely & quality manner (severe throttling/compression isn't it) with the ever increasing bandwidth needs of a hugely growing download market, via expanding and also tearing down/rebuilding their infrastructures for everyone over time, as well as keeping their subscription prices low enough. I have my doubts on that, but as always, what do I know...we shall see.

 

In terms of physical disc vs. digital...yup, pretty much what the others said. I obviously have little issue with GoG.com's DD model, but something like Steam I do have issues with.

On the purely emotional side, while I understand not everyone has lots o' storage space, keeping/collecting boxes/discs/manuals/art for me was kind of like collecting old comics or books and emotionally, for people like myself, it's hard to let go of that. I imagine the day will come when comics are also all digital all the time, and (some) comic collectors may feel the same way. It's just not the same holding a memory stick in your hand.