PC Retail is dead. Long Live Digital Distribution!

[Satoru]

http://www.stardock.com/about/newsitem.asp?id=2738

Sort of an interesting trend. Not being at retail was considered 'bad' yet if Rebellion can move 100k units in a month without it, that's pretty damn impressive.

The lack of cannibalization that was predicted is also very interesting. Might be interesting to bring that up in the 'are there enough digital distribution store' thread going on. The DD pie isn't a zero sum game yet.

It certainly flies in the face of EA's statements, and falls much more in line with data from other developers who have more or less universally indicated that being on Steam, and their sales are great revenue boosters.

(Note that EA's position isn't entirely an Origin vs Steam thing but as I've posted in the EA-bashing-thread-of-the-week, simply a fear that PC gaming might endup like Facebook/Apple store which I definitely agree would be horribly horribly bad. Whether you like EA or not, you'd best not ignore EA's warnings)

Still doesn't excuse how terrible Elemental was. Hopefully FE will be a LOT better.

[Antichrist XVII]

Retail is as dead as PC gaming is.

[BahamutxD]

Originally Posted by Antichrist XVII

Retail is as dead as PC gaming is.

Yeah Yeah, get back to the cave

PC Game sales are increasing a lot and Console ones are decreasing. PC will take over in the next years.

[Satoru]

Originally Posted by Antichrist XVII

Retail is as dead as PC gaming is.

Well certainly for consoles it's still very relevant.

PC retail has been declining quite rapidly over the past few years. Gamestop's section is usually a tiny rack in the back covered in dust. Walmart's section is also quite paltry and tucked away from the glitz of the console section.

but the idea you can move 100k units without retail in a month, is quite an astonishing thing.

[Captain Morti]

Digital distributions live and reign and conquer the world.

[nKD Litego]

I haven't bought a retail game since 2009 and don't plan on buying another one ever again. Digital distribution FTW!

[Astrixzero]

Originally Posted by Satoru

Well certainly for consoles it's still very relevant.

PC retail has been declining quite rapidly over the past few years. Gamestop's section is usually a tiny rack in the back covered in dust. Walmart's section is also quite paltry and tucked away from the glitz of the console section.

but the idea you can move 100k units without retail in a month, is quite an astonishing thing.

Well in my local game store the PC section consists largely of casual titles like Angry Birds and hidden object games, so retail PC games are nowhere as dead it's moving to a different audience.

[xXFallout21Xx]

I have to agree with this, it's a lot easier to buy a game, download it and have it in 20 or so minutes than have to drive to a store, buy it and install the discs with the product codes, etc.

But I still do buy games retail if I can, I like having a physical copy for some reason, it seems more rewarding, idk.

[Lepinkäinen]

If by retail you mean online stores for those shinier collectors edition, then no it is not! Otherwise I don´t care.

[Thumbtack Jake]

Originally Posted by Satoru

Well certainly for consoles it's still very relevant.

PC retail has been declining quite rapidly over the past few years. Gamestop's section is usually a tiny rack in the back covered in dust. Walmart's section is also quite paltry and tucked away from the glitz of the console section.

That's how the local Gamestop is. Way back when when it used to be funcoland (and then I believe it was EB Games) there was a decent sized wall dedicated to PC games. Now it's just a small sliver advertising Gamestops digital distribution services (since they bought Impulse) and a few boxes of World of Warcraft.

Walmart's section sort of makes me laugh. Again, they used to have a fairly decent sized section, now it's just a small sliver back past console games. What makes me laugh is, they lock up all the console games behind glass, but all the PC games (even the more expensive and popular ones like Diablo 3) are just sitting on the shelf, as if stolen PC games are no worry to them.

[HellAvenger]

people need to stop making "something something is dead" comment. We will talk about a dying segment when a comprehensive statistic study shows it is dead. Apparently it is not yet dead, look at blizzard games

[TheInsaneDump]

Originally Posted by HellAvenger

Apparently it is not yet dead, look at blizzard games

Aside from a few major releases, that's pretty much all you see on a shelf.

[HellAvenger]

Originally Posted by TheInsaneDump

Aside from a few major releases, that's pretty much all you see on a shelf.

if it is dead, then I would not see any game on shelves. Plus from steam perspective, a lot of games are not even on steam.

Those are SERIOUS major releases

[nKD Litego]

Originally Posted by HellAvenger

Those are SERIOUS major releases

More and more major releases will stop being released on steam, that does not make their retail sales go up. Other platforms will start to get more popular. I did not purchase a retail of Diablo 3 in a store, I used Battle.net, Blizzards digital distribution.

If PC retail is not dead yet, then it surely will die soon. The only form of retail worth having around is collectors edition. And even there we start seeing more digital collectors editions.

[h261346]

What i do like about digital distribution is that I dont have anymore thousands of boxs around the house, and that all the games are now kept organized in a (digital) library