Why Not Digitial Distribution?

[Gandalf Parker]

Another point is that DD is not a finalized solution. It is a proven one, but not a finalized one. There is no ready-made package for providing DD which is secure for both customer and distributor. Its not like shopping carts, or online sales. Basically the concept of DD is still alpha for each company doing it.

Figuring in the possible gains of a slightly increased market vs the possible losses of putting the biggest money-maker onto DD too soon is likely to also fit into the formula.

[Endoperez]

Originally Posted by Gandalf Parker

Another point is that DD is not a finalized solution. It is a proven one, but not a finalized one. There is no ready-made package for providing DD which is secure for both customer and distributor. Its not like shopping carts, or online sales. Basically the concept of DD is still alpha for each company doing it.

I think this has started to change, or has been taken care of already. Valve's Steam has been around for a while, and it's offering services to third-party games. Steam's competitors might still have some quirks to take care of, but since they already have Steam to copy from they can focus on the security issues. Even the newest game consoles offer games (mostly small ones) through their network services.

Not that it necessarily affects Shrapnel Games' decisions.

[Omnirizon]

Originally Posted by Endoperez

I think this has started to change, or has been taken care of already. Valve's Steam has been around for a while, and it's offering services to third-party games. Steam's competitors might still have some quirks to take care of, but since they already have Steam to copy from they can focus on the security issues. Even the newest game consoles offer games (mostly small ones) through their network services.

Not that it necessarily affects Shrapnel Games' decisions.

in the ramp up to the Wii, Nintendo actively stamped out any trace of ROMs of Nintendo published games across the interwebs; all because they intended to make all these old games available as downloads on the Wii and didn't want the presence of ROMs cutting in.

Not that it had any effect, seriously. First off, the experience of playing a game on an actual console, with proper sound, control, and a big TV is leagues beyond a ROM on an emulator. If I had a ROM on an emulator that I liked, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase it if I could play it on my console and it was as easy as getting it through DD. Second off, Nintendo didn't really do much by stamping out the presence of ROMs through direct download except to push connoisseurs to package all the Nintendo published ROMs in torrent downloads and provide a large population of active torrents for these ROMs, allowing them to all be gotten at once for much easier; Iron Law of Prohibition strikes again.

Back to my main point. DD is beyond alpha. It's being used by major corporations to give greater coverage to their marginal products.