We’ll always need traditional channel for hardware sales, says Sony boss
President of Sony Computer Entertainment Kaz Hirai has told MCV that the platform holder believes High Street games retail will still have a major role to play in the future.
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe boss Ray Maguire recently told an ELSPA conference that Sony expected digital distribution would make up 90 per cent of video game sales by 2018.
However, Hirai said that, whatever the outcome of the growth in digital distribution, Sony was keen to keep its relationship with the hgh Street ‘intact’ – because “you might be able to download a game but you can’t download a console”.
Hirai told MCV:
“I think the relationships we have with retail in all of our markets are very important and that’s something that we are going to make sure we keep intact. We need to have that relationship with retailers because you might be able to download a game but you can’t download a console.”
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Comments
Is there not another way?
I always wonder if this would be challenged with a "cable -style-set top" box that sat in the living room somewhere. Everything was downloaded.Im talking at least 10yrs from now, I love the idea of digital distribution, but even I can see how flawed it is with the current Net infrastructure in Europe and particularly the UK. Look at the BBC iplayer, not been out long and already the UK ISP's are screaming that it is the root of all evil for bandwith usage ( its wierd, as up until recently, they were always saying it was Torrent downloads - strange eh?) Lets just say, its content was protected like the 360/PS3, but every few years or so an easy gfx card-type slot-in was required, wouldnt this not only change how we purchased hardware, but how Sony, M$, And Nintendo etc. Business models would exist?
Total "pie in the sky theory" so feel free to blast away, just i do believe there is a third way. I don't know how long i can put up with buying lumps of pastic with a different badge on, just so i can play a couple of exclusives. Maybe im still too much of a recent PC-to-Console convert. Who knows, give it a couple of more years, and i might start displaying some fanboyish views like other posters on this site . . . . .
Re: Is there not another way?
You make some good points woodins. The UK market doesnt have the infrastructure yet. Digital distribution will increase significantly by 2018 but I doubt Kaz's prediction that it will be 90%. Look at mp3s, little small music files and yet CD sales still have significant market share.
iPlayer is root of all evil but for another reason.
BBC's iPlayer is the last nail in the coffin of freedom from theTV License.
If you care to read the TV Licensing rules on their web site, you will notice that they consider any live streamed broadcasts from the BBC, like iPlayer news and football, to be classed as requiring a TV license!
Effectively, that makes the TV License a tax imposed on everyone, even if you don't own a television (like me) - all you need now to be guilty is a PC or one of the consoles!
That's the wake up call...Root of all evil? DEFINITELY!!!
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MCV is the leading trade news and community site for all professionals working within the UK and international video games market. It reaches everyone from store manager to CEO, covering the entire industry. MCV is published by Intent Media, which specialises in entertainment, leisure and technology markets