Well Valve have got one thing right, that's for sure.

Post by **dzjepp** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:13 pm

Well DODS is an exception. When bought online Valve reaps all the benefits, but in stores EA gets a slice of the pie (aren't they the ones publishing Valve games now?) However for other titles I imagine these http://www.genericsoftwarestore.com sites still have to pay a premium, they most likely have to buy it like a brick-n-mortar would, then they do whatever ripping is necessary to put it up for online purchase.

Post by **MKJ** » Mon Jan 02, 2006 11:47 pm

Grudge wrote:Steam-like products are the future of computer game distribution. You will probably no longer be able to buy retail game boxes in stores in 5 years, at least not PC games.

that would suck

Post by **SOAPboy** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:22 am

mjrpes wrote:Does steam let you redownload the game if your harddrive gets borked and you don't have a backup?

Besides the DRM issues, that's the one thing I disklike about itunes... you should be able to redownload your music if your harddrive gets borked and you don't have a backup.

Yep..

Thats how i reinstall HL2 on format nights.. i install steam, then when i goto bed i click "install" on everything i want.. i wake up with it done..

Post by **seremtan** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:26 am

you have format nights?

Post by **primaltheory** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:36 am

I do too, I find that If I don't format every other month, I start to slow down and I loose files more often.

Post by **SOAPboy** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 1:49 am

seremtan wrote:you have format nights?

yeah, once a month or so.. since i have 2 machines most people dont notice im gone because ill just game on the second. :icon25:

Post by **seremtan** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:51 am

primaltheory wrote:I do too, I find that If I don't format every other month, I start to slow down and I loose files more often.

yep, all that gay asian porn needs backin' up

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 5:44 am

Foo wrote: Is iTunes the future of music sales? Of course not, it's just a new option. Digital content delivery wont replace tangible sales anytime soon, if at all.

unfortunately, i think you're wrong here.

Post by **andyman** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:28 am

SOAPboy wrote:
seremtan wrote:you have format nights?
yeah, once a month or so.. since i have 2 machines most people dont notice im gone because ill just game on the second. :icon25:

wow. i mean that without the pun too.

Post by **SOAPboy** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:29 am

andyman wrote:
SOAPboy wrote:
seremtan wrote:you have format nights?
yeah, once a month or so.. since i have 2 machines most people dont notice im gone because ill just game on the second. :icon25:
wow. i mean that without the pun too.

Im on my machines alot, they get registry clutter and all kinds of nonsense..

I want my machine (main gaming rig, this pos here can fuck off) to run like its new 24/7, dont matter how much you clean a machine up, it will NEVER run like a fresh format..

Post by **Whiskey 7** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:20 am

scourge34 wrote:I'd rather have an original copy myself. I bought my HL2 at a retail store.

Me too :icon25:
Despite all the for and against arguments here, and btw I don't mind Steam but I too would never buy a game through it because there is still a lot to be said for owning the original hard copy :icon25:

Edit: smelling :icon23:

Post by **4days** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:23 am

that and being able to play the sp as soon as you install it. didn't get into hl2 enough to remember - didn't you have to register it online before you could play the thing?

Post by **Foo** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 10:33 am

+JuggerNaut+ wrote:
Foo wrote: Is iTunes the future of music sales? Of course not, it's just a new option. Digital content delivery wont replace tangible sales anytime soon, if at all.
unfortunately, i think you're wrong here.

And your reasoning is?

Supply and Demand still works - We're not entirely at the whim of big corporations quite yet, and if people are buying in stores rather than on the net, then there will continue to be stores serving that need. To this date, I don't know anyone who's bought a game online other than in tangible form. It would seem there are one or two people here who have, but this forum represents just a small slice of the population, and it's the tech-savvy side as well.

There are solid reasons why one might want a physical product rather than an electronic 'leased' piece of software, too.

First, most important to the tech-savvy, is the security of knowing you own the product for the duration in which you preserve the media - an encrypted digital copy gives you no such security.

Second, humans love possesion of tangible objects - that's why we don't just throw out CD cases and pop the disc in a wallet when we buy new albums - we put them on a shelf instead.

Post by **bitWISE** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:32 pm

Xfire is close to being a Steam clone. It has the architecture to execute automated game updates but doesn't currently.

Post by **Scourge** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:36 pm

4days wrote:that and being able to play the sp as soon as you install it. didn't get into hl2 enough to remember - didn't you have to register it online before you could play the thing?

You have to go online to decrypt the game files before you can play. That is until you burn a backup of your game data which I still haven't gotten around to doing. But like I said, it was probably a total of 20 minutes from popping in the first cd to starting the game. To me, that's not too bad.

Post by **R00k** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 2:31 pm

Foo wrote:
+JuggerNaut+ wrote:
Foo wrote: Is iTunes the future of music sales? Of course not, it's just a new option. Digital content delivery wont replace tangible sales anytime soon, if at all.
unfortunately, i think you're wrong here.
And your reasoning is?

Supply and Demand still works - We're not entirely at the whim of big corporations quite yet, and if people are buying in stores rather than on the net, then there will continue to be stores serving that need. To this date, I don't know anyone who's bought a game online other than in tangible form. It would seem there are one or two people here who have, but this forum represents just a small slice of the population, and it's the tech-savvy side as well.

There are solid reasons why one might want a physical product rather than an electronic 'leased' piece of software, too.

First, most important to the tech-savvy, is the security of knowing you own the product for the duration in which you preserve the media - an encrypted digital copy gives you no such security.

Second, humans love possesion of tangible objects - that's why we don't just throw out CD cases and pop the disc in a wallet when we buy new albums - we put them on a shelf instead.

You're also leaving out one very big reason. I don't like giving my credit card and personal info to any more e-companies than I have to. To wit - Valve's network *ahem* has been hacked before.

Since I've been online -- 7, 8 years? -- I've only given out my purchasing info to maybe 10 companies.

Post by **Grudge** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:04 pm

Foo wrote:
+JuggerNaut+ wrote:
Foo wrote: Is iTunes the future of music sales? Of course not, it's just a new option. Digital content delivery wont replace tangible sales anytime soon, if at all.
unfortunately, i think you're wrong here.
And your reasoning is?

Supply and Demand still works - We're not entirely at the whim of big corporations quite yet, and if people are buying in stores rather than on the net, then there will continue to be stores serving that need. To this date, I don't know anyone who's bought a game online other than in tangible form. It would seem there are one or two people here who have, but this forum represents just a small slice of the population, and it's the tech-savvy side as well.

There are solid reasons why one might want a physical product rather than an electronic 'leased' piece of software, too.

First, most important to the tech-savvy, is the security of knowing you own the product for the duration in which you preserve the media - an encrypted digital copy gives you no such security.

Second, humans love possesion of tangible objects - that's why we don't just throw out CD cases and pop the disc in a wallet when we buy new albums - we put them on a shelf instead.

DRM

Post by **Foo** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:06 pm

right because a three letter buzzword acronym spells it all out with credibility.

Post by **Grudge** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:08 pm

Yes, in the way that it will void your supply and demand argument.

Post by **Foo** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:14 pm

Whole different argument, and I disagree.

Just cause some companies have a big interest in going down the DRM route, doesn't mean society will follow them. In fact, my supply and demand argument is exactly why DRM won't become ubiquitous.

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:27 pm

Foo wrote:
+JuggerNaut+ wrote:
Foo wrote: Is iTunes the future of music sales? Of course not, it's just a new option. Digital content delivery wont replace tangible sales anytime soon, if at all.
unfortunately, i think you're wrong here.
And your reasoning is?

Supply and Demand still works - We're not entirely at the whim of big corporations quite yet, and if people are buying in stores rather than on the net, then there will continue to be stores serving that need. To this date, I don't know anyone who's bought a game online other than in tangible form. It would seem there are one or two people here who have, but this forum represents just a small slice of the population, and it's the tech-savvy side as well.

There are solid reasons why one might want a physical product rather than an electronic 'leased' piece of software, too.

First, most important to the tech-savvy, is the security of knowing you own the product for the duration in which you preserve the media - an encrypted digital copy gives you no such security.

Second, humans love possesion of tangible objects - that's why we don't just throw out CD cases and pop the disc in a wallet when we buy new albums - we put them on a shelf instead.

the industry is shifting towards selling singles more now than ever before. album sales were down this past year approximately 7% while single sales increased. Itunes was ranked number 7 as a music retailer - not bad for getting nothing tangible in return. most teens don't care about tangibility when it comes to music - they just want it, and want it without having to cruise a brick and mortar.

DRM, as Grudge pointed out, is possibly a reason, but i think that it's more of a gripe, albeit a legitimate one, with nerds, since most folks have no idea what DRM's or rootkits are - but they will.

of course i'm talking about the majority of teens, but i think that this is becoming the trend, unfortunately. top that off with the fact that these digital downloads are of poor quality (128kbps is poor imo) and now you have a ton of kids that don't KNOW that it should and can sound better.

ah, more of the dumbing down of society.

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:30 pm

it's also fair to point out that not only am i talking about teens, i'm talking about American teens in particular. they will take convenience over tangibility any day of the week.

Post by **plained** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:31 pm

yea

no

Post by **+JuggerNaut+** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:33 pm

plained wrote:yea

no

piss off unless you have something relevant to say, idiot.

Post by **Grudge** » Tue Jan 03, 2006 3:40 pm

+JuggerNaut+ wrote:it's also fair to point out that not only am i talking about teens, i'm talking about American teens in particular. they will take convenience over tangibility any day of the week.

Convenience will always be more important than tangibility for the masses, that's why online distribution will win, as it's more convenient both for the publishers and the consumers.