Is Physical or Digital Media Better?
If Microsoft spent more time on this question during the release of the Xbox One then perhaps they wouldn’t have been bodied by Sony during the reveal of the PS4 at E3. As technology is ever-changing, timing is crucial when making the jump into the new technological wave. Unfortunately for Microsoft, they learned that the majority of their user base wasn’t ready. There were plenty of other issues at the conference but I felt one of the big nails in the coffin was how games were going to be distributed. Games were going to make the jump to mostly online with no ability to share similar to how Steam distributes now. Well, that didn’t sit well and left a very bad taste in many gamer’s mouths. Sony was smart and released an effective jab at Microsoft for how to share games shown below.
Hilarious!! Will the past repeat itself again during the next console release? We’ve made some serious leaps and bounds since 2013 with streaming media becoming the norm with big platforms such as Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, etc. Cable viewership has been in decline as people no longer have to pay a large price for only a few channels they care about. Could the same happen to the gaming market? Microsoft has released a new subscription model (Game Pass) that allows you to play all the games in their library for a monthly cost. If you only play a few games a year that still saves you a lot of money from having to pay full price. On top of that, you get a discount if you do decide to purchase the game. This still doesn’t help with the sharing of games but it does make playing games cheaper overall which is a huge win.
Growing up I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on games so this would’ve been a no brainer back then as honestly, it’s a no brainer for me now as I like many games in their line up. Whatever games weren’t in the library I’d most likely be able to borrow from a friend or watch them play (aka twitch in real life).
What do you all think about when it comes to digital or physical media? Which way are you leaning towards or hoping it moves towards in the future? Let us know what your thoughts are and listen to this weeks podcast as Tobin and I give our opinions on it.
Until next time, do your homework and be safe amigos!!
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