Could the next gen be disc free?

[killbot]

Wii-U is confirmed to be taking optical discs. PS4? I'll eat my own arm if it doesn't use Blu-Ray given the expense Sony have gone to to establish the format. MS have probably embraced digital distribution the most enthusiastically of the three manufacturers so I suppose digital only for the 720 is not entirely impossible, but I'd be surprised. I think we have one generation of physical media left - PS5/Wii3/Xbox1440 will probably be download only. Although if services like OnLive take off, we might bypass digital downloads as a primary means of content delivery altogether and skip straight to streaming services.

[Treguard]

If any of the next 'big' formats was announced as download only, many Game retailers would go out of business overnight.

[pratty]

If any of the next 'big' formats was announced as download only, many Game retailers would go out of business overnight.

Quite possibly, but as the retailers have grown the second hand game market to the point where it's hurting developers, will they give a toss if the retailers go out of business?

It's possible some retailers might be able to scale back and survive to some extent on just hardware, download points and retro but I wouldn't want to try.

[crusto]

PS4? I'll eat my own arm if it doesn't use Blu-Ray given the expense Sony have gone to to establish the format.

It has indeed. But it is well established now. Theres plenty of money to be made from its stand alone players. I wouldnt discount the idea totally. Surely it would cut the cost of the hardware, giving them the chance to make a profit on it.

[DPrinny]

This topic again?

All it takes is EA to have the balls to release the next Fifa as download only.

And then it wont sell as much

[thevulture]

Mentioned it on previous/similar threads, but Sony already said PS4 WON'T be download only, time not right etc.So, expecting higher capacity Blu-ray disc gubbins (and hopefully faster loading and no need for forced instals) or some proprietary storage format they can claim use's proprietary anti-piracy measures, thus 'justifying' the bloody price of games.

So..option 3 for the poll here.

[QuantumCrayons]

This topic again?

Nah, the previous ones have been "OMG DOWNLOADS". This is more "so, could they become carts again?".

[jdanddiet]

getting a feeling of deja vu here....

...wel maybe it is deja vu

If youre aiming that one at me then yeah you are 100% right . I love the chance to have a nag about how I hate optical media. The main reason I bought the N64 was because it still used carts rather than discs. For me carts and gaming go hand in hand. I would love to see a return to the proper way of console gaming. The tech is there now.

no, just a general feeling of having been here before!

[Liamh1982]

I don't care:
A - As long as it's something I can physically hold I'm good.
B - I need to join in this gen first! (Wii's a halfway house at best.)

[thevulture]

Bump time:

http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2012/03/09/ ... next-xbox/

[Sel Feena]

Well, hopefully there's still the option of being able to buy physical copies of games. I'll be damned if I'll be forced to rely on digital distribution, I like having rows of boxes and instruction manuals and assorted other tat!

Worst case scenario, jump over to the PS4. Halo's the only exclusive MS IP I care about, and I don't care about it that much. *shrug*

EDIT: Anyway, I'd rather wait and see what exactly goes down. A straight move to digital-only just strikes me as amazingly stupid. Stoopid! Believe it when you see it, people!

[thevulture]

If these N.D.A's are said to be MS strictest ever and yet MCV is plastering the news everywhere, bet someone's r*ng piece must be twitching right now.

Whoever leaked the story, is probably headed for a the high jump and then so....

[sirclive1]

It will just be a slimmed down xb360 , take away the drive , add a huge hardrive , make it a standalone machine , gets drone's more used to downloading games instead of being able to buy a physical copy , then in a few years release the newer more powerful console , further restricting choice and force people to either lump it or move to another format (poss ps4 ?) that does have physical releases.

[greenberet79]

What's so wrong with cassette tapes?

[Matt_B]

Ultimately, it's an issue of convenience. Price considerations aside, would you rather buy your games:

1. By going to a shop, browsing through a limited range of titles, and fending off overzealous shop assistants.

2. Buying from an on-line retailer offering the full range of games, but waiting a couple of days for someone to leave a package under a bush in your front garden.

3. Buying from the comfort of your sofa and having the game ready to play in minutes. Not only that, but you'll get an even larger range of games including those from indie publishers who would be unable to finance a production run of physical media.

I'm pretty sure where I stand on the matter. I've got to ask whether a box on the shelf really matters that much to people? Maybe they could still sell the boxes for those who want them, with the added benefit that you'd never even need to take the shrink-wrap off?