The Benefits of a Download-Only Future

In a sense, the process has already begun, with the recent release of the PSP Go!, effectively the world's first download-only console, available (staggeringly) for just less than the PS3 slim, and the introduction of Games on Demand to the Xbox Live Marketplace, in which full Xbox 360 titles are available to download for almost twice as much as they would be to purchase physically. Couple this with the ever increasing popularity of digital distributors such as Steam, and it seems more and more likely that this is to become the norm.

However, there is one market that will undoubtedly benefit from a download-only future, a market which has been strangely ignored thus far.

[hitthegspot]

There are no benefits to the consumer. It just costs us more in the long run... Other than the obvious costs there are also storage and backup issues to contend with...

[Serial_EDX]

This Idea will only work if you are allowed to back it to a media of your choosing, thus being able to burn it and it be workable, but this makes large scale pirating a big part of the issue.

As for media storage, This is only a issue on consoles and handhelds without removable memory.

[glennc]

the idea will not work, it will create a monopoly within that console where there is no competing game retailers and we all have to pay the console makers prices. i will probably stop playing games if this happens, i like my bargain bin finds too much. at the very least i would play a lot less games.

it won't be like the music/movie industry where you have a choice from multiple online services, there will be one for each console.

the article pretty much sums it up... indie developers will thrive because their games will be cheaper

[Immigrant]

no benefits

stop the bullsh!t propaganda

[rickodemilo]

It's gotta be environmentally friendly.