[Episode 44] Digital Distribution Domination

[Ravenlock]

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Is the Digital Distribution of PC Games unfair for retailers that choose to also sell PC Games? That’s our main topic for this show and we do the full gambit of discussion on this topic. There is a bit drift here and there as we also compare this situation to how music is distributed digitally but still sold in retail outlets. We also cover how Steam is being pre-installed on Alienware machines, how some games are only available on certain digital outlets, Steam on the Mac and finally what sort of anti-competitiveness (if any) there is in the market of digitally distributing PC Games.

Overall it is a very good conversation and if it is a topic that interests you, I highly recommend giving this podcast a listen.

Hosted by James [Vigil80]
Summarized by Clayton [Voodoo]
Participants are Eric [Ravenlock] and Robert [Trebor]
Produced by Clayton [Voodoo]

ALSO!: As described in this 30 second clip (http://www.immortalmachines.com/?p=589), because of the delay in getting this episode out, the deadline for the 2010 IMmies Giveaway (http://www.colonyofgamers.com/cogforums/showthread.php?t=20765) is extended to the end of December 31st. Get your entries in!

Direct Download (http://www.immortalmachines.com/public/podcast/DigitalDistributionDomination.mp3)

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[Fatal_Papercut]

I think it's safe to say that 2010 will mark the last year that I purchased a boxed copy of a game, at least for my own collection.

I went to Best Buy today (December 26th) to use the gift card that I had received, and I decided to stop by the ever-shrinking PC games isle. As I had expected, there were a few people browsing, including a guy that seemed deeply interested in Darksiders. I told him that, if he had a decent Internet connection, he could get the game via Steam for $9.99 (one of today's deals), and I busted out a pen to write down the URL for him. One of these days, such antics are bound to get me kicked out of the store. :)

The only challenge now is twofold: trying not to overspend during the current online sales; and resisting the temptation to download the games that I have already purchased--I only have 25GB left on my monthly bandwidth cap (thanks, Comcast!) to last me until my cap resets on January 1st. This is not a terrible inconvenience, since I have too many games in my backlog as it is.

As a side note, games are not the only things that I'm getting from Digital Distribution outlets. Other things I have purchased/consumed in purely digital form this year include: other PC software (PowerDVD, audio/video/studio editing software); books & music (via Amazon); and movies & TV shows (Netflix, Hulu, etc).

If the Internet ever blows up, I am going to be totally bored.

[J Arcane]

Is the Digital Distribution of PC Games unfair for retailers that choose to also sell PC Games?
These still exist? ;)
If the Internet ever blows up, I am going to be totally bored.

Nah, that's when you catch up on your single-player/LAN gaming. :D

[Dukefrukem]

I like hearing Robert back.

Steam is not too big. There are still many games I want on steam that I cannot get. That said, how can we begin to complain about something we love? Are we expecting Valve to turn evil and start doing something ... that ... we won't like?

What is it about iTunes that we don't want steam to mimic? I can't see the two DDs being similar in their sales strategy. They're two different markets.

iTunes does rule the world btw Eric.

I'm actually surprised you own an iPhone and don't use iTunes. That puzzles me.



I think it's safe to say that 2010 will mark the last year that I purchased a boxed copy of a game, at least for my own collection.


I haven't bought a boxed copy of a game since Enemy Territory Quake Wars.


That all said, I don't buy games that aren't on steam with the rare exception of a high profile game that will be impossible to ever reach steam. Example: Starcraft 2. Everything else is Steam or bust for me.

[Ravenlock]

Oh, I do use iTunes, certainly, to manage my podcasts, my iPhone apps, etc. You basically have to, which is a shame but also a different topic.

But I don't purchase media through iTunes, generally speaking, unless they're running a promotion or I have gift credit there.

My point was that I don't feel like they have the lockdown on the media market that seems to be implied by the Gaikai rep's statement, even if they otherwise control the consumption method (the device on which I'm listening). Plenty of other stores have the opportunity to - and frequently do - get my purchasing dollars.

[Dukefrukem]

Sorry I phrased that weird.

I'm actually surprised you own an iPhone and don't buy mp3s through iTunes. If i had an iPhone, I'd buy mp3s through itunes for convenience alone.

[Vigil80]

What is it about iTunes that we don't want steam to mimic? I can't see the two DDs being similar in their sales strategy. They're two different markets.
In general terms, I think Steam is right on the line when it comes to restrictions on your purchased product. The fact that Steam needs to be running has been a bummer in the past, but they've developed the features such that it doesn't feel like a nuisance, and we don't mind anymore by and large. If they took one more step, like an Ubi-style connection requirement to launch a game, just for example, it would be too far.

I find iTunes, and its relationship with Apple devices, to lean too far in that way, or at least I did in the past.

[Ravenlock]

Sorry I phrased that weird.

I'm actually surprised you own an iPhone and don't buy mp3s through iTunes. If i had an iPhone, I'd buy mp3s through itunes for convenience alone.

Oh. *Shrug* I haven't found it to be inconvenient to buy the music and videos I want elsewhere and import them into iTunes for managing / consumption. I kind of like maintaining my own folder structure for my media anyhow, so I like keeping that task for myself rather than handing it off to iTunes.

I'm not against buying things on iTunes, I just frequently don't. Amazon has some amazing digital music and video deals on a very regular basis.

[Vigil80]

Wasn't there an issue in the past with iTunes, Apple devices, and DRM/proprietary file format? Like it was difficult to play media on Apple devices not purchased via iTunes? I seem to remember iTunes being a bigger drag than it is today in one way or another.

[Dukefrukem]

You might be thinking of when iTunes was only available on iOS, before they decided to make a Windows version.

[Ravenlock]

What a year it has been for the platformer genre. Terry Cavanagh opened the year by giving us the completely delightful and brain-bending VVVVVV back in January, and we’ve been off to the races ever since. XBLA releases like Limbo, Wii blockbusters like Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns, one-button jumpers like Canabalt… and, of course, a whole slew of PC freeware and indie titles, including the two games we’ll be focusing on for this episode: Super Meat Boy and And Yet It Moves.

I feel like Super Meat Boy (http://supermeatboy.com/) needs no introduction, so I’ll just say that if you love platformers, you probably already own it – and if you don’t, you absolutely should. Even if you don’t love platformers, you owe it to yourself to check it out and re-validate your position, because this is one of the most content-packed, lovingly-made platformers of the last decade. A lot of platformers are difficult. Super Meat Boy absolutely revels in being unapologetically brutal, but it’s never unfair. Mastering its levels is a daunting challenge, but not impossible, and the game is just chock full of bonuses for your success, largely in the form of unlockable characters from other games that change the way you play. It’s a marvel, and I love it, and I suspect you will too.

Robert covers And Yet It Moves (http://www.andyetitmoves.net/) for us, but I’ve also given it a go so I can tell you that if you missed this one when it came out earlier this year, you should give it a look. Like Braid or VVVVVV, it’s extremely basic in its mechanics, but uses those simple mechanics to stretch the boundaries of what a platformer does. You can run, jump, and tilt the world; it’s that last bit that’s the trick, of course. A well-implemented physics and momentum system combines with a unique and appealing art style to make And Yet It Moves something special. Check it out.

Want to hear more? We’ve recorded this IndieCast (http://www.immortalmachines.com/?p=594) to meet your needs! Enjoy.

Direct Download (http://www.immortalmachines.com/public/podcast/SuperMeatBoyPlusAndYetItMoves.mp3)

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