Why Vivendi Prefers Retail Game Distribution

People who only make money selling disks don't like people who don't sell disk

I don't see why they couldn't do an online release, plus a retail store release at the same time. Just offer a plush toy, hat pin, map of London's sewer system, etc. with the retail release. The nutters who would stand in line all night for a game release are still going to show up...

warcraft, sims, and the diablo warchest are THE ONLY games i ever see when i go into Target, gamestop and Walmart. but some gamestops near me don't carry PC games without me preordering them. best buy and frys still have a pretty "large" selection though.

What a picture

Agreed. I remember walking into BestBuy the morning Diablo II came out and buying a copy. One of the friends I played with that weekend spent the extra $50 to have the limited collectors edition overnighted to him (it arrived that same morning). Long story short, I would have downloaded it back then if it was an option (in 2000, not a lot of broadband access yet), but my friend would still have paid the extra money to buy the collectors edition (and probably would have attended a midnight party had there been one in our state).

This is just another marketing prick talking out his ass as if he understands his clients, when 99% of WoWers don't have the time nor desire to attend a midnight party (it's just a game for chrissake). You can still have these parties for the nerds that want to attend, but how about making it easier on the other 99% of your paying clientèle (no, I've never played WoW).

As for bringing back old players, you know what brought me back to the original Everquest a while back? Cheap Prices. Steam had a deal where you could buy the first 15 (of 16) expansions for $3. Yeah, you still have to pay the monthly subscription, but when you don't have to pay $50+ to get caught back up on content its a pretty good deal. Maybe WoW should offer discounted expansion packs to previous players. You know, since you still charge them $15/month, do you really need that one-time infusion of $50 (plus the cost of packaging, distribution, etc...)?

The thing that gets me (referring to the above comment) is that the Click 2, I mean Diablo 2, battle chest still goes for 40$.

Its a very interesting and valid point re: physical distribution. Without it, you're exposure is limited to those in-the-know.

yea, because everyone loves stacks of dvd boxes and putting in long CD keys when you install, and putting in DVDs every time you want to play a game.
TL;DR i love steam.

yeah, but what about the 5-20 hours trying to get steam setup with all your games?

With them taking this stance it wouldn't surprise me to find out that Vivendi Universal had been a big proponent of the Maginot Line.

While I can understand liking the old way that things were done and having a fondness for it, it baffles me that they would basically ignore the trend with everything moving towards digital distribution. Hell, the only way I buy PC games now is off of Steam unless it is something that I must have and it is not available there. Steam is my preferred method for purchasing nowadays. No CD keys, no box that I have to keep around, no worrying about losing the disk, etc. Why wouldn't they release it in retail box if they choose to but also not ignore the digital distribution? Makes no sense to not embrace both mediums.

With how broadband is in the US at least, I would feel much better having the option to buy physical disks of every game that is available for digital download.

With bandwidth caps, downloading large games would eat up your allotment for the month, not to mention take ridiculously long to download.

" Why Vivendi Prefers Retail Game Distribution "

translation, Steam scares the $hit out of us. My local pc store doesn't even carry pc games anymore. Other than The sims and World of Warcraft.

I totally agree that there should be the option to get the disk itself if you want it that way, but if you read the article it says that Vivendi deliberately makes the choice to NOT make the games available digitally. That makes no sense to me. Why not have it available in both formats, especially when distribution is trending towards the digital method? That is the part that doesn't make sense.

I understand the point in digital download it saves lots of money than retail copies being made and sent around the globe. It also is convenient to many consumers. Heck it even helps independent developers get their games out.

But there are downsides to it most of which effect the consumer.
The prices do not differ from the retail version so none of the savings are passed down. Prices tend to be higher than retail after a game has been released for sometime as stores need to move merchandise for shelf space and digital download providers do not. There also always the fear of one of these digital distributors going out of business. Then all those games you buy are just gone.

I do miss the days of walking into a place like Media Play having four long shelves full of PC games and a bargain bin for the older ones. Getting actual manuals with the games and sometimes extras. But most importantly the security that I bought the game and I would always have it. Can't say that with digital downloads.

To the person above, you can't say the same with physical media either. DRM.... you have about 5 installs and your physical media is now useless. So I would say the digital distro is a safer bet.

Target has a decent collection out here. Assassins Creed 1 & 2, Supreme Commander 2, Mass Effect 2, limited to the major releases but its not too bad. I'd say they dedicate more space to PC gaming than the Wii games. Gamestop has close to nothing, never even looked at Wal-Mart.

Fry's is probably just behind Microcenter in terms of retail space, but those are both regional chains.

Blizzard has it's very own digital distribution, and the new Battle.net is built around it...I wouldn't say Steam scares them, in the least.

This just makes sense. Why don't more people think like vivendi these days? Then again vivendi shouldn't be ones to talk. Most people who play wow end up looking like Stan Kyle Cartman and Kenny; how the hell do they expect them to drive anywhere?

I hate to say it, but Target has the best selection of PC games in my town. GameStop is second. But when it comes to overall floor space for PC games... Target wins. Pretty darn sad.

but some of us actually do like having physical copies of games. We're Traditionalists, We prefer smelling that new-box smell as we crack open the case for the first time, to feel the factory pressed disc with virtually No scratches and putting it in the first time,

It feels soulless sometimes with digital.

Everyone loves the bene's of midnight releases.

OK I know people won't like this but here it goes "Although Blizzard had a clear option to go digital, it decided against the virtual release."

1. the data on the disk is digital. Ever since those analog tape recorders to store programs from a Timex Sinclair 1000 or whatever and the acoustic computer modem. Don't get this. Now its only digital if you download it ? Marketing idiots

2. Virtual is the sense you have something which you really don't. Whats a virtual release? Not really being released you just pay them and you think you have it but you find out it won't install ?

Sorry maybe I just old.

I meant acoustic coupler modem not acoustic computer modem

Steam-like services are becoming increasingly popular, and with good reason. Game developers are packing physical distributions with copy protection mechanisms and extensive CD-keys and all that crap that annoys me and a lot of other gamers.
Even so, I still buy physical disks because I actually collect the games I play. And with Steam I just don't have the sense of owning the game license.

Maybe I'm just scared that one day Steam goes to heaven and takes my games to play with the angels while I stay on earth sucking on my thumb.

Yes it would be nice to have the option of Digital Download to go along with Retail. I would rather buy a digital copy in this day in age from steam or Blizzard Store and GOG (GoG is really good).

Not having to leave your house waste time or Gasoline, stand in line at the check out...Have to show your receipt at the door (looking @ you FRY's Electronics..make your customers feel like criminals).

Only real downside is....Global/local workforce economy is reduced..thats always bad.

Having said that.. I will not upgrade to the next expansion Cataclysm in-till I know their are no major glitches or bugs.

I guess I am not sure what you mean. Any game that I have purchased or downloaded through Steam has worked without a hitch. I didn't have to do anything to them to get them set up. I may be out of the loop on this though, but i haven't really seen anything about people downloading games from steam and having issues with having to tweak this and that to get them to run. Well, except for when you purchase some really old game off of there, but heck, if you were to install it with a disk you would still have to configure the really old ones anyhow.

I don't think that many people here would argue with some folks wanting to get a physical copy. That makes perfect sense to me. The problem with Vivendi is that they are choosing not to have the digital download as well.

buying discs full of bits is stupid

They have an interesting perspective, but they can only hold out for so long. Physical media is dying. Personally, I don't care what they do. I'm an old school gamer, and I have been faithfully avoiding WOW for all these years. I'm not about to change that anytime soon.

I'd rather download and burn a backup to CD or DVD, but it IS difficult for me to keep up with new releases.

You mean the same type of setup you would do with physical DVDs? Might take longer, but at least with Steam I don't have to keep track of boxes and DVDs and CD keys and everything else. Also who would download every game they have on Steam if they want to play just one? Have Steam download overnight or just do the one you want to play now and rest later.