GAME, one of the world’s largest video game retailers, has become the latest victim of the digital age. Due to losses in sales incurred by the rising trend towards downloadable content, rather than buying a physical copy of a game, GAME has entered Administration as of March 21st, joining Borders and Blockbuster as a casualty of the new age.
Boasting over 1 270 retail outlets across Europe and Australia, just a few short years ago GAME was one of the biggest players in the computer game market. However, in recent months not only has GAME found itself unable to move its products, but has been unable to even secure some of this year’s largest titles such as Mass Effect 3, Mario Party 9, Rayman Origins and the complete PS Vita lineup.
It’s a sign of the times. The video game industry, perhaps more than any other right now, has been an enthusiastic adopter of the digital download model. Gamers, who are usually already on their computers anyway, have whole-heartedly embraced the idea that they don’t need to go out to a physical shop in order to secure a physical product for which they will then have to find a physical storage location once the install is complete. These days you can perform a few clicks, wait less time for the download than going out to buy the game would take and then not even be forced to clog up your bookshelves with countless old game titles that you may never revisit.
It’s a fantastic business model but, sadly, its adoption will probably continue to require the sacrifice of companies like GAME, Borders and Blockbuster as well as the jobs of their employees.
As an ex-GAME customer I definitely express my sorrow at the loss. In my personal experience GAME was a retailer that offered friendly and knowledgeable staff, competitive (in the physical market) prices and overall fantastic customer service.
However, even I have to assume that in recent months I have turned to the digital download model for more than a few reasons. As an enthusiastic video game consumer, here are my main 3 reasons why I love downloadable products, rather than the physical.
1) Ease of Purchase
As stated before it’s easier. A few clicks, a short wait and I don’t have a box leftover at the end that I need to store somewhere. With today’s powerful computers and broadband connections I can even still play online games, surf the net or use my computer for any of its ordinary functions while the download completes without particularly noticeable lag.
The appeal of this instant acquisition process is not only driven by its ease, but also its speed and round-the-clock availability. While online I will often find myself presented with an advertizement or trailer for a new title. After some research I may decide I wish to play this game. I’ve also often been in a similar situation where a friend has recently purchased a game suggests that I should get it so that we may play cooperatively.
For me, this kind of situation often arises at night after work. Back in the day I would have been forced to wait until tomorrow, or possibly the weekend if no retailers near my place of work stocked the title in question. Now I can acquire the game and play it in the very same night that I decide I want it.
Some might argue that perhaps this notion of instant gratification may be damaging in the long run. Perhaps they’re right. But from where I stand as a member of the Googling, YouTubing, Smartphone-ing, Instant Messaging, Social-Media obsessed, instant-gratification generation, it’s a pretty damn good system. While I mourn for the loss of companies like GAME I still can’t help but feel their demise was inevitable. Failing to adopt this new way of doing business that has such obvious appeal in your market of specialization could be considered at the very least as playing dangerously, if not foolishly.
2) Pricing
I live in Australia, a nation that has forever been host to a captive market. A small population spread out across a huge continent situated on the other side of the world from most game developers was never going to see prices anything comparable to countries like the UK or USA. Traditionally in Australia we’ve paid between $90 and $110 for titles available in the US for between $50 and $70. It didn’t matter really matter though, we didn’t have a choice.
It also made sense. Shipping titles must have been expensive. There’s also the whole business of transporting them around our huge, mostly-barren nation once they get here. It all adds to the cost which in turn adds to the strain on customer wallets.
The fact that we had no real alternative to what was provided us also probably added a dollar or two. Sure, you could order a physical copy from overseas, but you’d often end up paying back what you’d saved in shipping.
Now that digital downloads are a thing it doesn’t matter where you are anymore. Your local retailers or the set prices for your area have no real effect on the price of your product. I personally scored the recent title of Skyrim for $48, where it was going for $70-$80 in-store. This was not an illegal or even ethically questionable act. I simply browsed legitimate online vendors, picked the cheapest and made my payment. My download started immediately and I was playing the game within a couple of hours.
It’s now easier than ever before to cultivate multiple options before making a purchase. Physical retailers simply can’t compete with a vendor who doesn’t need to import a product, pay staff or afford location rental. Especially when importing the product means international delivery and national distribution before it even hits the store.
So not only is downloading my desired product easier, but it’s cheaper as well.
3) More Titles
The non-gamer community may not be aware of the recent rise in number of what are being referred to as “Indie Games”. Indie Games are small titles that are created by a design team without the backing of a publisher. Previously these teams have had the talent, the idea and the potential for an outstanding product, but no way to get that product out there or even let people know that it exists. Now it’s possible to create a game and distribute it over an online service that asks for little more than a percentage of your sales.
Many of these games spread in popularity by word of digital mouth on forums and via reviews. Often, online distributors such as Steam will advertise these new titles as well, to help increase demand and awareness.
As a result tonnes of intriguing, unique and incredibly thoughtful little titles are cropping up all the time. These games, often funded out of the pockets of the developers themselves, don’t really have a big production budget. As such an Indie Game will usually only run the customer between $10 and $20.
This offers the customer not only a new avenue for entertainment, but one that is also cheaper than is customary. Remember, these titles would probably have never even started development, let alone seen mass-distribution, if it wasn’t for the digital download model. It’s a win-win-win for consumer, developer and distributor.
So now it’s easier, cheaper and offers more options.
All in All
As we continue to embrace the internet as a distribution method for media content I expect that even more companies will fall by the wayside. We have now in our society the most powerful distribution method for information ever conceived. In an age where information is the basis of many products (in the form of 1’s and 0’s) we should expect nothing more than to see that network expand as more of the public come to embrace it.
The desire for digital content will rise and internet services will have to upgrade to match the demand. As internet services increase in speed and coverage the demand will likely increase once more and the whole process will begin again. Digitally downloadable products are here to stay and I personally find myself excited about what the future will yield as a result.
I’ll say again that it’s saddening to see large companies going in to administration or out of business. I offer my condolences to their employees and it does feel like I’m losing a part of my life that has always been there. I do hope that those wonderful GAME employees whose service I always appreciated find new work. But moving forwards in to newer territory often requires the loss of traditional forms.
As for myself, while I acknowledge that the loss of companies like GAME is regrettable, I’m going to continue purchasing digitally downloadable content whenever and wherever possible until something better comes along.
Source: TechnoBuffalo
Image Credit: User John Tovey on Flickr
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