The digital versus retail discussion has been dragging on for years now, but Japanese publisher Capcom is expecting to see an undeniable turn towards the former in the near future. The company reckons that digital sales will count for the majority of its overall unit sales in the fiscal year ending March 2016.
According to Capcom president Haruhiro Tsujimoto, this period marks the beginning of a digital sales trend that's unlikely to stop as time goes on. As such, the publisher's looking into both mobile and PC platforms when it comes to adapting its strategy, although that doesn't take away from the fact that the firm's working on numerous console titles such as Street Fighter V and Dragon's Dogma Online.
It seems like a reasonable forecast, then, especially since Capcom's been enjoying the delights of releasing digital HD remasters recently. Resident Evil HD sold incredibly well on the PlayStation 4, for example, while Ultra Street Fighter IV is due out on the PlayStation Network this week, and Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition is launching on Sony's service in June.
What do you make of digital distribution? Is it inevitable that we'll see the industry eventually abandon physical media, or will discs stick around forever? Complain about download sizes and network outages in the comments section below.
[source capcom.co.jp, via gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 17
My main issue with the digital model becoming the ONLY model is that you're paying for a license to use the product, which you never truly own. So, if CAPCOM or whoever owns the product decides that you shouldn't have access to it any longer, it will just vanish. Physical copies are "forever", a one time deal without expiration date other than natural decay. We already have digital console games that do not exist any more, only on the hard drives of those who purchased them on the short time they were available. The digital future is one where companies alone decide what you can play, and for how long you can play it, which is to say that the market itself will dictate what should remain and what should be erased forever, not consumers/collectors and such. I don't like it.
@fchinaski True, look at P.T.
Hmmm... no sir, I don't like it.
I'm okay with smaller bite size games say around 3GB but not so happy to fill up my hard drive with AAA large file size games and will always say away from anything with digital rights management. Funny thing on the subject of DRM and Capcom. Final Fight Double Impact is the only game I have with DRM because Capcom at the time publication in North America and Asia this small detail was overlooked and was left out in the information of the game.
If software goes digital-only, then publishers are going to have to up their marketing game. So much will be word-of-mouth and spread via social media. Storefronts will have to be easier to use, too. Right now, in retail stores, there are three dimensions of space available. You can take a lot in all at once. Shrinking that to two dimensions, it becomes more of a clamor.
Disappointing, no question about it but Capcom has put itself in this situation. I just hope this doesn't start becoming more and more common. I would hate a digital-only future for reasons listed above.
Ask the people who bought games through that OnLive what they think of digital games and you will get my answer.
It doesn't surprise me though with the last two Phoenix Wright games digital only and now USFIV.
Look at the PT debacle.... Until the proper legislation is in place we will have no protection. Also these days there are plenty of physical games which require a server connection to play. I don't rate their chances in ten years ....
@blah01
Yup, Destiny is a prime example of a useless disc if you don't have a connection. I get these developers need to make money and obviously you can't play online without a connection but the singleplayer portion of games requiring a connection is straight bs, imo.
This is just my view please don't flame. I only buy digital now, the prospect of capcom shutting down in the next 15 years does not bother me heres why. If I had kept my discs and my ps4 for 15 years then think I'm going to play this game do I really expect the disc to not be scratched or the PS4 to power up and work 100% fine in 15 years time, no. i know there are still Nes and Snes machines still going but they are so much simpler then the newer consoles. I have a old Fat ps3 still in my loft when i put it there i replaced it with a slim ps3 because it was on it way out (slowing down ect)
In 7 years time I expect my "New PS4 (launch day)" will be in the same boat.
@dire_distortion Good point. Alot of things just not game systems don't last like they use to. I was shocked when my mother's washing machine died and it was only 5 years old her one before that lasted 20+. When I was talking to the salesman at Sears he was saying that yeah the average lifespan for washing machines now are 5 years where as 20 years ago they were 20 years. I have also noticed that with TVs, DVD/Blue ray players, cars and alot of other things.
The only thing I can guess is that companies want you to keep coming back as a repeat customer.
@Tasuki they cant use unrecyclable components anymore that's why things die easier now. Its all got to be environmentally friendly. As for games your right playing on this Sega recently has broke my heart its just nor as good anymore. :((
@themcnoisy I don't know I still play alot of my older systems and most of the games are just as good, but that's just a personal thing.
Well whatever the future if its download only I will be playing games ages after Launch as ive been downloading sf4 since 8:30 its now 11:30 and I've managed to download a whopping 4.3gb out of 14gb.
This may qualify as unrelated but, hearing some negative things about the USFIV port on PS4. . Haven't tried it myself yet though .
I want my own copy plus what if my HD crashes an Sony gets hacked again then I loose all my stuff SORRY I'm not down with capcom digital.
@NAZA-187 Please watch the language. -Tasuki-
I believe digital distribution is too likely to take over in the future.
But dammit! Capcom have to continue releasing games normally.
More "bad" news on Capcom`s side this time, this SUCKS.
NO! THIS CAN`T BE!
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