Digital+Distribution

 Overview
Gamers, are you tired of walking, running, driving to the store every time you want to pick up a new title? Imagine skipping the line for a midnight release, saving gas without having to drive and avoid the physically demanding process of walking to retailers. Well, imagine no more, because digital distribution is here. With the advent of the Internet, this method for producers to deliver entertainment to consumers can be done easily with just a few clicks. Digital distribution is a process where consumers purchase content, whether movies, music, or video games, books, through downloads. Similar to any other emergent trends, there are losers and winners in a world of digital downloads. Here, I will focus on the video gaming industry in discussing the rise of digital distribution, where the consumers and producers stand on the issue.

It is tricky to describe whether or not digital distribution is beneficial or harmful to the producers of the video gaming industry. Software development is a multidiscipline field, from the brainstorm session for a new title, to the moment a game hit gold status. As such, producers can mean software developer, publisher, and retailer. The problem is that all three have different roles, and thus prefer digital distribution, if at all. Most obvious, retailers and their very existence are threatened by digital distribution. The very process will eliminate these middlemen, such as Gamestop, Bestbuy, or Walmart. Publishers, on the other hand, prefer digital over physical distribution. The absence of shipping costs, creating the physical disk, and overall interaction with retailers translate into a large increase in profit. This video offers some statistical insight, fast forward to last two minutes. Lastly, the software developers themselves seem to support the new trend. The benefit of digital distribution is easily the accessibility and wider distribution. For independent and emerging developers, digital distribution is a godsend, a way to reach a wide audience without a retailer.

On the other end, the consumers themselves are split on digital distribution. Supporters of the technology emphasize on the convenience and ease of digital distribution. Through services like Stream, Direct2Drive, and hardware oriented networks (Xbox Live and Playstation Network), customers can acquire content without leaving the house. With just a few buttons and download wait, gamers can buy a new title and directly have it on their hard drive. On the other hand, opponents of digital distribution are primarily concerned with sentimentality. For some gamers, owning a game in files is inferior to owning a game in case and disk. Digital distribution can somehow dwarf the sense of ownership. From what I've seen, interacting with gamers, this line of reasoning is common. But personally, I find it trivial. To be concerned about the appearance of one's game shelf is both consumerist and shallow.

**History**
(There is no text here yet.)

**Opinion**
(There is no text here yet.)

**Future Trends?**
(There is no text here yet.)