No drive means no blu-ray player. Center of your entertainment it is not.
Again, you're assuming most people buy Blu-Rays. They don't. Most people stream Netflix/Hulu/AmazonPrime on their big 65" LED TV via their console and I'd be surprised if they even have any external speakers.
My friends all call me a snob because I won't play split-screen, have external speakers (which aren't even that great and hardly "audiophile"), and prefer BR to streaming.
We are NOT representative of the "mode" (most common) consumer.
Number of Redbox movies rented per day 1.2 million
link to this info that "most people stream" content? i'd love to see it.
http://www.statisticbrain.com/redbox-statistics/
Again, you're assuming most people buy Blu-Rays. They don't. Most people stream Netflix/Hulu/AmazonPrime on their big 65" LED TV via their console and I'd be surprised if they even have any external speakers.
My friends all call me a snob because I won't play split-screen, have external speakers (which aren't even that great and hardly "audiophile"), and prefer BR to streaming.
We are NOT representative of the "mode" (most common) consumer.
You're assuming most people DON'T buy blu rays (without a source), although I'm inclined to agree with you.
That's a lot, but I bet more people stream and the difference grows yearly. I personally watch basically no movies on disc anymore. The convenience of streaming is more important to me than picture quality, evidently. A lot of people are moving toward this.link to this info that "most people stream" content? i'd love to see it.
http://www.statisticbrain.com/redbox-statistics/
Where have I seen this before? Oh yeah, Blockbuster's 28 days release thing.Good article on Polygon today about the "Cold War" between digital, retailers, and hardware makers.
Most of the US doesn't have caps on their broadband. In any case, your use of the term "until then" means we're both on the same page, I think, just perhaps don't agree on when--but that's less important than if.When companies stop capping our internet and bring fiber nationwide then we can talk. Until then, downloading games isn't going to be the way a majority of people get them.
Most of the US doesn't have caps on their broadband. In any case, your use of the term "until then" means we're both on the same page, I think, just perhaps don't agree on when--but that's less important than if.
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This thread: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2367315
Is an example of why Gamestop is dead in the water.
Um...there are more people wanting physical games there. I dont see what you are saying lol.
Honestly the biggest hurdle I see is marketing. You can put up posters, standees, box art etc etc in the stores and it is eye catching. Not everyone keeps up on the latest ign or GameSpot news so they see new games advertised in the malls, best buy and other stores. Without a physical presence in those stores it might be a bit more difficult to get the word out there about an upcoming game. I remember people not even knowing GTA 5 was coming until they saw a poster at gamestop. I dont know how they will make that transition and still get their games advertised as easily.
Most of the US doesn't have caps on their broadband.
We wrote our original chart in October 2012, noting that at that time 64 percent of Americans were covered by a cap at the end of 2011. Today (or rather, at the end of the second quarter) the percent of American broadband subscribers covered by a cap remains the same. However, the caps themselves are changing.
Oh snap :$
Oh snap :$
If you guys are going to debate, can you do it with more actual statistics and less "I'm applying my ridiculously small subset of data to the entire country" bull? Or maybe stop pretending that you're somehow in tune with the entire country with its very different regional makeups and infrastructures?
downloading games isn't going to be the way a majority of people get them.
The video game industry is shifting toward digital distribution. At some future date, physical game discs will simply cease to exist -- gamers will download their purchases directly over the Internet.
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Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it would begin experimenting with digital game discounts ... This is such a tremendous blow to GameStop's business model that it's difficult for me to overstate the matter.
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To be clear, Microsoft has said this is only a test; a trial balloon to gauge gamers' reactions. But if this were to become a common trend -- a discounted, digital version of a game offered shortly after its release -- GameStop would have a real crisis on its hands. Gamers may prefer to buy physical when the digital game is the same price, but a digital game offered at a 33% discount would be an offer most could not refuse. GameStop would be forced to counter with its own price cuts, or lose out on business entirely.
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But that's just Microsoft, and as I've pointed out, the Xbox One isn't even selling well. (Not only am I constantly being proven right about GameStop, I was also proven right about the Xbox ONE... see that thread for more of my glory ) Each month, subscribers to Sony's PlayStation+ service get a slate of free digital games that they can download and play so long as they remain a member. While this service has been available for years, it's much more a threat to GameStop today than it's ever been in the past.
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The move toward digital distribution is in full swing. The debate is no longer about the inevitability of the outcome, but about how long it will take. Wedbush's Michael Pachter, a notable GameStop bull, believes the company has at least 10 years left on its core business. (Even GameStop is starting to have trouble drinking the Kool-Aid)
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While that's certainly possible, I would be utterly shocked if the company manages to survive another five years, let alone 10.(Hey they stole my number! )
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Its two major suppliers, Microsoft and Sony, are moving against it aggressively.