ever heard of steam? have daily sales on game new and old hell Skyrim was $30 on Christmas last year.

Steam has proven that having sales means more sales in general thus creating the same if not more money. So if MS and Sony makes their own systems (or they do use Steam and origin and similar) you may have to wait (as you do to find a used game) to get the game at a lower price is patience.

There is no good reason to do away with physical media. It's 2012 for crying out loud, not the distant future depicted in some 80s sci-fi flick. Too many people either prefer physical media or are without connections able to support an all digital console. Not to mention all it does it remove the consumer's choice in how they receive their content.

Steam = win.

Gabe, I'm waiting on that roylaty cheque. I'm expecting it before the release of Half Life 3.

Yes. Not directly, but it definitely has a positive effect on the industry.

1. If people can't buy used games, then they'll be more likely to wait for a price drop anyway, which would impact the initial sales.
2. The people who buy a used game on a whim may become fans of a series and be interested in the next game.
3. People who sell their games often trade them for a brand new game.

While I don't trust Steam either, I have to admit that its numerous sales will be a godsend in the coming storm. Unless it betrays us too, of course.

Currently no there isn't any reason to go fully digital; various countries infrastructural integrity is still too weak to uphold full out digital distribution however once that is possible for at least the majority I am guessing 10 years or even 5 and once laws of digital sells are refurbished (current ones are outdated Steam, origin, any online can take access from games you purchased without breaking any laws of any country) there will be no reason for physical copies to be sold because you can easily make a physical copy today just by putting it on any media you want too.

If I can't afford new games, what makes you think I can afford a computer capable of pulling off games such as Skyrim? I used to have one, but the harddrive went to [censored], and buying a new harddrive would cost me 6000 NOK. Which is what the damned computer cost in the first place.

Sounds like the PS4's anti-used game tech rumor might be true....I'll just keep my PS3 Sony thank you .

Your not understanding what I am saying, this article is not FORCING YOU to buy new games for the standard price on shelf day 1 it is stopping used game sells two entirely separate things you can get games for lower price as Steam has PROVEN that sales means the same amount if not more money then you would get from regular pricing without buying used thus having sales on PS4/720/Wii U is entierly possible and would need to wait as long as you would to get a used copy and possibly at a lower price. Steam on 720/PS4 is entirely possible and most likely will happen PS3 already steam integration for Portal 2 so Sony would be more incline with valves cooperation to implement their network on their system. I am not suggesting getting PC (although next gen Xbox/PS will be $500 at minimum so cost is not a excuse) I am suggesting that if similar networks like steam or even steam itself is on PS4/720 again entirely possible sales will be common.

I'm glad that used games will come to an end. Hopefully it will lead to better quality games. Besides I'm all for the end of physical media. All of my music, movies, TV shows and comic books are now bought in digital formats and I have no regret. I have loads more shelf / storage space, I get the items quickly and can enjoy them faster than if I had to go to a store and wait in line, blah blah. I mean you can get same day comic books before the comic stores even open, same goes for music and movies (if you don't want to go to Wal Mart that is, which doesn't sell explicit music anyway).

As for running out of storage space, I don't see that as a problem. I think everything will be cloud based like Amazon and Apple. When I watch a movie on my Kindle I simply delete it and I can always download it again from Amazon later (or I want to say you can stream your purchases from the Cloud. I know you can when you rent movies, but I haven't tried it on a purchased one yet). Same for games. I'd assume if I buy a lot of games (digitally) on the next gen Xbox I could delete the ones I don't play and download them again from the cloud should I want to play them.

But where do I get my second hand bread then?

This doesnt bother me at all. I prefer to play NEW games on a NEW system anyways. If I want to try out a game before I buy it then I'll swing over to a friends house to try it out or at least ask their opinion on it.

I'm sorry for those who this will bother the most but at least piracy takes a huge blow.

Hey atleast if there is a nuclear apocalypse and the worlds power grid is shot, then I'll have a book to read. I have a few books purchased on my iPad but that's it. I still prefer paperback books.

The greatest game of all time is unfinished lol? Wow...Beth is way ahead of this industry then.

I think you need refresher course of greatest unless you mean in some added context such as greatest failure in optimization for BGS or similar.

It'll be on the top of every publications top games list for this generation.

You say that, but come the day some computer hacker takes out his failed physical existence on a companys server and wipes all it's information, you'd change your tune. I prefer physical media because it's a physical copy on hand without relying on third parties such as steam or a hard drive to ensure the information contained works. Also, what's so bad about used gaming? If it weren't for used gaming, I would never have found half of the games that I know and love. Unlike derptards, I don't buy games because they look like 'l33t 5h00t3r br0', if a friend has a game that looks appealing, I ask about it, do research, and then shop around for a bargain price. I'd much rather go through 'long lines' than deal with the reliance on a hackable machine holding my information.

Again, your reliance on other services to maintain a product you owns data is laughable.

I'm not a paranoid parrot in this case, but prevention of problems is helpful. Your hard drive corrupts and the data is unsalvagable, you conveniently have the info on a floppy disk to use. (Yes I know not many people use FDs in this age, but that's not the point. I find the over reliance on digital information over a hard source to be bizzare and causing complacency amongst people. So assured that their precious Apple/Steam/Whatever is infallible.

I'm probably alone in my cautious attitude around here, but I feel it's a very sound and understandable caution.

If they do this, I think I'll stick with whatever games I have and Improve them with mods.
Heck I still play Halo 1 on the orginal xbox, so "dated" technology means nothing to me.

I'm with you on most of what you said. I got some of my friends into a few videogames and they borrowed most before they bought the games themselves or vice versa. I don't have rely on Steam or any other company like that because I use a console. They have total control over every one of their customers.

The past few years I have bought a lot of used games that introduce me to a series, like fallout, battlefield, and now borderlands. So it would svck for the me.

But I'd imagine the companies would lose money if they did this, especially if gamestop refuses to sell the games.

Hm. Glad I never got into current console gaming (on top of my PC gaming), then, if it's going to end up as nothing much different than the PC market has been turning into.

I may not be a console user, but I still very much dislike the notion of physical medium going away. But I've come to the conclusion that it's definitely going in/staying in that direction for a good long while at least. I also hate mail order (which is what the internet has become) vs. walk-in retail, and I'm having to resign myslf to that one too.

Times change. It svcks for a while and then you move on.

I hate the way 'Times change' atm. It's hurting a lot of things all things all in the name of 'convenience'. We're becoming so obsessed with digitalism that we're losing all basis with reality and physical content.

To begin with HDD is as reliable as a CD DVD USB Etc the more places you the game the better but that's if they have a similar system such as steam that allows you to install without the disk at any time because it is registered to your name is best out of all. I personally had my account stolen off steam when it was young sent in a report about such they couldn't see my account at all even with receipts that I had. Of course now days steam is very reliable because of its PC lock which would most likely be the case for the next gen if they include a their own or similar network or even steam itself. Hard copies do not have any reason to exist other then people cannot download due to their countries infrastructure state. Having a copy of it doesn't come into play because it is very possible to make copies a magnitude of levels. But as I said in one of my previous posts until laws are rewritten accordingly for digtal distrubution and what rights you have over that product it will be a very bad move because current laws are very much outdated steam, origin, Xbox live, PSN, etc can cut access to games you purchased online with no legal repercussions the sooner the leap the sooner that will change.

Moving on; Why are used games so bad?

Because it is a legal form of pirating. The same effect you have buying a used game from Gamestop GAME Game Xchange etc is has the same exact effect as you have downloading off the ARRGH BAY or some other site. No money part of that transaction reaches the developer/publisher of that game it all goes to that shady business used game store period. Publishers especially those who are already have started doing on PC for many years would jump on the chance to do so on console because while PC is a significant and growing share of the "gaming" population it still only a minority (including everything from handhelds to wii to 360/PS3) consoles still make up more in total then PC does alone and resell the market is large very large to point it hurts the industry more then it helps. Just because you do not have used games does NOT mean you cannot buy it at a lower price but it will mean a very drastic change in business practice of store such as gamestop GAME and gamexchange etc. which is needed badly right now. Of course they can stil be around they can change what they sell to run said content such as the new consoles or other platforms.

So once again as that one poster in the original link stated: It will help the industry overall but it will cost the consumer some more intrusive set up that they are use too now. Money will reach the publishers/developers of console games and will actually have after sell income vs first release only that they have had for countless years meaning more disposable income for future titles hopefully turning into better quality. While some games and developers scoff at any kind DRM such as CD Projeckt Red the majority that can afford a few "losses" because they do not like DRM will do it such companies include but not limited too EA, Activision, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Sega, Valve, Microsoft.

Well said .

Physical will always be superior to Digital or Cloud. I don't see why we need to head in that direction, especially when Hacking is at an alltime high and we know how valunerable Sony is and Microsoft too. I won't jump if the rumors are true, plenty of good games for the 360.