Digital Distribution
Although video games are generally considered the bleeding edge of modern technology and are widely considered to be the driving force behind technological progression their distribution models are relatively ancient.
In the digital age we are still distributing video games in boxes with manuals, CD/DVDs, etc. A physical medium is being used to distribute something that exists entirely in the digital realm. This is partially out of habit, people are not yet comftorable exchanging money, which in itself is nothing but a representation of a very tangible force, for something which is significantly less tangible when stripped to the digital form alone.
Another contributing factor is that the physical representation is what distinguishes a legitimate copy from a pirated one. People are not paying $90 or more for a printed box, manual and some discs, they are paying for authenticity.
However physical items must be manufactured, they must be shipped, stored, and then compete for shelf space with other items. These factors alone add a significant cost to what is already an expensive hobby, and reduce what is already a slim profit margin for developers.
This increased cost makes self-publishing almost impossible. Like in the book industry, an author must seek out a publisher for their works. The publisher is responsible for manufacturing, marketing, distribution of the work, and generally finances the operation.
The problem with this model, and many media production industries that use similar, is that publishers have a stranglehold over their respective industries, and will generally hold the rights to the work if they are going to approve and finance it.
Digital distribution doesn't solve all of these problems, but it does make it significantly more viable for developers to publish their works themselves.
In the digital age we are still distributing video games in boxes with manuals, CD/DVDs, etc. A physical medium is being used to distribute something that exists entirely in the digital realm. This is partially out of habit, people are not yet comftorable exchanging money, which in itself is nothing but a representation of a very tangible force, for something which is significantly less tangible when stripped to the digital form alone.
Another contributing factor is that the physical representation is what distinguishes a legitimate copy from a pirated one. People are not paying $90 or more for a printed box, manual and some discs, they are paying for authenticity.
However physical items must be manufactured, they must be shipped, stored, and then compete for shelf space with other items. These factors alone add a significant cost to what is already an expensive hobby, and reduce what is already a slim profit margin for developers.
This increased cost makes self-publishing almost impossible. Like in the book industry, an author must seek out a publisher for their works. The publisher is responsible for manufacturing, marketing, distribution of the work, and generally finances the operation.
The problem with this model, and many media production industries that use similar, is that publishers have a stranglehold over their respective industries, and will generally hold the rights to the work if they are going to approve and finance it.
Digital distribution doesn't solve all of these problems, but it does make it significantly more viable for developers to publish their works themselves.
posted by jEW at 10:15 PM
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