Loose Threads: Should handheld gaming go download only?

[Fraser]

If 2008 has taught us anything, it's that people like the App Store. In fact, they love it and have bought a silly amount of games on it since it launched. The PSP now has the native PSP Store and the DS is going to be getting DSi Ware games soon too, so the big question is, does the high street retail of handheld games have a future?

It seems logical that Sony and Nintendo will want to follow Apple and Nokia's successful distribution methods when the time comes to release new hardware. It saves on the cost of the games, they can be updated if they need any bugs fixed and you don't need to go to the bother of treking down to your local rip-off merchant of a games retailer to get the goods.

But then, some people like to maintain a proudly displayed shelf of classic games. And what about the second-hand market, isn't that the meat and potatoes of gaming retail?

What are you thinking...?

[Fizzer600]

I own a PSP and one of the main reasons I am considering an ipod touch for gaming is the ready avaialability of hundreds (thousands?) of games and aps ranging from free demos to $10 US, with most seeming to be around $5-$6. At that price, and the ability to purchase instantly from home, I am much more likely to try something. At under $10, who cares about resale? You lose more than $10 between retail and resale anyway. I have downloaded several games from the Playstation Store, and it is my preferred method of purchase. I now find myself wishing locoroco 2 would come out as d/l. Memory is cheap enough to put a lot of games on one stick without having to mess with carrying a bunch of UMDs.

If the PS store would get a clue from itunes and open up to independant developers (a distincly un-Sony like move), they could have a real revolution on their hands. It might actually save the dying PSP. The PSP does have one huge advantage over the iPhone when it comes to download: Removable memory. How easy would it be to carry around 10 or 15 UMD quality games on a single, interchangable memory card. Now THAT's worth keeping the PSP for!

[danskmacabre]

I dunno about download ONLY, but seeing as the DSi has a download shop possibility already, I think it's have a download facility or die.
What with the Iphone shop being the success it is, they (being Sony and Nintendo) have no choice really.

There will probably be an option for buying carts for a while yet though, as a lot of people still like having something physical for their purchase.
Not only that, having a purchase that can't be backed up is a major negative thing, you can be sure no-one will let you back up your games should you need to reset everything.
Although there might be a way of re-downloading a game should you need to (suck as getting a replacement for your gaming rig).

If a game on the DS that would usually sell for £20, sells for £10 though I'd be interested (as long as I could retrieve it somehow should I lose it for some reason).

But whatever the case, the days of carts being sold in places like game and so on are numbered.

However console stuff and PC stuff is still gonna be around for a while yet and here's probably at least a few years left in hand-held console games in shops.

[GideonB]

Well I can't really say much, being only one side of this but, YES! Handheld gaming goes download only, then all we need is a huge memory stick which costs about £50 and games that cost £5 which pretty much means y.ou have a gaming experience on your handheld for a smaller price than getting a UMD/DS Cart

[staticshade]

i see the psp as the most traditional game device and i game on it anywhere from 5-12hrs a day, i see the nds as the next best thing from the psp and th iphone as a giant mini game collection. the app store relies a lot on spontaneous buys for games tht people will play for a max of 30mins at a time. One thing sony and nintendo should note is that this works for the iphone market where games are played for a short period of time on a commute e.t.c and now bullet points


-sony should open the psn store to a select no of indies i prefer to have as little shovelware as possible
-nds should keep doing what works for them and thats selling catridges. i don't see a majority oftheir demographic as the downloading kind
-and overall generally better games should be made bin all the shovelware


thats my 2cents

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