The current generation consoles have been around for a while, and the gaming community seems to be ready for something new. Everyone is anticipating a Playstation 4 or a Wii-U or the next Xbox. What consumers need to realize is that along with new hardware, digital game distribution and the increasingly popular mobile gaming platform will have an impact on the future of video games.
Digital game distribution is available on the Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation networks but it is yet to be the main platform of game distribution. Here is a quote from an article discussing the recent digital distribution rumors regarding a new title in one of biggest game franchises ever, Grand Theft Auto. "We are just hours away from the big Grand Theft Auto V trailer reveal but now we have some interesting news on the side as it has been suggested that GTA V may not release on disc, and may instead come with just a redeem voucher online for respective stores – sounds ridiculous doesn't it on first reading?"
The potential for this game to be released digitally only will impact the game industry as we know it, especially Gamestop. Gamestop makes most of its money on selling used copies of games over and over again. With a digital download, this will make that business model obsolete.
While new release digital download only titles may take a while to be accepted and reach the market, handheld gaming downloads are taking off dramatically. Consumers have latched on to the bird launching/puzzle/physics game Angry Birds. This can be downloaded to your Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, android phone, tablet, or laptop. And for .99 cents, this is a fun game at a great price.
Not only is mobile gaming attractive to the regular gamer, it is attractive to the casual gamer. Casual gaming is a huge market that has been only approached by the Nintendo Wii. Mobile gaming has moved into the casual market rigorously and it is taking off. Angry Birds, the current most popular mobile game in the world, has been downloaded more than 200 million times. That is an incredible number and shows casual gaming is a huge market.
Taking after the popularity of Angry Birds, it is likely that other small companies or entrepreneurs will make mobile app games. This is great progress in the gaming industry because it enables small companies or even one person by themselves to develop a game that has the potential to be a widespread popular hit. This leads to innovation and opens the door for many more people who have an interest in game development but have barriers to entry in the field.
The future of gaming looks bright. 3D technology, improved graphics, and HD televisions make gaming look unbelievably realistic but they are not the only reasons games will prosper in the future. Digital distribution has the potential to take over much like it did with the CD industry. This can lead to cheaper games, easier access to games, and will save the consumer time and frustration with going to the store. Not only does digital distribution affect console gaming, it is becoming a phenomenon in mobile gaming. The current example of Angry Birds just goes to show that many people (over 200 million) will spend .99 cents to have something fun to do on their mobile devices during their down time. This will most definitely affect Nintendo's and PlayStation's expensive handheld units. The accessibility to the technology to create these games and the small development cost (which includes the ability to distribute digitally which is much cheaper than a disc) will lead to entrepreneurship, new games and players, and ultimately the domination of digital distribution over the disc.
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