Are The Denizens Of Opposable Thumbed Earthlings Ready? We all have it, that one memory from childhood that is recalled with the utmost of detail. That one moment from the past which continues to live on, with vivacity, in the dark, mysterious depths of the brain. For most, this memory likely revolves around a particularly special birthday, or perhaps an especially lucrative Christmas.
On the contrary, for me, that specific section of the medial temporal lobe is filled with the wondrous recollection of video games. The most lucid of these memories involves what is widely considered to be the first action-adventure game, entitled Adventure (a first-party game released in 1979 for the Atari 2600). The game, given the time period, was archaic in both design and gameplay, with the player’s character being represented by, yes, a square. Now, it’s not so much the game itself that brings back the flood of memories. Nope. In fact, it was the pursuit thereof (though, in retrospect, it was strangely compelling).
As a six year old, nothing was more exciting than jumping into the family car on a Saturday morning and heading out to the local department store for a day of shopping. With luck, most excursions would conclude with some brand new shiny object of childhood lust in my grimy little kid hands. One Saturday, in particular, stands above all others. It concluded, after endless pleas, with the acquisition of the aforementioned Adventure. The drive home, recalled with excruciating detail, seemed never ending; the castle atop the hill, the frightening fire-breathing dragon, the valiant knight with sword in hand, and the myriad of bright pastel colors, all of these adorning the cleverly conceived cover – which screamed out to be played. Even after all these years, the experience seems so surreal.
If Microsoft’s recent press announcement is to be believed, memories – such as the one outlined above – will cease to exist for our gaming youth. The culprit? DLC (downloadable content). In his speech at the recent Gamefest developer event in London, UK, David Gosen, Microsoft’s VP of strategic marketing and Xbox LIVE, was quoted as saying, "There’s no question digital will overtake physical [media]. It happened in music and will happen to our industry." What does this mean for the future of gaming? Well, it will certainly mean the elimination of the brick and mortar experience. Physical activity of any kind will no longer be necessary to purchase the next iteration of Dynasty Warriors or Need For Speed (all the more reason to seek out Nintendo’s hugely popular exercise platform… Wii Fit, baby!).
Are consumers really ready for a future devoid of physical media? In a perfect world, perhaps. But according to Gamestop merchandising VP, Bob McKenzie, we won’t be ready until approximately the year 2020. His argument being that the current configuration of the Internet does not support a timely, consumer friendly delivery of large games. There may be some validity to his statement, but keep in mind that the man has a vested interest in your continual shopping excursions to his place of employment. Now, it obviously could be argued that DLC is a reality in the present, as many of us who subscribe to Xbox Live, PSN or Valve’s hugely successful Steam could attest to. Some of my all-time favorite games are download exclusive, and include such expansive titles as Siren: Blood Curse, Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty, Castle Crashers, plus a plethora of bite-sized casual games. It would seem the future is a lot closer than we are led to believe.
There are plenty of other factors that will likely prevent a market predominance of DLC. First and foremost, is the reluctance of publishers to ship a title exclusively as downloadable content. The reason you ask? Well, DSL (high-speed internet) consumer penetration still leaves something to be desired, especially in the European market. We have already seen examples of this reluctance, specifically with Sony Computer Entertainment’s Siren: Blood Curse. The game is available to North American gamers as a downloadable exclusive but, in Europe, the publishing giant decided to play it safe and offer a coinciding retail version of the game. Can’t blame ‘em, after all, priority number one is to recoup their development costs.
Another issue at the forefront of digital downloading is the gray area surrounding Digital Rights Management (DRM). This is where things become truly confusing and misleading. So, if you’ve been paying close attention to PSN (Playstation Network, Sony’s digital media delivery service), you are likely aware of the recently launched Sony Video Store. Within this online store you are treated to a wide selection of movies available for purchase or rental. Studios on board include Sony Pictures, MGM, Lionsgate, Warner Bros., Disney and Paramount. Sounds great, doesn’t it? Word to the wise: before you get too download happy, be sure to read Sony’s fine print. "Purchased content can be downloaded to a single PLAYSTATION 3 or a single PSP system," reads the warning. "Content cannot be redownloaded once it has been downloaded to either a PLAYSTATION 3 or PSP system." What does this mean? Well, essentially, Sony is allowing you temporary ownership of your purchases. Unlike buying your movie at either Best Buy or Walmart where, once purchased, it is yours to keep forever, this new system is a category all its own, floating somewhere between rental and ownership. To be fair, if for any reason you happen to lose your downloaded content, a phone call to Sony’s customer service line will allow you to redownload your lost content as a one-time courtesy… thanks a lot Sony!
So, as you can see, we are far from an ideal world devoid of "stuff" (to quote the late, great George Carlin). In all honesty, we as a gaming community – this includes the publishers, developers, and consumers – need to embrace this technology sooner than later. With the depletion of essential resources to make said "stuff" and the rise of production costs for said "stuff", a completely digital world begins to make perfect sense (regardless of the contradictory nature of this article). Good luck trying to convince the hardcore Joe gamer. You know the guy I’m referring to, he who collects every piece of gaming/movie/anime memorabilia (toys to the rest of the civilized world) to display nonsensically on the walls of his bedroom. Where is this bedroom located you ask? In the basement of his parent’s house, of course!