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You hear that, GameStop? Capcom thinks you’re all washed up. Maybe it’s time to let the younger, prettier, and – most of all – immaterial new generation start helping you across the street, because your time’s running short. In an interview with Rock Paper Shotgun, Capcom VP of strategic planning Christian Svensson explained why.
“Absolutely. No question in my mind. Digital distribution on PC ties directly into our strategy," Svensson replied when asked whether or not digital beats retail. “We will probably do as much digital selling as retail in the current climate,” he later added.
“To that end, on the PC side, I’ve spent the past year building up a digital distribution channel that has about twenty different partners. We’re ready on the console side, and we were the first Japanese publisher to do anything on Steam.”
Just in time, too. Our collection of game manuals was starting to get a little out of hand.
Comments are closed on this article
Tyndal59
March 14, 2009 at 3:06pm
The idea of digital distribution sounds good until you find out it is a new version of DRM that users have been fighting for decades. First of all I do not support illeagal distribution/sharing. People make a living creating the original works. I doubt few people would like to work for free. Back to the subject. I have no problem with online registration/verification as long as there is an alternative means if internet access is not available. The problem lies when full time internet access is required because another program such as Steam has to be running to run the game/program. Being able to configure Steam for "offline" play is not acceptable. Look at the number of programs running in the background on your computer. One program by itself isn't a problem, but when you add a dozen or more you have to have pore powerfull processors and memory just to keep running at the same level. This is one of the reasons that instead of buying a computer now requires 2, 4 or more gigabytes of memory. If I have absolutly NO intention of playing a game online why should I have to be connected to the internet to play a game. That's what is requires with suech programs as Fear 2. If steam isn't running then neither is Fear 2 (or others requiring Steam). There is no running an unhacked version without Steam running. Steam IS the first step to start charging people for either each use or timed use of a program, not just games. There will be people that disagree but then I would not expect corporate officials to publicaly announce that "We are out to screw the public and they will thank us for it.
For those that like to play online or prefer online software, that's okay but is another program to use a program other than a browser really required? Before deciding weither or not Steam and it's like is for yo, read the license agreement for Steam and search the internet for comments abour it. Also why is the requiment to have internet access and a Steam account on retail packages printed so small that it can not be read without some form of magnification? Yes I said retail packages, I never downloaded Fear 2, it was bought off a store shelf and installation aborted when I read the license agreement and found out no Steam, no Fear 2. This comment is my opinion, research it and form your own.
atomaweapon
March 05, 2009 at 3:04pm
I guess I'm still not quite getting the whole digital distribution deal. I know it's cool to be able to browse a store and hook up with some downloads, but at some point I want a physical disc or object in my hand. Especially in the PC world. I like game boxes, materials, having a CD. I occasionally do acronis restores and backups, and sometimes don't have internet.
Im just not getting it.
thegamepro
March 05, 2009 at 1:08pm
I wouldn't be suprised if the next generation of consoles went 100% digital distribution and so gamestop will probably end pc sales soon and the consoles will still hang in their a little bit longer but it may eventually force gamestop to make money on hardware instead of software.
Scatter
March 05, 2009 at 7:22am
"“Absolutely. No question in my mind. Digital distribution on PC ties directly into our strategy"
I don't that Gamestop really cares that much about PC game sales since they don't sell used PC games. Now if Capcom were to start selling it's console games via digital distribution it would be something comepletely different and Gamestop would have reason to worry.
