As we approach the fifth anniversary of PlayStation 4 and
Xbox One, it is not surprising that we have heard about video games and
"new generation" consoles. God, this year we could even see some
titles (or titles that will be passed down from generation to generation). But
like the beginning of the current generation of the console, industry analysts
return to the idea of an all-digital future for the home console.
"We think that video games will be 100% deterministic in
the next few years, and although the exact time is difficult to determine, we
believe that 2022 is a realistic expectation." This sentence comes from a
note by Michael J Olson and Yung. Information like the ones above can (and must
often) carries a salt; however, when traditional video game retailers, such as
GameStop, are actively looking for redemptions, there may be blood in the
water.
I will not say if I support or object (inevitably) to
digital, but what I can do is speak according to my own experience with
PlayStation 4, Xbox One or even Nintendo Switch. At the end of the PS3 and Xbox
360 cycles, I have a text tower full of video games: I mean it can easily get
about 160 titles (but maybe more). I am not only for personal enthusiasm for
the game, but also for the purpose of reviewing and previewing this site. We're
talking about a lot of games here, and it was not until the end of this
generation that I started shopping on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the
PlayStation Store, and I started to worry about scanning.
The launch of PlayStation 4 and Xbox One took place in 2013.
Again, I started by leaving physical titles for both consoles (even before the
material itself is available). I remember that the target stores were
eliminated in October and early November because they were executing their
"Buy two in one, free" video game promotions, including PS4 and Xbox
One games. After the first buzz and excitement that was usually seen on the console,
I noticed that I went to the store less often to buy the game. Friends post a
group message based on 'What are we going to play this weekend?' By starting
the application and clicking the "Buy" button, the game is ready and
I can buy the game more easily.
Prior to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, console hardware usually
incurred significant losses in the early days. The digital processors from
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will analyze the software surcharge rates to find
"sweet spots", and each company will make a profit after the
"X" software has been sold. People can only imagine what this sweet
spot is, this is the $ 600 shit program at the PS3 starting point.
We see this generation of consoles as different from the
business model, because the console sales of Sony and Microsoft (very light)
are "black". According to analyst IHS, the PlayStation 4 sells for
about $ 381, and the retail price is $ 399, which is a comfortable $ 18. In
terms of content, all mainframes sold by its predecessor (PlayStation 3) in the
last five years have lost money.
Let's think about it: those consumers who completely hate
this completely digital future idea? How to get rid of those who have not yet
collected and traded physical media? This may seem like a long way, but I think
I know how Sony and Microsoft can eat and eat their own cakes; it's about
combining previous strategies (selling hardware at a loss) with newer attempts.
Squeeze everything out of the initial hardware sales.
Both Sony and Microsoft would have to offer a diskless digital
version of the PS5 and the next generation Xbox consoles at the time of
publication. They still need to be equipped with traditional models with
optical drives (for those who still need it). But if digitization is the
solution, the cost of a diskless version should be much lower.
Hypothetical dream scenario: if the PlayStation 5 with 4K
Blu-ray is released for the same price as the price of $ 399 from its
predecessor, the diskless digital version should be $ 349 and twice the memory.
It is important to point out that such a step should not be used as a
punishment for those who want to keep (or no longer need) physical media for a
long time, but to motivate those who are ready and willing to do so.
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