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Though we’re still waiting to see what the PS4 is going to look like, we definitely have a handle on the guts and how the next-gen system will work. And that includes downloading PS4 games digitally. According to Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida, every single PS4 game will be available to download online.
In an interview with The Guardian Yoshida said:
We’re shifting our platform more and more to the digital side — PS4 will be similar to PS Vita in that every game will be available as a digital download, and some will also be available as a disc.
That’d be nice for gamers who just like to click and buy (and not worry about the used game market, etc.) but what might be even more interesting is a possible subscription model for video games. Yoshida described the possibility, saying:
As more and more services and contents become available digitally, we’ll have more of an option to create attractive packages. So hypothetically we can look at different models — like a cable TV company. We could have gold, silver or platinum levels of membership, something like that. We can do subscription services when we have more content — especially now that we have the Gaikai technology available. With one subscription you have access to thousands of games — that’s our dream.
Hard drive space is a concern but with streaming games available, maybe not. Check out the whole interview at The Guardian. [The Guardian via The Verge]
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It’s a very nice idea but there are two problems with it.
First, here in the UK at least, our internet infrastructure is not strong enough to handle a BluRay sized download. I had a friend of mine buy the latest Final Fantasy on the PS Store at the same time I walked into town and brought the physical game. I had it installed and had been playing for 4 hours before he even finished downloading it.
Second, price. Games on the PS Store are on average £10-£20 more expensive than the prices for the physical games, this pushes the average game cost to nearly £60.
The broadband issue is kinda half there, although true for some people most now offer unlimited bandwidth, and the way i look at it is 4 hour download is still quicker than next day delivery from say play or amazon etc..
however your second point on Sony store prices is my concern, i had a look other day and the new hitman which is £25 at best pretty much everywhere was £49.99 i mean wtf
I know for a fact it would take me a good 6 – 7 hours to download a 30GB game, witch would be overnight really, suppose it’s not too bad, say if I’m at work and I can buy the game at work and my PS4 starts to download it I could play it by the time I get home.
But the PS4 now would let you start playing instantly, using Gaikai, whilst you are downloading. Which gets around that issue.
I’d like to see that in action, real performance on my connection (Average 12Mbps). But still the price worries me.
I did the same thing yesterday, I was after Borderlands 2 which I knew I could get for £20-25 from Game/Amazon, but I thought I’d see what the Xbox marketplace would offer (thinking it would be cheaper as it is a download), £50!!! Are they taking the piss?! It was £40 at launch!
totally in agreement on the pricing fiasco, the convenience of downloading is not worth 50% extra on the price especially when there are disadvantages that come with it (no resale possibility, long download times)
Digital download copies of games should be AT LEAST half the price of the physical version. If you’re not able to resell the game afterwards then it has considerably less value.
i think the download thing is still a long term goal and they need to introduce it in order to work on it and improved it. for instance, the amount of people who stream on lovefilm etc. is tiny compared to physical rentals of movies. infrastructure can’t handle it, but it’s moving that way.
Perhaps a solution to it being faster to walk to the shops is to implement the same pre download system which steam uses. Allowing users to download the game prior to release but not letting them play the game until the release date.
But they have already claimed Day 1 Digital and shown off that you can play the game through Gaikai, so I don’t see the point of them then letting you download it early and miss out on their new service
I’d love to be proved wrong but I don’t see Gaikai as a viable alternative to pre downloading. If nothing else there’s a whole lot of compression on the service which means the HD graphics you’re paying for are going to suffer even with a decent internet connection.
Plus it’s what the consumer wants, if you’ve not pre downloaded then streaming is better than nothing but pre downloading is a better solution IMO.
I don’t think the play-as-you-download thing works through Gaikai. I think it works by downloading part of the game which you can play while it’s downloading the rest. E.g. you download the first level, which you can play while it’s downloading the second level.
I think you’re right but I can see it working both ways. The download the first level stuff does require the dev to structure their code to allow that. Hopefully they should be doing this as a matter of course – it’s good programming practice to separate the game mechanics from the level design, textures etc. but real life software development doesn’t always work that way.
Is it too much to hope for Steam style sale every holiday?
This is Sony, that will never happen.
Hopefully they do subscription based service for everything.
Movies, Music, Games, Apps – £20 a month? Long shot but I would defiantly do that.
Like they said before, you can start to play the game as it is downloading, don’t know how that would work but cant wait to find out.
Hopefully the standard HDD is at leased 1TB, if not 2TB, with a second SSD of 120GB (Or just an empty slot for SSD so I can buy my own).
If all content goes digital, our internet needs to be fixed in this country, to get minimum speeds of 10Mbps everywhere, 4G could help with that.
What if you’re still on dialup?!
We pray for their souls.
didn’t realise there was a UK version of Amish…
Actually laughed out loud.
“and not worry about the used games market”
The used games market works very much in consumers’ favour and without that I would have bought very few games down the years. It gives choice to customers who cannot afford to pay full price for games which is a very real concern with the economy in the state it is in.
If downloading will be the only option for a lot of games, Sony can keep their crappy console and their games. I have better things to spend my money on (namely music and books).
Great, you will get to pay more for games that have no package costs, shipping costs, no art work cost for covers etc.. and yet you have to pay the same or more than in store.. JOY!! then there is when the game gets old.. why is it the online stores of MS and PS think anyone is going to pay £20 for a game that is £10 new in a store.. unless they sort that, dont care..
This is all very nice but there’s no way on earth it’ll be possible on my 1mb connection. Just as well they’re keeping physical copies.
And theres me thinking Panda’s were internet porn addicts hence the reason they only have real sex once a year, clearly with a 1mb internet connection this is not possible. I have misjudged you and in doing so have done you a grave disservice, please pass on my apologies to your fellow Panda’s