There’s a a paradigm shift happening right now in the video game world. No I’m not talking about moving away from traditional controllers to flapping our hands in the air with motion controls. I’m talking about the selling physical video games versus selling them as downloads. On the one hand, Microsoft has embraced digital distribution the most – offering Xbox 360 games for download over its Xbox Live Marketplace. On the other, Sony’s reaching into its back catalog of PlayStation classics to astound new gamers. Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 have downloadable content (DLC). Way on the other end is Nintendo, the stubborn ox, who’s yet to really embrace digital distribution in a major way other than to offer what many consider “mini-games” in its WiiWare and Virtual Console services. What does a big name publisher like Capcom think? Well, it thinks that retail will still be important for another 10-15 years, despite digital distribution being very profitable. It makes sense, considering how digital games cut out the need to stamp out a disc and forces out retail. I’m still split on this one. Downloading large video games require a decent Internet connection, and not everybody has that. I like having small apps at the tips of my fingers on a smartphone without having to walk into a store, but I still enjoy box art for games I’m paying $50-60 for. What about you? Retail or digital for your games? Drop us a comment!
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