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The Downloadable Content Dilemmaby Nelson Rodriguez
Even the Xbox Live Arcade and Virtual Console models would be affected by this in the years to come. If my son grows up with only downloaded console games, then once his console breaks, his old copies of “Dig Dug Act Zero” could be gone for all time.
Companies already offer unlock options linked to user accounts to be used in case of game-losing disaster, but piracy concerns make it less than easy to get a fully functioning game onto a new machine. Today, if your Xbox 360 breaks, previously purchased Arcade titles can be transferred to another console, but they will be restricted versions, only accessible by the main account holder and only if the console is connected to the network.
Without an easy way to fully access your old games in the year 2025, how much would you be willing to pay for nostalgia? Many of us opt for Xbox Live Arcade versions of classic games, but the prices are kept down by competition from still-functioning old consoles and old games. Imagine all the vintage SNES gear and even all the TurboGrafx-16 machines disappearing suddenly. Less choice usually means higher prices.
Is this the end of the world? Will the Terminator be coming back from the future to steal and destroy all our old game discs? I doubt it, though I might be slightly entertained. My real point is that the promise of gaming convenience is going to come at a price many of us – or I, alone - have not considered.
When you buy downloadable content, remember that you are contributing to a dramatic shift in the economics of gaming, and you are paying for a “thing” you cannot hold and do not quite own. I know it’s old-timey, and very past-past-gen, but be careful what you wish for.
To simplify what I just spent lots of words to express, the future of downloadable gaming can be boiled down to five sentences:
No sharing. No giving away. No reselling. No price drops. Console breaks, tough road ahead.
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