[Feba]

Well, there's a difference between digital distribution as a subtitute; you might not want chicken strips instead of a hamburger, or downloads instead of retail store space as is Nintendo's case. But at the same time, you might not mind having one of your friend's chicken strips, or having chicken salad as an appetizer. Nintendo seems to look at Digital Distribution as another way of making money, instead of an alternate one.

In a lot of ways, it makes sense. If your digital sales platform isn't crap, most consumers will almost certainly prefer it to retail, unless a game is dirt cheap retail, and full priced in the online store. Your retail presence isn't just damaged when you stop supporting retail, it's also hurt when consumers stop supporting it, and stores make less and less room for your product.

One of the big reasons SEGA died was their failings with retailers, Saturnday being a big example. When you piss off retailers so badly that they drop your products entirely, or give your competitors better retail space or sales, you're in a bad place. If we start to see a world where instead of having a PlayStation3/P shelf, an Xbox shelf, a Wii shelf, and a DS shelf we have a PS3/P and Xbox shelf, a DS shelf, and two Wii shelves, it will only hammer home Nintendo's success in the broader market. Sony and MS could have the superior libraries, consoles, and services, but if they're not in stores, it won't hit many people.

[Malacite]

Good point, however Sony and Microsoft are both making a fast transition to DD and it seems to be working fine. I seriously doubt people are ready to go with it solely just yet, but Nintendo's going to have to start using it too pretty soon. And I don't mean using it exclusively, but alongside retail.

[Feba]

Originally Posted by Malacite

Good point, however Sony and Microsoft are both making a fast transition to DD and it seems to be working fine.

So far. Once they start to suffer at retail for it, though, it will be different. Of course, it's possible to make a product that thrives with dd, look at the iPod. The major difference being that Apple has a relatively incredible PR/marketing team, and all of the big three generally suck at it.

[Malacite]

Yeah I'm still kinda iffy on the PSP-GO.

Not only is it $249.99 while the slim is $169.99 ($80.00 of pure profit, not 1 penny of that is on the cost) they've taken out the UMD so... wtf am I gonna do with my 6 games? The fuck if I'm re-buying them.

[Feba]

Originally Posted by Malacite

($80.00 of pure profit, not 1 penny of that is on the cost)

yeah, 16GB of flash memory, a completely redesigned case, smaller technology, and advertising and support is all free.

[Kailea]

Originally Posted by Feba

yeah, 16GB of flash memory, a completely redesigned case, smaller technology, and advertising and support is all free.

its still BS

[Armando]

It may very well be, but that's besides the point. Saying that "not 1 penny of [the price difference] is cost" is obviously wrong, even if they're making a profit from it.

[Malacite]

Well, that's what the dude was going on about on The Bonus round.

The flash memory isn't costing them jack and it's a smaller machine. They're basically making this to compete with the iPod. The reason they're charging so damn much is because of the massive hits they've been taking from the PS3, which is why they haven't dropped the price on it either.