Xbox One New Details: Play Media Files, HTML5 Support, “Developers Loving System SDK and Performance

All sounds good with the exception of the digital titles costing the same as their retail counterparts.


Whoever has twitter should slam Nelson for this so he could take the issue up with the big guys at MS.
 
I would think digital would be a little cheaper, say 10 bucks since they are not paying for production, materials and shipping. Oh well.
I really doubt they are paying anywhere close to $10 per disc for those things. The real reason you pay $60 for about $.05 worth of plastic is because of the license that is attached to the disc. Under the current system the license attached to the physical disc it much more liberal than the license attached to digital copies.

This seems to be changing next gen, although not as much as it could've since MS was forced to abandon their digital infrastructure. But being able to access my content on a friend's Xbox adds value to that license. The return of Family Sharing would add even more value.

So while I'm disappointed that digital will be the same cost as physical, I am a little more accepting since they seem to recognize the need to add value to the digital license. We'll see how that plays out over the generation.
 
Digital will not be cheaper then retail for one and one reason only.. to not undermine the retailers

simple as that. retailers are a huge positive for companies since they sell the consoles, they promote games for free etc. they do not want them upset.
 
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Digital will not be cheaper then retail for one and one reason only.. to not undermine the retailers

simple as that. retailers are a huge positive for companies since they sell the consoles, they promote games for free etc. they do not want them upset.

A point that makes total sense..but I have seen an xbox digital game cheaper than retail at launch already..and recently.
 
Digital will not be cheaper then retail for one and one reason only.. to not undermine the retailers

simple as that. retailers are a huge positive for companies since they sell the consoles, they promote games for free etc. they do not want them upset.
^ This, new games will not be cheaper than retail. However I would expect big discounts on older games.
 
Looks like I'll be keep the sammy blu-ray hooked up for it's usb and media capability. But I guess I'll also be Changing Inputs on the TV!! OH THE HORROR
 
Which game ma I ask? Just curious.
Payday 2, launched at $40 console retail and PSN, a week later launched games on demand for $35. And this is recent, end of August ish

Also, ducktales remastered is $15 digitally..will be $20 when the retail copies come out.. not that it is a great example, but an example none the less
 
Digital will not be cheaper then retail for one and one reason only.. to not undermine the retailers

simple as that. retailers are a huge positive for companies since they sell the consoles, they promote games for free etc. they do not want them upset.

This, Outside of one off specials, digital cannot be cheaper than retail.
 
It's not exactly free to host all these games that are sold digitally, pay for bandwidth so that they can be downloaded in a realistic timeframe, the storage to keep them indefinitely, and to pay sysadmins and others to support the whole thing. Not to mention equipment usually has to be refreshed every few years. I'm not so sure it's an easy thing to say that because it's digitally distributed it should automatically be cheaper. I would like to see a study on the costs of digital distro vs standard retail with throwaway components (boxes etc) and shipping.
 
It's not exactly free to host all these games that are sold digitally, pay for bandwidth so that they can be downloaded in a realistic timeframe, the storage to keep them indefinitely, and to pay sysadmins and others to support the whole thing. Not to mention equipment usually has to be refreshed every few years. I'm not so sure it's an easy thing to say that because it's digitally distributed it should automatically be cheaper. I would like to see a study on the costs of digital distro vs standard retail with throwaway components (boxes etc) and shipping.

People either forget about these costs, or choose not to acknowledge them. Most of the arguments base on no retail packaging..which is really only like $1 worth of the product cost..if that lol. I would say that digital probably adds more to the cost than not going retail saves..so we should be glad the price isn't being raised overall this gen to cover the shift towards digital.
 
The reason DD cost as much is either they can, or due to regulation, or retailer. You know for instance Photoshop and many other packages like 3Dmax cost more than 50% in Europe, even when it is DD, than USA, matching retail price?

How else can you explain it other than to match retail prices in Europe, or because they can. Also some of the servers & companies that sell them are base in Europe, & you cannot use server & bandwidth as argument when the price difference are over easily 300 bulks.

I do not think however, the DD need to be cheaper than retail version, but they need to provide better value than they are now, for the masses to accept them. Be it family plan, or some form of trade in. I do not have the statistic, but I am fairly sure, being able to trade/exchange game hold more values for most people than the conveniences of not swapping discs or more storage space (especially your games are going to be sold back anyway).
 
I really doubt they are paying anywhere close to $10 per disc for those things. The real reason you pay $60 for about $.05 worth of plastic is because of the license that is attached to the disc. Under the current system the license attached to the physical disc it much more liberal than the license attached to digital copies.

Im not sure where this notion that disk printing is basically free comes from. They are not, and while they cost nothing like $10, the retail package probably costs on the order of $2 to have made when they are ordered in bulk.
 
The reason DD cost as much is either they can, or due to regulation, or retailer. You know for instance Photoshop and many other packages like 3Dmax cost more than 50% in Europe, even when it is DD, than USA, matching retail price?

How else can you explain it other than to match retail prices in Europe, or because they can. Also some of the servers & companies that sell them are base in Europe, & you cannot use server & bandwidth as argument when the price difference are over easily 300 bulks.

I do not think however, the DD need to be cheaper than retail version, but they need to provide better value than they are now, for the masses to accept them. Be it family plan, or some form of trade in. I do not have the statistic, but I am fairly sure, being able to trade/exchange game hold more values for most people than the conveniences of not swapping discs or more storage space (especially your games are going to be sold back anyway).

Most of Europe has value added tax, which is much more significant than the retail sales taxes we pay in the us. Also they build the price into the product, the seller pays the tax, not the buyer.
 
Also they build the price into the product, the seller pays the tax, not the buyer.
So, i guess the business just "eats" it huh? Nah man, economics 101, that expense is passed to the customer.
 
Digital will not be cheaper then retail for one and one reason only.. to not undermine the retailers

simple as that. retailers are a huge positive for companies since they sell the consoles, they promote games for free etc. they do not want them upset.

Yet steam does it all the time.


on topic: I hope the box has good codec support. Pisses me off how little the 360 can actually do.
 
Most of Europe has value added tax, which is much more significant than the retail sales taxes we pay in the us. Also they build the price into the product, the seller pays the tax, not the buyer.
The tax is around 20% (give or take in EU regions). People have done the maths, & its much much higher than the taxes. Photoshop cost about 2X the price in US for example.

In any case, Adobe did not replied that the tax is the reason for the main price difference, or cost to run the servers, as the selling price does not hold water. They made up some obvious bullsit stuff like need for translation, & technical support..(for the 5 person that will call Adobe hotline for technical help...lol).

The general accepted reason is that they think Europeans are willing to pay more, or think we are richer, & charges as such.

My point is, DD are not as costly, or more costly than retail version, as suggested, hence not selling cheaper.
 
So, i guess the business just "eats" it huh? Nah man, economics 101, that expense is passed to the customer.

Well yes... The customer always pays in the end, the difference is... In the US our laws, culture and tradition says the tax gets put onto the receipt, so the customer gets to see how much Caesars portion is, and is keenly aware of how much government is being shoved up our ass. In Europe the socialist/communist governments hide how much of your money they are stealing from you.
 
It is cheaper (other than the added cost of bandwidth for transferring the file). But Developers were getting a lot less money out of the $60. Now they can get more money, and keep the price the same. It's the companies that print the disks, cases, paper inserts and UPS, as well as the big box stores that are now missing out.

Pretty sure he meant cheaper for the consumer. For the money saved in not buying discs, cases, printing covers, then shipping etc, why aren't the savings passed on to the consumer, especially when you add the fact digital games can't be traded or sold.

This is why people were against all digital with mandatory online check ins. Where is the benefit to the consumer? If going all digital is more cost efficient for the industry, AND eliminates the second hand market, make it the better option for consumers.
 
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Pretty sure he meant cheaper for the consumer. For the money saved in not buying discs, cases, printing covers, then shipping etc, why aren't the savings passed on to the consumer, especially when you add the fact digital games can't be traded or sold.

This is why people were against all digital with mandatory online check ins. Where is the benefit to the consumer? If going all digital is more cost efficient for the industry, AND eliminates the second hand market, make it the better option for consumers.

The thing is, if people are willing to pay $60 for a game, that is how much they are gonna charge. You can go back later and lower your price and pick up the people who were only willing to pay $50 or $25 or whatever... But as long as people are willing to pay that price, that is what they are gonna be.
 
The thing is, if people are willing to pay $60 for a game, that is how much they are gonna charge. You can go back later and lower your price and pick up the people who were only willing to pay $50 or $25 or whatever... But as long as people are willing to pay that price, that is what they are gonna be.

anyone remember what price NeoGeo cartridges were at retail?

In the United States, the console was planned to debut at $599 USD and included two joystick controllers and a game, either Baseball Stars Professional or NAM-1975. However, the price was raised and its American launch debuted at $649.99. This package was known as the "Gold System." Later, the "Gold System" was bundled with Magician Lord and Fatal Fury. The system was also released in a "Silver System" package for $399.99, which included one joystick controller and did not include a game. Other games were priced at about $200 (and up). With these "premium" prices, though, most gamers weren't able to afford the system, so the console was only accessible to a niche market.

I am glad that sort of pricing structure didn't take hold :)
 
Im not sure where this notion that disk printing is basically free comes from. They are not, and while they cost nothing like $10, the retail package probably costs on the order of $2 to have made when they are ordered in bulk.
That was me typing before I left for work this morning. The $.05 is a specific reference to the value of the physical materials and was not intended to be a statement of the total cost of the physical disc. I think $2 may be a little on the high end, but then I suppose if you took into consideration everything involved I am much happier with your number than $10.