Sony

[superlarz]

What makes you think that Sony would have to make a new format for a new console? The PS1 wasn't the first console to use CD's

They have had a different format on their console so far so they will probably have another format for PS4. Not necessarily created by Sony, but if it fails so will the PS4.

Two words.

Digital Distribution. The writing is on the wall.

I sure hope not, or this will be the last gen i take part in.

[bobbynewmarkiii]

^^^ it's downloads all the way from here on in...

[nate]

I hope not, I like some download content but I also like buying the physical products.

how can you have 'limited edition' games with some extra swag inside like a T shirt or a special controller (R4 Jogcon Seaman mic)

I know...I bought the PSeye and downloaded stuff to use it with...

I read Pioneer has a 400gb blue ray disc that works in current BR players...seems like that be enough space for another few years.

[corn619]

I agree with nate, I like having the physical product in hand. Downloads have no resale value. Its nothing but a sham so companies can control your content and get rid of used game sales. Most of todays electronics are disposable and I would hate for video games to follow that path. I like buying a game that will have some monetary value when I'm done playing. I think lots of people are buying into this download crap and its only a matter of time before they go all digital. So now people will have to buy a large overpriced Sony or M$ HDD to store the games. And I bet the games won't even be much cheaper if at all. Looks like a scam to me.

[fastbilly1]

Scam or not, we all know it is coming. I will continue to buy Nintendo systems aslong as they keep making Zelda games. But if they go all digital I will be buying many less games.

Bluray is only a stopgap until the infrastructure is built up for higher quality streaming/downloads. Verizon and Comcast have been ramping up their fiber construction to unheard of levels in recent years. But I could be wrong, itll be interesting to see either way. I on the otherhand am picking up another PSX...

[Niode]

I hope that 100% digital distribution never comes. It'll be a nightmare in this country, it's unbelievable considering the size but we have the most expensive broadband in the EU and the worst overall coverage... Only a few thousand homes can get 10Mb broadband (read: cable) let alone 20Mb+ required for streaming of high bitrate video content. Most are stuck around the 2Mb-4Mb speed. It's not likely to change until BT rolls out the 21st Century Network, which is essentially replacing your antiquated copper lines and exchanges with ethernet and switches. That's not even started to be rolled out yet and we might be lucky if some homes (probably in and around London which is a tiny portion of the UK) have it by 2011...

Personally I think 100% DD is a loooooooong time off. At least a good 10-15 years. Which is easily enough to squeeze another hardware generation out.

I dread DD for one thing only, lack of 2nd hand market to drive the price of new content down. The vendors are 100% exclusive, where else are you going to get your content from except from the source, they can charge whatever they want and leave it at that. Just look at XBLA, there's games on there that are still the same price as when they were first released 2 years ago. Same with PSN, last time I checked GT5:P was £24.99, despite being able to get it from plenty of places for about a tenner now, without the physical medium you would be forced to still buy that game at full price no matter what. That never happens with physical medium unless it's rare, but it still dips in price before going back up after a substantial amount of time.

That leads me on to another point, game retailers are going to fight bloody hard to stop their business going down. If a console goes 100% DD then they sure as shit won't stock the hardware for it, they make far too much money from the second hand market to give up valuable shelf space for a system that won't make as much revenue as the other traditonal systems.

Oh yeah, there's one exception to the above rules, Steam. I think the only way that it wins is because you can buy the games on the shelf but have the option to download them as well. Plus they have sales almost all the time and most weekends so content stays cheap.