American McGee Predicts the Death of Game Retailers

Post by trog @ 09:19am 14/09/11 | 20 Comments

Ex-id Software veteran and creative force behind the Alice games has said what many of us are thinking - that the old model of retail game stores is probably on the way out and that online is the future. From an interview with Industry Gamers:

AM: In the (not so?) distant future there wouldn't be much need for a bricks-and-mortar retailer. Why waste resources on a physical location and unreliable employees when the entire experience can be made sharper, cleaner and more entertaining in the virtual representation?

He goes on to mention that retail stores are "nothing more than places to fondle physical goods you're going to buy online anyway".

Certainly in Australia where the price difference between buying online from overseas and buying from a local retail store - where it's not uncommon to see a markup over 100% - this seems to be a common trend. I know it's definitely what I do; I regularly feel guilty for treating physical retailers like a great 3D catalogue when I have no intention to buy from there.

With video games and software there's obviously even more drive to a totally online retail experience. Game retailers are aware of it; some of them are displaying adaptability, as seen by Gamestop's recent announcement that they're looking to enter the market with a new gaming tablet.

american mcgee retail

Latest Comments

Link

kirkoswald
Posted 09:25am 14/9/11

As internet plans grow and more and more download usage is on offer... i can definitely see people purely purchasing online... Heck, I already do...

Although, there is something nice about buying a hard copy :)

Link

carson
Posted 09:27am 14/9/11

It's bound to happen. I haven't bought locally or from a retailer since Half Life 2 came out all those years ago. The Australian Gamer Tax is retarded.

Link

Hogfather
Posted 09:31am 14/9/11

I only buy Blizzard games from EB, but I have this stupid pokemon obsession with catching all the CEs and can't 'risk' an online order.

Link

The-Makkaan
Posted 10:09am 14/9/11

Just curious if u buy on-line and the game becomes old, will they delete it from the site, so you cant get it anymore.. I mean I still play my old Duke and doom sometimes, think if you bought it, it should be forever.

Link

Khel
Posted 10:31am 14/9/11

Was thinking about this the other day, I can totally see the next generation of consoles having some sort of Steam equivalent on them, where you buy the games online and download them to your console, rather than go and buy a physical disc. When that happens, stores like EB Games are going to be f***ed.

Link

greazy
Posted 10:48am 14/9/11

Just curious if u buy on-line and the game becomes old, will they delete it from the site, so you cant get it anymore.. I mean I still play my old Duke and doom sometimes, think if you bought it, it should be forever.

Something like Steam allows you to backup your game library. Problem is, what happens if the steam servers go down? But that's been discussed a fair bit on the internet.

Link

Tim Tibbetts
Posted 10:51am 14/9/11

I'm with Hog.

The only PC games I buy from retail are the odd Collectors Edition - I cannot remember the last time I bought a PC game from retail that wasn't a collectors edition (it was the Starcraft II collectors ed). All other games I buy are from Steam typically.

I buy the majority of my console games from online retailers so I don't get ripped off. If it's a AAA game that I'm really after then I may shell out a bit more and get it from JB or something.

Physical media and boxes are s***.

Link

Dazhel
Posted 10:58am 14/9/11

This prediction from American McGee isn't particularly insightful in 2011, perhaps around the time he released his first Alice game in 2000 it may have been. Anyways, EB is simply a specialty pawn store right now. I'm sure they see the writing on the wall.

Although, there is something nice about buying a hard copy :)

There is, but if I was in physical media distribution like EB & GAME I wouldn't like to hang my hat on collectors boxes as a future business model.

Just curious if u buy on-line and the game becomes old, will they delete it from the site, so you cant get it anymore.. I mean I still play my old Duke and doom sometimes, think if you bought it, it should be forever.

This is why sites like GOG.com with "No DRM" policies are so important. Hopefully they or someone else like them will branch out into hosting more current releases in the future.

I know it's definitely what I do; I regularly feel guilty for treating physical retailers like a great 3D catalogue when I have no intention to buy from there.

I don't feel guilty about doing it at all. Overpriced shelf titles with bored customer service staff has no value-add for the gamer. If they want to compete, fine, no problem. But they're not doing it.

Link

thermite
Posted 11:03am 14/9/11

I never understood how 'game retailers' became a thing anyway.

Remember that place at Indro with the big grey metal face with a plasma ball for an eye? That was wierd. And then when EB came out, it was just like... what?

Because up until then Myer/Kmart/Target were perfectly adequate places to go for that stuff, and even had a section for it filled with kids lining up to try the latest console games.

They lost the plot somewhere along the way, I think when computers got popular it really confused them.

Link

Sc00bs
Posted 01:37pm 14/9/11

only reason i go to a shop to purchase a game is if its a ps3 game i want now instead of waiting for it to get shipped to me

Link

DM
Posted 01:40pm 14/9/11

Same as others in this with me buying CE's from retail stores. Anything else isn't worth the huge price increase.

Link

Thundercracker
Posted 01:43pm 14/9/11

It's been a fair while since I have purchased any PC software, be it games or apps, from a retail outlet. I never purchase collectors stuff.

Even with my xbox 360 I have been playing a fair few xbla games or borrowing games from mates.

Link

Pinky
Posted 01:44pm 14/9/11

Seems like a no-brainer that in the future digital content will only be available online. It's only a question of time.

Link

crazymorton
Posted 04:07pm 14/9/11

trog - your first link loops me back to this thread?

As internet plans grow and more and more download usage is on offer... i can definitely see people purely purchasing online... Heck, I already do... Although, there is something nice about buying a hard copy :)

i would assume he is also talking about buying "hard copies" and not just dl content. i get all my pc stuff on steam and 360 games from ozgameshop. recently got the latest Tiger Woods for 360 from them, ordered 5/9 arrived today. i don't mind the wait i'm not a new release must have person.

Link

Enska
Posted 04:27pm 14/9/11

Dazhel summed it up. I used to grab a lot of pre owned cheapies from EB but they aren't exactly "cheap" anymore so more often than not I end up walking out empty handed.

Link

trog
Posted 05:00pm 14/9/11

trog - your first link loops me back to this thread?

Oops, fixed, thanks. One of those days.

Link

Nukleuz
Posted 08:49pm 14/9/11

Ozgameshop for non digital content and steam (mostly) for the digital content. Although admittedly I don't 'pre-order' games on steam cause I'm not in the business of being ripped off. I await midweek, weekend, end of financial year, and xmas steam sales more eagerly than a shag with the mrs... OK, Maybe not!

Link

sLaps_Forehead
Posted 09:01pm 14/9/11

gg eb

Link

zimbler
Posted 09:16pm 14/9/11

blizzard games are pretty much the only things I buy from local retailers since burning crusade as I got really into pc gaming with wc2 and there's some weird sentimental value.
Everything else comes from ozgameshop or steam.

Link

Dethon
Posted 10:25pm 14/9/11

Thanks Mr McGee, where would we be without his insight?
Talk about stating the f*****g obvious :P

Commenting has been locked for this item.

20 Comments

Show

News

Features

Reviews

EPOS GTW 270 Hybrid Wireless Earbuds

User:
Pass: