As digital distribution becomes more popular due to Microsoft and Sony embracing downloads of games, many though it could have spelled the death of the brick-and-mortar retailers. Not so, says Sony Computer Entertainment of America's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Playstation network Guy Longworth.
In speaking with Gamesindustry International, Longworth says that discs are still efficient ways to distribute content.
"I think the reality is this: Our digital business is growing fast, and we have incredibly strong partnerships with our key retail partners as well," Longworth said. "What we try to do is offer a relatively level playing field and let the gamers decide. We're not trying to[take] advantage[of] them, we believe in consumer choice."
Longworth continued, "It's clear that the vast majority of people want to go down to GameStop or Best Buy, they don't want to buy it online right now."
Will digital distribution take over retail in the future? According to Longworth, while he believes that physical games will be around "a lot longer than some people think," the "future is kind of hard to predict."
Sony's disc policy for its next-generation Playstation 4 console was seen from many as to why it won the "battle of E3" some weeks ago considering Microsoft's DRM policies which had strict DRM requirements. Microsoft would eventually nix the idea of restricting used and traded in games along with requiring the system to check online every 24 hours.
The state of Sony's struggling Playstation Vita was also a talking point and Longworth hoped the Playstation 4 will build the portable's viability.
"With Vita, we're only 15 months in to launch and now we think that with Playstation 4 the opportunity for Vita is to be absolutely perfect companion to the PS4," Longworth said. "What we're seeing is that once people get it in their hands and buy it, they're buying games and they love it. Now, it's not had as fast as a start as we would like, that's common knowledge. But we do really believe in that platform and think that is has a significant opportunity."
