Thanks HG and Stevie for your comments on my previous blog. It got me thinking and I started this post originally as a comment but it turned into a blog...

HG is right, downloads are definitely the future. I know Microsoft is putting a lot of pennies into the future of downloads (which I heard is why they have no immediate plans for implementing a BluRay drive into the 360 or future consoles). When it comes down to it, you really only need one drive to play any video game, HD movie, or album and that's a hard drive. Imagine having a universal hard drive that caries all of your media, plays everywhere, and backs up online.

However, Blockbuster and Netflix are big companies that aren't going away easily. Even though so many products could be reduced to downloads, I think these corporations will fight to keep retail stores and physical products like DVDs. The physical products offer booklets, artwork, and the pride of ownership that often comes with the physicality of these types of media. I don't know if we'll ever want to give up the social aspect of shopping retail for our media.

I think the future will basically be an expanded version of what exists now. I don't think any one particular medium will be reduced entirely to one format or another, but rather more widely available on all formats as well as cross platform. I think we will see games, HD Movies, and music all available on disc, in stores, online rentals, and as downloadable content.

I remember when the internet was first becoming popular I read an article asking "How will we spend all the spare time we will have in the future?" That has proven to be a silly question. Technology doesn't limit our options, it expands them.

I don't think that means Microsoft is going to have BluRay soon, or that we'll see the next Halo available exclusively as a download. But I do think that as each company pushes the limits, consumers will grow to embrace the technology that incorporates more of the available options.

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Feedback

Halon - January 30, 2009 (12:17 PM) Digital has been huge in the PC world for quite some time now. In the matter of fact some titles sell more copies in digital format than typical retail. It's catching on slower with consoles gamers, though; I see it eventually going that route but the majority still prefer retail copies. Will this change? Most likely. People hated Steam/digital when Valve forced them to use it for HL2 and now the majority love it. We're not there yet but I do see it happening with consoles.