Vulcan Software News
13th April 2001
MCV prints Vulcan's response to Bol's digital distribution plans..
Bol-locks To Retail
It simply amazes me how (your quote) "a giant online retailer", (my quote) "can have such a drastic
lack of vision" in their companies strategy! It reminds me of a curious 'and unwise' scientist,
sitting in front of a nuclear device, muttering, 'I wonder what this does' whilst pressing the detonate button.
Don't get me wrong I'm all for companies looking at new and exciting areas to explore,
as it's all about progress and expansion, but my advise would simply be 'don't go there', 'keep your head low
and make money the traditional way, whilst you still can.'
Obviously these rants are about the article in MCV where Tony Prescott outlined the
direction of Bertelsmann On line and how they are excited at 'digitally distributing' games,
direct to the end users computer.
Not only that but 'hopefully' at a reduced cost as there is no box, and just to appear completely with it,
they voiced their concerns about bandwidth.
Why on earth would a publisher hand over software to a third party, and allow them to take a cut of
revenue, who then makes that software available to the end user via digital distribution?
A far simpler concept (and more profitable solution) is for the publisher to make that software
available to the end user via digital distribution!
Lets face it, retail exists as it has a physical premise with a pool of local punters.
The software required the box to stand out in the shop to attract the punter, you take away the box,
you take away the shop and all that's left is the software and the punter! Does Tony realise
that their strategy marks the end of all retail as we know it!
Simply put, you don't belong there and are doomed to fail!
Tony could certainly argue that their strategy is based upon the framework of implementation
(hence the reason they bought Napster) but then their strategy would be better aimed at,
licensing the digital distribution technology and not trying to disguise an old style retail
operation with some radical new direction (in the eyes of retailers that is).
It becomes apparent to me that they really haven't given this much thought, especially when talking
about bandwidth. It's true that the UK is way behind the USA with regards to bandwidth but if they
did any research on the possible kind of titles that they would hope to digitally distribute
and HOW they were going to distribute them, then they would not be concerned about bandwidth.
You see it's all to do with software and technology. One amusing notion is that the FMV sequences on
most CD games are really there to fill the CD! I mean who looks at them anyway? You take that away and your
left with a 50 to 100Mb game, lets then assume that these files make up the textures and
sounds of a large 3d world, can anyone download and experience that world within an instance?
No of course not.. they would journey through that world, perhaps over a 10 day period.
Using this example we could assume they would need approximately 5 to 10mb of data every 24 hours?
And if your digital distribution software was really clever it would connect for them
'automatically' perhaps when they next collected their email and download what files
'it thinks' they may need in the next day or so depending on where they are within that world.
Lets assume they get fed up playing and never finish the game, then the software has no need to
inform them of the files they might need and doesn't bother making a request to get them,
or lets say that a bug fix was made available 3 days after they first downloaded the software,
wouldn't it be great for the software to get the patch and tell them all about it?
And on that note wouldn't it be great if this software called them by their name and spoke to
them in 6 languages using digitised speech fronted by a 3d avatar with full facial animation and lip synch!
Wouldn't it be great if this software told them that 'the game they are playing has new levels
just released by the publisher' and incidentally that 100,000 other users are also playing the same
game and seven of them are online right now who are stuck at the level you have just completed and
would you like to chat with them to give advise! But when chatting they will appear to the other user
as a 3d customised head with customised digital speech.
You see.. my point is, is that digital distribution is definitely the thing of the future,
it will definitely put ALL retailers out of business.
It will create a bond between the end user and the software,
and products will no longer be confined to a medium that dictates static-ness
such as the CD in a box at retail. Games will be evolving living and expanding things,
that get right up close to the end user on a level only dreamed about!
This is not a question of 'IF', it's simply a question of 'WHEN'.
For BOL to claim that 'they will be the first to offer' their 'naive' concept of
digital distribution, may be correct, but soon must realise that their strategy cannot
compete with 'intelligent and internet aware' software, that is specifically designed to
do a far better job in a far better way and will already be up and running by the companies
BOL are trying to attract in the first place.
I personally wish them luck, I know it's tough out their trying to figure out how to survive as
things are constantly changing, but there is simply no room for retail.
Come to think of it, when developers realise what is possible with intelligent digital distribution
software then we wont even need publishers, but hey! that's another article!
P.S. The above software I mentioned is now in beta testing and called the Vulcan Portal.
Live Long & Prosper!
|