So the way forward is downloadable games with charges for updates?

Does every kid have internet access though? How do parents ‘buy’ presents like this?

I’m guessing alot as I’ve no idea about gaming. The last machine I owned was a Nintendo64 with Golden Eye 8)

I’ll happily stay shopping at Spillers Records to be honest about the only physical record shop I actually venture into anymore

Yeah rumours of download only have been squashed for ages with both consoles, that said there’s no confirmed info yet.

So the way forward is downloadable games with charges for updates?

From what I’ve seen queuing in the airport surrounded by families off skiing, every kid has an iPad / iPod Touch. Admittedly, they’re not the poorest of families if they’re all off skiing at £1500 per person over NY!

piemonster – Member
‘Andys Records’?
Bloody hell, I remember them

I also remember them being awful, even back in the day.

We won the Music Week ‘Best Independant’ award 6 years running, can’t have been that ‘awful’. Would love to know why you thought we were. 🙂

I used to like Andy’s Records, frequented the Preston branch a fair bit as a schtewdent. Reasonably priced compared to the likes the ironically named Our Price and such.

Xbox720 & PS4 later this year, no physical drives on them.

I seriously doubt that for at least the 720/4 generation (PS4 is confirmed to have optical drives). They’ll be waiting to see how things like Ouya and the Steam Box (piston) pan out before they’ll go for it.

Saying that, I do think it’s the future. Though it’ll be interesting to see how both Sony and Microsoft handle owning digital distribution monopolies. I expect it’ll hit us hard in the pockets for day 1 releases.

Back to HMV; I’m going to miss them… The wife works there and I REALLY liked getting 30% off new games! She’s heartbroken that she’s got to find another job, when this one fit her lifestyle so well.

HMV have pretty much brought this on themselves…

From what I’ve seen queuing in the airport surrounded by families off skiing, every kid has an iPad / iPod Touch. Admittedly, they’re not the poorest of families if they’re all off skiing at £1500 per person over NY!

I think if you were going to look for the ‘average’ kid in this country at the moment, then the departure lounge en route to Chamonix probably won’t supply them.

Mind you, the kids here probably have just as many devices

they’ll be the ones recently liberated from little Toby and Jakasta 😆

Surprised they’ve lasted as long as they have. With CDs/DVDs/games it’s hard to see the opportunity to add any real value to buying it from a shop instead of Amazon. And that’s assuming you’re still buying physical copies (which I still do but I can see that changing significantly, especially for games.)

Suppose you can always browse but the last few times I was in there (which was a while ago) the range was really quite limited- not all that many artists, and then lots of copies of the same thing.

Got to think that bookshops won’t be that far behind. My mum works in Waterstone’s and she said they actually did OK over Christmas but it’s the same as HMV- little opportunity for reasons not to buy online, where it’s cheaper and more convenient.

Amazon’s plans (in the US at least) for better distribution and maybe even bricks & mortar will really drive the nails in a few years I think.

Good news if you’ve still got vouchers

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21118711