6 ms·

Digital distribution is coming, whether GameStop like it or not. Removing the free codes for OnLive is not going to stem the tide. For proprietary media like

by dotBen 15y ago

Digital distribution is coming, whether GameStop like it or not. Removing the free codes for OnLive is not going to stem the tide. For proprietary media like Playstation, XBox, etc they're going to be disintermediated whether they like it or not. They still can win in the PC arena. So rather than acquiring strategically pointless startups like casual gaming site Kongregate, they'd be wise to ramp up their efforts to compete with Steam or even acquire whole digital distribution + consumption stacks like OnLive itself. Competing with Steam is more a relationship challenge than a technical one, and of all companies GameStop is well placed with those existing relationships. The downfall of Blockbuster should have proved that they need to change a long time ago.

anurag 15y ago
So rather than acquiring strategically pointless startups like casual gaming site Kongregate, they'd be wise to ramp up their efforts to compete with Steam or even acquire whole digital distribution + consumption stacks like OnLive itself. They've already acquired companies to directly compete with both OnLive and Steam: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/01/gamestop-details-plans-for-impulse-and-spawn-labs-says-its-be/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/01/gamestop-details-plans-fo...
- pyre 15y ago
  Yes. This seems more like an anti-competitive move to protect their own move into digital distribution.
  - Splines 15y ago
    .. and seems completely unnecessary. In some ways Impulse is better than Steam, and I really hope they try to continue to improve the service.
- dotBen 15y ago
  Yeah but they've either not picked the right companies or they're simply taking out player to protect their incumbent positon. They're not doing anything with the technology that acquired.
chaostheory 15y ago
Even EA is getting into their own digital distribution service now.
- corin_ 15y ago
  They have been for quite some time now.
jfoutz 15y ago
I've not met a gamer who is a raving fan of GameStop. they seem to either hate them, or not hate them yet. They do have a lot of names and numbers, but you rarely see anything remotely like the "i <3 steam" or "i quit pirating games because steam does it right" abject love that valve gets. I have serious doubts GameStop's corporate culture can accept gamers as anything other than something to extract dollars from, much less accept lower revenue and lower expenses.
- fmavituna 15y ago
  To be honest there are tons of Steam haters (including me). Gamers love the concept of digital distribution but not the way Steam does it. Right now there is no decent competition, there are several companies but most of them are quite weak in many levels. Possibly future is Steam alike platforms with rent ability (such as gametap / metaboli). Simply put Netflix for games is the next thing, although looks like going to take another 3-5 years to get something decent in that field.
  - culturestate 15y ago
    > Simply put Netflix for games is the next thing, although looks like going to take another 3-5 years to get something decent in that field. GameFly fulfills this very nicely right now, though it does lack an equivalent to Watch Instantly.
    - fmavituna 15y ago
      Right now they have 2 problems. Lack of PC rentals (due to obvious reasons) and lack of "instant play", but hey PC gaming is dying anyway and rentals for consoles is possibly just around the corner.
      - daeken 15y ago
        Every 10 years, people say that PC gaming is going to be dead in 5 years. Every 5 years, it's bigger than it was before. PC gaming will never die, it'll just keep changing form. Right now we're seeing it shift to the web, to tablets, etc.
jergason 15y ago
Competing with Steam is more a relationship challenge than a technical one, and of all companies GameStop is well placed with those existing relationships. I think the PC gaming market's relationship with GameStop can be described as "disgusted." Lots of PC gamers dislike GameStop (rockpapershotgun.com and pcgamer.com and their forums as prime examples of how people feel about them). Exclusive pre-order bonuses, cruddy behavior like this, ect.
ido 15y ago
So rather than acquiring strategically pointless startups like casual gaming site Kongregate Kongregate was created in May 2006 (5 years ago) and is one of the biggest players in the flash-field. Hardly a startup.

by dotBen 15y ago

anurag 15y ago

So rather than acquiring strategically pointless startups like casual gaming site Kongregate, they'd be wise to ramp up their efforts to compete with Steam or even acquire whole digital distribution + consumption stacks like OnLive itself. They've already acquired companies to directly compete with both OnLive and Steam: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/01/gamestop-details-plans-for-impulse-and-spawn-labs-says-its-be/ http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/01/gamestop-details-plans-fo...

pyre 15y ago
Yes. This seems more like an anti-competitive move to protect their own move into digital distribution.
- Splines 15y ago
  .. and seems completely unnecessary. In some ways Impulse is better than Steam, and I really hope they try to continue to improve the service.
dotBen 15y ago
Yeah but they've either not picked the right companies or they're simply taking out player to protect their incumbent positon. They're not doing anything with the technology that acquired.

chaostheory 15y ago

Even EA is getting into their own digital distribution service now.

corin_ 15y ago
They have been for quite some time now.

jfoutz 15y ago

I've not met a gamer who is a raving fan of GameStop. they seem to either hate them, or not hate them yet. They do have a lot of names and numbers, but you rarely see anything remotely like the "i <3 steam" or "i quit pirating games because steam does it right" abject love that valve gets. I have serious doubts GameStop's corporate culture can accept gamers as anything other than something to extract dollars from, much less accept lower revenue and lower expenses.

fmavituna 15y ago
To be honest there are tons of Steam haters (including me). Gamers love the concept of digital distribution but not the way Steam does it. Right now there is no decent competition, there are several companies but most of them are quite weak in many levels. Possibly future is Steam alike platforms with rent ability (such as gametap / metaboli). Simply put Netflix for games is the next thing, although looks like going to take another 3-5 years to get something decent in that field.
- culturestate 15y ago
  > Simply put Netflix for games is the next thing, although looks like going to take another 3-5 years to get something decent in that field. GameFly fulfills this very nicely right now, though it does lack an equivalent to Watch Instantly.
  - fmavituna 15y ago
    Right now they have 2 problems. Lack of PC rentals (due to obvious reasons) and lack of "instant play", but hey PC gaming is dying anyway and rentals for consoles is possibly just around the corner.
    - daeken 15y ago
      Every 10 years, people say that PC gaming is going to be dead in 5 years. Every 5 years, it's bigger than it was before. PC gaming will never die, it'll just keep changing form. Right now we're seeing it shift to the web, to tablets, etc.

jergason 15y ago

Competing with Steam is more a relationship challenge than a technical one, and of all companies GameStop is well placed with those existing relationships. I think the PC gaming market's relationship with GameStop can be described as "disgusted." Lots of PC gamers dislike GameStop (rockpapershotgun.com and pcgamer.com and their forums as prime examples of how people feel about them). Exclusive pre-order bonuses, cruddy behavior like this, ect.

ido 15y ago

So rather than acquiring strategically pointless startups like casual gaming site Kongregate Kongregate was created in May 2006 (5 years ago) and is one of the biggest players in the flash-field. Hardly a startup.