I was sitting here the other day playing Peggle when I realized what a wonderful game it is.  However, amidst my blowing away tiny orange pellets and giggling like a schoolgirl whenever I see a unicorn in the game, I came to the realization that it’s the first game in a while I’ve played that didn’t come from a brick and mortar store.  As technology evolves, namely in the area of internet connection speeds and enhanced online marketplaces, this type of distribution for new media will become increasingly prevalent.  iTunes paved the way for a new way of buying music, Xbox Live spurred creativity in the masses by offering independent developers a way to get their content onto millions of 360s, and Netflix has all but buried Blockbuster offering unlimited, on-demand streaming for less than $10 a month.

All of this sounds fantastic right?  Great content at (typically) low prices, direct revenue for the artists and publishers that put so much time into their product, and nigh-instant gratification, what’s not to love?  Well, for starters, box art.  I know it’s campy, but I like having the original box art for my games.  I’m not as picky about movies and music, but I’ve always been and always will be a gamer and one of those claims to nerd-cred entails having the original (not re-released) Metal Gear Solid black label PS1 game. By same measure, the thought of one day downloading content directly from publishers exclusively will likely completely negate the need for any special editions or pre-order bonuses for rabid fans and other early-adopters.  Sure there might be an exclusive in-game map or theme you can download for being one of the first customers to suck the digital download teet, but I thirst for something a little more tangible and like seeing my media shelf lined with special edition swag and I know I’m not alone.

Speaking of which, that’s another aspect of my passions that I always enjoyed- midnight releases.  Nicole and I often camp out waiting for the next big game to be released at the stroke of midnight along with a horde of other like-minded nerds who can’t wait to peel the cellophane off of their new warez.  It’s not so much that I enjoy depriving myself of much-needed sleep (especially on a work night), but more that I revel in the sense of community.  There’s just something undeniably special about seeing a gathering of dozens or in some cases hundreds of gamers all congregating at one store, talking amongst themselves excitedly about how the story will progress in the latest installment of Halo or how they took off work the next day just so they could stay up all night doing what they love the most.

Finally, what vexes me more than any of these is rights management for the content you purchase.  One of the greatest things about console games in particular is how easy it is to share the experience with a friend.  It’s easy to toss a copy of Mario Kart in your bag and head over to a buddy’s house for some blue-shell action, but digital distribution can easily discourage this.  Unless console manufacturers open up their storage abilities to allow 3rd party storage devices to cart their downloads with them (unlikely), another pivotal aspect of enjoying games with a friend will fall by the wayside.

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly see  where digital distribution makes sense for publishers and maybe I’m just in the early stages of becoming an eventual crotchety old fogie who reminisces about the good old days before all this new-fangled downloadable content came on the scene. However, I still have hope that the two business models can co-exist peacefully.  How do you feel about digital distribution?

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