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The Hidden Problem with Digital Gaming, Next-Gen and Beyond

This is my very first blog so forgive me if I sound a little naive. I wanted to discuss this because of the certain issue I'm sure a lot of you have had to deal with today. I just finished downloading a little game called Grand Theft Auto V on my PS3, which took me approximately 15 hours to download. 15 HOURS, and it is still currently installing and has been for about 20 mins now. I am very glad I took the intuitive and decided to download it late at night at 1am, because if I did other wise I wouldn't be able to spend my day off playing this game. I think it's a little unfair what Sony did with not allowing us to preload the game, because as I thought when first hearing the news that it was gonna cause some serious problems. I WAS planning on buying the game via Amazon, and having a physical copy shipped but w afraid that it wouldn't arrive here on time, on my day off, since this is last one I'll have for 6 more days. If they had allowed us to preload the game, like Rockstar said they were going to, I wouldn't have felt the need to write this blog. This may be a sign of things to come with the fast approaching of next gen, which to me is a great thing to happen, but at the same time I can't help but feel concerned about the future. Just imagine how long it would take to download next gen games digitally, especially if you have a bad internet connection. There is also the fact that as soon as Sony discontinues PSN on PS3 in a few years, that my digital copies may be useless. I'm no saying that Digital gaming is a bad thing, I'm just saying that we really have more control over the things that we paid for, and have the right to download our digital games a little earlier. I know that this was probably a precaution to deal with hackers and such, but still it should have been nothing to worry about. I only hope if that's not possible, that there should be some kind of solution in slimming down the file size of next-gen games, because I think that what we have experienced today is just the tip of the iceberg.

Thanks for reading

What are you thoughts? Did you all have the same problem today?

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ApolloTheBoss4633d ago
Ducky4633d ago

I think they'll make improvements with next-gen consoles, since they're actually thinking about digital distribution this time around, whereas they likely didn't give it much thought when designing the ps3.

Features that improve the installation process as well as allowing you to start playing a game as it is downloading should make DD a smoother experience.
TheLastOfUs actually already does the latter on the PS3 from what I've heard.

Also, you'll likely still be able to play your library even if PSN goes down. What you might loose is the ability to re-download your game, but playing a digital game you already have downloaded does not require PSN to be online.
Besides, I don't think PS3's PSN will get discontinued anytime soon. Something drastic, like Sony's Playstation division as a whole tanking, would have to happen for PSN to get discontinued. Otherwise, they can use the same servers to distribute content to different consoles.

As for the physical/digital thing. As long as there's a choice, it's fine by me. I generally stick with physical for console games unless a digital version is significantly cheaper.

cyguration4632d ago

Finally, gamers are seeing the light.

Blogs like this let us know that plain and simple, we aren't ready for an all-digital generation yet.

If you thought 15 hours was a killer, how do you think PC gamers felt when they had to chug twice that data with Max Payne's 33gb load?

For people who naively say that Microsoft was "thinking about the future", I'm sorry but you're wrong... actually, no I'm not sorry, you're just wrong.

The average next-gen game will probably be about the size of Max Payne 3 on PC or larger, considering that the games won't have blurry, low-res textures anymore and the geometry won't be trash. Heck, even with the extra texture pack and stuff installed, Sleeping Dogs comes out to around 24gb as well. These games are huge.

Can you imagine how big the next Uncharted will be on the PS4? Even with pre-loading it's still a bit ridiculous, but I like that Sony is at least working with ISPs to help boost connection speeds in the UK to accommodate for their digital future. I wish Microsoft would do something similar... without forcing gamers to pay an arm and a leg that is.

Bladesfist4632d ago (Edited 4632d ago )

PC Gamers felt great as the download servers are A LOT faster than PSN. I have done tests on both and uploaded evidence on the N4G Forums where I get 700KB/s on PSN and 4.4+ MB/s on Steam. Meaning it will only take me 4 hours to download Max Payne.

admiralvic4631d ago

"Finally, gamers are seeing the light. "

They always saw the light, hence why people were protesting the XB1 before it was even announced.

"Blogs like this let us know that plain and simple, we aren't ready for an all-digital generation yet. "

Are you really suggesting we need more short, not really thought out blogs about entitlement?

"If you thought 15 hours was a killer, how do you think PC gamers felt when they had to chug twice that data with Max Payne's 33gb load? "

Unless your connection is absolute ****, then it should have been significantly faster on a PC than a PS3 through the PSN.

"For people who naively say that Microsoft was "thinking about the future", I'm sorry but you're wrong... actually, no I'm not sorry, you're just wrong. "

Only M$ PR people said that. The people who support the DD system actually like some of the perks. A lot of people forget that it wasn't a completely awful system and had a few perks. Not enough to say we should bring it back, but enough where I wasn't totally and completely anti consumer.

"The average next-gen game will probably be about the size of Max Payne 3 on PC or larger, considering that the games won't have blurry, low-res textures anymore and the geometry won't be trash. Heck, even with the extra texture pack and stuff installed, Sleeping Dogs comes out to around 24gb as well. These games are huge. "

Extremely unlikely. First off, you're making your average two high profile open world games and another high profile action game. Yes, Uncharted / Killzone will be huge, but the average game will not. Like Rayman Legends was only 2.1 gb. We might see the average become 10 gb+, but not 24 gb+.

"Can you imagine how big the next Uncharted will be on the PS4? Even with pre-loading it's still a bit ridiculous, but I like that Sony is at least working with ISPs to help boost connection speeds in the UK to accommodate for their digital future. I wish Microsoft would do something similar... without forcing gamers to pay an arm and a leg that is."

Uncharted is also a highly cinematic game. Again, if you look at the highest profile, highest budget, best looking games... then yeah they're going to be huge. Though if you look at smaller titles (even Battlefield 3...) you start to see things down in the 10 or so GB range.

goldwyncq4631d ago

On my third download now. Everytime I get to install the game, I get that blasted error at 14%. Hope it works this time.

TheUndertaker854631d ago

I'm going to go out on a limb and say your 15 hours is a little exaggerated. If it's not then that does seem like a huge your end problem. I downloaded GTA V to two separate PS3s at the same time about ten minutes after it became available. Both were done within four hours.

Plus with services like Gaikai in the future for PS streaming to many devices I'm a little more reassured about my digital purchases.

admiralvic4631d ago

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say your 15 hours is a little exaggerated. If it's not then that does seem like a huge your end problem. I downloaded GTA V to two separate PS3s at the same time about ten minutes after it became available. Both were done within four hours."

I agree, though anything is possible. Like I tried to download iOS 7 at 4 PM EST and got it downloaded two in 20 minutes and 25 minutes. I then tried to download iOS 7 at 9 PM EST and got a estimated 24 hour download time.

It really depends on when they started, when others started and how fast their connection actually is.

AceBlazer134631d ago

Digital sucks hard.Try having to download a game jobs WiFi network being shared by ps3 2 tablets a smartphone and the leeches around my neighborhood.

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70°

Microsoft Gaming Revenue Drops 7% Year-on-Year, Content and Services Down 5%, Xbox Hardware Down 33%

Microsoft announced its financial results for Q3 of fiscal year 2026, including an update on its gaming Xbox business and more.

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Jin_Sakai26d ago (Edited 26d ago )

Not looking good. Hopefully Asha Sharma is able to turn Phil’s disaster around.

dveio26d ago

To me it's still quite remarkable how they can cash-in 5.3bn in revenue in a single quarter, since their hardware is basically dead.

Jingsing26d ago

The stock mark is what makes Microsoft remarkable, They have convinced every institutional and retail investor to just keep piling money into them. Like many big tech giants they are just a big growing pyramid scheme. As long as people keep dropping money into ETF's that cover the market Microsoft will always be liquid. At the same time it is completely stifling innovation and competition. People need to start being more discreet in how they invest their money as it's killing the system.

Tanktopmaster9226d ago

Once they re-evaluate exclusive all will be fine….

S2Killinit26d ago

Riiiiight because people will just flock back to them for one or two games per year.

Jingsing26d ago

15+ years of bad performance is what they call irreparable in business. It is time for them to sell off the assets and get out of entertainment.

Tanktopmaster9226d ago

These declines are on the back of extra revenue received from releasing games like Forza horizon 5 on PlayStation. So I’m being sarcastic here when I said they should go back to exclusives. Killing off a revenue stream from Ps5 sales will only make things worse

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Games Done Quick is coming to Europe for the first time with 3 days of Gamescom speedruns

The charity event will be streamed live from Gamescom in August.

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Report: Injustice 3 in Development at NetherRealm Studios

Thanks to the slip-up of an artist working on the title, we now have more evidence that a new Injustice game is in the works.

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