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Nicholas Lovell
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Microsoft: Digital downloads are the future

By on August 11, 2008

GI.biz reports David Gosens emphasising Microsoft’s view that digital downloads will be a key driving force behind growing the installed base of Xbox 360s.

So here is the key question: is the future of digital downloads a walled garden (Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, etc) in the style of AOL in the early days of the Internet, or is it an open technology, available on any platform that supports a browser (like a multi-format version of Steam, Metaboli or Gametap)?

History suggests that closed platforms work for a while, then the consumer gets fed up with restrictions and the open Internet triumphs.

I’m pleased that Microsoft is pushing the digital distribution model, but I desperately hope that in the end, an open platform, accessible by anyone and with no gatekeeper, will ultimately prevail

About Nicholas Lovell

Nicholas is the founder of Gamesbrief, a blog dedicated to the business of games. It aims to be informative, authoritative and above all helpful to developers grappling with business strategy. He is the author of a growing list of books about making money in the games industry and other digital media, including How to Publish a Game and Design Rules for Free-to-Play Games, and Penguin-published title The Curve: thecurveonline.com