The competition for digital distribution in the video game market continues to grow. Now, GameFly may be acquiring direct2Drive.
GameFly is a video game service very similar to Netflix before their digital distribution model, offering media content (video game discs) straight to your door with a prepaid envelope for return to their distribution centers. Subscribers can hold on to the games for any length of time as long as the subscription is kept active.
The move by GameFly is very similar to GameStop’s recent news, acquiring a business that deals with digital distribution. By offering this service, it can increase the company’s revenue and drive profitability.
Much like other digital distribution models for video games, Direct2Drive incorporates digital distribution for Macs and PCs. It seems like more and more gaming distributors/retailers are focusing on digital distribution. Another computer game streaming service, OnLive, does not offer a download service but rather game “rentals,” and purchasing services.
Standard retailers and digital distributors are seemingly scrambling to figure out where the digital/physical retail space is heading as consumer tastes shift to social experiences, lower prices, and lighter loads on the desktop/notebook/mobile device. With GameFly moving into the digital distribution space, GameStop moving into the digital and on-demand space, Steam investigating the mobile space, and Nintendo gearing up to launch a new console, 2011 and 2012 looks to bring a huge wave of change in how gamers consume their favorite titles. (http://www.tomshardware.com/news/GameFly-Direct2Drive-IGN-GameStop-OnLive,12791.html)
As I continue to research this industry, I am starting to think that I may need to approach a company with my business plan once it is complete. There is still no discussion on streaming console games wirelessly through your specific console. Most of these models seem to be based on computer games. Fortunately, for what I am developing, we will be able to push technology even further.
In June, I am scheduled to meet with the Sr. Director of Global Content Operations for Napster. I will most likely document my interview with her here. I also hope to discuss digital content and the possibilities for the gaming world. This business plan is looking more and more like a solution.
The past few days, there has been a lot of talk about Tomlinson Holman being hired by Apple to develop some sort of audio enhancement. Apple is regularly very secretive about their product developments, which is why this news comes as not so much of a surprise, but rather peaks the interest of those in audio. First tweeted by @leolaporte, "I have it on good authority that Tomlinson Holman (of THX fame) is joining Apple to run audio. Major upgrade."
Tom was chief electrical engineer at Advent Corporation, maker of the Apt/Holman preamplifier, and was at Lucasfilm Ltd for 15 years, winding up as the company's Corporate Technical Director and where he developed the THX Sound System and its companions the Theater Alignment Program, Home THX, and the THX Digital Mastering program.
“Tom Holman has always pushed the envelope of sound”(thmlabs.com.) Lucas gave him a year to study audio from on-set to the theater experience in turn developing Skywalker Sound’s state of the art audio mixing rooms. “ Realizing that this could change the way moviegoers experienced feature films, Lucas and the soon-to-be THX team designed a certification program to go beyond the walls of Skywalker Ranch. Thus, THX was born, and made available to movie audiences to coincide with the release of Lucas’ next film, “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi" (THX.com)
Holman’s company, TMH Corporation, creates entertainment technology. They “provide solutions to industry-wide problems, make things that have never before existed, set world standards, and pioneer new markets" (tmhlabs.com) From the current business plan I am working on for my master’s in entertainment business, I too am developing entertainment technology, but my means of digital content.
I own Holman’s book on Surround Sound as it was used as a the text for a surround sound class I took at the University of Colorado Denver. After reading this news, I am certainly excited to see what Apple has in store. Though I have been talking about developing HD quality/surround sound streaming for video game content, I would not be surprised if this is the kind of project that Holman is assigned. Other possibilities include Apple developing their own HDTV, other something to do with the “theater” experience.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20059790-248.html
http://www.tmhlabs.com/about/about.html
http://www.thx.com/about-us/the-thx-story/
