And Microsoft has a monopoly on the distribution of games for their X-Box. Sony has a monopoly on the distribution of games for their Playstation.
No, in fact, they do not. One can buy X-Box and PlayStation games in many different places.
But they do receive a license fee for every game sold. Imagine the outrage if Apple required software sold outside of their app stores to pay them a license fee.
And Microsoft has a monopoly on the distribution of games for their X-Box. Sony has a monopoly on the distribution of games for their Playstation.
No, in fact, they do not. One can buy X-Box and PlayStation games in many different places.
Not downloadable ones. Physicals ones yes. But it would be financial suicide for a small developer to make a physical disc and distribute them through retailers. Retailers selling the physical game disc also get a cut of the sale, along with Microsoft or Sony. Then there's paying for shipping, returns and unsold inventory. Plus the new game consoles coming out don't have a disc drive. There's only one store in an X-Box or PlayStaton, from which a developer can use to get their downloadable games on to it.
And there are games where the disc only contains the key, the actual game must be downloaded into the game console through the Microsoft Store or Sony PlayStation Store and unlocked with the key on the disc, when playing. The actual game is not on the disc.
Regardless, Microsoft and Sony still have guidelines that the game developer must follow and they still get a cut of every sale. Even the ones on a physical disc. There is no way to distribute games on to a X-Box or PlayStation, without following Microsoft or Sony guidelines or paying them. It's their platform. Just because one can buy a physical disc from a number of retailers for an X-Box or Playstation, it doesn't mean that the developers can bypass Microsoft or Sony, to get that game on to an X-Box or PlayStation. A game console is not like a DVD player, where one can create their own DVD and have it play on it, without having to pay the maker of the DVD player.
Here, people are talking about getting apps into an iDevice without going through Apple, so that developers can avoid paying the 30% commission on each sale or getting apps that doesn't follow Apple's guidelines onto an iDevice. One can't do that with any games on an X-Box or PlayStation. Developers can not avoid paying Microsoft or Sony a commission or not following their license agreement, if they want their games on Microsoft or Sony game consoles.
There is still a market for games on a disc. But it's slowly disappearing. As witness by the downfall of Game Stop in recent years. Which depends on the sale, resale and rental of games on a disc. Many console game players like to offset the cost of a game by reselling the game disc after they're done, buying a used game disc or renting the game. Developers don't like that and nor does the game console makers, because they don't get a commission on the sale of used game disc. Nor sure how licensing for rentals works.
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And there are games where the disc only contains the key, the actual game must be downloaded into the game console through the Microsoft Store or Sony PlayStation Store and unlocked with the key on the disc, when playing. The actual game is not on the disc.
Regardless, Microsoft and Sony still have guidelines that the game developer must follow and they still get a cut of every sale. Even the ones on a physical disc. There is no way to distribute games on to a X-Box or PlayStation, without following Microsoft or Sony guidelines or paying them. It's their platform. Just because one can buy a physical disc from a number of retailers for an X-Box or Playstation, it doesn't mean that the developers can bypass Microsoft or Sony, to get that game on to an X-Box or PlayStation. A game console is not like a DVD player, where one can create their own DVD and have it play on it, without having to pay the maker of the DVD player.
Here, people are talking about getting apps into an iDevice without going through Apple, so that developers can avoid paying the 30% commission on each sale or getting apps that doesn't follow Apple's guidelines onto an iDevice. One can't do that with any games on an X-Box or PlayStation. Developers can not avoid paying Microsoft or Sony a commission or not following their license agreement, if they want their games on Microsoft or Sony game consoles.
There is still a market for games on a disc. But it's slowly disappearing. As witness by the downfall of Game Stop in recent years. Which depends on the sale, resale and rental of games on a disc. Many console game players like to offset the cost of a game by reselling the game disc after they're done, buying a used game disc or renting the game. Developers don't like that and nor does the game console makers, because they don't get a commission on the sale of used game disc. Nor sure how licensing for rentals works.