PS3 'pre-loading' service coming soon

**Kuro** · 05-21-2012

Playing a game on launch day could soon be as easy as turning on your TV.

In a move that would make the PS3 even more like a PC, Sony is apparently working on a service that would allow gamers to "pre-order" digital download titles that would be downloaded to the system's hard drive before launch date, according to a Gamasutra report.

Even though said games might not necessarily be playable before the release, it would prevent players from the hassle of waiting for the download when the game came out.

Back in March, Sony tested the waters by allowing PS3 owners to pre-order Mass Effect 3 as a downloadable title. Of course, one of the main historical purposes of pre-ordering is to secure yourself a copy in case retailers run out of supply.

That is clearly not an issue if you're just downloading something, but nevertheless it must have worked.

At least, if Gamasutra's report is to be believed. The site says that the pre-loading service - a feature that is available for PCs and Macs but not on any console - will be available in the very near future, perhaps to be revealed at E3 next month.

It points to Sony's growing digital strategy with the PS3. We'll see if that indeed becomes a theme next month.

Sony, along with Microsoft, will have a message at E3 that the PS3 is still relevant. Instead of offering new hardware, the company will need to unveil brand new software and services to excite gamers. This could be one of those services.

http://www.tgdaily.com/games-and-ent...ce-coming-soon

**Soldier 95B** · 05-21-2012

Great news if true. Hopefully it is available to people that are not PSN+ subscribers. If not, I understand...it's always good to give more value to PSN+ subscribers.

**emmerich** · 05-21-2012

This will work well if the price of the games aren't hiked up like they usually seem to be. I've seen them try to charge as much as 20% more than retail.

**R3D D3V!L** · 05-21-2012

There's already a game that does this on the EU store, Sorcery.

**keefy** · 05-21-2012

someone posted this about a week ago naming sorcery as the first game.

**AaronSOLDIER** · 05-21-2012

Yeah Sorcery allows you to do it.

**Treefrog** · 05-21-2012

All of this points towards a future console that has digital versions available along side retails copies within the same time frame. Pre-loading is the first step to making this a reality and getting it setup and in place for the next generation. Sony seem to be testing the waters out now, which is fine by me.

**Soldier 95B** · 05-21-2012

One step closer to the digital future. Love it!

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**Two4DaMoney** · 05-22-2012

sure, a step closer but a full DD world won't happen unless they want to lose MILLIONS of console gamers.

**Soldier 95B** · 05-22-2012

Originally Posted by Two4DaMoney

sure, a step closer but a full DD world won't happen unless they want to lose MILLIONS of console gamers.

I never said full DD. I want DD day one all games as an option.

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**AaronSOLDIER** · 05-22-2012

Same.

**manutdfan** · 05-22-2012

Yeah will be cool if Digital copies are available for all games on release, good options.

**Anto** · 05-24-2012

^^ Agreed.

just my 0.1£

**TheTenth666** · 06-18-2012

When a 60$ physical game is 15$ or lower for download we may think about it ; same price or -5/10$ is just not tolerable

**Sparc** · 06-18-2012

I was laughed out of a thread about two years ago when I said the generation of consoles releasing next would be DD for most of the software.

**AaronSOLDIER** · 06-18-2012

Originally Posted by TheTenth666

When a 60$ physical game is 15$ or lower for download we may think about it ; same price or -5/10$ is just not tolerable

There's a reason why they can't make the price lower than the physical copies. That doesn't excuse EA and Ubisoft adding an additional 50% on the price of their games.

**keefy** · 06-18-2012

Originally Posted by AaronSOLDIER

There's a reason why they can't make the price lower than the physical copies. That doesn't excuse EA and Ubisoft adding an additional 50% on the price of their games.

Pray tell what is that reason?

**mints59** · 06-30-2012

Yay!

**Linconan** · 06-30-2012

Originally Posted by Sparc

I was laughed out of a thread about two years ago when I said the generation of consoles releasing next would be DD for most of the software.

If you said anything about a digital download "Only" console. Then i'd laugh aswell.
To many problems come into play, to factor in.

Console stuffs up, you own nothing till repaired and/or buy a new one.
Download limits, caps.
Connection errors.
Selling.
Pricing.
etc..

Digital Downloads will be an added option, like 3D, but it'll never be the current norm in this day and age.
But, having the option is a bonus on some things.

**Sparc** · 07-02-2012

Originally Posted by Linconan

If you said anything about a digital download "Only" console. Then i'd laugh aswell.
To many problems come into play, to factor in.

Console stuffs up, you own nothing till repaired and/or buy a new one.
Download limits, caps.
Connection errors.
Selling.
Pricing.
etc..

Digital Downloads will be an added option, like 3D, but it'll never be the current norm in this day and age.
But, having the option is a bonus on some things.

I believe DD will be the default mode and buying your software will be the secondary option. So expect releases to become available first on DD and then a week or so later in the shops. Of course any increase in DD (which is going to happen irrespective of whether it's primary or secondary option) will reduce retail sales and therefore I expect Game retailers to become fewer and fewer, further feeding the migration to DD.

**AaronSOLDIER** · 07-02-2012

Originally Posted by Linconan

Console stuffs up, you own nothing till repaired and/or buy a new one.

Well that's the same if you own discs as well, you can't do anything with them till you buy a new console.

Anyway as I've said countless times, next gen will still have a physical option, but eventually DD will probably be the standard. Right now, NPD reports that 33% of PS3 owners buy their games digitally, which is more than even I expected, and considering the fact that less than a quarter of PS3 games are actually available to buy off PSN, that number is huge.

**RaY_210** · 07-03-2012

Originally Posted by AaronSOLDIER

There's a reason why they can't make the price lower than the physical copies. That doesn't excuse EA and Ubisoft adding an additional 50% on the price of their games.

Originally Posted by keefy

Pray tell what is that reason?

That's what I wanna know. I'm against download only consoles. But if there was a big enough difference in prices between physical and downloads, I might be more inclined to download. If I were a publisher, I really would test out cutting the shipment of a fairly big release and offer downloads at a discount to see what kind of numbers they would put up for downloads.

**manutdfan** · 07-03-2012

DD should be slightly cheaper and available a few days early so if a game comes out on the Friday, it should be available to download on the Tuesday. Also you should be able to pre ordered it and it download automatically as soon as it comes out.