Direct Download isn't really taking off and here's why...

Despite efforts from leaders in the industry, direct download gaming seems to be advancing slower than what some expected, and there's a number of reasons why. Because I'm the king of lists, I've decided to break down some of the reasons direct download gaming isn't catching on just yet, in a nice little list for you all to read and enjoy and applaud...

1.) Lack of Broadband Speeds - Pew conducted research on broadband use in the US and found that 57 percent of people in the country now have access to broadband, compared to only 9 percent who still use dial-up Internet access. However, the term broadband can be associated with internet connections that have a wide range of speed availabilities. While the FCC says broadband is any internet connection with a speed of 768 kbps or higher, several ISPs in America have "broadband" speeds as low as 256 kbps, especially in the rural markets. With this generation of gaming, trying to download a full game with a broadband speed of 768 or less would takes hours upon hours to complete, making it a frustrating exercise of long suffering patience.

2.) Pricing - So far, current generation games that are available for direct download (and even a few from previous generations) cost just as much or more than actually buying the game in the stores. For example, Gears of War is available on Xbox Live for $19.99, the same cost as buying the game brand new in stores. To add insult to injury, when you buy the game at a store, you'll be getting the "Game of the Year" addition which comes with extra maps for the online multiplayer mode. However, these extra maps will actually cost you a little more money to download direct, making Gears or War more expensive to download than it would to buy at your local Best Buy. This isn't even taking into consideration the resale or trade in value of the game that you might enjoy after you're eventually done playing it. Even old games like the original Halo are cheaper to buy in store than they are to download on Xbox Live. Given the amount of money saved on production, packaging and shipping the discs, there should be at least a small price break for gamers; certainly not an increase.

3.) Storage Space - The original Xbox 360 launched with a measley 20 GB hard drive and anyone that enjoyed using their console for a variety of applications (music, movies, TV and gaming) quickly learned that wasn't going to be enough. The second round came with 60 GB and the third (the elite) came with 120 GB. While the 120 is workable for most, the 20 and 60 are not, making downloading on a regular basis an impractical exercise. The Playstation 3 had similar issues. Meanwhile, PCs that are sold at bargain prices usually have smaller hard drives, as well, meaning gamers will have to invest more money in storage space or continuously delete old games to make room for new ones. In a word... frustrating, especially when you get a hankering to play a game you deleted two month ago.

4.) Collector's Items - Most hardcore gamers are also collectors. If you look on any desk, you'll probably find comic books, DVDs, toys, and video games scattered about. On my desk alone, I have a super army of toys (Batman, Superman, Darth Vader, Bilbo, Optimus Prime and Bubble Bee) watching over my paperwork everyday. When you remove the sexy game cases, with their flashy artwork, and the shiny discs they enclose, you also remove a small piece of joy that a large number of gamers expect when they dish out $60 for a new game.

5.) Lack of mobility - Who hasn't grabbed a few of their favorite games on their way out the door to a friend's house? We all do that, and downloading games erases this simple freedom. Party games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero, Super Smash Brothers (among others) would basically be limited to whoever has that downloaded on their console. Sure, I can grab the hard drive, but who wants that hassle? Not me.

Anyway, these are just a few reasons why I believe the declaration of a disc free future might have been a bit pre-mature. At least I hope so. I guess we'll have to wait and see what the future of gaming actually holds.