If you’ve never heard of Steam, it’s a PC/Mac gaming portal (like an iTunes App Store) that gives its users instant access to over 1,100 games that can be purchased, downloaded and played from any computer. There is also a community you can engage in, chat with friends while gaming, get automatic game updates and best of all, enjoy Steam-only special offers that included low prices and free-play weekends.
With a soon to be released mobile app, users will be able to purchase new game releases and special offers straight from their iPhone or Android, something that previously could only be done from the Steam desktop app.
If those in support of SOPA/PIPA were really interested in stopping piracy, they would follow Steam’s lead.
Progress
Hollywood is one of the bigger supporters of these anti-piracy laws. Instead of crippling new technology to maintain the status quo of distributing media, they need to move forward. Trying to stop progress instead of keeping up with it is not the answer. Whether it be the Church or Hollywood, this tactic never ends in victory. Progress will move on.
What About Steam?
Steam makes it easy for users to purchase their games and maintain control over them. If your computer dies, no problem. Just download your Steam app and re-install your games. Your entire library of games is safely kept by Steam.
How can they afford to do this?
Easy.
One copy of a game can be accessed by millions.
This is also why they often have incredible deals. There is no overhead. When a new game is released, Steam users don’t have to worry if they’ll have enough in stock. It’s a digital medium, so why treat it like anything else?
I’m not sure why movie studios haven’t embraced this approach more.
Imagine purchasing your movies like this! No more scratched discs!
Money, Money, Money
While movie and television studios are so worried about safeguarding the money, they are missing out on an opportunity to grow their industry. Make their product increasingly easier to obtain, collect and absorb.
Hollywood doesn’t have to die.
In fact, ff we take a look back at media history, the film industry was afraid television was going to put them out of business.
How’d that work out?
There’s also Desura[0]. What’s more, Desura caters for the Linux crowd[1], and have gone so far as open sourcing their client[2].
So much for Steam.
[0] http://desura.com/
[1] http://www.desura.com/groups/desura/news/public-release-of-the-linux-client
[2] http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2012/01/desura-client-goes-open-source/
What non open source users see:
1. Blah, blah, blah …
2. Blah, blah, huh?
3. Blah, blah, what?
LOL!
Great links, Raoul.
Steam really isn’t any different than iTunes or Amazon in this regard, right? iTunes and Amazon both offer movies in digital format, instantly, and I think you can download them again if you need to.
If I understand your argument correctly, you are saying that piracy would decrease if we make the legal copies cheap and easy enough. I think that is true to an extent, and I think we are already there, especially with music. It is so easy to get a new song for a buck from Amazon that there is no need to try to find a free copy somewhere just to save a buck. Many movies are already that easy to obtain legally.
But you have to wait 3-6 months before they’re available digitally… Hollywood (and the distributors) still want you to go the ‘movies’ and then get the DVD before you can get it digitally. With music, you don’t have to go to a concert and then buy a CD before you’re allowed to download it!
It’s the delay which is driving piracy as people, in this digital age, don’t want to wait! If the studios did ‘same day release’ on all media (theatres/DVD/download), now that would do a lot to stop piracy!
(and the whole 3D thing – mainly driven by the studios to make you go to theatres and try and stop piracy – not to make the experience better!)
> If the studios did ‘same day release’ on all media (theatres/DVD/download), now that would do a lot to stop piracy!
It would also close down a lot of movie theaters.
Yeah. I agree with you Ben.
Theater going has dropped anyway over the past few years, due to things like Blu-Ray, and the price of home theaters having dropped significantly.
Right. The cost of popcorn and tickets doesn’t help, either.
The problem is a “same day release” is that then the MPAA doesn’t make nearly as much money as they do now… (note the sarcasm)
That’s the reason why we have region codes. Folks in the USA probably don’t really know about region codes on DVDs, but the rest of the world has to deal with them, because that’s how the studios control how and when the movies get distributed, which brings them more cash at the end of the day.
Oh, yeah. You, James and I know about region codes. Such a pain!
And Pal/NTSC as well
For US people Europe using a different colour profiling system (PAL) compared to the US. If you’ve got a ‘multi region’ DVD player but, either not one that also converts to PAL (or a TV that can’t convert NTSC) get only get black and white!
I solved that problem for my German grandmother, who was trying to play German (region 2) DVDs, by using her Macmini, out to her TV. For what many spend on a multi region DVD player & TV, a low end Macmini (I haven’t tried it from a PC, but it should still work) works great for teh centerpiece of a home theater.
#FACT
I think the wait is fine. I’m not sure a theater release and download date should be the same. I’m just talking about adding it to the DVD purchase option, and maybe replacing it entirely.
You are absolutely correct, Ben. The amazing think about Steam, is the price point. You have a lot of people dropping 40-50 per game! That’s a whole different thing than a 99 cent song, but the concept is the same for sure!
This could be a solution!!! http://techcrunch.com/2012/01/26/apple-100-billion-buy-hollywood/
I like this idea. A lot!
I think one of the things keeping Hollywood from moving forward with technology is all the industries that are involved in their production process. Think of all the companies that produce the boxing, wrapping, printing, and manufacturing of their products. That’s a lot of people who would be losing money, and potentially jobs.
So I guess what I’m saying is I get it. But the future of digital media really is inevitable.
Think of all those telephone switchboard operators!?!
Here’s the cure for piracy. Make it easier to buy than pirate. That’s where Steam, iTunes, Netflix, and Amazon succeed.
Creating artificial scarcity doesn’t work anymore…sorry “Disney vault” concept.
Paul
Completely agree.