[quote name='SynGamer']I'd be torn, because $10 cheaper is a good discount, but the inability to sell the game later would likely make me weigh the pros and cons. If the game costs $19.99 versus $29.99, i may very well buy the DD if it's a game i know i'll play for quite a while/would have kept in my collection. Again, i'd be torn...[/QUOTE]
Sounds like over 60% of the people have expressed hesitation, and I'm certainly one of them. But with Patapon 2 being released at $20, and that's a full title with great reviews, I can see a tiered pricing structure entering the market.
Now will that strain relationships with retailers? Most likely, but it would mean that Sony would have to give Brick-and-Mortar shops a greater slice of the sales pie to make up for lost game sales due to direct downloads should they being to reach a critical mass.
But Sony would ultimately win because it's hard to argue saving $10 over 10 games is $100, and at $20 a game that's 5 new games you could own (assuming you don't sell your physical copies).
[quote name='h3llbring3r']As long as they limit it and control it, you don't own it.
If they want to take down content from a DLC server to force you to rebuy it on another format- they can. The problem is you aren't guaranteed your 5 DLs, they are only available at the whim of the real owner.
I buy physical media whenever the prices are even remotely comparible.[/QUOTE]
A true argument -- but what about cartridges and other file formats? Say you have a huge library of Gameboy games, and your Gameboy breaks. And you can't find another Gameboy at a reasonable price. Even though you own the game, you can no longer enjoy the product. But you could buy them again on your DS or Wii via Virtual Console.
Yet hopefully that would be an moot point in time, as all future PSPs would continue supporting older game formats. And by going all digital, Sony would absolutely have a reason to support backwards compatibility as every digital sale would provide them with some revenue using digital downloads. A key reason why backwards compatibility was taken out (besides costs) is that most people buy used PS2 games so Sony doesn't see any of those sales. So why invest the money and cut on profit margins if there is no business benefit?