Topic: GameStop to Challenge Steam, OnLive and Maybe One Day Apple

[BlackNMild2k1]

GameStop details plans for 'becoming a technology company'
Stop Giving This Company Your Money!!! LOL J/K, more competition is good.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/01/gamestop-details-plans-for-impulse-and-spawn-labs-says-its-be/

Well, it looks like GameStop's plans following its acquisition of Impulse and Spawn Labs may be even grander than we had suspected. At an investor conference today, GameStop said flat out that it is "becoming a technology company," and that it does indeed plan to introduce a cloud-based gaming service similar to OnLive as a result of the Spawn Labs acquisition, while Impulse will be used to "compete fiercely" with Steam.

I've never used Impulse for DD PC Gaming, but isn't everyone already pretty insignificant thanks to Steam and their dominance in the PC DD game?

Recent purchases of Impulse & Spawn Labs means GameStop is on the offensive after watching Borders & Blockbuster drop to their knees due to Forward Thinking Competition from Amazon/B&N (Kindle/Nook eReader) & Netflix/RedBox (Movies in the mail, Streaming titles & $1 Rentals), and I don't blame them for wanting to stay relevant, but you would have to think that most Publishers won't show them the same favortism that Steam get because of their resale business that so many publishers already don't like.

But that's just the start of things. According to the Dallas Morning News, GameStop also plans to expand the gaming service to a variety of mobile devices, and it's apparently even entertaining the idea of a GameStop-branded tablet, saying that "if we feel like we could do a better job of making a tablet, we'll do that." Of course, some of that is still quite a ways off, but GameStop will be taking its first steps fairly soon -- it's already showed off a demo of how the service will be integrated into its website (see above, complete with a "try it now" option), and it plans to begin a public beta sometime this year before rolling out the full service early next year.

Taking on OnLive with streaming gaming is somewhere they might be able to get a foot hold into as that business is still fairly unknown, but we still don't know if that model of gaming is gonna survive the consumer test since entirely based on a solid & speedy internet connection and also requires a monthly fee.
Also how are they gonna stream Console games to the PC? I'm not so sure Sony nor Nintendo would like that.

I'd also be interested in seeing what Gamestop can bring to tablets since Apple and Android have that space pretty filled up at the moment.

What do all of you think of GameStop evolving to survive?

[nickmitch]

It's a good move for them, I just question whether or not it'll work. They need a new business model, and they know it, which is nice. Blockbuster just kinda shrugged at the same scenario until it was too late. The main problem is that it only works for PCs. They can get console games with an OnLive type system, but that still gives the problem with connections as you mentioned. Plus, they'll rely entirely on 3rd parties. The consoles all have the advantage of excluses both 3rd party and 1st, and 1st party games are usually the best for their respective console, especially on Nintendo systems.

But we'll see. I think I'm gonna miss brick and mortar stores.

[NeoStar9X]

Sadly I won't be using Impulse anymore. I don't like Steam because of the idea that they could ban yourself and literally deny you access to games you purchased. You aren't really buying them but leasing/renting hem from them if they can do that. I liked Impulse because it was a good alternative. However I refused to give GameStop my money if I can help it. So with this news I'll be buying elsewhere. I've been looking to give GamersGate a try.

[Dirk Temporo]

Sadly I won't be using Impulse anymore. I don't like Steam because of the idea that they could ban yourself and literally deny you access to games you purchased. You aren't really buying them but leasing/renting hem from them if they can do that

That's true of all digital download services, and the only reason to be worried about it at all is if you're doing something you shouldn't be doing anyway.

Gamestop is delusional if they think they can crack the hold that Steam has on the  digital distribution market.

[Morari]

Sadly I won't be using Impulse anymore. I don't like Steam because of the idea that they could ban yourself and literally deny you access to games you purchased. You aren't really buying them but leasing/renting hem from them if they can do that

That's true of all digital download services, and the only reason to be worried about it at all is if you're doing something you shouldn't be doing anyway.

Yeah... Everyone that's accused of a crime is clearly guilty.

Beyond the worry of being arbitrarily denied access to your purchased goods, there are greater concerns of what happens to your content after the service has died and the company has gone bankrupt. Hint: it's gone and you're fucked.

[NWR_insanolord]

Because Valve is in real financial trouble and could up and die at any moment.

[Ceric]

If I was going to take on Steam I probably do it the Netflix way which means getting Gamefly and doing Onlive thing as well.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I'm still waiting for the announcement that Netflix has purchased Gamefly, but I never once thought of them starting their own OnLive service ontop of that.


With Netflix's distribution deals and inventory sorting/shipping system in place, GameFly might actually be something worth subscribing to.

I'm still trying to figure out how GameStop was gonna stream PS360 games unless you needed to own the system to stream them to the system, or maybe that "Play" button simply downloads a demo of the game to your system to try before you buy.

[Dirk Temporo]

Yeah... Everyone that's accused of a crime is clearly guilty.

There have been cases of people whose accounts were hijacked and used for shenanigans, and they got their accounts back. It's not like Valve is in the business of just blanket screwing over all their paying customers.

Beyond the worry of being arbitrarily denied access to your purchased goods, there are greater concerns of what happens to your content after the service has died and the company has gone bankrupt. Hint: it's gone and you're fucked.

Except Valve has already said that in the event something were to happen to the company and they were no longer able to provide the service for a prolonged period of time, they would unlock everybody's games, allowing them to be played without Steam.

[ShyGuy]

I tell you one thing, the US Internet infrastructure is going to have to improve to make all this game streaming viable.

[Dirk Temporo]

Most people in the US have perfectly fine Internet for downloading or streaming games. I live in New Hampshire of all places, and I get 20 MB/s download on speedtest.net. Steam downloads between 1.5-2.5 MB/s

[Ceric]

I'm still waiting for the announcement that Netflix has purchased Gamefly, but I never once thought of them starting their own OnLive service ontop of that.


With Netflix's distribution deals and inventory sorting/shipping system in place, GameFly might actually be something worth subscribing to.

I'm still trying to figure out how GameStop was gonna stream PS360 games unless you needed to own the system to stream them to the system, or maybe that "Play" button simply downloads a demo of the game to your system to try before you buy.

When I was heavier into gaming I had Gamefly and to tell you the truth the turn around time where very fast.  I normally could easily play my plan twice in a month.  It was really an ideal investment for me money wise.  Once the baby was on the way I just didn't have that sort of time anymore so it was less so.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Netflix is a day inbetween return and recieve.

I heard that GameFly was sometimes often a week or longer.

[Ceric]

I was looking back at my Gamefly posts on the forums from when I had it.  I was getting 5 day turn around max at that time and it was faster when the postal service would scan it so they know it was coming.

[BlackNMild2k1]

http://www.pcworld.com/article/224518-2/stardock_ceo_explains_gamestop_impulse_buy_steam_rivalry.html

Incase anyone wants to read up on the Impulse Steam "Rivalry".

[gbuell]

As an aside, I just tried OnLive by playing Bioshock on my 2008 MacBook which could never play Bioshock otherwise, and I'm amazed at how well it works. And I'm connecting via wi-fi. If connection speed is a big issue for game streaming, I don't think it will be for long.