Moves to kill of software on CDs or DVDs is miffing the marketplace, according to a new survey. According to a new poll from a video game price comparison site and marketplace, the majority of video game fans would not like to see the end of video games on compact disks, as suggested by recent ‘leaks’ about the Xbox 720.
Following recent rumours that suggested that the next Xbox console, referred to as the Xbox 720, will not have a disk drive, a video game price comparison and marketplace site has conducted a poll of UK gamers to gauge how they felt about the news. According to the study, conducted by www.Playr2.com, the majority of gamers would not like to see the end of videogames on compact disks, with 63 per cent feeling this way.
1,340 self-confessed gamers took part in the study, all aged 18 and over, and all those talking part currently owned a console with a disk drive. When asked, “Would you be happy if video games were to stop being produced on compact disks ?” just under two thirds, 63 per cent , of the gamers taking part said “no.” When asked why they felt this way, three quarters, 76 per cent , simply “wouldn’t want to see the end of physical video games.”
Respondents to the study were similarly asked if they would want future consoles to be produced without a disk drive, to which the vast majority, 71per cent , of respondents said “no.” When asked why, over half, 51 per cent, explained that they simply didn’t support a move to ‘100 per cent online gaming’, whilst 43 per cent were concerned that they “wouldn’t be able to play” their old video games on compact disks.
Of those taking part, over a third, 35 per cent , currently streamed video games online. The study also asked those taking part if they believed that gaming would move ‘completely online’ in the future (outside of their feelings on the matter), to which 81 per cent admitted that they did.
Simon Kilby, founder of Playr2.com, said that the latest leaks surrounding the ‘Xbox 720’ have really thrust the idea of a no-disk console onto the horizon, making us all think about what this would mean for gaming in the near future. He said that most have a nostalgic view of games on compact disks, as well as the fact that disks probably encompass a huge portion of most people’s collections. The idea of gaming moving completely online now seems more likely than ever, and it seems that most gamers aren’t ready for the move, or simply don’t want it.