Switch on the Games!

Image from IGN

It has been quite a while since I last posted but I'm back at it again! In this blog post, I would like to discuss something that I have been quite obsessed with during the Christmas break - the beautiful Nintendo Switch. I believe many of us have heard of this gaming console, which is now officially the fastest-selling console in the US. Although I love the Switch and spend my hours procrastinating on it, this blog post is not going to be littered with blind accolades of the console. Rather, this post is going to be something more ITGS - something techier - about such gaming consoles. The topic for this blog post is online games and eShops.

I was inspired to write this blog post after I read an article on Nintendo Switch games a few days ago. Basically, it was about how Nintendo Switch games available on the Nintendo eShop are absurdly expensive and that Nintendo's customers are complaining that a simple download should not cost as much as $60. Combing through various other news sites, I discovered another article about digital games taking over the gaming market (you can find the link below). Upon finishing that piece, I twiddled my fingers in glee, excited by the opportunity to dig into software and an area of impact that I quite like.

Here's a breakdown of the IT technology I will be discussing in this lengthy blog post: 

• The gaming console company invests in a centre, which contains hardware such as storage drives and servers.
• Games and other software are stored on these drives and are accessible via the Internet.
• In order to access these games, the gamer must first purchase a gaming console and connect it to the Internet.
• They create an account on the console's unique online platform by entering a username, email and password. 
• The system checks whether the username or email occurs in any record in its Users table stored in its database.
• If a record contains either of these attributes, the user is prompted to select another username or email. If not, a success message is displayed.
• Using these credentials, the gamer can log into the console's unique eShop and browse through the catalogue of games.
• To purchase a game, the user selects a game and enters their banking details, usually credit card number
• A transaction request is made by the system to the gamer's bank's external transaction system
• After checking whether the data sent by the console's system corresponds to that of the transaction system, the transaction is approved and carried out.
• Voila! The game is ready for download!

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Coming from a country where game stores are very rare, eShops like the ones described in the linked article are my primary means of purchasing my games. Upon analysis of such a scenario, one can recognise that these eShops promote globalisation - despite the lack of game stores in my area, I can still purchase and play my favourite games whenever I would like to do so. Geographical boundaries are no longer a barrier to gamers like me now. As a result of IT and eShops, popular video games are available as online software to a much wider audience who do not necessarily have access to physical game stores.

Furthermore, the social and ethical issue of 'People and Machines' is worth exploring in this situation. The availability of gaming software online eliminates the need for gamers, a primary stakeholder of online gaming software, to walk or drive long distances to buy games. With fewer restrictions to acquiring our favourite games, we gamers are likelier to indulge ourselves on the eShop, ultimately benefiting the developers of these games. Moreover, online gaming software appears alluring to elderly and disabled gamers as they can start downloading their beloved games by the click of a button.

One thing I noted down from the article is that gamers are no longer bogged down with the choice of selecting which game to take with them on trips. As opposed to stuffing the old-fashioned cases containing optical CDs in your suitcase, the intangible nature of downloaded gaming software presents gamers with an irresistible offer of just taking their gaming console. That sense of "freedom" is crucial in this relationship between people and machines. More people would likely turn towards online gaming software as long as it benefits the gaming experience in any way.

In addition to the benefits online gaming software present to gamers, it is a great alternative for game developers, another major stakeholder of this technology, as a way to distribute their games. In a time where games are now being stored on pricey solid-state drives, developers are more than hesitant to invest a lot of money into physical games. Instead of shelling out the cash to purchase the hardware required to store the gaming software, developers would rather save the money and distribute their software online. In the end, online gaming software appears to be the best economic choice for them.

But alas, nothing good comes without a price. The presence of gaming software online and eShops pose an ever-looming threat to physical game stores such as GameStop. Most gamers find themselves asking what's the point of travelling all the way to such shops when they can purchase games from the comfort of their sofa. Regrettably, this mindset is detrimental to small businesses as they rely on selling physical copies of games to make a living. 

Equality of access and the digital divide are also major issues when it comes to downloading gaming software. Internet connection and storage on the gaming console are the two primary requirements when it comes to patronising the eShop. In areas where hardware and internet connection are very expensive, the financial burden on the gamer is simply too much to carry. Even considering extra storage for downloading more games might be an impossible task for such gamers. As a result of this 'digital divide' between those who can afford it and those who cannot, there would inevitably be some gamers who cannot enjoy the benefits that online gaming software offers.

In addition to this, the article noted that there's a need for digital games to undercut the prices of the physical games in order to properly flourish. The issue with this suggestion is that there are some policies in place such as the one governing the Nintendo eShop that restrict this undercut. For those who do not know, Nintendo has enforced a policy that digital games must have the same price as their physical copy. Although such policies protect traditional game stores, they limit the appeal of online gaming software - one can find a simple download to be priced as high as $60. Considering the digital divide, such policies make online gaming software less of a better option than physical games to some gamers.

There may be a solution to this issue of policies. Nintendo can decide to eliminate their 'Equality' policy and replace it with one that reduces the price of the digital games. In doing so, Nintendo would inevitably make its eShop more appealing to its customers, who would likely prefer the cheaper option of purchasing games. The solution could also encourage more developers to release their games online rather physically as a result of higher patronage of games online. Consequently, manufacturing costs for the developers plummet as they do not need to purchase solid-state drives. All in all, it appears to be a good solution for developers and the promotion of the eShop.

Nonetheless, this solution is not without its costs. As mentioned above, the 'Equality' policy was implemented to protect traditional game stores. By applying my suggested solution, the mindset that digital games are a way better option than physical games would only become stronger, damaging the overall business of physical game vendors. Furthermore, this solution is quite costly to Nintendo. If they enforce such a policy, they would have to invest more in storage hardware in preparation of the influx of developers who now wish to distribute their games online. Seemingly, this solution does not seem economically plausible for Nintendo and physical game stores, and as such, it is unlikely that Nintendo would take such action.

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Well, that was a long post! In spite of its seemingly impenetrable cons, one cannot deny the appeal that online gaming software has. So long as Sony and Microsoft provide subscriptions to online games that don't break our wallets, the gaming world appears to be heading towards a digital future. It's an exciting future some of us - a gloomy one for some others - but nevertheless, it is a future of gaming which I believe is sure to happen.

Gianna T.

References

The article which inspired me: https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-03-10-why-nintendo-switch-games-are-ending-up-more-expensive

The article I analysed: https://twinfinite.net/2019/01/digital-physical-games-buying/

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