A customer survey that popped up on Reddit over the weekend appears to show that Microsoft is looking at ways to advance the appeal of buying games digitally by exploring player interest in offering a 10% sell back option for digital store purchases.
10% might not sound like much to many. It’s just $6 in store credit from a $60 purchase, but it at least gives gamers an option for games they no longer wish to play, rather than just being stuck with them, as is currently the case for games bought on the digital store.
It’s not the first time the company has probed the idea of migrating to a more digitally driven console, with their initial plans for the Xbox One receiving considerable backlash when they were revealed at E3 2013. As well as wanting to bind physical purchases to a user’s Xbox Live account (restricting gamers from trading in or even sharing purchases), Microsoft also wanted to make the console online-only, whereby players would have to check in every 24 hours or find themselves locked out of playing their own games. There were even discussions about removing the disc-drive, making the console entirely digital.
This survey indicates the company are seeking a more subtle and progressive approach to moving away from physical medium, and it seems the industry as a whole is keen to move in this direction, with digital games making up an estimated 92% of total PC games sales back in 2013. This latest inquiry by Microsoft shows they have no intent to stop pushing their digital agenda. The question is, is that what gamers actually want?
What are your thoughts on digital games? Do you think that is the direction consoles should be heading in? Or do you prefer having physical copies for your gaming collection? Let us know how you feel in the comments section.
