The advent of broadband internet has revolutionized the way video games are distributed. 10 years ago, the idea of downloading, streaming or playing in a web browser what was traditionally boxed and sold on store shelves was almost unbelievable. Today, it powers video game distribution. Steam does big business distributing games, OnLive and Gaikai have demonstrated that streaming even high-production experiences can be done without sacrificing gameplay quality, and there’s a plethora of free browser and social games you can start playing within seconds in every corner of the web.
Technology has enabled game developers of all shapes and sizes to get their creations to an exponentially larger audience than they could in the past. The question for PC game developers, then, is what’s the best medium: a web-based player or a downloadable client? The industry is still figuring out the answer to this question – right now, the decision hinges on the game’s goals and target audience – but we expect to see some convergence sooner rather than later.
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