What’s the best way to buy games? Physical or digital? According to Christina Seelye, CEO of Maximum Entertainment, the two are equally useful.
Speaking with game developers at Gamescom, she explained that a retail version of a game can help generate attention, especially online: Brick-and-mortar stores like Amazon and GameStop go a long way, and that attention can then spread to digital stores like Steam and PlayStation Network.
Seeley noted that Maximum itself has “repeated iterations… there’s no cannibalization going on.” She cited the physical collection of Five Nights at Freddy’s games as an example, arguing that this has helped drive digital sales of the individual games “up and up.”
Physical games? What good is that?
While it’s easy to buy games digitally, Seeley believes that people who see games in stores are still “a different demographic” worth attracting, and discs or cartridges can also give publishers the opportunity to engage with that demographic in a different, more direct way.
Essentially, there’s a reason why deluxe editions are so prevalent: the collector’s angle works because it provides the gaming community with that “little special moment” and increases interest in the title.
That said, Seelye acknowledges that Maximum may be in a different position than other publishers: even with a potential partner like Limited Run, a physical release isn’t always viable, and can be further complicated by the game’s genre, platform, etc.
Still, physical games will remain a key part of the industry, and much of it will be driven by opportunity, so publishers of any calibre would be wisely advised to stick to proven formats.
“It’s still profitable,” Seely said. “It’s not as profitable as selling digitally, but it’s still profitable, and there are other benefits to it.”