Greetings, my dear readers! Now that I have covered the topic of
Computer Gaming Equipment in the last post, I’m sure that you are eager to know how to
obtain a copy of the computer game which you have been eyeing – which is
exactly what I will be talking about today.
If you’re getting ready to
leave the house and to stop by the nearest game distribution store, don’t leave
just yet! Thanks to the existence of digital distribution platforms, you are
able to legally purchase your desired computer games right from the comfort of
your home via the internet.
In fact, the percentage of users purchasing computer games from
digital distribution platforms triumph over the percentage of users purchasing
physical computer games from brick-and-mortar game distributors – a recent
research discovers that 92% of global game sales originate from digital
distribution platforms; only a meagre number of 8% game sales are contributed
by brick-and-mortar game distributors. Without further ado, let me introduce to you some of the existing
digital distributor platforms in the game industry.
Steam
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Steam, the brainchild of Valve Corporation, is a combination of a
computer game digital distribution service, gaming platform and social network.
Ever since its unveiling in 2002 and its official release in 2003, Steam has dominated
the scene of digital distribution for computer games According to Geek Squad, a
UK-based technology news website, 70% of digital distribution market specializing
in computer games are estimated to be occupied by Steam.
Features:
- Broad Selection: Steams game catalogue features digital download of
games from almost every behemoth of the video game development industry such as
Bethesda, NAMCO, EA, SEGA and Rockstar.
- Exclusiveness: Steam also specializes in distributing games
developed by its ‘own brand’ – Valve. Popular computer game such as the
infamous Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 are
developed by Valve and are only obtainable on Steam.
- Free-To-Play Games: Steam also offers games that are obtainable free
of charge. As an example, Team Fortress 2, one of Valve’s top-rated game titles
is available as a Free-To-Play game on Steam.
- Virus-Free: Computer games offered on Steam are very unlikely to be laden with virus. This is due to the fact that every game title has to be authenticated by Steam personnel before it is made available to its users. Then again, despite the unlikely occurrence of virus infection from Steam games, it is always advised to have anti-virus software installed on your computer or laptop to prevent any mishaps.
Origin
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A competitor to Valve’s Steam, Origin is digital distribution platform
launched by Electronic Arts in 2011. Origin acts as a digital distributor for
computer games as well as a social network platform which allows its users to
communicate with each other through its Origin community. Despite being owned
by Electronic Arts, Origin does offer third party games as well as an extensive
game library carrying Electronic Arts’ older game titles.
Features:
- Exclusiveness: Owned by one of the largest video game publisher –
Electronic Arts, some of the game titles owned by the company can only be exclusively
purchased through Origin.
- On the House Games: The On the House is a Origin-exclusive section which
offer game titles hosted on Origin free of charge to its users. Once the user downloads
the game during the promotional period, the game is permanently in their game
library regardless of the expiration of the On the House promotion.
- Game Trials: Game trials of a few selected game titles on Origin are also available for its users. Users are able to play the game for free for a limited time period upon playing the game trials. After the trial period has ended, users are able to better decide for themselves whether to purchase the full version of the game or otherwise.
Green Man Gaming
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Despite not owned by game development companies such as Valve or
Electronic Arts, Green Man Gaming is also another popular choice of digital
distribution platform among gamers. According to their official website, Green
Man Gaming currently works with a number of over 500 game developers,
publishers and distributors in bringing the latest games to its users.
Features:
- Multi-platform Game Selection: Green Man Gaming currently offers over
7,500 game titles in their current game catalogue. Moreover, Green Man Gaming
features games that can be played on other gaming platforms other than PC such
as Mac, Nintendo and Sony Playstation. It is also important to note that Green
Man Gaming is an official distributor for platforms such as Sony PS4, Steam,
Nintendo and many more.
- Rewards Program: Green Man Gaming also offers a rewards system for their loyal customers, which is similar to rewards program offered by brick-and-mortar game retailers. Users are rewarded by purchasing game title or by trading in their preloved digital purchases to Green Man Gaming. Additionally, Green Man Gaming also rewards users through submission of game reviews or friend referrals with credits which can be utilized in their future purchases on Green Man Gaming.
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Now that we are nearing the end of this post, you can also check out
other notable digital distribution platforms for computer games that are not
mentioned above such as: GOG.com, GamersGate, Battle.net and many more! By purchasing your copy of computer game from a
digital distribution platform, some of the money which you have paid for the
said copy of computer game goes back to its respective developer, thus
indirectly showing your support and gratitude to them.
What are you waiting for? Head on over to their game catalogues and
own copies of computer games of your choice! What? You want to know more about
computer game genres before purchasing your copy of computer game? In that
case, stay tuned for the next blog post where I will be introducing one of my favourite game genre - First Person Shooter Game Genre.
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