FW 3.0 boosts PlayStation Store sales, ups digital distribution

Despite presenting problems for those who’ve already made the firmware upgrade, it seems that FW 3.0 has accomplished what it set out to do – boost sales for the PlayStation Store. One developer that benefited from this upgrade is Doublesix, which told GamesIndustry.biz that Burn Zombie Burn sales jumped 40% since the firmware’s launch.

Anyone who’s made the upgrade has seen the “What’s New” tweaks in the XMB, providing quicker links to content instead of having to navigate through the Store. “We’re ecstatic at the 3.00 upgrade because not only have our sales gone up 40 per cent since the update but for me personally it’s what I’ve been calling for and looking forward to for a long time,” said James Brooksby, Doublesix studio head.

It has become apparent that Sony‘s push for digital distribution just took another step with the PS3 FW 3.0, and Brooksby seems to be very supportive of the movement. “It’s endorsing digital distribution as a massive part of the future. This isn’t a store where you go and buy t-shirts, this is a store where games exist. Consumers make that mental leap, to not just know they are online but to go shopping for games and content. We’ve definitely seen a change,” he said.

With this outcome, we can expect that easy-access digital content and marketing from providers won’t stop with “What’s New” and the XMB. The changes will not only be for the PS3, but for the PSP as well, where the digital distribution push is much harder. Gaming has gotten quite an air of aggressive salesmanship, but Brooksby asserts that it shouldn’t get in the way of quality games.

We don’t want users to buy a few titles and be disappointed if it’s confusing and quite a lot of games are low quality. If consumers gets their fingers burnt, it won’t take much for users to not come back after an experience like that.

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