And thus the Microsoft investment in the xbox comes full circle. They'll have a robust and tested download service full sprung on the PC. They even have the getting it to your TV angle covered. Buy on the PC, play it on the 360. HD downloads here we come. Gotta give it to Microsoft, they have some smart fellas working there.
Don't forget Netflix was designed around the eventual date when all movies would be pay-per-download instead of DVD-by-mail. Thats what the owner said anyway "We didn't call the business NETflix for nothing."
Looking at the numbers of the first couple of Games for PC's released by MS, you are dead wrong on your assumption. With Gears of War soon to be out on the PC with on-line play should pretty much seal the deal.
I would agree with EricF to some degree. Do PC gamers pay for online play? Yes, actually one of the most successful PC games of all time, World of Warcraft, is subscription based.
However in the PC world pay for play is pretty much limited to MMO-RPGs and not FPS games. With titles like the Unreal, Quake, and Battlefield series being free for so long I simply can't imagine PC gamers paying to play another FPS online. Especially a title that has already been out on other systems for almost a year.
I am honestly biased in my opinion as I'm a big PC gamer and would hate to start having other titles adopt this model. I love online play on the PC but I don't think I'm willing to pay for it except when it comes to expansive MMO-RPG titles which offer much more game play than other games.
Maybe so, but I doubt that would matter. Does it matter with movielink? How many people want to watch TV on their PCs? Yes, I know the HTPC market is getting bigger, but I doubt the average joe would want to pay $50 up front for the privalege (Live membership) and then have to pay to rent a movie on top of that. I know I sure as hell won't.
I would watch TV shows on my PC mainly because I never know when shows are on and don't really have time to catch them when the networks says I should be watching them. Most of the time I wait for the DVD of the show to come out an rent it. But if I could download the show around the same time that it airs and watch it when I want that would be a pretty good deal.