David Braben, LostWinds developer Frontier founder and developer extraordinaire, told Develop that digital distribution is a medium with great potential, if developers would stop using it as a “dumping ground.” He says that if developers would put the same amount of effort in their downloadable products as they do their retail and stop looking for a quick buck, the digital versions would work out very well.

“One of the things that really annoys me is when people see XBLA, PSN and WiiWare as a dumping ground, in terms of ‘you don’t need to put the same amount of effort in’,” Braben said.

“Actually, it’s quite the opposite. It’s like how novelists approach short stories. It’s a way to try out a radical idea, and quite often a lot of those do become novels later on. What I don’t like is the idea that people can scratch one out at the bus stop, which I’ve overheard at conferences.”