Just 17 - Part One

Totally - the sort of stuff we're doing is pick-up-and-play, not the huge cinematic experiences that you're getting with those games which are always going to live at retail. We've got a different offering, and the market is such that's there's room for choice.

Yes, we're seeing blurring now and over the next year or so it'll become even more blurry. My perception is, the people that play these games aren't necessarily about the cinematic side of things, but it's a case of how long they're playing and are entertained. It's the same entertainment hours we're battling for, so we're in it for as much as possible.

Yes, of course the production values for digital stuff are going to fly forwards - I think given the recent price points they can't escalate to the price points at retail. But certainly I think people are going to be impressed with the quality of the digital stuff in the next year. I've seen a lot of it - just look at Trials and Battlefield, let alone Alien Breed.

I think the quality is certainly going to be there, and make people consider why they should need to go to the store, if they're available from the sofa. I can't say when we'll get to the same level, or overtake it, but I think the way it's carrying on it'll be sooner rather than later.

I think to a great extent it's already happened. It's difficult for any third party, start-up, whatever, to get titles onto Live because there are only so many titles appearing. Obviously I can't speak for Microsoft or Sony in particular, but they're kind of guided by their portfolio of content, so for anything to come out they've got to like it, got to like its appeal.

So if people want to put stuff on those platforms they've got to put a lot of thought into the kind of titles they're preparing - you've got to give yourself the best chance. Sony tends to like the new stuff, but that's quite often not the most mass market stuff. If you've got something that's really techy and quirky then you're best bet to get a listen is probably Sony, whereas with Microsoft you're really going for the commercial mass market audience - which they're had a lot of success with.

But it's very, very tricky - I know the amount of applications that get sent for Live Arcade is huge, and there's a finite door there.

Oh, massively so. There just aren't that many gaps in the portfolio - if you look at the sales charts over the last 18 months, most of it's been established IP. There are a few new IPs in there, but only a few. I think that's going to be the case, really - people will see brand extensions going on there, and all the rest of it, but it's very, very tricky.