But yes, while distributors can in theory be useful to customers, I think we’re seeing the end of that business model. And not just in games; car dealerships no longer provide a necessary service. Bookstores and music stores too. Apple made a killing by bypassing distributors, primarily because they could afford to give greater hands–on access to actual phones when people visited the stores.

If a bookstore or game store owner wants the business of recommending things to remain, they shouldn’t try to tie it to a physical store, to inventory and payment processing. All of those things are commodities, while the recommendations need not be, if they are good enough. They should make it a subscription service of it’s own; provide none of the store–related things, just the one–on–one conversation and recommendation.