The games on demand system proposed by Microsoft should have been rolled out on your network connected Xbox 360 by the time you read these words. To put it mildly, it’s not quite the digital distribution revolution people were expecting.

Between insane levels of price gouging on games that have been available for over a year, not to mention notable differences in price between NTSC and PAL regions the Games on Demand system is pretty awful. But there’s another casualty to this feature that hasn’t got a lot of attention, the age old tradition of swapping games with your mates.

Okay it’s not technically something that you're supposed to do but it is something that’s been happening with games for as long as there has been more than one game available. The simple barter system from the playground tends to carry on into adult hood with movies, books and games. You wouldn’t mind playing Mirrors Edge but you don’t have it, your friend does and wouldn’t mind having a go at Bioshock that he missed out on when it released. So you swap, enjoy the game, and at some point swap back.

Basically you’re saving yourself the $1.99 cost of a week night purchase from the local video store. It’s not exactly a taser worthy crime. Obviously game trading isn’t a Dodo yet, but Games on Demand is the first crooked step towards a future that looks a great deal darker for gamers.

To a degree, multiplayer gaming has put a dent in trading for the simple reason that you’re more often than not going to want to play the same games online with your friend. When Modern Warfare 2 drops everyone will buy it because everyones going to want to play with their mates. Games like Call of Duty, Halo and Killzone are those special non tradeable titles and their increased sales seem to reflect that quality.

But digital downloading is going to eventually put an end to this simple pleasure. Games will become untradeable. Money minded people at Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are probably quite keen for this to happen expecting game sales to reach new highs as everyone will need to pay for the games they want.

But, and I’ll admit I’m assuming this is their logic based on the Games on Demand model, they’re operating on the same faulty logic as music and film industry people who are appalled at piracy. They assume that people pirate and trade as an alternative to purchasing product and that the process is somehow losing them money. I’d say in the majority that’s not the case.

"Games like Call of Duty, Halo and Killzone are those special non tradeable titles and their increased sales seem to reflect that quality."

Example, there are dozens of games I would like that I simply cannot afford, I did not get Dead Space when it released because I had no money to buy it. Despite all the glowing reviews and recommendations from friends, I just couldn’t get it and I spend most of my disposable income on games. Eventually a friend leant me his copy recently and I’ve played and enjoyed it.

If it was impossible for me to obtain Dead Space second hand, or from a video store, or from a friend, would I have eventually bought it? Well, no. There are so many quality games releasing all the time it would have been swept by the way side with funds going towards the next wave of new releases. Making it impossible to obtain without purchase doesn’t guarantee I’m going to buy it.

But here’s a thought, I really enjoyed Dead Space and I’ll very likely buy the sequel when it comes out. Would I be buying the sequel if I’d never played it?