System 3 announces triple-A digital-only release

System 3 will launch its new digital games strategy with what it says is the first triple-A PSN-only release this September.

Ferrari: The Race Experience will be the publisher’s first premium download-only title on PS3. It’s the sequel to 2008’s Ferrari Challenge and 2009’s SuperCar Challenge.

This launch will mark the beginning of a dramatic shift towards digital for System 3. The company already has a further six download-only releases lined up for the next three months, with titles heading for PS3, PSP, iPad and iPhone.

No other publisher has opted to offer its triple-A titles through PlayStation Network before retail – at best a digital release has coincided with a boxed counterpart.

Having recognised the potential in digital downloads some 18 months ago, we have kept our powder dry, preferring to gauge market and consumer reaction while quietly planning a download strategy to steal a march on our rivals,” System 3 CEO Mark Cale told MCV.

Obviously we are not moving away fully from boxed product as we are committed to maximising our games across all formats – and Wii games, for example, are still only released as a physical product.

But we have been extremely proactive in working on a full digital onslaught for a long time and they don’t come much bigger than the first – Ferrari.”

The title is available on PSN from September 16th. A Wii version hits retail the next day.