Anyone only buy downloadable games and hardly any disc based ones?

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JmanRBS

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#1 JmanRBS
Member since 2006 • 394 Posts

Thought this might be a pretty interesting this to talk about. Is there anyone out there that only buys games from the PSN store or the Wii shop or Xbox Live only and mostly? Perhaps not even owning any disc based games or hardly at all? Are you one of these people or know anyone that mostly buys downloadable games only and hardly owns any disc based games?

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Planeforger

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#2 Planeforger
Member since 2004 • 20155 Posts
I've been buying just about all of my games digitally for years now, but only on the PC, where most new release titles are buyable/downloadable online (and also a lot cheaper than retail/console versions of the games). I don't know if I'd do that for my consoles though - I usually find that the Xbox Live Marketplace and WiiWare/VC titles are really overpriced for what they are.
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SubGum

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#3 SubGum
Member since 2003 • 1740 Posts

I'll now not purchase any PC games that I can't obtain digitally.
In fact the only games I even play now are on Steam.
Only exception is StarCraft 2 which I can download from b.net anytime.

If a PC game isn't on Steam, it most likely simply isn't worth me playing.Of course I have plenty of older PC games on disc, but I've fully embraced the new age of PC game distribution, and love the convenience.

If I could get all of my console games digitally and not have to bother with discs at all, then I'd do it.

Unfortunately, what Planeforger said about console games being overpriced on XBL, WiiWare, or PSN is completely correct.

Steam has made PC gaming more convenient AND less expensive.
If digital distribution on the consoles could do the same, I'd be all over it.

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siberian142

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#4 siberian142
Member since 2007 • 7774 Posts
I always buy the physical copy of games and have not really considered buying the downloadable version of the game. I find that actually owning a copy of the game that you can hold in your hands is better than owning a digital copy.
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istuffedsunny

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#5 istuffedsunny
Member since 2008 • 6991 Posts
Enjoy your limited-use games! The only way I'd spend money on digital content is if it was DRM free (yeah right lol)
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XaosII

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#6 XaosII
Member since 2003 • 16705 Posts

Been buying all my games through Steam for quite some time. Im considering just selling or even trashing all the discs for games i have since they are all 2007 and older titles i've beaten to death.

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TheRaiderNation

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#7 TheRaiderNation
Member since 2007 • 1653 Posts

I almost always buy physical copies of games. If given the option between a digitial download or a hard copy of a game, I will always go with the physical copy. I have purchased downloadable content and games on XBOX live, but only a handful of titles/content.

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Archangel3371

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#8 Archangel3371
Member since 2004 • 46995 Posts
I pretty much buy the physical copies for all my game purchases even if it costs more. The only time I buy digital copies of games is if that's the only format it comes out on ie. XBLA games, if I can no longer find a physical copy because it's an old or very rare game, or I don't have the older systems to play them ie. Wii VC.
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xgraderx

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#9 xgraderx
Member since 2008 • 2395 Posts

If I could get all of my console games digitally and not have to bother with discs at all, then I'd do it.

SubGum
So would I.
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DJ_Lae

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#10 DJ_Lae
Member since 2002 • 42748 Posts
On PC, absolutely - my purchasing is done mostly on Steam. There it's an easy choice, however - most retail games either use Steam or some other form of code-based DRM, so I'm not locking myself into a purchase digitally any more than I would if I bought a physical box. On the consoles, however, I'd rather have the physical copy unless I can get the digital one for a lot less. I can't transfer my digital copy, but I can always trade, loan, or sell my physical one where the same is not possible on the PC. Drive space on consoles is a lot less, too, even with the potential to upgrade. I have 120GB on my 360 and 320GB on my PS3, which would be eaten up fairly quickly with retail titles. In contrast, I have a little over 6TB on my PC, so space isn't as much of an issue.
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Peerbreed

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#11 Peerbreed
Member since 2009 • 224 Posts

Enjoy your limited-use games! The only way I'd spend money on digital content is if it was DRM free (yeah right lol)istuffedsunny

Someone never heard of GOG....

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Kage1

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#12 Kage1
Member since 2003 • 6806 Posts

I'd rather have the physical copy. If it's not available in that format I don't mind getting a digital copy. Example- Tekken 5 DR.

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strangequark81

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#13 strangequark81
Member since 2009 • 76 Posts

The last disc I bought for the 360 was Mass Effect 2 when that first came out but bought loads of arcade games since then. All the multi-platform disc based releases I get on PS3 (mainly cos most of my friends have these so can play them online). But there's been a real drop off in decent xbox exclusives so I checked out arcade and there's some great games on there - Trials HD, Super Meat Boy, Braid, Limbo, all awesome. To be honest I'm getting more and more disenchanted with big triple A releases after some pretty big disappointments. I've sunk more hours into trials HD than most games I've bought for either 360 or PS3. I think these low-to-mid budget games give developers a chance to be a lot more creative than when they're sinking tens of millions of pounds into games and need to appeal to the lowest common denominator to guarantee a return i.e. make an FPS, fill it with overcharged weaponry and blood, make a short campaign and uninspired multiplayer then sell it on hype. XBLA is the only reason my 360 is getting used at the moment

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LustForSoul

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#14 LustForSoul
Member since 2011 • 6404 Posts
I try to buy the physical copy but games on demand on XBL.... has some good deals at times. I bought Dark Void for 20 bucks because where I live it's around/over 40 bucks still. Otherwise it's physical because I just think it's safer and it's just nice when you can actually look at your collection!
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Megavideogamer

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#15 Megavideogamer
Member since 2004 • 6554 Posts

Buying downloadable only games would not ever work for me. I currently have 315 games in my collection. The HDD space I would need would be extremely large. I once had a Playstation 3 40giger I filled the HardDrive with nothing but Videogames saves. 41 PS3 game saves was all I had on my HDD. Nothing else. I bought a PS3 60giger and filled the HDD. I also bought a PS3 120giger and managed to fill the HDD on both. Mostly with just games saves.

For people who only buy 5-7 games for their videogame system. The Downloading 8gig-12gig modern sized games and the extra download content would take a lot of HDD space.

Would not work for me. Plus there is a Gigabyte download limit I have to be mindful of. Plus it takes 3-5 hours to download asimple beta of a modern game. Mag beta & the DC universe on-line beta took forever to download.

Way easier to just buy a modern disc based videogame then to download one. I could not imagine how long a Full game like Final Fantasy 13 would take to download?

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SubGum

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#16 SubGum
Member since 2003 • 1740 Posts

Buying downloadable only games would not ever work for me. I currently have 315 games in my collection. The HDD space I would need would be extremely large.Megavideogamer

That's why I only keep the games I'm actually playing atm installed.

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trent44

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#17 trent44
Member since 2008 • 255 Posts

I will pick hard-copy every time now.

I gave DD a fair chance on my PS3; I bought and played games off PSN, but i had terrible buyers' remorse EVERY time i purchased anything. You can't get it at reduced second hand prices, or resell it, or trade it, or rent it, or lend it, or borrow it, or shelf it, etc. So, I removed my Card info off PSN for good.

I think DD is excellent for stuff that is Free, but even any $ seems too much for not having anything in hand in return. Anyway, I have yet to see any DD stuff that has ever been cheaper than a used game.

BTW, a DD only model would actually raise prices if there was no hard-copy alternative, since there would only be 1 vendor with no competition.

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#18 trodeback
Member since 2007 • 3161 Posts

I'm all about the used games. I can't bring myself to buy a brand new game even if I can afford it. I'll always wait till the price drops at least 20% of the original cost b4 I start thinking about getting the game. So if, or more likely when, the industry moves over to digital only it's going to make it very hard to get cheap used games.

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lamprey263

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#20 lamprey263
Member since 2006 • 45496 Posts
no, I mostly buy retail games, any future PC games I get though will be entirely downloaded, but I buy my console games on disc, still buy lots of Wii VC, XBLA, and PSN downloadable titles the only thing holding me back from doing this on consoles is lack of sales, limited HDD space, horrible owned content management, PS3 has 5 download limit, Wii has no digital rights management (like can't transfer rights to new console), though I think the next generation of console gaming will support this better
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#21 trollop_scat
Member since 2006 • 2656 Posts

Yes I buy almost all my games off Steam and PSN except Demon's Souls and Silent Hill: Homecoming. Its just so convenient, especially how Steam automatically updates PC games. If Sony released all its new games on PSN I'd probably never buy a boxed game again. Sucks for the used game industry but driving to a store and buying a game from a girl trying her best to pretend she doesn't think Im a geek then getting ripped off when I turn around and sell it back to them gets on my nerves. Digital DL is the New Way...

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Kcube

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#22 Kcube
Member since 2003 • 25398 Posts

I own both.

Games like Final Fantasy 7 here at specialty shops run around 200$ and I got it for 10$ on PSN.So I like having the option to save 180$

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Blacklight2

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#23 Blacklight2
Member since 2007 • 1212 Posts
I can pretty much only buy digital games on the PC, so yes.
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superdum2

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#24 superdum2
Member since 2009 • 1558 Posts

i prefer physical copys

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JustPlainLucas

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#25 JustPlainLucas
Member since 2002 • 80441 Posts
I know I'm not one of them. To this day, I still have not downloaded Patapon 2, because it should have been released on UMD.
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Elann2008

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#26 Elann2008
Member since 2007 • 33028 Posts
I've been buying more digital download games now that the prices have been so cheap especially during sales. I just print the box art and insert them into a DVD case. As long as the digital download service isn't going anywhere any time soon, I'll continue to buy digital. Only if I can find a retail box copy for cheap, then I'll always go with retail.
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MathMattS

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#27 MathMattS
Member since 2009 • 4012 Posts

Nah, I buy mostly disc-based games.

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darklight4

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#28 darklight4
Member since 2009 • 2094 Posts

I prefer discs than downloaded games. I think if there were more options of paying than using credit cards and what not I might consider buying a downloadable game but I do enjoy the walk to my local gamestore and the fact that holding a hard copy gives me a sense of ownership.