PC games no longer on shelves

I think digital downloads are taking over boxed games, or am I just late? I agree that digital downloads can be more convenient, but I'm a sucker for having the box stacked up in my collection.

I went to two gamestops and they don't hold PC games, just a WoW cards. I went to Best Buy and their PC game section was hella bulls***. What's going on? :(

This is bad, silly, stupid news. PC Games should stay on shelves. Packaging (well, I guess it doesn't matter anymore, because they just come in flimsy DVD cases these days) are awesome and part of what makes the game enticing. Not to mention down in Australia we can't efficiently download games because of our poor bandwidth caps.

The industry is not going in a good direction.

Think you are a bit late to the party this has been happening for a while now. I am a PC gamer of 20 years and the last time I went into a games shop was nearly 7 years ago (about the time steam started). I understand where you come from about "wanting a boxed copy" but really at the end of the day what do you get ? A crappy 25p DVD case, a manual on recycled toilet paper and a DVD that you will end up losing and can't then play the game.

It isn't like the old days when you would get lots of goodies with your game (not talking about collectors editions here). I remember the days when PC games came in chunky boxes and there was plenty included with the game to see and do whilst you waited for the install. Now a days the boxed copy is so pathetically weak that it is no surprise that downloading has taken off.

I think its good PC should defenatly go digital since we got crazy Hard drive space faster download speeds. But i think every1 should just agree to stop these pirates by using a program which all game company's agree to use a software like steam were you activate your key with your account. I think they should just use Steam full stop like half life 2.

Order retail on online stores, problem solved, but yes with time DD will take over.

I'm the opposite. If I have a game retail and there is a sale on. I'd buy it because I prefer to have a digital version.

i prefer a box copy becaus if you download your games on steam they can steal your account >.zahyr

Order retail on online stores, problem solved, but yes with time DD will take over.

DanielDust

There are still games on shelves but most of the market is going digital. It's better, you don't have to worry about losing or scratching DVDs, serial numbers, just fire up the program, hit download from anywhere you are and you get the game.

[QUOTE="zahyr"]i prefer a box copy becaus if you download your games on steam they can steal your account >.zomglolcats

I pref a box... That way no one can comeby later and say Q.Q you dont own the game.

I pref a box... That way no one can comeby later and say Q.Q you dont own the game.

KalDurenik

actually box or not, you don't own the game.. you have simply acquiredthe rights to use that copy of the game for your own personal use.

i think Digital downloads are a good thing, more efficient in the long run (that is if governments and money didn't get in the way of us and technology)

PC should be considered a console as well as computer and they should expand on the gaming side of it, but yeah I've noticed the PC sections of stores and even gaming stores are down to one shelf or not at all. Like others I prefer to have a physical copy for a collector's perspective. Now when it comes to steam I'd consider if the prices weren't retail since I dont have a hard copy anyways.

i prefer a box copy becaus if you download your games on steam they can steal your account >.zahyr

There was a time I liked those PC boxes also but now I am happy with those standard size DVD-boxes. Makes storing them that much easier. I hardly ever use DD. I just don't have the HD space for more than 5 or 6 games anyway.

Brings me to another thing i hate now days... The fact that devs basicly say "you are only renting the game from us" if you call is you MIGHT maybe get a new cd key to install the game with. I bougth a game like that once and now i will never buy a game like that again. I wont care if its the best game ever i simply wont support that kind of a scam system -.-

Yes i know its the feature. While i dont go to town to buy a copy i will order the box online (most of the time with other games i want at the same time also).

Gamestop and Ebgames don't care for PC games anymore just WoW and EQ time cards that's it. And yes Digital is the future guys get used it and i like Digital and ordering online cause you don't have to wait in line to check out etc I'm saying I'm not lazy or anything like that. Digital is just better. But Bestbuy Target and Walmart still sells Boxed PC games. Hekynn

I think its good PC should defenatly go digital since we got crazy Hard drive space faster download speeds. But i think every1 should just agree to stop these pirates by using a program which all game company's agree to use a software like steam were you activate your key with your account. I think they should just use Steam full stop like half life 2.

mattuk69

its liek that in america not other countries shouldnt just say everythign should be digital for the pc just cause it works well in 1 country

soon, it might be like this:

Box: for collectors only. Contains all the accessory stuffs like action figure, extra dvd of how the game was made, manual, comic and other stuffs will be added for extra $10-15.

Digital: for casual gamers who has average or above average internet connection.

Gamestops in general don't normally carry that many pc games. I think because they can't make money by selling them used like they can with console games.

I think digital downloads are taking over boxed games, or am I just late? I agree that digital downloads can be more convenient, but I'm a sucker for having the box stacked up in my collection.

I went to two gamestops and they don't hold PC games, just a WoW cards. I went to Best Buy and their PC game section was hella bulls***. What's going on? :(

a_sh0pping_cart

The only ones I saw were on the games on sale area - and there were like 5 or less...

And by the way, I think these outlets are forgetting how many great games are coming out for PC, remember Crysis? Stalker? How about MMO's? All pc exclusives.

I usually buy from Amazon or Gogamer if I want a boxed copy, and the Best Buy near my house has a pretty good selection of PC games, but they are always more expensive than buying online.

I still see a good amount of pc games at walmart, future shop and amazon.com

But yeah, overall its mainly DD now, ill still get some boxed pc games from time to time, but Steam, D2D and Impulse are pretty awesome I must say.

I pref a box... That way no one can comeby later and say Q.Q you dont own the game.

KalDurenik

I pref a box... That way no one can comeby later and say Q.Q you dont own the game.

In NY, there's an electronics store called J&R that treats PC with respect, they have the second floor divided into PC and console. The PC games are split across 7 or so shelves while the consoles (360, PS3, Wii) are split across 4 shelves so, our one platform outnumbers all! Yea I enjoy boxed copies, with digital, its like, yea you own it but sooner or later those bits will just disappear. With a physical box, I at least know I have it. spiderman120988

That's odd. The Best Buy near me has more PC games than PS3, ps2, and psp games. It has almost 2 rows full of PC games. That's where I get my PC games because I prefer to get a hard copy rather than a digital one.

[QUOTE="spiderman120988"]In NY, there's an electronics store called J&R that treats PC with respect, they have the second floor divided into PC and console. The PC games are split across 7 or so shelves while the consoles (360, PS3, Wii) are split across 4 shelves so, our one platform outnumbers all! Yea I enjoy boxed copies, with digital, its like, yea you own it but sooner or later those bits will just disappear. With a physical box, I at least know I have it. naval

Yeah PC games at retail is pretty much dead in North America.

It's quite alive and well here in Europe. Every store, even the most casual console garbage stores like Gamestop, has at least a small PC games section. Most hardcore gaming stores have a PC section that is usually larger than any single console. Even huge hypermarkets have good PC sectiongs - heck, in some of them the PC section is the largest. One hypermarket even had the collector's edition of Dragon Age for sale.

Well i should comment that i have nothing against digital downloads and find it quiet smooth after all i do have a account at Blizzard linking all games there. And another one for another company. But i will stick with boxes for a while longer after that i guess we will see :P

That's odd. The Best Buy near me has more PC games than PS3, ps2, and psp games. It has almost 2 rows full of PC games. That's where I get my PC games because I prefer to get a hard copy rather than a digital one.

SF_KiLLaMaN

Same thing here. It's too bad they almost never have what I'm looking for though, and one shelf is usually filled with "My first Grade adventure" and "10,000,000,000 on ONE DISC!" games. I went there to grab the Last Remnant and F.E.A.R. 2 a few days ago, and they only had 1 copy of F.E.A.R. 2 and said they've never heard of The Last Remnant for PC. I guess I have to get it off Newegg, because I can't stand the constant slowdowns on the 360 version.

I don't like the idea of digital downloads because you can't sell them or give them away, also the company for e.g. steam has a certain amount of control over your games and who knows what they're going to do in future.

Whether you love or hate DD is going to depend a lot on your bandwidth.

I love Steam, especially for catching up on older titles while their massive sales are on. But there's pros and cons, just like everything else. Many of my boxed PC games are long gone because they weren't compaitble with a newer OS or whatever. Now I can load games like Commander Keen, Wolfenstein, and Space Quest just as easily as Half-Life 2 and Crysis. Automatic updates are a nice plus.

I like the access to the independent titles as well, but I do feel for those who don't have a high-speed ISP. It takes all of the convenience right out of it when it takes hours to download a title.

I prefer steam, because lets face it if steam dies it pretty much means pc gaming is dead. Other services I stay away from though.

Brick and mortar retail is dead. I buy almost all of my games on Amazon, and if the price is good enough, I'll buy it on Steam.

Brick and mortar retail is dead. I buy almost all of my games on Amazon, and if the price is good enough, I'll buy it on Steam.

The_Capitalist

I don't think retail is dead just yet but it is shrinking. I think it's hard to compete with online shopping like Amazon or Newegg which I use constantly for hard copies of games. However I still like to but my games at Best Buy or Walmart just so I have them sooner sometimes.

As for DD I'm finding it difficult to do. Absolutely no logical reason because I have a Steam account and have had sense its conception. I also have a good broadband connection. I guess I need to be pulled into the 21st century kicking and screaming like it or not.:)