Do you really wan everything to go all digital?

Anxiously waiting for Steam summer sale now.

Deevoshun

I really don't, there's something about owning physical games and being able to admire my own collection of games that digital will never replace

Why do people ask questions like this and not have a poll?

Every fanboy biased page with hate and judgement gets a poll, why not add one to a yes/no question?

.\

No, I don't want them to go all digital. I also don't believe they ever will.

That article you reference is by a PC person and it is in his companies best interest for Game Consoles to go to that type of model. Consoles are more a part of the retail landscape and the current model is very much in their favor, since consoles gamers favor going shopping for their games.

PC are not, they are a community where the game comes to them.

I would prefer if we had an option to buy any game for a platform from a physical print kiosk.

You select your game, you pay, then the kiosk prints a cover, writes the game on a read only flash medium (like DS games), prints the game title/graphic on that as well, and spits it all out with a blank case (preferable put together).

This would basically be an on location Just In Time model of physical game distribution, which would minimize costs to publishers, give instant sales data, avoid undersupply or oversupply print runs of games, and satisfy customers wanting a physical copy.

I used to be hardcore against the idea but now I dont really care. Its not like we get awesome box art and manuals and maps the way we used to anyways.

Wiimotefan

The idea is hard to take in at first, but once you get used to it, it's not so bad.7

I used to love the old days of having massive pc boxes with tonnes of extra bits and bobs but looking back it's just clutter!

No, it is going to be a nightmare for consumer rights when that happens. I don't mind buying stuff digital, but I try to go DRM-free so when companies inevitably start taking extreme control of the digital versions of games I have all the games I want to play.

only hanhelds. Its much more convinient to have a bunch of games on the go.

I think low budgets, indies, and small games are great as digital only but nothing more.

Gue1

I think the only games I even get physical copies anymore are console games. Almost everything else I get is through Steam and the like. I don't think I've really missed it, honestly.

Though I did like it when that copy of Darwinia I got came with the keychain.

I actually prefer physical copies.

GamerwillzPS

I don't want it, but I know its only a matter of time till it becomes the standard.

Look at the positive side. Gamers can save more money and at the same time developers can make more money. Win/Win situation.

I'll miss owning physical copies though.

sandbox3d

My thoughts exactly. Atleast with developers actually making money they can lower game prices and take chances on less formulaic games. Who knows, it might be the start of a new creative gaming renaissance.

[QUOTE="sandbox3d"]

I don't want it, but I know its only a matter of time till it becomes the standard.

Look at the positive side. Gamers can save more money and at the same time developers can make more money. Win/Win situation.

I'll miss owning physical copies though.

Boddicker

My thoughts exactly. Atleast with developers actually making money they can lower used game prices and take chances on less formulaic games. Who knows, it might be the start of a new creative gaming renaissance.

Not for consoles, yes for pc, I love having all my games in one place, no clutter on the desktop, everything is just so much neater and easier to get to and use.

I am going full retro the day I can no longer purchase disc based games. I always feel it's better to give gamers options than to outright deny any way to deliver games. Stream, download or disc it's all good.

Whenever it goes 100% digital for consoles it will be good for some things but also suckk for others. People it wont matter for, are those that never go to another house or place to play games.

Nope Pshyical is so much better.

Hell no.

No, no, no! The day games go all digital is the day I stop buying new games and consoles, period. DD is the biggest rip off and scam in the history of technology; developers and publishers are robbing their customers blind by taking their money and essentially giving them nothing in return. Downloaded games, music or whatever cannot be traded or sold, that's because you don't really own the game and Devs know that. With physical copies you actuallyown a copy of the game and it has tangable, real value; you actually own something. Devs and publishers have gotten extremely greedy and don't even want you to have this anymore. I say Fvuck'em, I refuse to pay any money for DLC or downloaded games, period. I only hope that other people do this too and maybe these theives in the industry will respect us enough to actually give us something when we pay them.

No, no, no! The day games go all digital is the day I stop buying new games and consoles, period. DD is the biggest rip off and scam in the history of technology; developers and publishers are robbing their customers blind by taking their money and essentially giving them nothing in return. Downloaded games, music or whatever cannot be traded or sold, that's because you don't really own the game and Devs know that. With physical copies you actuallyown a copy of the game and it has tangable, real value; you actually own something. Devs and publishers have gotten extremely greedy and don't even want you to have this anymore. I say Fvuck'em, I refuse to pay any money for DLC or downloaded games, period. I only hope that other people do this too and maybe these theives in the industry will respect us enough to actually give us something when we pay them.

Shenmue_Jehuty

No, no, no! The day games go all digital is the day I stop buying new games and consoles, period. DD is the biggest rip off and scam in the history of technology; developers and publishers are robbing their customers blind by taking their money and essentially giving them nothing in return. Downloaded games, music or whatever cannot be traded or sold, that's because you don't really own the game and Devs know that. With physical copies you actuallyown a copy of the game and it has tangable, real value; you actually own something. Devs and publishers have gotten extremely greedy and don't even want you to have this anymore. I say Fvuck'em, I refuse to pay any money for DLC or downloaded games, period. I only hope that other people do this too and maybe these theives in the industry will respect us enough to actually give us something when we pay them.

Shenmue_Jehuty

At least with consoles downloaded games get saved to the harddrive. you may not be able to re-sell it(Though it wouldn't be hard to take the files off the drive and sell them, though that's piracy), but there's not exactly anything they can do to take it away from you. Of course that doesn't apply to ALL DD games, since especially on the PC one generally goes through a cloud(Usually stram), so the company controls your access to the game. However at the same time, access to a game you bought a physical copy of by the same merit. A lot of games these days require you to sign onto the Devs personal network to play it, even if you buy a hard copy, and because of that they can - and HAVE taken away acess to games on a whim. the long and the short of it, yes, DD does take away the ability to(legally) re-sell your games. From a designers perspective, however, this is actually a good thing - it means that all copies of the game sold provide them with revenue. This is a good thing for the player as well - it means that the companies get more money, the benefits of which are twofold: Firstly the companies are able to stay afloat for longer and possibly have higher budgets(If you follow the industry lately, we're in poor shape. Studies are closing all over the place, and those that aren't are shrinking). It also means that, because they have a more steady source of income AND can cut out distributors, games can cost less for the consumer. which invites more people to buy, which is good for the industry. DD has it's disadvantages, but it has it's upsides as well.

This is actually an issue I encountered a lot while in school. Several of my instructors had different opinions on the issue - those that leaned towards indie games were happy for it, but triple-A designers are more wary of it, because it is, ironically, a bit less convenient, as a lot of people are reluctant or simply unable to buy digitally. It's difficult to say where the industry is going, but my personal feelings? I think you'll see smaller games relegated to DD, but big-budget titles will probably remain available for real-life purchase.

[QUOTE="Shenmue_Jehuty"]

No, no, no! The day games go all digital is the day I stop buying new games and consoles, period. DD is the biggest rip off and scam in the history of technology; developers and publishers are robbing their customers blind by taking their money and essentially giving them nothing in return. Downloaded games, music or whatever cannot be traded or sold, that's because you don't really own the game and Devs know that. With physical copies you actuallyown a copy of the game and it has tangable, real value; you actually own something. Devs and publishers have gotten extremely greedy and don't even want you to have this anymore. I say Fvuck'em, I refuse to pay any money for DLC or downloaded games, period. I only hope that other people do this too and maybe these theives in the industry will respect us enough to actually give us something when we pay them.

PannicAtack

I very rarely have had this problem with used video games; once in a blue moon I'll run across a game that is scratched or damaged beyong playability, but this is by far the exception and not the rule. This is coming from a person who buys most of their games at flea markets, thrift stores, and other places you'd expect to find a lot of abused video game copies, but most are actually in decent to excellent shape. Considering that most people buy used games from Gamestop and other video game retailers, this problem is even less common since these places try to ensure the quality of their products, both new and used.

No. I hate having to be connected to the internet to be able to play a game.

No. I hate having to be connected to the internet to be able to play a game.

sonic_spark

[QUOTE="Shenmue_Jehuty"]

No, no, no! The day games go all digital is the day I stop buying new games and consoles, period. DD is the biggest rip off and scam in the history of technology; developers and publishers are robbing their customers blind by taking their money and essentially giving them nothing in return. Downloaded games, music or whatever cannot be traded or sold, that's because you don't really own the game and Devs know that. With physical copies you actuallyown a copy of the game and it has tangable, real value; you actually own something. Devs and publishers have gotten extremely greedy and don't even want you to have this anymore. I say Fvuck'em, I refuse to pay any money for DLC or downloaded games, period. I only hope that other people do this too and maybe these theives in the industry will respect us enough to actually give us something when we pay them.

PannicAtack

At least with consoles downloaded games get saved to the harddrive. you may not be able to re-sell it(Though it wouldn't be hard to take the files off the drive and sell them, though that's piracy), but there's not exactly anything they can do to take it away from you. Of course that doesn't apply to ALL DD games, since especially on the PC one generally goes through a cloud(Usually stram), so the company controls your access to the game. However at the same time, access to a game you bought a physical copy of by the same merit. A lot of games these days require you to sign onto the Devs personal network to play it, even if you buy a hard copy, and because of that they can - and HAVE taken away acess to games on a whim. the long and the short of it, yes, DD does take away the ability to(legally) re-sell your games. From a designers perspective, however, this is actually a good thing - it means that all copies of the game sold provide them with revenue. This is a good thing for the player as well - it means that the companies get more money, the benefits of which are twofold: Firstly the companies are able to stay afloat for longer and possibly have higher budgets(If you follow the industry lately, we're in poor shape. Studies are closing all over the place, and those that aren't are shrinking). It also means that, because they have a more steady source of income AND can cut out distributors, games can cost less for the consumer. which invites more people to buy, which is good for the industry. DD has it's disadvantages, but it has it's upsides as well.

This is actually an issue I encountered a lot while in school. Several of my instructors had different opinions on the issue - those that leaned towards indie games were happy for it, but triple-A designers are more wary of it, because it is, ironically, a bit less convenient, as a lot of people are reluctant or simply unable to buy digitally. It's difficult to say where the industry is going, but my personal feelings? I think you'll see smaller games relegated to DD, but big-budget titles will probably remain available for real-life purchase.

But you do not own the game, you are given the illusion of ownership since you can play it at will. You are essentially renting the game from the publisher who has real ownership of the game the entire time it's on your harddrive or Steam Account. Try selling the game to your friend or taking your HD to Gamestop and saying "I have COD and Streets of Rage on here, how much can you give me?" They'll likely just laugh at you since your files are worthless and have no value. As the first sentence of your friend's statement says, selling your DD games would be piracy, that's because YOU DO NOT OWN THE GAME. I dare you to try and sell any of your downloaded games and get back to me when you've made any money off them lol. I just sold an extra copy of Conkers Bad Fur Day I had a few weeks ago for $50, lol do that with your STEAM games :p

Whoop-dee-doo, I can't sell games I had no intention of selling anyway. Small price to pay for not needing to keep track of discs or worry about loosing the booklet with the CD key. With DD I can have the game on any computer, anywhere I go and not worry about losing anything.PannicAtack

until your HD crashes, your account gets hacked, or your files get corrupted.

And you must see the reason why you can't sell the games you paid money for versus someone who owns a physical copy? Just like I was saying, DD is not actual ownership and you have virtually nothing to show for the money you paid. This is exactly why I'm against DD, DLC and the like; I'm not cool with handing over my money and having nothing to show for it.

until your HD crashes, your account gets hacked, or your files get corrupted.

Shenmue_Jehuty

Now, with a hard copy, if the disc gets scratched or you lose the CD key? You're completely screwed.

I prefer it actually.

music is, movies and books are getting there. games will be next.

Fvck no.

I really don't want it to happen. It seems like it will, but I will always favour a physical copy.

Like Diablo 3, the cover is absolutely lovely, the magic when I got it in my hands, reading the coloured manual while the game installed. Digital downloads aren't the same

I like collecting physical copies so no.

Nice sentiment, but I'd like to be able to play games like Thief and Planescape Torment without needing to search for a used copy and pray that it's usable.PannicAtack

Another reason I don't like DD, and I've said it before, is that I feel that personal responsibility is being stripped out of my hands for something I paid for. I'm very, very uncomfortable having hundreds, if not thousands, of my dollars sitting on a server thousands of miles away that in the end somebody else holds control over. And as much as people love to claim servers are stable and they never go down, the internet is inherently unstable, as are ISPs and things out of my control. Again, personal responsibility taken away.

When I have my games, I have them. It has nothing to do with ownership which is not at all my issue here. It's being secure in the accesibility and useability of the product at all times since it is in my own hands. DD to me is like buying a car, and some else far away holding the keys and parking it in their garage to be used when you call.

Another reason I don't like DD, and I've said it before, is that I feel that personal responsibility is being stripped out of my hands for something I paid for. I'm very, very uncomfortable having hundreds, if not thousands, of my dollars sitting on a server thousands of miles away that in the end somebody else holds control over. And as much as people love to claim servers are stable and they never go down, the internet is inherently unstable, as are ISPs and things out of my control. Again, personal responsibility taken away.

When I have my games, I have them. It has nothing to do with ownership which is not at all my issue here. It's being secure in the accesibility and useability of the product at all times since it is in my own hands. DD to me is like buying a car, and some else far away holding the keys and parking it in their garage to be used when you call.

MirkoS77

music is, movies and books are getting there. games will be next.

goblaa

Yeah slowly everything will be digital. F*cking scary.

[QUOTE="goblaa"]

music is, movies and books are getting there. games will be next.

deathtarget04

Yeah slowly everything will be digital. F*cking scary.

Not at all.

I wouldn;t mind if everything was digital. Books, games, music, movies, clothes, food, water...

atleast with gmg you can sell your games back after you play and they wont rip you off like gamestop does. not sure how long gmg will survive though because they are fairly small.

[QUOTE="PannicAtack"]Whoop-dee-doo, I can't sell games I had no intention of selling anyway. Small price to pay for not needing to keep track of discs or worry about loosing the booklet with the CD key. With DD I can have the game on any computer, anywhere I go and not worry about losing anything.Shenmue_Jehuty

until your HD crashes, your account gets hacked, or your files get corrupted.

And you must see the reason why you can't sell the games you paid money for versus someone who owns a physical copy? Just like I was saying, DD is not actual ownership and you have virtually nothing to show for the money you paid. This is exactly why I'm against DD, DLC and the like; I'm not cool with handing over my money and having nothing to show for it.

my hdd has crashed before...thank god steam and origin are online services where i can download the games i already own all over again...and i back up my important stuff to external harddrives...ive never had my steam or origin account hacked...what happens if my files get corrupted...u redownload them(try that with a dvd or bluray)

and on your second point, are you telling me i havnt owned any pc games for the past decade because they have a cd key and places like gamestop wont let me sell them back...oh wait...thats right...i paid for a license and cd key...exact same thing i get online. honestly, its been nearly impossible to sell pc games back for nearly a decade, i dont see the problem with this. if u didnt want the game enough to keep it you shouldnt have wasted your money on it. and honestly you own more with a digital copy than u do a physical copy...what happens if you game disc breaks...sol right gotta buy a new disc...what happens when my hdd crashes...i buy a new hdd...which i would have to anyway...but i still own all my games and can just download them again...for free...seems like a huge advantage to me...than and i dont have to carry 200+ discs around with me to play what ever game my friends want to at a lan party...u know...cause i can just download it really quick...or its already on my computer...again...seems like an advantage...i already carry enough stuff with my laptop(laptop, charger, cooling mat, mouse, headphones, 3 external hdds, 360 controller, mouse pad, hdmi cable, usb hub, etc etc)

im sorry but youre being closed minded on this, or maybe you havnt done much pc gaming and dont realize that all youre really paying for is a cdkey and the right to install wats on your disc(download the game) and that you cant sell that cd key to anyone after that, because...heaven forbid you /insert piracy/ and now u dont need the cdkey or the disc anymore and youre selling something completely useless...grow up its where things are going, if u dont like it dont pay for it...but dont complain about it either because its your choice

I prefer Physical copies. But I also like Digital games.

Anti DRM

Anti Digital

Always have been, always will be.