I bought my first non physical copy of a game

I just bought days gone on the psn. game is great fun but a lot of popups goes on again can't wait for ssd in next gen systems for that reason alone. but man is it fun to play.

I don't like not having the disc because im afraid to delete the game now because Im afraid in five years if it's not on the psn i will never get my game back.

How do you guys do it lol? see I like the idea of gamepass and hope sony follows suit but only for last gen games that i never got to play or can't find the game on the market. see I don't have any last gen games anymore because i lost everything in a house fire. even my original turbographixs 16. so i want a gamepass on my ps5 for last gen games. I want a gamepass that has old non sony console games like turbo or genesis games. i know i won't see snes games. aswell as ps1-ps4 games.

i see some people on here say i have gamepass i don't need to buy games anymore.

for those people don't do it. you will regret it if that game you love is dropped from the gamepass and feel you been paying to borrow games and never have them for future memory lane.

do other guys on here felt the same way buying on the psn or other services? does this feeling pass after you purchase a few games off the internet? because i feel like paying another 20 to buy it when i find a disc.

Game pass is full of mediocrity, handful of games I have already played. But is a sub service for you, full of crap.

Yeah I very much prefer to get my games on a physical format whenever possible. I really don’t particularly care for having to rely on other sources all that much. I’d rather just have the game on hand to install and play at my leisure plus I also just enjoy having a physical collection of games.

I also got Days Gone off PSN during the Spring Sale, and I am enjoying the game and wish I had a physical copy.

I've also bought a digital copy of Outerworlds, and I want a physical copy of that too.

But I'm trying to save money and the digital deals are hard to pass up......I may get physical copies of both once they hit the $5-$10 bargain bin

I have not bought physical games for about 16 years now...more or less since Half-Life 2 and Steam came around.

How do I do it? Well, there are a lot of advantages:

• Cheaper games. There are sales all the time, and things seem to get marked down in price faster.
• More available games. You don't need to rely on a store to stock what's popular only and not the other stuff. Everything is available.
• Access to independent games, small-studio games, would-be rare games (like from European developers), and so on.
• Early-Access titles. It's fun to be part of the development of a game you care about, plus you can generally get it for cheap before it hits 1.0 and goes full price.
• I can play them anywhere I can install my account.
• If you're an enthusiast and you buy dozens of games per year, you don't need to find storage space to place your physical games. I would probably need multiple bookshelves on multiple walls to both store my games and keep them accessible.
• Little to no risk of losing my games. Yes, companies go out of business all the time, but let's look at the companies for a second:
  • Valve, EA, Microsoft, Sony, and even CD Projekt (who owns Good Ol Games) are worth billions of dollars. They are too big too fail; companies like this don't just disappear, they simply trade ownership. Your digital games are going nowhere.
  • If on the super tiny small chance a company did decide to close up shop, there would be a massive class action lawsuit. Hundreds of millions of people spending billions of dollars per year use these services; there would be hell to pay if anything happened.
• As a non-physical item, they don't suffer wear and tear, they don't go bad; they are yours to keep forever, essentially. You can even pass your account down to your grandkids if you are so inclined. In fact I wrote in my will that my Steam, GoG, EA, and Uplay accounts go to my nephew.

The only advantage to physical, that I can see at least, is that you can sell your used copy back to a retailer. But this is actually bad for the industry and consumer as well as this Forbes article argues.

There is a lot of crap, but there is a lot of good, too, if you care to see it. I'm on PC so it might be different but so far I have enjoyed:

• State of Decay 2
• Halo: MCC
• Phoenix Point
• Sea Salt
• Ori and the Blind Forest
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps
• Astroneer
• Gears of War series
• Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
• Everspace
• Recore
• Moonlighter
• The Outer Worlds
• Ruiner
• Deliver Us to the Moon
• Alien Isolation
• Wasteland 2
• The Surge 2
• A Plague Tale
• Frostpunk
• Stellaris
• Age of Wonders: Planetfall
• FTL
• Pillars of Eternity

I'm just going to stop there. I mean Game Pass is full of everything, from excellent games to mediocre ones to crap to AAA to indie. It's great.

I'm going more and more digital. Less shit around and it's a lot more convenient.

LODs, aka pop-up, has more to do with the power of the GPU than the speed of an HDD/SSD

Thanks Microsoft!

good post right here. I also said I lost everything in a fire and going digital will would save me. i'm just scared losing the game in the future if the store goes down. i mean the chances of that is small. but you had good points in that list.

I prefer digital on my xbox, makes game installs easier, not having to physically swap discs is nice, nor finding physical space to store them (nice if you buy lots of games). Also good to not need to go to midnight launch, can pre-install, get reward rebates, here on west coast too it's nice when games playable at 9pm. Not being able to download digital purchases has not really been issue except for couple brief instances, most lately with classic Doom re-releases briefly created download issues for XBLA versions (since been resolved), and back when Wolfenstein 3D from XBLA went BC there was rights mapping issue for people who bought original Activision published one and not later Bethesda re-listing (also fixed). Actually, one title does come to mind, Telltale Guardians of the Galaxy, that disappeared even for rights owner, not sure what is up with that; suspect studio issues may have been a factor. More than anything licensing has been more of an issue of being able to buy games digitally, like Deadly Premonition or Marvel Ultimate Alliance, games could no longer be sold digitally but downloads and functionality still fine, and BC will work if you have disc. Maybe though the only real issue that's been a pain is less a media choice issue, but when studios/publisher shut off servers for online play, that to me is a more common realization about the limitations of being able to play something down the line.

Anyhow, with MS and Sony gearing up for fight, I hope each is prepared to treat BC and rights retention as a factor neither wishes to give the other an edge on. If both come at this strong, they might help raise standards on digital ownership.

Dude get a girlfriend 🙄

Ps. Just get yourself a high capacity external HD of 10TB or something. Problem solved.

Also felt like touching up on digital pricing. Digital pricing for many years lagged behind physical media, but in recent years that difference has gotten much better. Maybe the share of consumer digital purchases slowly growing is factor. I also think larger consumer/user-base and market saturation is helping drive prices down, it'll be very interesting during next gen transition with full BC and somewhat shared ecosystem and library if market saturation will carrying over will help keep next gen game pricing competitive from very early on.

Pop ins are not related to the hard drive. SSDs would not solve this. Pop in are due to aggressive graphics optimizations.

Don't need to read any of the posts to tell you how this thread will end up. The majority of console fans will say they prefer physical and all the PC fans will downplay the relevance and tout the extreme brilliance of digital.

Who is right? I don't really give a shit.. lol

On that note, I'll stick with physical whenever/wherever possible, and that includes PC.

if you own your own house then game collecting isnt a problem because you can have a bedroom/basement/garage dedicated to your games collection setup.

but i live in a one bedroom apartment so space is a luxury i dont have to be collecting anything.

therefore i buy all my games, comics and movies digital

I have 300+ digital games on Steam, with an account of 10 years or so, and i'm golden. Plus, I have a 1 bedroom condo, so physical only goes to console, and I don't buy that many console games (exclusives.)

*laughs in 15 years on Steam*

Although, ironically, my first Steam game, Half Life 2, was purchased as a physical Collector's Edition (and I still have the t-shirt).

I still prefer physical games on console as for PC I don't have a choice but to go digital but that's ok I guess I been using Steam since 2007. Although there has been some physical PC games I have picked up since then GTAV was the last one.

Welcome to the future... ...16 years ago.

Lol physical. Y’all talking about instant load times next gen. What about when you have to get up and literally swap game discs out in order to play a different game? I would quit gaming if I still had to do that. What is this, 2007?

Maybe where you live, but not here in Australia, on average physical is $20 cheaper over its digital counterpart, there are on rare occasion where the games are the same price or say $5-$10 difference, but that's on budget titles.

For there is no excuse as to why a digital copy should be the same price as physical it should ALWAYS be cheaper considering there's no cost for packaging, courier costs, etc.

I know imaging having to get up and leave the house to go to work, i'd quit if a had to do that, imagine having to take the kids to school and pick them up, i'd take my kids out of school if I had to do that, imaging having to go to the store to buy groceries, i'd quit eating if I had to do that. Sounds stupid right, welcome to golden's world.

I haven't bought a physical game in years...

My view on digital games is: only if they are dirty cheap . That way i dont care if I cant access them in the future.

@goldenelementxl: Are You that fucking lazy or out of shape that getting up to change a game disc that you'd quit gaming over it. Dear god, stop biying digital and use that money for a gym membership.

Full gen and i haven't purchased a single digital copy on consoles. I don't get the digital praise either.

Well, physical still has price advantage most times but digital has become more flexible. Sales are bigger and happen with increased frequency.

Physical is cheaper most often because publishers pay advanced royalties on copies printed to sell, hence more reason to sell lingering inventory, and also to avoid paying partial refunds on remaining inventory when there's price drops or retailers just wanna get rid of them. But I agree, digital should be cheaper.

I know we can buy download codes from GameStop, curious if they' price match with physical copies.

@vfighter: “Are You that fucking lazy or out of shape that getting up to change a game disc that you'd quit gaming over it. Dear god, stop biying digital and use that money for a gym membership.”

Nah, I’m good. I actually have a home gym and hit it pretty hard.

Think about it though. What will be the point of instant resume and the super fast load times for games next gen when it will take 30-45 seconds to change the disc? The physical copy gamer will be the bottleneck next gen.

“Hey let’s switch to GTA 6 online.”

“OK, I’m in the game. Where’s Timmy?”

“I think he has it physically. We gotta wait for him to change his disc”

“Oh ffs”

You’re gonna be that guy

@goldenelementxl: Oh no, my friends will have to wait a full 30 seconds, oh my!!! Luckly all my friends buy physical so its all good.

When was the last "physical" game that you could actually install and play without a server? Yes, once they are set up you can go without a server (with various caveats depending on the company) - but take your ps4 offline, pop in a new disc, and try to install+play it.

It's a serious question - i haven't tested this thoroughly. I've run into it by accident with a couple of games (I think DA:I and FO4? Can't remember - we had extebded internet problem at one point around xmas), and the disc is really just step 1 in distributing a digital game to you. That is, many of your physical games have online DRM and patches that may render them bricks without the server anyway, just like a downloadable game

I prefer physical discs for my console games but purchasing digital games lately off PSN as physical delivery is practically impossible for COV 19 lockdown where i live.

@xantufrog: I'm fairly certain most would play without internet, you just wouldn't have the day one patches and such. I dont know of any games on the ps4/Xone that wouldnt play from the disc day one (unless its an online only game like say Destiny).

When did you stop buying buggy whips? lol :P

dam you beat me to it. swap a game omg my fat ass has to move lol.

yeah this is the reason why i had to do it this time around.

@SecretPolice said:

When did you stop buying buggy whips? lol :P

that looks like fun until you face plant into the pavement lol.

@gifford38 said:

@SecretPolice said:

When did you stop buying buggy whips? lol :P

that looks like fun until you face plant into the pavement lol.

Yeah, I thought that looked hella fun as well. :)

Also, in reference to your other posts about being too lazy to change disks. What comes to mind is early last gen and the absolute hot non stop manure lems took from cows about Lost odyssey, being on 3 or 4 disks, can't recall exactly the number of disks but my oh my what a stink cows made about lems needing to change disks. The Horror getting up to do that was just too much. lol :P

@gifford38: @vfighter: Jokes aside, y’all do understand your physical disc is just DRM, right?

@SecretPolice said:

@gifford38 said:

@SecretPolice said:

When did you stop buying buggy whips? lol :P

that looks like fun until you face plant into the pavement lol.

Yeah, I thought that looked hella fun as well. :)

Also, in reference to your other posts about being too lazy to change disks. What comes to mind is early last gen and the absolute hot non stop manure lems took from cows about Lost odyssey, being on 3 or 4 disks, can't recall exactly the number of disks but my oh my what a stink cows made about lems needing to change disks. The Horror getting up to do that was just too much. lol :P

yeah i was not one of those people. but i am glad sony went blu-ray on ps 3 because it made this gen much cheaper to have in the ps 4 and xbox one. if ps 3 didn't have it the price on these systems at launch would have been much more expensive. so i give credit to sony there because we would be still swapping 4 to 5 disc lol.

Heh. I wouldn't worry about not being able to redownload it just yet. Maybe give it another 10 years and then worry.

Personally I don't mess with physical media. What a pain.

@gifford38 said:

@SecretPolice said:

@gifford38 said:

@SecretPolice said:

When did you stop buying buggy whips? lol :P

that looks like fun until you face plant into the pavement lol.

Yeah, I thought that looked hella fun as well. :)

Also, in reference to your other posts about being too lazy to change disks. What comes to mind is early last gen and the absolute hot non stop manure lems took from cows about Lost odyssey, being on 3 or 4 disks, can't recall exactly the number of disks but my oh my what a stink cows made about lems needing to change disks. The Horror getting up to do that was just too much. lol :P

yeah i was not one of those people. but i am glad sony went blu-ray on ps 3 because it made this gen much cheaper to have in the ps 4 and xbox one. if ps 3 didn't have it the price on these systems at launch would have been much more expensive. so i give credit to sony there because we would be still swapping 4 to 5 disc lol.

"bolded" Never...ever... Evah!!! Bite yo tongue mangy.

I kid. lolol

Anyway, larger cap disks were coming whether Sony's Br or the way mooaar awesome HD-DVD that should have won the format wars. :P

yeah i now im just one of those people that when i buy something i like to see something in my hands. i feel more satisfied having the case and disc. but i do wish that i can go to the ps store and download the full game and still have the disc. like sony would make it if the game is in the system the store picks it up letting you download the game without spending money on the game twice.

same thing for ps5. if my ps4 game is in the ps 5 system it will let me download the ps 5 version of the game.

@SecretPolice said:

@gifford38 said:

@SecretPolice said:

@gifford38 said:

@SecretPolice said:

When did you stop buying buggy whips? lol :P

that looks like fun until you face plant into the pavement lol.

Yeah, I thought that looked hella fun as well. :)

Also, in reference to your other posts about being too lazy to change disks. What comes to mind is early last gen and the absolute hot non stop manure lems took from cows about Lost odyssey, being on 3 or 4 disks, can't recall exactly the number of disks but my oh my what a stink cows made about lems needing to change disks. The Horror getting up to do that was just too much. lol :P

yeah i was not one of those people. but i am glad sony went blu-ray on ps 3 because it made this gen much cheaper to have in the ps 4 and xbox one. if ps 3 didn't have it the price on these systems at launch would have been much more expensive. so i give credit to sony there because we would be still swapping 4 to 5 disc lol.

"bolded" Never...ever... Evah!!! Bite yo tongue mangy.

I kid. lolol

Anyway, larger cap disks were coming whether Sony's Br or the way mooaar awesome HD-DVD that should have won the format wars. :P

no way hd-dvd did not have the protective coating like blu-rays do. my blu-ray discs has never got a scratch on it ever.

@gifford38:

I was mostly just razzing up SW as usual. lol :P

@vfighter: DA:I definitely won't - I can't remember the other one I ran into this with