XBOX Live : Direct Download Games - WHY?

OK, i wanted to hear from some of you on WHY you would actually purchase these games online through XBLA?! it just does not make sense. here are my points of argument.

NEGATIVES ::::::

1.You get NO form of physical property, including Discs, manuals, case, etc. This means that you can only play it on your XBOX with YOUR gamertag unless you go to a friends house or another XBOX and then recover your gamertag and THEN download it... AGAIN. Plus you cannot RESELL or TRADE this game which is pretty much retarded.

2. The Prices are REDICULOUS. I have yet to see a really good price for a game that is on demand on XBLA, with few exceptions that have went on sale recently that are still pushing it for a DOWNLOADABLE game. Usually, the games online are priced anywhere from 10 - 15$ higher than you can get them online or at gamestop. factoring in that you actually dont own any physical property, this is a RIPOFF.

POSTIIVES:::::

1. yes, you can actually download any games you have purchased on any xbox, as long as you sign in with your gamer tag assuming you have internet access, which is super badass, and really cool if you ask me. But why would you do that when in most instances or locations you can just go to a store, or bring your games with you and get the game for cheaper and actually have a physical copy?

2. Yes, it is insanely cool to have all of your games loaded on your HDD. This is one of the main advantages of downloading a game. you do not have to swap discs, and all of your purchased content can just launch from your Hard Drive. This is one of the advantages that kindof pisses me off because if I buy the game and install it from disc, I should be able to keep it on my drive, run it without putting the disc in. maybe they can fix this in the future.

Well, there are my thoughts.....Please leave some feedback! maybe there are some key points I missed, or some thoughts you would like to share. thanks, stay tuned.

well when i bought mass effect 1 it was a decent deal and it runs really quietly...so i dont see the downside?

I ended up buying Crackdown 2 from the XBL on demand store, just to get the "feel" of the whole experience. you think they would make the games much cheaper since they dont have to ship the game, package it, print manuals and discs, yet they STILL jew you out of some money. But yeah, I will never buy a game online again, unless its a have to type situation. however, it is always good to know that you can just log on and buy a game. that is some great convenience. and they are getting better about putting up some decently "new" titles, and it seems like the hottest ones are getting up there as well.

plus with digital you know you wont even be able to play them again once you get a new system. Its like throwing away all your games.kit352

Not true at all. Each game you purchase digitally is linked to your console AND your gamertag. If you buy a new console, you can transfer the console rights over to the new console. At that point anyone will be able to play the digital games on that new console. You can do that transfer once a year.

However I do agree that the prices suck, but I use the loophole in the system. My wife games also and has a 360, so if we both really want a game and it is available for download, I transfer her account to my Xbox and download the game with her account. Then MY console has the rights to the game, as does her Gamertag, so then she gets back on her 360 and downloads the same game.

Still locked to one console at a time, yet it is cool to have the ability to use other's accounts to download stuffthat could get annoying recovering back and forth. but i have heard of friends using each other's accounts to do this.

Still locked to one console at a time, yet it is cool to have the ability to use other's accounts to download stuffthat could get annoying recovering back and forth. but i have heard of friends using each other's accounts to do this.

om3g4_prim3

The game is locked to the gamertag that bought it AND to the console that it was purchased on.

For instance, my wife plays Torchlight on her 360 while I play it on mine.

I go with digital downloads at times because it's convenient. It may be for a game that I can't find a good physical copy of. I wouldn't buy used because I want to support the developer. They are new. No need to worry about scratches or any of the riff raff that may have had their grubby hands on the disc, manual or case.

I see no physical media a plus. Not having to get off of the couch to put in a disk or change a disk is great. And the instant gratification you get when you buy a game and get it right away is awesome.

Well if you pay attention the prices are starting to become more resonable. Such as Lost Plant 2 is $19.99. That is competitive to purchasing a retail copy of the game. Generally it seems the prices for most game $10 to high.

The whole system is an impulse buy. Why wait for the mail or have to go to a store when you can be playing now?

I myself prefer to own the games so my friends can play them as well, and thus in turn they buy games i do not have so we can swap.

[QUOTE="kit352"]plus with digital you know you wont even be able to play them again once you get a new system. Its like throwing away all your games.chasingmaynard

Not true at all. Each game you purchase digitally is linked to your console AND your gamertag. If you buy a new console, you can transfer the console rights over to the new console. At that point anyone will be able to play the digital games on that new console. You can do that transfer once a year.

However I do agree that the prices suck, but I use the loophole in the system. My wife games also and has a 360, so if we both really want a game and it is available for download, I transfer her account to my Xbox and download the game with her account. Then MY console has the rights to the game, as does her Gamertag, so then she gets back on her 360 and downloads the same game.

[QUOTE="chasingmaynard"]

[QUOTE="kit352"]plus with digital you know you wont even be able to play them again once you get a new system. Its like throwing away all your games.kit352

Not true at all. Each game you purchase digitally is linked to your console AND your gamertag. If you buy a new console, you can transfer the console rights over to the new console. At that point anyone will be able to play the digital games on that new console. You can do that transfer once a year.

However I do agree that the prices suck, but I use the loophole in the system. My wife games also and has a 360, so if we both really want a game and it is available for download, I transfer her account to my Xbox and download the game with her account. Then MY console has the rights to the game, as does her Gamertag, so then she gets back on her 360 and downloads the same game.

Hmmm...I never really thought about that... but your gamertag is for Xbox Live, not Xbox 360. Our GT's carried over to the current gen system, so I'm sure they will carry over to the next.

And there is definitely a possibility that we will be able to transfer our purchase rights to the next gen console, being that we can currently transfer the rights from one console to another. It all depends on how Microsoft setup the user agreements. (kind of like Rock Band songs being able to be used on future installments of Rock Band)

Not a guarantee, obviously, but a possibility. And a hope, from my end, lol. My son is 4, and I hope to be able to have him play Torchlight or LIMBO or Hydro Hurricane when he is old enough for the controls/content.

If you mean Games On Demand, I agree. I prefer having a physical copy of the game. But XBLA games are awesome, and they can only be downloaded, so I have no choice.

If its a fairly old game, at a reasonable price, I dont see why not. Because its not like you're ever going to get to sell the game for much money in the future.

I prefer to have a physical copy, but that isn't always easy or convenient.

I don't live somewhere where I can walk down to the corner store and purchase a video game. So I purchase most of my games online or while I am traveling. But the problem with purchasing them online is that shipping prices can become very pricey. It is often cheaper to purchase it off the XBLA, not to mention I don't have to wait a week to get it.

The problem with downloading, for me, though, is that my internet connection isn't all that speedy, not to mention I'd like to be able to share and trade with friends when I am done. But both have pros and cons.

im talking when next gen comes out. unless you can carry over your gt i doubt youl be able to ever play those games again unless you keep the old console.kit352

To be fair, you don't know if you will be able to play your disc based Xbox 360 games on the next gen console either...

If you mean Games On Demand, I agree. I prefer having a physical copy of the game. But XBLA games are awesome, and they can only be downloaded, so I have no choice.

valttu

exactly what I was going to say. I'm all about saving money, so paying full price for a game on "games on demand" is just not going to happen. M$ should discount the full games not just the XBLA games. but no, they want $60 for new games, and they are never on sale, just the standard price drops for older games...... no incentive.