Konnichi wa, minna-san!

Before I get started, a quick update. Since I'm already short on money going into the school year, and I NEED those two Pokemon 3DS XLs, I've cancelled most of my pre-ordered games which included: Sonic Lost World, The Wonderful 101, Rome II: Total War, and Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl. The only ones I kept were Rune Factory 4, since I've been impatiently waiting for that game for almost a year now, and Pokemon X and Y. I will only pick up those games until maybe December when I go Christmas shopping for myself and my family. Then I'll decide what games I really want and what I can afford.

So, while I was returning home from my store, I thought about how Nintendo is releasing the Zelda Wii U console alongside Wind Waker HD. While I would love to have the console too, I have a rule of only buying one of each console. I can't justify buying two of the same home console. Handhelds are fine and I've always had multiples of each handheld. I was a lonely person when it came to Pokemon, so I would always buy both versions and then battle and trade with myself using two of the same systems (two GBAs, two DS's etc.). Yeah I know. I'm pathetic. But back to my original point. In only two weeks' time, Nintendo will release the Zelda Wii U console. It has everything the current Deluxe consoles have just with Wind Waker replacing Nintendo Land. Nintendo is also dropping the price of the Wii U Deluxe down to $299.99 and completely phasing out the Basic model. I don't know if stores will continue to sell the Basic model or if they will be sent back to Nintendo. Anyway, the copy of wind Waker HD that comes with the console is a digital download. While normally I would not be all right with this, this version comes out two weeks before the physical version does (the physical version comes out on October 4). So that got me thinking: If a game that I really wanted came out early in digital form, would I buy it digitally? I'm conflicted about it.

I've always bought games physically unless I couldn't get them any other way. I only buy digital games if there is no physical form of it. I enjoy having an actual physical collection that I can show off to people. It's not as much fun to show off your digital game collection to other people. Not to mention, I feel safer having the game in physical form. I take really good care of my games now (thankfully GameCube games are tough as nails, otherwise they probably wouldn't play anymore; they're so scratched up :P ) so I'm not worried about something happening to it. All of my friends take care of their stuff too, so I'm not worried about lending my games to them. That's another thing: sharing games isn't possible digitally. Unless my friend lends their account to me, there's no way to share games digitally. In addition, I work at EB Games (GameStop in the US). So in order to help out my store, and to get my discount, I always buy physical games. While I'm on the topic of EB Games/GameStop, trading in games is also impossible digitally. Microsoft was going to introduce some roundabout way of doing it with Xbox One games but that's not happening anymore. While I know I don't get a whole lot for trading in games, it's far better than nothing.

Then on the other hand, there's digital games. Some games can only be found in digital form. I can understand why though. Indie developers, smaller companies, or games that bigger publishers think won't do all that well, release their games digitally. It's way cheaper to publish a game digitally than sell it physically. You don't have to worry about packaging, shipping, and paying people like me, to sell the game. It's how Steam does so well. But then there's other game companies who are still getting used to selling games digitally. I look online for games sometimes on PSN or the Nintendo eShop, just to see what's available and oftentimes I see digital games priced the same as physical games. Why would I pay the same price for a game that I don't physically own? There's also the games that come in limited editions. Take Shin Megami Tensei IV for example. For $49.99, you get an artbook, strategy guide, soundtrack, and of course the physical game. I look on the eShop and its priced at $49.99. Why? I'd much rather pick up the game physically!

If companies are going to convince console gamers to buy their games digitally over physical, they need to do something special with the digital release. I am liking Nintendo's mindset right now when it comes to digital over physical. With Super Luigi U, you had the option of buying the game digitally at $19.99, and you got to play it a month before the physical game came out. If you waited for the physical release, you needed to pay $29.99 for the game. Wind Waker HD's digital release will be out two weeks before the physical release. The hardcore fans will likely pick up the game early. If they released Pokemon X/Y two weeks early, would I grab them early? Most likely, yes. I mean, just one of them. 100% yes if they released the next Super Smash Bros. early. There's also the price. Since the game is being released digitally, it will cost far less to produce. So major companies should price their games at least $15 cheaper than the regular retail price. If I was saving that much money on digital games, I may change my tune. But as it stands right now, some companies are only releasing games $5 cheaper than physical so I'm always going to choose physical.

Remember that list of games I posted a couple of months ago? Remember how I said I was going to pick up all of them? Yeah... that's not happening anymore. Nintendo just threw a monkey wrench in my plans with those 3DS XLs. I suppose I should have been careful what I wished for. I wanted them to bring over those Pokemon 3DS's that they had released in Japan. Well, I got my wish, but now it's going to cost me $450 I was planning on spending on those other games. Now I kind of wish they kept the 3DS's confined to Japan. Because I wouldn't be so tempted to buy them. *sigh*

Mata ato de!