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[Dubz]

Game disks. The only reason they exist, IMO, is so that GameStop and other retailers can continue to sell hardware for MS and Sony.

Publishers don't like them because of used sales. I don't like them because I like having my entire library in one easy to access spot... On my hard drive.

The only people that really like discs are collectors and people that want to trade in old games for a discount on a new game. In my opinion, this group is small and getting smaller.

When ITunes came out, the CD pretty much died. When will this happen with game discs? I say when, because it will happen at some point.

What say you?

 

[Jawmuncher]

When everyone has access to good internet. If I had to go all digital with my connection. Jesus, I'd be doing more downloading than playing. A lot of people are still on discs for that very reason. Game Sizes are getting larger, and streaming is a half measure.

If our content was easier to stream or a smaller file size like Music and TV. We'd be far more into all digital.

 

[thekonamicode]

But you can still buy CDs.

 

[Pankratous]

The difference between CDs and Blu-Ray game discs is file size. I'd rather not download a 50GB game, and this will only get bigger next gen.

Edit: Music also typically enjoyed on the go. Games are not.

 

[Emitan]

Just because you stopped buying CDs doesn't mean others did.

 

[Firthy]

I will stop using physical game discs the moment that the price of digital costs the same as physical.

Here in the UK a new release costs around £35 physical on release whereas the same game will cost £49.99 on the PSN/XB store.

 

[thekonamicode]

The difference between CDs and Blu-Ray game discs is file size. I'd rather not download a 50GB game, and this will only get bigger next gen.

It's bad enough having to download the 10 gig day one patch.

 

[Roo]

When internet data caps no longer exist?
When internet speed is fast enough across the globe?

 

[Roxas]

When Sony et all stop charging £55+ for the digital versions of games

 

[DR2K]

When data caps stop existing, fiber internet is everywhere, and games stop being $60-$120 then discs will go away.

 

[bobawesome]

Can't say I've ever met anyone in real life who exclusively purchases games digitally. This future is probably still a ways away. I hope.

 

[oldmario]

When ITunes came out, the CD pretty much died. When will this happen with game discs? I say when, because it will happen at some point.

CDs started to decline in sales around 2008 when smartphones started happening but they're not dead, i can still walk into a store or order one online and have higher quality than some digital license

 

[NateDog]

CDs aren't dead by any means, and vinyl has made a fairly solid comeback (not huge, but there's a solid and loyal block of music consumers that seek them out). CD audio quality is still often much higher than what you can get with the majority of digital / streaming options.

 

[kitsuneyo]

CD is a great format for music. A lot better than those compressed digital downloads.

 

[Linkark07]

Talk for yourself OP. I still love getting physical console games.

 

[jesu]

Have many publishers ever spoken out against used games?

 

[disappeared]

No time soon.

 

[Nanashrew]

CD's are still made though.

Also I'll never be able to download 50GBs of data. That would take me all day when I want to play the game right now.

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

When Internet infrastructure is actually viable for a digital only crap shoot. When consumer rights laws catch up.

Just look at PT. That could theoretically happen to any game you buy whereas a physical copy keeps you secure from that.

 

[Dubz]

CDs started to decline in sales around 2008 when smartphones started happening but they're not dead, i can still walk into a store or order one online and have higher quality than some digital license

CD stores closed in droves in Los Angeles after Napter, and the ITunes came out.

 

[Cess007]

I lend and exchange games all the time; so no, i still want my discs, thank you very much.

 

[redcrayon]

Hundreds of HMV shops plus online retailers are still selling CDs here. It'll be a while yet before they disappear due to being a convenient compromise for selling a physical disc, due to low cost, light weight, small size and just enough storage to fit an album on. They've been around for 30 years already, it'll be at least another decade before they disappear.

As games get bigger and variable download speeds dependent on the part of the country you live in don't automatically improve in proportion, I imagine game discs/carts will be around for a while yet too. I expect digital to gradually increase its share of the market every year, but dropping physical copies entirely is unlikely for consoles anytime soon.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Already dead as far as I'm concerned. Haven't had any sort of optical media drive in a computer for approaching 10 years.

 

[rardk64]

Even on my decent internet, downloading full games on a PS4 suuuuucks. It just takes way too long. I can go to a store, buy a game, bring it home, pop it in, and skip right to the 2 hour initial update in the time it takes to download a digital game. Plus then I get a cool case to add to my collection (I swear, case art has only gotten better as time has gone on).

When everyone has internet that's fast enough to make digitally buying games a far faster process, then I'll be okay with a digital only setup.

 

[Ceallach]

There a few problems.

1-High speed Internet isn't everywhere
2-data caps
3-games disappearing forever once delisTed

And as games get larger, especially as 4k becomes standard those first two are only going to be exacerbated.

I like owning my games, I like being able to take them on deployment with me where I have no personal internetc access.

Solid state media seems to be the future tho not discs.

 

[Dubz]

Can we stop pretending CDs are still a thing. The majority of music consumed in 2016 will be from streaming and downloads.

 

[Raziel]

When video games become music.

 

[Wedzi]

It really depends on both Internet infrastructure and storage options. There are still many places in the United States (let alone the rest of the world) where decent internet speeds and data caps are hard to come by. Then there's content licensing issues. Music is a different animal altogether from video games. I would say we will see DVD/Blu Ray go the way of the CD before games do. And even then it will still stick around in a limited capacity like CDs still do. I really don't know when we'll fully get rid of physical media, if ever.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

But people still buy loads of CDs?

 

[t26]

When Internet infrastructure is actually viable for a digital only crap shoot. When consumer rights laws catch up.

Just look at PT. That could theoretically happen to any game you buy whereas a physical copy keeps you secure from that.

But you never buy PT. A better example would be original Xbox live stuff.

 

[Caffeine]

If your on pc they pretty much have already gone. I would say give consoles another decade. Of course discs may be replaced by carts as read speed on lasers is slow as shit.

the last time i bought a cd was last december because I wanted some physical goods with it. I still use a couple of cd's in my car even though I have an aux jack. I never got around to buying a aux cable after I lost mine lol.

 

[Tambini]

When Sony et all stop charging £55+ for the digital versions of games

Yep

Long live physical

 

[Ceallach]

But you never buy PT. A better example would be original Xbox live stuff.

OR something like the Scott Pilgrim game which available for a few years but now you have no way to get it unless you luck upon an old prepaid code, assuming those still work.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

I don't know, there are several things keeping me from going 100% digital:

1. Internet infrastructure. Download sizes are ridiculous and can be slow; also, data caps.

2. For Nintendo specifically, I have to feel better than I currently do about their online account and digital ownership system. So I still buy most of my Nintendo stuff physically.

3. Games that have license issues and can be prone to getting pulled from digital downloading/purchasing. We've seen this happen a few times in the past couple of years.

So until those things are addressed, I'm not going fully digital.

I also buy music CDs. That way, I know the music is mine as long as I have the CD, I can rip it in lossless format and not be subject to an MP3 format of the choice of the publisher -- 128 kbps music files can go die a violent, painful death in a fire.

 

[AmyS]

When Internet infrastructure is actually viable for a digital only crap shoot. When consumer rights laws catch up.

This, exactly

We're at least 10 years away (if not longer) from internet infrastructure being fast enough and widespread enough for physical game releases to go away.

 

[redcrayon]

Can we stop pretending CDs are still a thing. The majority of music consumed in 2016 will be from streaming and downloads.

A minority of a huge market is still a huge number of CDs. It isn't a binary thing where CDs just stopped existing, Amazon and HMV still sell shitloads of them even if it's a fraction of what they were selling fifteen years ago.

I still buy all my music on cd and back it up on a hard drive. What'll stop me doing so is when my next laptop no longer has a cd drive.

 

[Dr. Worm]

Sooner than you might think, I'd guess. At the very least, I could see them being replaced by cartridges of the type is Nintendo is rumored to use for the NX.

MS and Sony make a higher profit margin off digital downloads than they do physical discs, and it's expensive to put a disc drive in a console. Bitching about impermanent licenses and such is something that only exists in enthusiast communities (not unlike bitching about region-locking), so it's not as if the mass market will be picking up that torch.

 

[The Cartographer]

Can we stop pretending CDs are still a thing. The majority of music consumed in 2016 will be from streaming and downloads.

But that doesn't change that CDs are still a thing.

 

[Dubz]

A minority of a huge market is still a huge number of CDs. It isn't a binary thing where CDs just stopped existing, Amazon and HMV still sell shitloads of them even if it's a fraction of what they were selling fifteen years ago.

Ok well this is what I mean with digital downloads. When will try dwarf physical sales in your opinion?

 

[Gamezone]

So because you don't like flexibility and value, we should get rid of them? They are the only reason many of us still stick with consoles. Publishers may not like them, but without them, they will sell less copies. Nobody is forcing publishers to release a physical copy of their games, so how can you say thst they don't like them?

 

[MMaRsu]

But why would you want to see physical discs go?

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Over 70% of game sales is still physical. Most people prefer physical. Deal with it OP.

 

[Recall]

My internet sucks.

There is only one company to choose from in the area.

Discs for life!

Fake edit- Disc prices drop, digital titles are too high.

 

[Fallout-NL]

But I still buy CDs.

 

[Linkstrikesback]

When the price of a game at launch gets close to that of a song, we can talk.

 

[Vic_Viper]

I see these kinds of post all the time and wonder if the op has considered what people would do that have data caps still. There are many people, myself included that have data caps on our downloads that limit us to a certain amount each month. Games like Gear of War 4 on PC is at around 60 gigs which is a pretty large chunk in that cap.

If disks go away completely I'll be buying a hell of a lot less games until the ISPs upgrade their outdated bs. The worst part of my current isp is they will throttle my connection speed after a large download for a awhile and it causes issues for the rest of the family.

 

[bigjig]

The iTunes comparison is dumb. Downloading a song is 5-10 MB, downloading a game + patches can 50-100 GB. Notice the difference. Also digital music doesn't cost more than CDs, unlike games (on console at least).

 

[goldenpp72]

People like you annoy me to no end. You can already go fully digital yet complain others aren't forced to, very cool.

 

[Caffeine]

physical is only a container for the digital good. even digital items are being stored on the hard drive which is a larger physical container. I think having options for consumers is always best.

 

[s_mirage]

CD stores closed in droves in Los Angeles after Napter, and the ITunes came out.

If the US market is anything like the UK's, this wasn't necessarily due to a crash in CD popularity, but more to do with just how hard it is to make any money from physical sales. Unless things have radically changed, wholesale CD prices vs retail are too high, and the margins are therefore tiny unless you are huge and can get a bulk deal, or mark up and price yourself out of the market. The combination of online retailers, with high volume and less overheads, and supermarkets, which could sell CDs as loss leaders, had been killing independent music stores for years. The emergence of digital distribution only put the nail in the coffin of a retail sector that was going to die anyway.