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[FarFromAnyGame]

I've been buying my games physically for years to build up a collection but since last year, I went all digital and now I can't go back to physical discs.

Digital gaming is so convenient! Just quit a game and start another one, I don't have to get up and switch discs every time. Traveling? I don't have to pack a stack of discs that take a lot of space.

Especially for games like Overwatch, R6 Siege, GTAV, and many other "quick play" games it's annoying to have the physical copy.

On the other hand, physical copies are much cheaper with Amazon Prime and BestBuy's GCU but I don't know, is paying that extra %20 for digital games is worth it for the convenience I get?

I don't trade-in games or buy used games so that's not an issue for me.

The solution I've found is to get digital games on day one and after a year or so whenever the physical copy gets cheap I buy it for collecting purposes, but I don't know if that's the most efficient solution.

TL;DR: I like collecting physical copies and they're cheaper but digital is much more convenient.

 

[t26]

All the games you listed will be $20 at some point so just buy physical version later.

 

[JBwB]

All the games you listed will be $20 at some point so just buy physical version later.

This.

 

[theaffection]

I find digital distribution is disgusting for all forms of entertainment incl video games. Go out to the store and buy the games yourself like the old days! 😡😡😡


Thankfully I dont see it taking over and killing physicals in our lifetime like some will have you believe, if music vinyls are still going strong for example

 

[FarFromAnyGame]

All the games you listed will be $20 at some point so just buy physical version later.

That's the solution I'm going with but it just means that I'll be paying even more.

 

[OfTheOverflow]

I know what you mean, I've Siege on disc but tempted to just grab it digitally when it's particularly cheap so I don't have to swap out the discs every day.

 

[Lgndryhr]

I still buy physical and don't see any convience to digital. I'd rather save the cash on a physical then pay the extra 20% for digital. I also don't mind getting up to change a disc. I see it being lazy if that's a chore for someone unless you have a physical disability. Digital should be cheaper too. Also, I like the ability to always have a disc so I can still play if a service ever goes down or lose ability to download.

I refuse to buy a game digital unless it is only way or it's free via PS+ or XBL.

 

[JJH]

What's up with all the recent digital vs physical threads lately? If you want convenience and don't like clutter/minimalist go digital, if you don't care then go physical.

 

[t26]

That's the solution I'm going with but it just means that I'll be paying even more.

You are paying more but you get the best of both world.

 

[Mega]

I was all in with digital last gen but dialing it back with the Switch. The carts and packaging are worth it.

Also I find the unlimited and instant game swapping nature of digital to be a distraction sometimes. Having that one game in the system or with you on the go sort of makes you commit more to finishing it rather than jumping around between dozens of digital titles.

 

[Maintenance]

I have to agree, digital is so much more convenient. Sometimes I give up playing some games because I stored them somewhere else and the disc is far away.

Funny that just recently I started collecting physical games that I always wanted, mostly older games that don't need patches and etc. That's another reason that makes me go "eh" with current gen physical games, you can't just plug and play anymore.

 

[darkazcura]

Wanted to go mostly digital with the Switch but GCU makes it too difficult..especially when combined with that Visa Checkout deal that pops up randomly.

I'm still going to try to go digital for a bunch of multiplayer games, though.

 

[Jawmuncher]

At this point I go by whatever is cheaper. Sure Overwatch digital would be nice, but in my case of 10 bucks physical vs 60 digital the choice was clear. I'll deal with a minor inconvenience to save some money. On that same hand I won't ignore a really good digital deal.

 

[iRAWRasaurus]

I still rather buy physical games cause it's cheaper.

 

[Phil Fish]

I have to agree, digital is so much more convenient. Sometimes I give up playing some games because I stored them somewhere else and the disc is far away.

Funny that just recently I started collecting physical games that I always wanted, mostly older games that don't need patches and etc. That's another reason that makes me go "eh" with current gen physical games, you can't just plug and play anymore.

One of those most aggrivating things is to pop a disc inside and see a fucking 10 gig patch.

 

[Alucrid]

buy physical, sell when i'm done, maybe pick up the game digitally once it hits ~10 on psn

 

[kunonabi]

I go with digital convenience for consoles u don't care about and physical for the ones I really love. I'll probably be all digital on the switch since it just makes more sense if it ever gets a decent handheld friendly revision. The death of instruction manuals has also taken the bloom off the rose in all honesty.

 

[DVCY201]

Last time I bought digital, they announced the Nonary Pack...never again

 

[gigantor21]

All the games you listed will be $20 at some point so just buy physical version later.

Indeed. I have digital and physical copies of several PS4 games as a result.

 

[Man God]

I've rebought stuff digitially for convenience and bought physical games I already had because I found the special edition for cheap or wanted to lend it out or whatever. I usually go digital over physical but some goodies are awfully tempting. I've downsized my stuff tremendously though, one bookcase of old games.

 

[kenta]

What I worry about is the convenience of digital on the part of publishers, meaning, I worry that they will print fewer and fewer physical copies and not worry about how rare/expensive they're making their games because hey if someone wants to buy this game we made 2 years ago they can get it digitally.

Gravity Rush Remastered is a recent example, there's clearly a demand for it since the sequel is being highly received and I don't understand why they wouldn't print more, but they're apparently just... not. Yakuza 0 feels like it might also go down that path which is a bummer. So that's my frivolous struggle

 

[MCD250]

It's nice. I like having all my games installed on my HDD and ready to go, and being able to buy/install games remotely is neat. I went all digital a few years ago, towards the end of the PS3 era, and haven't had any real regrets. I imagine if I used my Vita for Remote Play I'd appreciate digital even more.

 

[nubbe]

I only buy multiplayer focused games digitally on consoles
Since they will be worthless when the online service on consoles shutdown after 10 years or so

EA games even sooner

 

[YearoftheWooster]

I went mostly digital and some physical on the 3DS and Wii U out of convenience and thinking that I'd be taking my systems on the go (moreso for 3DS, less so for Wii U but it's handy to bring Smash to a friend's without fear of squishing the disc). After the 3DS hacking scene matured and I was able to take my cartridges and install them digitally onto the system, I totally regret buying digital over physical for many of my purchases.

The convenience is great, but feelings of regret from not getting physical, and feelings of having your mind and backlog spread too thin is bad (I tend to shelf or lose interest in a game once it's not in the cart/disc slot).

I'm going all physical for the Switch except for eShop only titles.

 

[perorist]

All the games you listed will be $20 at some point so just buy physical version later.

This is what I do most of the time now. For the big games that will likely get a budget/GOTY version I'll just buy digitally first and grab the "complete" version later when it can be picked up for cheap.

I still go physical from the get go for the more niche games though.

 

[disappeared]

The transition to digital is getting way easier for me now that I've got a gaming-able laptop. Like I've been waiting forever for the xb1 to get Deadly Premonition because my disc is just sitting there waiting. But I check Steam today and it's on sale for $2.50! Don't need the dusty old 360 disc anymore!

 

[Spauldingxx]

I buy digital Xbox and PS4 games for convenience. I buy Nintendo games physical because they typically hold there value more and don't require ridiculous patches to play.

 

[KiraXD]

Its super inconvenient for me... I see awesome digital sales so i buy it... But then i have to go out and find an empty game box for my shelf and convince gamestop to give it to me.

 

[McCHitman]

I still buy physical and don't see any convience to digital. I'd rather save the cash on a physical then pay the extra 20% for digital. I also don't mind getting up to change a disc. I see it being lazy if that's a chore for someone unless you have a physical disability. Digital should be cheaper too. Also, I like the ability to always have a disc so I can still play if a service ever goes down or lose ability to download.

I refuse to buy a game digital unless it is only way or it's free via PS+ or XBL.

MY MAN!

 

[FarFromAnyGame]

Its super inconvenient for me... I see awesome digital sales so i buy it... But then i have to go out and find an empty game box for my shelf and convince gamestop to give it to me.

I wish they sold digital codes in game boxes. That would be perfect!

 

[MrBS]

Day one patches are doing a great job of making me want to go 100% digital regardless. The days of plug and play are over.

 

[Lupin the Third]

What's up with all the recent digital vs physical threads lately? If you want convenience and don't like clutter/minimalist go digital, if you don't care then go physical.

If only every game gave us a physical option (see: the last few Ace Attorney titles in NA)

 

[Fisty]

I like to think that the "physical or die" people have their life savings in cash under their mattress. Or they have a bazillion sealed in box toys or something

Digital is great, I have hundreds of playstation games and they take up absolutely zero physical space. Don't have to worry about breaking or scratching them either

 

[eyeball_kid]

Digital gaming is so convenient! Just quit a game and start another one, I don't have to get up and switch discs every time.

The only reason you have to get up and switch discs is because GAF had a fit at the beginning of this gen about Sony/MS trying to stop used games. Their answer to the outrage was to make us put in the discs every time, so, thanks GAF.

Aside from indie/experimental games, digital isn't convenient for me at all because it takes 2-4 days saturating my DSL bandwidth to download a modern game.

I also don't mind getting up to change a disc. I see it being lazy if that's a chore for someone unless you have a physical disability.

It's not just about laziness. Reading from a disc all the time adds wear to the Blu-Ray drive.

 

[Undead Fantasy]

I will never understand the complaint that "I have to get up and change the disc!".

It takes 10 seconds for fucks sake. Don't be lazy.

 

[Lgndryhr]

I will never understand the complaint that "I have to get up and change the disc!".

It takes 10 seconds for fucks sake. Don't be lazy.

Exactly! Only exception is someone physically disabled.

It's not just about laziness. Reading from a disc all the time adds wear to the Blu-Ray drive.

All digital adds wear to the hard drive so that's invalid to me.

 

[Flame Lord]

I'm lazy as fuck and yet I am constantly surprised how many people prefer digital purely because they don't have to change disks. For me physical games (console wise) are nearly always cheaper to get physically, and I also have little faith in my digital games always being there for me. Those are enough for me to stay on the physical wagon.

 

[FinaruDensetsu]

I don't find digital all that much more convenient. I don't jump around from game to game every 10 minutes or something.

 

[Maintenance]

I will never understand the complaint that "I have to get up and change the disc!".

It takes 10 seconds for fucks sake. Don't be lazy.

To change the disk? Yes, maybe even less than that. But not everyone has their game collection near the console.

 

[perorist]

I will never understand the complaint that "I have to get up and change the disc!".

It takes 10 seconds for fucks sake. Don't be lazy.

I will never understand the complaint that people who use MP3 players have. Just swap the CD when you want to listen to another album!

Digital convenience is about more than swapping discs. I can play a game as soon as it unlocks at midnight, and as someone who imports a majority of my library, I don't have to wait a week or pay for shipping.

All digital adds wear to the hard drive so that's invalid to me.

Getting a console's laser fixed is far more expensive/inconvenient than swapping the hard drive.

Either way, if physical works for you, good for you. Stop trying to convince everyone else that it's the best solution for them as well.

 

[FarFromAnyGame]

I will never understand the complaint that "I have to get up and change the disc!".

It takes 10 seconds for fucks sake. Don't be lazy.

It's not just about just getting up and change the disc. Unless it's a new release, I jump from game to game every 10 minutes or so sometimes so it's annoying especially if you have a big collection and looking for a game you want to play and deciding what to play. I also have my collection shelf away from the TV/PS4. It's on the other side of the living room.

 

[McGruber21]

To each his own, but I find this idea that the convenience of saving a few seconds makes digital worthwhile to be laughable. The appeal of digital games really just feels like a result of society as a whole getting lazier, and perhaps valuing things a lot less now that we have a million other things to turn our attention to at any moment. I'll keep buying all physical games until I can't because I like owning games and not renting them, I also like for my purchases to have value.

 

[batman2million]

To each his own, but I find this idea that the convenience of saving a few seconds makes digital worthwhile to be laughable. The appeal of digital games really just feels like a result of society as a whole getting lazier, and perhaps valuing things a lot less now that we have a million other things to turn our attention to at any moment. I'll keep buying all physical games until I can't because I like owning games and not renting them, I also like for my purchases to have value.

Agreed. And the fact that digital purchases CAN be taken away at anytime and there really isn't much you can do about it.

 

[Undead Fantasy]

To each his own, but I find this idea that the convenience of saving a few seconds makes digital worthwhile to be laughable. The appeal of digital games really just feels like a result of society as a whole getting lazier, and perhaps valuing things a lot less now that we have a million other things to turn our attention to at any moment. I'll keep buying all physical games until I can't because I like owning games and not renting them, I also like for my purchases to have value.

This pretty much here.

I will never see value in a digital game, movie or music.

 

[Ayumi]

I find digital distribution is disgusting for all forms of entertainment incl video games. Go out to the store and buy the games yourself like the old days! 😡😡😡


Thankfully I dont see it taking over and killing physicals in our lifetime like some will have you believe, if music vinyls are still going strong for example

I can't tell what's worse, this post or your avatar.

 

[quickwhips]

I hate boxes and having clutter of bozes in my house. I had over 250 xbox 360 games. I sold most at yard sale durinf digital sales and love being clutter free and just selecting the game and playing without getting up. I also had 360 drives die kn me last year which sucked. Now i have a 20 month old and he would destroy physical disc i bet.

 

[20cent]

I prefer physical copies, but I prefer digital copies.




OK.

 

[Man God]

There's pluses beyond just laziness. Sometimes digital is cheaper. Preloading is a thing. Sometimes the physical release is rare. Physical games can be stolen or damaged in a fire. Kids can be hard on them which was a big deal on pre Blu-Ray games. Physical goods take up space.

 

[mingoguaya]

I have 129 Xbox One games on a 3TB external drive. I paid a little over $75 for all of them. There's no way I would ever buy this amount of games if I were went back to digital.

 

[Lgndryhr]

I will never understand the complaint that people who use MP3 players have. Just swap the CD when you want to listen to another album!

Digital convenience is about more than swapping discs. I can play a game as soon as it unlocks at midnight, and as someone who imports a majority of my library, I don't have to wait a week or pay for shipping.

Getting a console's laser fixed is far more expensive/inconvenient than swapping the hard drive.

Either way, if physical works for you, good for you. Stop trying to convince everyone else that it's the best solution for them as well.

I still buy CD's, use them in my car, and rip them to digital. Otherwise I just stream everything. I do like stream services that are subscription like such as Netflix or Spotify.

Laser fixed? Just replace the disc drive. That's very easy to do.

I'm not trying to convince anyone something is better. Just joining the conversation.