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[SMD]

If Sony wants to entice people to buy a PlayStation in the next generation, they compete price-wise with Microsoft. If Microsoft offers games for $10-20 less and discounts them faster, the incentive to own a PlayStation diminishes. So no, so long as the platform refreshes and consoles offer multiplatform games, there is no monopoly.

And rather convenient to ignore Steam. I'm pretty sure everyone owns a computer that has Steam on it. Consoles then have to compete with PC for price as well, which they already do. I assert that PS Plus and Games with Gold wouldn't exist as they are if Steam were not a thing. They certainly weren't done out of the goodness of Sony or Microsoft's hearts.

Not that either of us can prove our point, since we still live in a world where retailers are dictating the online distribution pricing for games.


I never argued to the contrary of any of the things you state, far from it, in fact. Please feel free to point out where I did, I'd like to rectify that mistake if I in fact made it.

Seems to me like you're looking at what I proposed as a condemnation of people justifying their choice to buy physical media when I never presented that argument.

Sorry mate but no. These are digital ecosystems, like if you buy an iPhone and use iTunes then all your purchases are tied to your iTunes account. If you want to buy a tablet, do you go for a cheaper Android with better specs but start from scratch or spend more to get an iPad but you can migrate your stuff? If you only have a few items then it's not a big deal, if you're spending hundreds of dollars on apps, videos and music then suddenly that cheaper Android isn't cheaper any more.

Microsoft can offer a cheaper console and cheaper titles but if you've already spent an entire library's worth on your PS4, what do you do? What if the PS5 is shite? Write off your purchases as a sunk cost or persevere?

PS Plus has nothing to do with Steam and everything to do with Sony trying to justify charging for their service. PC gaming in general doesn't impact consoles, the vast majority of people can't be arsed with PC gaming no matter how cheap or flexible it is.

The vast majority of people who have a PS4 or Xbox One probably never used Steam in their lives.

Unless digital stores are completely open for anyone to sell keys, then no they are monopolies by the platform holders and unlike older generations, you can't sell your collection if it's all digital.

The argument that you're left without online servers or patches doesn't wash because the digital only future leaves you completely cut out, whereas at least you have v1.0 on your retro console on disk.

My biggest problem with people who go all in for digital is that they support terrible consumer practices and ruin it for the rest of us.

 

[TheFuzz]

I stopped buying physical after my boys got into the toddler stage and taught me a lesson about life.

Now if I'm buying a physical copy it will be old carts or Nintendo games. Is there really a point to having GTA or R6 on disc?

I'm 100% with you. After having little kids, being able to switch games via a menu is awesome. I like not having to worry about finding/losing/taking care of physical media.

It has drawbacks, sure, but as I've grown older, I want less "stuff" lying around.

 

[redcrayon]

Fair enough. I was going on what the OP said of there being a 20% difference. What sort of price are games in the US?

In the UK a new digital game is normally £49.99 or £54.99, whereas a physical copy can be had for between £30 and £40 online depending on the title. For example I paid £30 on launch day for Paper Mario Color Splash, £36 for Dark Souls 3 and £39 for the Last Guardian with a free white face plate. Apart from that I generally wait for a price drop,which will 99% of the time come on physical first.

I'm UK based too, I was just saying what my general observation has been from similar threads in the past. I buy all my new games physically for the exact same reason, that it's often at least £10 cheaper.

 

[Midas]

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

Yeah, I'm starting with this now. Well, with Destiny 2 I guess. But there's no reason to buy the online only games on discs because of the reason you stated. It sucks to pay more for digital games though.

 

[entremet]

I'm not sure I get the convenience arguement, you literally just get up and put a disc in.

Digital jukebox. Same reason why no one really cares about CDs anymore. And why streaming is way more popular than Bluray.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

As someone who just moved into an apartment, I'd LOVE to be able to ditch physical software and go all digital just for the space I'd save, but there's just too much in the favor of physical software over digital software for me to ditch physical.

 

[ViolentP]

Digital jukebox. Same reason why no one really cares about CDs anymore. And why streaming is way more popular than Bluray.

Yup.

 

[F0rneus]

Having a game that's playable is better than having no game at all. Just about every single one of these games could be played by my kids or even grandkids which may not be the case with a digital game if the server shuts down. We need to stop acting like the servers shutting down is an "if" scenario when it's really a "when" scenario. There is no "when" scenario as long as I have the physical game in hand.

Sony shut down the PSP digital store. If you have a PSP/PSP Go you can't purchase new digital games via these platforms. And yet 3 years after the store was permanently closed, every game can be redownloaded. Meanwhile I have 360 discs that don't work anymore, because of cracks in the inner ring from steelbooks being too rough on the discs. I have NES carts that eventually stopped working, despite me taking good care of them.

People with physical copies don't "own" the game either. If you lose your discs to disc rot, cracks, scratches, whatever can happen to physical media, good luck getting a new copy without paying.

 

[BlitzBlake]

If only the physical copy came with a digital download as well..

 

[badnewsbeers]

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

People buy vinyl for the analog sound, something a digital game cannot offer.

 

[Rathorial]

I still end up buying big console games through retail, because you get early discounts from Amazon or Best Buy GCU, and price is king for me. Mainly game on PC, so it's only a few physical games each year now on consoles, they're usually on single-disc blu-ray so I don't have to switch discs.

The Nintendo Switch is an interesting case where I'll likely go physical whenever I can, maybe even spending a few bucks more, because it seems likely that Nintendo's game cards will run faster than MicroSD. I'll pay a bit more for better performance.

I wish PS4/Xbone games were like Steam keys, where the dev could generate them, and sell them through third-party sites that will take a smaller cut in profit, and I could get Horizon: Zero dawn for $34 like I'm getting Prey for that price on PC.

 

[jax]

The first company to offer physical games with an optional paid install is gonna make a ton of money. Get on it, big three.

 

[timmyp53]

Are telltales physical releases season passes from now on? Wolf among us was the full gam so its disappointing to see. Their last couple outings have been bare bone disc with 2 episodes... like wut.

 

[system11]

Can't say I find paying more just to avoid putting a disc in a drive to be a compelling argument. You can get games just as quickly (well, if you're like most people and work/school during the day) - Amazon preorder 2 days before. Done.

 

[FadedRevolution]

I love people acting superior because they get up to change their games. Who gives a fuck buy what you like

 

[Undead Fantasy]

Are telltales physical releases season passes from now on? Wolf among us was the full gam so its disappointing to see. Their last couple outings have been bare bone disc with 2 episodes... like wut.

It appears so.

A real shame because I really liked their games but I won't buy that sorry excuse for a retail disc.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Sony shut down the PSP digital store. If you have a PSP/PSP Go you can't purchase new digital games via these platforms. And yet 3 years after the store was permanently closed, every game can be redownloaded. Meanwhile I have 360 discs that don't work anymore, because of cracks in the inner ring from steelbooks being too rough on the discs. I have NES carts that eventually stopped working, despite me taking good care of them.

Sony shut down PlayStation Mobile and you no longer can download content you paid for.

People with physical copies don't "own" the game either. If you lose your discs to disc rot, cracks, scratches, whatever can happen to physical media, good luck getting a new copy without paying.

Really? Really? So people really don't "own" anything because everything can break or degrade. Plus, nobody ever said replacing something you own would be free either. However, the fact that you can replace it is something over a service that no longer exists and there are no means to replace it at all.

 

[PrimeBeef]

Opting for convienence will be the downfall of man if the environment doesnt do it first.

I get the convenience and space arguments. But if you are a collector and really want that collection convienence is something you would gladly overlook.

 

[PrimeBeef]

Sony shut down PlayStation Mobile and you no longer can download content you paid for.



Really? Really? So people really don't "own" anything because everything can break or degrade. Plus, nobody ever said replacing something you own would be free either. However, the fact that you can replace it is something over a service that no longer exists and there are no means to replace it at all.

Not to mention there are ways to make physical copies of older carts and tapes. It's expensive. But it can be done. With digital if that service shuts down and does not give you the option to play your games offline or without it. You have nothing. Hell, if for some reason I don't/can't log in to Steam for a year or more I can lose my account. Unless they changed that policy.

 

[PrimeBeef]

Can't say I find paying more just to avoid putting a disc in a drive to be a compelling argument. You can get games just as quickly (well, if you're like most people and work/school during the day) - Amazon preorder 2 days before. Done.

I don't have to go to a store and get physical copors on release day through Amazon. If I didn't, there is a Target, Best Buy, and a Walmart right next to my grocery store. I would pop in and pick it up while shopping.

 

[katsubento]

I still prefer physical. Digital has it's pluses for convenience at times, and for mobile devices, I prefer that, but otherwise, I like the actual disc to fall back on or lend to people.

 

[Van Bur3n]

People with physical copies don't "own" the game either. If you lose your discs to disc rot, cracks, scratches, whatever can happen to physical media, good luck getting a new copy without paying.

You don't own it? What? An object's ability to degrade or become damaged does not correlate to one's ownership at all. You bought the physical disc that has the game on it. It's now yours. Simple as that.

 

[PrimeBeef]

I'm 100% with you. After having little kids, being able to switch games via a menu is awesome. I like not having to worry about finding/losing/taking care of physical media.

It has drawbacks, sure, but as I've grown older, I want less "stuff" lying around.

Forgive my ignorance here but why do people find it a hassle ro put things back where they got them from and/or making sure their kids do? Or keeping games oit of kids reach when not in use?

I never understood this. I had small kids in a hectic home where we all gamed and never once had an issue with anything missing. I was raised to put things back before taking oou new stuff or if it was not being used. So this concept just confuses me.

 

[farisr]

Only time I get digital versions of games is if I like to boot them up for short bursts of time. I initially got a physical copy of SFV, day 1 for $22 (incl tax). Recently found that I just wanted to occasionally sign in to do the weeklies for FM and just get right back to the other main game I'm playing right now.

Ebgames were having a deal, managed to get $24 for it. Bought the digital version for $20. Really convenient not having to take out the game I'm in the middle of a long playthrough for and just boot it up once in a while.

Aside from that, Driveclub is another one of these games I just like to boot up from time to time. Also, VR games due to needing to make that experience as convenient as possible.

And the rest of my digital titles are PS+ games, so no decision needing to be made.

The vast majority of games I purchase are still physical, and the convenience factor doesn't come into play since when I start a game, I tend to play it till I'm done with it, I don't like to play other games in between in general. If I did play a lot of online MP, I'd get those game in digital form as well, but I'm mainly into offline/SP these days.

 

[NeonBlack]

Sony shut down the PSP digital store. If you have a PSP/PSP Go you can't purchase new digital games via these platforms. And yet 3 years after the store was permanently closed, every game can be redownloaded. Meanwhile I have 360 discs that don't work anymore, because of cracks in the inner ring from steelbooks being too rough on the discs. I have NES carts that eventually stopped working, despite me taking good care of them.

People with physical copies don't "own" the game either. If you lose your discs to disc rot, cracks, scratches, whatever can happen to physical media, good luck getting a new copy without paying.

With that logic you don't own anything physical; cars, clothes, houses.

 

[Rezae]

I'm all aboard the digital train for the most part too. When I take my PS4 somewhere, I just grab the system, controller, and power cord. No disks to mess with.

With that said, I rarely if ever buy a digital game full price. I'm patient - I'll wait. If it's a day 1 game (like FFXV for me), I'll buy physical and sell after beating it, then rebuy digital maybe a few years down the road for a fraction of the price.

I also feel that day 1 patches (and subsequent patches), online integration, and mandatory installs really diminishes any sort of collectors aspect of modern physical games. You're saving yourself some bandwith, that's about it. If servers go down, you may not have a "complete" version of a game anyway.

 

[AntraxSuicide]

This is also a really tired and toothless argument. Everything you own digitally, You. Do. Not. Own. You may disagree with not shopping digitally and think it's more convenient, but the fact remains that I own the disc, and no matter what happens in the future regarding companies, licenses, etc, I'll be able to play that game as long as the disc works, which is more than you can say for digital.

Eh, but you won't be able to play those games if your house burns down, or if they get stolen years after they're available for purchase.

I went all digital when a repair guy stole all of my discs and a console. Got another console and got every digital copy back. You're right that I don't "own" them in the same way, but the advantage is that no one else does either.

 

[F0rneus]

With that logic you don't own anything physical; cars, clothes, houses.

For better or for worse, the main argument some have is "If it possibly might stop working in the future, you don't really own it".

 

[AntraxSuicide]

For better or for worse, the main argument some have is "If it possibly might stop working in the future, you don't really own it".

Bingo. That definition seems to be the one people keep using.

"You don't own digital because it may go away in the future."

 

[Marty Chinn]

Eh, but you won't be able to play those games if your house burns down, or if they get stolen years after they're available for purchase.

I went all digital when a repair guy stole all of my discs and a console. Got another console and got every digital copy back. You're right that I don't "own" them in the same way, but the advantage is that no one else does either.

The big difference though is when your house burns down, or someone steals something, that's local and isolated. When a service shuts down, that affects every single person who bought content on there. It's highly improbable that every single owner of physical media is going to have their house burn down or property stolen. And even if your house burns down or someone steals your games, you can still acquire them again where as if the server shuts down, and someone takes your system, you have absolutely no recourse to get it back.

Bingo. That definition seems to be the one people keep using.

"You don't own digital because it will go away in the future."

Fixed that for you. It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. If you're talking about odds of loss, your odds of losing your digital content at some point is higher than your odds of having it stolen or burnt down.

 

[Comet]

I enjoy collecting, trading in games, and am not bothered by taking a disc/cartridge out and switching it. I went all digital with the Vita and it was nice but I have benefited too much from getting insane deals on physical games as well as getting good trade back value.

 

[SeeNoWeevil]

The big difference though is when your house burns down, or someone steals something, that's local and isolated. When a service shuts down, that affects every single person who bought content on there. It's highly improbable that every single owner of physical media is going to have their house burn down or property stolen. And even if your house burns down or someone steals your games, you can still acquire them again where as if the server shuts down, and someone takes your system, you have absolutely no recourse to get it back.

I've lost 2 physical discs, both scratched and unable to play. I've also had numerous disc drive faults over the years that required the console to be replaced. I've never lost access to a digital title.

 

[ScrapBrain]

I love physical media, and I love the idea that at any time, I can pop a disc into a system and play whenever I want, no licenses or internet required, but I stopped collecting because it's an awful large amount of money to dump into a collection of discs that will inevitably succumb to something you have no control over, like disc rot. Buy em to enjoy em while you got em, that's my advice

 

[F0rneus]

Fixed that for you. It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. If you're talking about odds of loss, your odds of losing your digital content at some point is higher than your odds of having it stolen or burnt down.

Since you appear to know the future, can you tell me the exact date the PS4 game server will go down? I'll get a HDD to fill it up, around that date. Thank you!

 

[FarFromAnyGame]

The big difference though is when your house burns down, or someone steals something, that's local and isolated. When a service shuts down, that affects every single person who bought content on there. It's highly improbable that every single owner of physical media is going to have their house burn down or property stolen. And even if your house burns down or someone steals your games, you can still acquire them again where as if the server shuts down, and someone takes your system, you have absolutely no recourse to get it back.



Fixed that for you. It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. If you're talking about odds of loss, your odds of losing your digital content at some point is higher than your odds of having it stolen or burnt down.

I can play digital games offline. I don't need their servers to be up. They can shut down their servers and I can still play all my downloaded games. You can also have multiple backups and the odds of losing all your backups are lower than losing your discs.

 

[AntraxSuicide]

The big difference though is when your house burns down, or someone steals something, that's local and isolated. When a service shuts down, that affects every single person who bought content on there. It's highly improbable that every single owner of physical media is going to have their house burn down or property stolen. And even if your house burns down or someone steals your games, you can still acquire them again where as if the server shuts down, and someone takes your system, you have absolutely no recourse to get it back.



Fixed that for you. It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. If you're talking about odds of loss, your odds of losing your digital content at some point is higher than your odds of having it stolen or burnt down.

Odds are irrelevant, and statements like "you can get your physical stuff back" are total obfuscations. The cost of replacing physical products is almost always prohibitively high, which to most people might as well mean you lose them forever.

And as for a system wide knockout (which has yet to happen to any meaningful service, as you admit given your PS Mobile example), why does it matter to an individual if others lose their access? Lost access is lost access; when my games got stolen, some of them were limited prints that were too expensive (and in one case almost impossible) to replace. The effect to me is no different at all to losing my digital games.

I'm not at all claiming everyone should go digital. But it makes no difference at all to me to play a digital copy, and it made a lot of difference to me have digital copies in the past.

 

[Marty Chinn]

I've lost 2 physical discs, both scratched and unable to play. I've also had numerous disc drive faults over the years that required the console to be replaced. I've never lost access to a digital title.

I've lost way more digital content than I have physical. In fact, I've lost 0 out of almost 3000 games in physical form. They all still function, but that digital content is no longer accessible. With those two physical discs, you could still replace them. I can't get back all that digital content because the servers have shut down.

Since you appear to know the future, can you tell me the exact date the PS4 game server will go down? I'll get a HDD to fill it up, around that date. Thank you!

I bet back in the day people thought Atari and Sega would be around long term too. Some probably couldn't believe that Nintendo would be struggling. Remember, Sega was only in the home console business for about 15 years. Microsoft and Sony have both shut down servers to block content already too. So again, it's not a question of if; it's a question of when. This industry can change on a dime. Players come and go. It's silly to think the key players now will always be the key players in the market let alone that they're going to continue to spend money keeping up servers that no longer suit their needs because the market has changed.

I can play digital games offline. I don't need their servers to be up. They can shut down their servers and I can still play all my downloaded games. You can also have multiple backups and the odds of losing all your backups are lower than losing your discs.

People are talking about houses being burnt down and people stealing their stuff. Hard drive backups wouldn't fit the bill there. Proper back up begins to get expensive if you're having two back up copies on site and then a third back up copy off site for all your games. That's a lot of hard drive space given how games are now getting as big as 40 to 50GB of storage. Plus, while PC backup may be easier, assuming you've properly gone offline with Steam, console backup could be picky with authenticating and validating a backup and the restoration progress. It all seems trivial now because you can easily access the servers, but once those are gone, it's a pretty fragile state to maintain authenticated content. So I'll give you if you spend a lot of money and are extremely careful, maybe you could maintain content that's still usable and valid. But man, the money involved in doing so, with the life span of hard drives.....

 

[F0rneus]

It's silly to think the key players now will always be the key players in the market let alone that they're going to continue to spend money keeping up servers that no longer suit their needs because the market has changed.

But Sony is. Right now. The servers for PSP games are still up, 3 years after the digital store closed down. PS Mobile was a complete failure, that barely sold any games. It's not a very valid comparison. Microsoft closed down the servers to their very first try at digital distribution, back when it was still a brand new thing. The one thing I'll give you, is that yes, if Sony ends up croaking then the games are gone.

 

[Rezae]

Fixed that for you. It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. If you're talking about odds of loss, your odds of losing your digital content at some point is higher than your odds of having it stolen or burnt down.

Ehh... possibly. Possibly not. I think that an argument of a break-in, fire, disk rot, scratch, system drops with game in it, disk falls out of case and rolls across the floor, kid gets a hold of the disk, etc. etc. etc. is just as likely if not more likely than losing access to a digital title.

I don't think the argument has a correct answer, and as far as more modern consoles go, I think you're much more likely to deal with hardware failure and scarcity before either scenario likely happens.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Odds are irrelevant, and statements like "you can get your physical stuff back" are total obfuscations. The cost of replacing physical products is almost always prohibitively high, which to most people might as well mean you lose them forever.

Odds are totally relevant because people are debating which method they prefer based on how one can lose content. Plus the cost varies depending on the age, time frame, rarity, and demand. Stuff might actually be fairly cheap or inexpensive if something goes missing. If someone bought Battlefront for $60 at release, the could have bought it for less than $10 a month ago to replace. So it's not always prohibitively high. The point in being about the ability to replace is the fact that you can. I can go buy a Street Fighter 2 JAMMA board right now if I want to because it exists and it's replaceable. Servers going down mean it's no longer replaceable no matter how much you might want it back.

And as for a system wide knockout (which has yet to happen to any meaningful service, as you admit given your PS Mobile example), why does it matter to an individual if others lose their access? Lost access is lost access; when my games got stolen, some of them were limited prints that were too expensive (and in one case almost impossible) to replace. The effect to me is no different at all to losing my digital games.

Nice moving of the goalposts. Now it's not services going down, but now it's meaningful services. What's not meaningful to you will be meaningful to someone else and vice versa. The fact is PlayStation Mobile was from Sony. It's a major company who still has a digital store front and yet they still took it down because it no longer was in their financial interest. The fact that Sony and Microsoft have both taken down gaming services should be enough to see that it's just a question of when and not if.

And why does it matter if it's the individual versus everyone. It's because it goes back to the odds as mentioned above. When a server goes down, there's nothing you can do about it and it's out of your hands and it affects every single person who uses it. Breaking games can be preventable and even if you break them, they are replaceable. With proper care, physical objects can be protected and stored in a state that you have control over. You relying on a company to maintain access means you give up any ability to control that scenario.

I'm not at all claiming everyone should go digital. But it makes no difference at all to me to play a digital copy, and it made a lot of difference to me have digital copies in the past.

I think people aren't seeing the forest through the trees. People are thinking short term and not long term. The short term looks good because we're still in the early days of digital distribution and haven't seen a major fallout from a huge service. We have however seen instances of what is to come. Now if you only care about the short term but not what happens in the long term, feel free to take those risks. The long term prospects and risks though are valid and real.

But Sony is. Right now. The servers for PSP games are still up, 3 years after the digital store closed down. PS Mobile was a complete failure, that barely sold any games. It's not a very valid comparison. Microsoft closed down the servers to their very first try at digital distribution, back when it was still a brand new thing. The one thing I'll give you, is that yes, if Sony ends up croaking then the games are gone.

How are those Sony PlayStation Mobile servers doing?

Ehh... possibly. Possibly not. I think that an argument of a break-in, fire, disk rot, scratch, system drops with game in it, disk falls out of case and rolls across the floor, kid gets a hold of the disk, etc. etc. etc. is just as likely if not more likely than losing access to a digital title.

I don't think the argument has a correct answer, and as far as more modern consoles go, I think you're much more likely to deal with hardware failure and scarcity before either scenario likely happens.

The thing is, not everyone will experience those with physical games. Many won't ever encounter those problems. However, when a server and service shuts down, EVERYONE who used that service will be affected.

 

[shouamabane]

I'll buy physical as long as I can.

 

[lightchris]

Digital convenience is a non-factor for me for several reasons.
First of all, I don't play more than 2 to 3 games at a time. That means I don't have to have instant access to my entire library to play what I want, be it at home or if I take the console somwhere else.
Second, I always take at least a short break between playing different games, during which I'd get up anyway (at work I sit in my chair the whole day, I just need to take every excuse to at least stand up and do something not-sitting). But even if that wasn't the case I still wouldn't mind at all to get up to swap discs. Just doesn't feel tedious or anything.

(Then again, I also prefer to take the stairs over the elevator whenever reasonable. Don't know if it's related)

 

[dragonyeuw]

I basically sold off my physical Ps4 games( except Uncharted 4 and Diablo 3), took the money from those sales and purchased the games digitally on sale for like $10( did this with Last of Us remastered and Until Dawn). Could the servers go off in ten years and make those games inaccessible to me digitally? Sure. I expect, like most non-Nintendo games, that I'll be able to pick up those games for pennies years down the line if I actually feel they're worth rebuying. I can't say I'm going to spend too much time stressing off potentially losing these instruments of personal entertainment from a freak incident or the mother company closing up shop. But right now I'm enjoying the decluttering in my house, and I say this as someone who was VERY pro-physical before this gen. At some point I realized that the vast majority of games in my library really weren't worth shit, other than some intangible pleasure I got from seeing them on my shelf. And as I get older, I'm slowly beginning to care less and less in that regard.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Fixed that for you. It's not a question of if; it's a question of when. If you're talking about odds of loss, your odds of losing your digital content at some point is higher than your odds of having it stolen or burnt down.

And with digital, you have no control over anything you've bought should the content provider or storefront decide to pull the rug out from under you. See: recent Castle of Illusion debacle, GTA: SA music.

 

[Deleted member 752119]

To be fair, many of us don't give a shit about losing content physically or digitally.

I don't care about having a game library longterm as I almost never replay things. My dream world would be one where everyone had access to superfast, super reliable internet and all media was cloud based with no performance hits vs. physical media/downloaded digital media.

Being able to just pay a monthly fee and play all the games I wanted in the cloud would be amazing for someone like me that doesn't care to own things, doesn't want a physical collect and gets tired of downloading media and juggling storage space etc.

 

[ironmang]

To be fair, many of us don't give a shit about losing content physically or digitally.

I don't care about having a game library longterm as I almost never replay things. My dream world would be one where everyone had access to superfast, super reliable internet and all media was cloud based with no performance hits vs. physical media/downloaded digital media.

Being able to just pay a monthly fee and play all the games I wanted in the cloud would be amazing for someone like me that doesn't care to own things, doesn't want a physical collect and gets tired of downloading media and juggling storage space etc.

I'd definitely be all over a digital gamefly style system. As it is now though, going digital is just too expensive and risky. I've purchased plenty of games that turned out to be duds but thankfully was able to sell or trade them in. Paying at least $12 more (thanks GCU) and being stuck with it forever? No thanks.

Disc swapping isn't even a big deal for me since I typically am only playing 1 game at a time on console and I usually play it until completion. Nioh will spend weeks in my PS4.

 

[Trailblazer34]

I'm a collector, so I do not exactly love digital, however, if its cheap, ill probably bite lol

Oh and on pc you basically have no choice so only buy digital there...

 

[Deleted member 752119]

I'd definitely be all over a digital gamefly style system. As it is now though, going digital is just too expensive and risky. I've purchased plenty of games that turned out to be duds but thankfully was able to sell or trade them in. Paying at least $12 more (thanks GCU) and being stuck with it forever? No thanks.

Disc swapping isn't even a big deal for me since I typically am only playing 1 game at a time on console and I usually beat it until completion. Nioh will spend weeks in my PS4.

Yeah, as above I still go physical for a lot of things for the same reason--GCU/Prime discounts and ability to resell.

I'll go digital for things that I'm pretty sure to like (well reviewed sequels to games I loved) that are also things I'll be playing for so long (MP games, long games with long DLC releases planned etc.) that resell value will be moot when I'm done, or games that are so cheap (say $10-25) in a Steam or PSN sale that I don't really care about risk of not liking it/not having ability to sell/trade.

I do bounce around MP games and pick up and play stuff (mostly cheap indies) and love the digital convenience there. So the above mostly applies to single player stuff as anything I want to play here and there around whatever single player game I'm into I want digitally.

 

[Shivershorts]

For those of you concerned about digital ownership on PC, be sure to use gog.com. They sell you games, not licenses.

Oh and on pc you basically have no choice so only buy digital there...

This is also an issue. I'm moving toward gaming exclusively on PC and digital is unavoidable. My friend has a tendency to read books on her Kindle, but will buy a physical copy if she really likes any particular one. I plan to do the same for PC games if there are physical copies available, like XCOM, and Mirror's Edge.

 

[Fisty]

Most of this stuff is silly anyway. By the time Sony or MS decides to shut down store servers, their consoles will be close to cracked or fully cracked. The shutdowns will be a huge call to modders and hackers to break these systems and "piracy" will be the standard way to play games that have been taken from you. PC is exactly the same way, except you won't need to hack the hardware. This whole digital scaremongering means absolutely nothing in reality.