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Physical games all the way
- Thread starter Go_Ly_Dow
- Start date
AREYOUOKAY?
Member
If only that were true. Can’t even trust the shrink wrap of store copies because it sometimes hides the garbage quality control the factories that make them have or the idiot retail workers cut them up from unboxing or poorly place them in the display cases. Also once you open them up you’re basically screwed.
We seriously need different cases because spine art damage is far too common for any system these days. At this point I want jewel cases back. It’s not like they need manuals for them.
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kiphalfton
Member
Unfortunately my buy rate for physical games has really tapered off this year. Mainly because pricing/sales haven't really been that good, relative to previous years.
I don't usually pay any more than $20 for brand new condition games, but this year I've bought more games in the $30-$40 range than I haven in the past several years combined.
Not happy about the future of digital games forcing physical game prices up.
I don't usually pay any more than $20 for brand new condition games, but this year I've bought more games in the $30-$40 range than I haven in the past several years combined.
Not happy about the future of digital games forcing physical game prices up.
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Sleepwalker
Member
I think it's perfectly fine to double dip on those insane sales. I don't think the convenience of swapping discs is worth it at full, or even half-70% off games, but at $10 and under I'll pay for the convenience if I would like to replay the game.
And no, I don't get rid of my discs anyway.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
yeah of course I am not getting rid of discs. These deals are just hard to pass by as you say not to double dip !
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ShadyAcshuns
Member
For sure, I've had my issues with store-bought games as well. Once I bought a copy of Fire Emblem Awakening from Wal Mart and got home and noticed the shrink wrap was missing. Opened it up and sure enough, the game was missing. Can't believe the clerk didn't notice, and that I didn't notice in the store. Luckily they believed me and I got a refund.
The worst one though, was a midnight release of FFXII at Gamestop. I got the Steelbook edition on PS2, got home and noticed a mother fucking box cutter slash down the back. Couldn't believe it. Took it back, but there were no more steelbooks to replace it with so I just kept it. Such bullshit.
AREYOUOKAY?
Member
A missing game is what I would expect from Gamestop. They almost sold me a display case until I caught onto them. Nice try though.
Thick Thighs Save Lives
Gold Member
Someone did the math and apparently physical games make up 60% of 1st party unit sales for Sony based on this leaked data. For games like Death Stranding (PS5) and Uncharted 4 physical sales are more than 80%According to the Insomniac leaks physical is still selling well.
If we take a more recent release like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart we can see that the digital to physical ratio is inline with older Sony 1st party games from last gen so the 'needle' hasn't really moved all that much towards digital for these types of games.
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Go_Ly_Dow
Member
So no grounds to justify an all digital PS6. But I think they'll try to phase out physical by offering one base SKU without a disc drive and then offer a bundle which includes the disc drive.
Thick Thighs Save Lives
Gold Member
Let's wait and see how they'll do it with the PS5 Pro first. If it's like with the 'Slim' model which has the detachable drive then most likely they'll be going the route you mentioned with the PS6.
Giallo Corsa
Gold Member
See, this is the thing, while i do agree that Physical is the better format, what do you do when the prices between physical and digital are the same ?
As an example, say a (physical) game goes for 30 Eurodollars but at the same time, it's also 30 on the PSN store which by buying it, you also get some money back (300 points in this case) via the PS Rewards system which you can redeem for 5, 10, 20 and 50 Eurodollars cards (1250 points net you a 5€ code).
This is the dilemma i'm facing right now, there's a game which i'm interested in which goes for the same price as physical on the PS store with the added benefit of actually getting some money back - and gaining points via PS rewards ain't that hard since you can get a minimum of 100+ points monthly just by playing some specific monthly games and also by buying games from the store, i have redeemed 4, 5€ codes already this way.
Still, having the ACTUAL disc in your hands is a whole other thing than a digital license® so...yeah.
Decisions, decisions...
As an example, say a (physical) game goes for 30 Eurodollars but at the same time, it's also 30 on the PSN store which by buying it, you also get some money back (300 points in this case) via the PS Rewards system which you can redeem for 5, 10, 20 and 50 Eurodollars cards (1250 points net you a 5€ code).
This is the dilemma i'm facing right now, there's a game which i'm interested in which goes for the same price as physical on the PS store with the added benefit of actually getting some money back - and gaining points via PS rewards ain't that hard since you can get a minimum of 100+ points monthly just by playing some specific monthly games and also by buying games from the store, i have redeemed 4, 5€ codes already this way.
Still, having the ACTUAL disc in your hands is a whole other thing than a digital license® so...yeah.
Decisions, decisions...
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Kupfer
Member
That sounds like pied piping to me. Of course the companies want to lure you in with such offers. And once they have you, you go on and on, just to save a few eurodollars ...See, this is the thing, while i do agree that Physical is the better format, what do you do when the prices between physical and digital are the same ?
As an example, say a (physical) game goes for 30 Eurodollars but at the same time, it's also 30 on the PSN store which by buying it, you also get some money back (300 points in this case) via the PS Rewards system which you can redeem for 5, 10, 20 and 50 Eurodollars cards (1250 points net you a 5€ code).
This is the dilemma i'm facing right now, there's a game which i'm interested in which goes for the same price as physical on the PS store with the added benefit of actually getting some money back - and gaining points via PS rewards ain't that hard since you can get a minimum of 100+ points monthly just by playing some specific monthly games and also by buying games from the store, i have redeemed 4, 5€ codes already this way.
Still, having the ACTUAL disc in your hands is a whole other thing than a digital license® so...yeah.
Decisions, decisions...
My opinion is that it's not worth it. I'm happy to pay a little more to have something of real value in my hand.
Guilty_AI
Member
i hold the firm belief all these reward systems are scams, so no.See, this is the thing, while i do agree that Physical is the better format, what do you do when the prices between physical and digital are the same ?
As an example, say a (physical) game goes for 30 Eurodollars but at the same time, it's also 30 on the PSN store which by buying it, you also get some money back (300 points in this case) via the PS Rewards system which you can redeem for 5, 10, 20 and 50 Eurodollars cards (1250 points net you a 5€ code).
This is the dilemma i'm facing right now, there's a game which i'm interested in which goes for the same price as physical on the PS store with the added benefit of actually getting some money back - and gaining points via PS rewards ain't that hard since you can get a minimum of 100+ points monthly just by playing some specific monthly games and also by buying games from the store, i have redeemed 4, 5€ codes already this way.
Still, having the ACTUAL disc in your hands is a whole other thing than a digital license® so...yeah.
Decisions, decisions...
Mithos
Member
I already have MEL through PS+.
Can we break free games like that now days and buy it so if we stop subscribe to PS+ we still have access ?
Kupfer
Member
Once your PS+ sub expires, you have no longer access to games which you have activated via the subscription. Only purchased products remain playablable
I had to learn the hard way when I tried to play Gravity Rush on the Vita after my subscription ran out. It annoyed me so much that I haven't bothered with ps+ games since.
Now I have 3 copies of Gravity Rush...
Edit:
See, this is the thing, while i do agree that Physical is the better format, what do you do when the prices between physical and digital are the same ?
As an example, say a (physical) game goes for 30 Eurodollars but at the same time, it's also 30 on the PSN store which by buying it, you also get some money back (300 points in this case) via the PS Rewards system which you can redeem for 5, 10, 20 and 50 Eurodollars cards (1250 points net you a 5€ code).
This is the dilemma i'm facing right now, there's a game which i'm interested in which goes for the same price as physical on the PS store with the added benefit of actually getting some money back - and gaining points via PS rewards ain't that hard since you can get a minimum of 100+ points monthly just by playing some specific monthly games and also by buying games from the store, i have redeemed 4, 5€ codes already this way.
Still, having the ACTUAL disc in your hands is a whole other thing than a digital license® so...yeah.
Decisions, decisions...
In addition, after a few years I now have a small collection of games that have a real value. If push really comes to shove, I could sell them and use the money to pay my rent for another six months or so and find something new to do in the meantime. I hope it never comes to that, but try that with digital games that are tied to your account.
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Giallo Corsa
Gold Member
i get what you're saying boys but there's no "scam" here, you literally get money back (points) from buying from the store plus, the extra points each month from the monthly challenges.Again, the points rack up relatively fast and easy so...
Now, unless you mean that the "scam" is that they do this to keep you in their ecosystem (i.e, keep buying directly from them) plus the fact that to gain the monthly free points you also have to be subscribed to ps plus...i mean, it's obvious and/or to be expected ?
A game is a game no matter its format.
Again, i do agree that physical is better since A) you actually have the product in your hands, physically, B) Prices, 90% of the time are better and C) Digital stores'/games' price are ridiculous, 80 Eurodollars for games that can be easily found for almost half/half the price of physical ? no thanks.
Cheers
Mithos
Member
That was my question, can i buy it now at discount (because I'm allowed to tick buy, and place in shopping-cart), but wouldn't want to pay ~€8 and then when PS+ expire still not have access.
Years ago you didn't even get the option to "buy" if you had a game thought PS+.
UPDATE:
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (downloaded as a PS+ "freebie")
Mass Effect Legendary Edition (downloaded after buying it for ~75sek (~us$ 7.40))
As you can see after buying the game it stopped showing the PS+ logo on the game icon, the "information" did not change though (other then time downloaded and installed).
So IF, after PS+ expires I can not access the game even though paying for it, I at least have a receipt of purchase in my mail to show support...
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Kupfer
Member
You're right, it's not a scam in the old fashioned way.
It's more about the fact that I feel I'm being led around by the nose by psychological market strategies. I simply don't want to make myself a victim of such practices and support them.
This reward program is not customer-friendly, it is calculated and serves to maintain and acquire the digital customer base, which is supposed to flush more money into the coffers and at the same time deprive the customer of his rights.
The whole thing is then sold to you as a convenience where you can also collect points.
Don't get me wrong, if you like it, I'm not judging you, but I'm not a fan of it and I don't think big companies should be able to do everything to you without you questioning the background. If you've thought about it and come to the conclusion that it's not a problem for you, then it's all good.
Thick Thighs Save Lives
Gold Member
So I guess that this is the last update of the year. I've received most of my imports during the course of this week, and also managed to snag some last minute deals on several Xbox BC titles plus some lucky deals on new games on clearance sale.
Atelier Marie Remake and DoA Xtreme 3 Scarlet from PlayAsia (got them both cheaper than I expected during their BF sale)
Several VGP imports that I've bought during their anniversary sale. All of them were quite cheap (I think around €60 with shipping and VAT included ), with Undertale physical being the most expensive get.
Here's all the Xbox BC titles I've snagged from a FB marketplace deal. I think I paid around €40 for all of them. Really happy with The Orange Box in particular as it has been delisted from the Xbox store back in early 2023 so the only option was to get it used.
And finally these 3 PlayStation games. Two of them were snagged during a clearance sale (paid €15 for Atelier Sophie 2 and €10 for Exoprimal) while Robocop was a Xmas gift from my brother.
Edit: Oh and I totally forgot about this brand new Prince of Persia 2008 copy I bought last Saturday.
Atelier Marie Remake and DoA Xtreme 3 Scarlet from PlayAsia (got them both cheaper than I expected during their BF sale)
Several VGP imports that I've bought during their anniversary sale. All of them were quite cheap (I think around €60 with shipping and VAT included ), with Undertale physical being the most expensive get.
Here's all the Xbox BC titles I've snagged from a FB marketplace deal. I think I paid around €40 for all of them. Really happy with The Orange Box in particular as it has been delisted from the Xbox store back in early 2023 so the only option was to get it used.
And finally these 3 PlayStation games. Two of them were snagged during a clearance sale (paid €15 for Atelier Sophie 2 and €10 for Exoprimal) while Robocop was a Xmas gift from my brother.
Edit: Oh and I totally forgot about this brand new Prince of Persia 2008 copy I bought last Saturday.
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rofif
Can’t Git Gud
Dude. The Darkness, Lost Odyssey, gears3. BINARY DOMAIN.So I guess that this is the last update of the year. I've received most of my imports during the course of this week, and also managed to snag some last minute deals on several Xbox BC titles plus some lucky deals on new games on clearance sale.
Atelier Marie Remake and DoA Xtreme 3 Scarlet from PlayAsia (got them both cheaper than I expected during their BF sale)
Several VGP imports that I've bought during their anniversary sale. All of them were quite cheap (I think around €60 with shipping and VAT included ), with Undertale physical being the most expensive get.
Here's all the Xbox BC titles I've snagged from a FB marketplace deal. I think I paid around €40 for all of them. Really happy with The Orange Box in particular as it has been delisted from the Xbox store back in early 2023 so the only option was to get it used.
And finally these 3 PlayStation games. Two of them were snagged during a clearance sale (paid €15 for Atelier Sophie 2 and €10 for Exoprimal) while Robocop was a Xmas gift from my brother.
You got some good fucking taste there son
Rocco Schiavone
Member
Can't die on console.
Gambit2483
Member
Sometimes I wonder...kids nowadays (in 1st worlds) are being conditioned to care less and less about physical.
MikeM
Member
Imagine opening a PS/Xbox gift card on Christmas to buy that game they want. Just does not hit the same way…
Was about to respond to some kid who was excited about the death of physical for the salt it'd result in, when I got the notification that that message was deleted. But I felt I might as well give my 2 cents
That's such a weird thing to be excited about. While I'm personally not that worried about it, since PC is already digital only, and Nintendo will stay physical for at least another 10-20 years, having less choice is always, always a bad thing for consumers.
Death of physical media would mean rising game prices for digital, less focus on certain AAA/AA/A genres and less variety overall, not too mention a shrinking market since some people will just exit. It's bad for gaming overall, so it's weird to have a 'gamer' be excited about it.
Unless you're the type of 'gamer' who only plays Roblox, Call of Duty or GTA Online, you shouldn't be excited about options being taken away.
That's such a weird thing to be excited about. While I'm personally not that worried about it, since PC is already digital only, and Nintendo will stay physical for at least another 10-20 years, having less choice is always, always a bad thing for consumers.
Death of physical media would mean rising game prices for digital, less focus on certain AAA/AA/A genres and less variety overall, not too mention a shrinking market since some people will just exit. It's bad for gaming overall, so it's weird to have a 'gamer' be excited about it.
Unless you're the type of 'gamer' who only plays Roblox, Call of Duty or GTA Online, you shouldn't be excited about options being taken away.
Thick Thighs Save Lives
Gold Member
Well this is my last haul of the year as some of these Xbox games literally arrived a few hours ago.
First pick up of the week was Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition (snagged it for €$45 eddies). Oh and yeah, your eyes are not deceiving you; this is the first triple disc release on current-gen consoles (both the base game and phantom liberty DLC are on discs)!
A bunch of used Xbox BC titles I've ordered from various local game shops. Oh and a PS4 one as well.
And these two North American imports which have finally arrived two days ago. I now have the complete Atelier Ryza trilogy.
Aaaand that's it for 2023. See you guys next year!
First pick up of the week was Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition (snagged it for €$45 eddies). Oh and yeah, your eyes are not deceiving you; this is the first triple disc release on current-gen consoles (both the base game and phantom liberty DLC are on discs)!
A bunch of used Xbox BC titles I've ordered from various local game shops. Oh and a PS4 one as well.
And these two North American imports which have finally arrived two days ago. I now have the complete Atelier Ryza trilogy.
Aaaand that's it for 2023. See you guys next year!
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
Very nice !!!!Well this is my last haul of the year as some of these Xbox games literally arrived a few hours ago.
First pick up of the week was Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition (snagged it for €$45 eddies). Oh and yeah, your eyes are not deceiving you; this is the first triple disc release on current-gen consoles (both the base game and phantom liberty DLC are on discs)!
A bunch of used Xbox BC titles I've ordered from various local game shops. Oh and a PS4 one as well.
And these two North American imports which have finally arrived two days ago. I now have the complete Atelier Ryza trilogy.
Aaaand that's it for 2023. See you guys next year!
I though cp2077 ultimate is an empty disc. Good to hear otherwise
Thick Thighs Save Lives
Gold Member
Thanks! And yeah, the XSX physical release is complete on disc while on PS5 it's just the base game with the DLC being a voucher code (see the box art I've posted below)... That's why I decided to go with the XSX release since I wanted the game complete regardless on which box that happens to be.
Oh and I'm already 12h into CP2077 lol! Really enjoy it so far.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
What’s your opinion on steelbooks?
I kinda like the look and feel and I usually sucker up for special or deluxe edition.
But then in the end:
-I rarely look at it since it’s between other games.
-it scratches very easily and feels a bit fragile
-I don’t keep my game in it. Usually games come in usual case + separate steelbook.
-similarly to sleeves, now you gotta make rooM for game case, sleeve and steelbook because of course only some stuff is in the sleeve but I am not keeping my game in there.
Obviously that question is for pre ordering ff7 rebirth. 3 choices: standard, standard+steelbook(10 more) and deluxe with more stuff and another steelbook.
Same for dragons dogma but in this case edition with steelbook is only 5€ more
I kinda like the look and feel and I usually sucker up for special or deluxe edition.
But then in the end:
-I rarely look at it since it’s between other games.
-it scratches very easily and feels a bit fragile
-I don’t keep my game in it. Usually games come in usual case + separate steelbook.
-similarly to sleeves, now you gotta make rooM for game case, sleeve and steelbook because of course only some stuff is in the sleeve but I am not keeping my game in there.
Obviously that question is for pre ordering ff7 rebirth. 3 choices: standard, standard+steelbook(10 more) and deluxe with more stuff and another steelbook.
Same for dragons dogma but in this case edition with steelbook is only 5€ more
Shake Your Rump
Member
I like the editions that are steelbook-only with a plastic sleeve (e.g. Shin Megami Tensei V, Persona 5). I prefer this over having both the regular case and steelbook.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
I see. I have ff xv special edition like this. Feels like more work tbh. But it is protected and easier to handle
TGO
Hype Train conductor. Works harder than it steams.
If there is a Steelbook I'll try and get it.
But I'm a Film Steelbook Collector, I actually have more Film Steelbooks then I do Amaray Cases and I have a lot of films so I have all those protective slips which helps with games to keep them protected from any damage and as some films have Collectors Edition+ Steelbook I have some larger Slips which comes in handy for those larger Deluxe Editions, With or Without Steelbooks.
I even got protectors for those 3 Way Jewel Cases the PSX FF games have.
Luckily mine was in good condition before I found those, now they should stay good even longer.
Rocco Schiavone
Member
Killjoy-NL
Member
I'm digital all the way, but I would never want digital to be the future.
Valedix
Member
Too bad because thats what we're getting and you'll be forced to enjoy it. -Microsoft.
ResetEraVetVIP
Member
Physical must stay, or gaming will die.
Jayjayhd34
Member
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Thick Thighs Save Lives
Gold Member
Thanks for posting since I had no idea it has received a physical release on Switch (and apparently on PS5 as wellOrdered this yesterday.
).
bender
What time is it?
Thanks for posting since I had no idea it has received a physical release on Switch (and apparently on PS5 as well
Play-Asia (use 'wario' for a discount code) might be less expensive than Amazon.co.jp but they sold out of the Switch Collector's Edition. I *think* the Amazon Exclusive Edition is just the keychain (pictured on the right) and the delta in Amazon editions is about $10 USD.
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digoutyoursoul
Member
“She had the smell of a brand new video game”
Rocco Schiavone
Member
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