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I just had an awesome idea about physical game releases!

gundalf

Member
We kinda already have this happening regularly in the indie space with early access and initial digital only releases where the later retail versions already comes patched.
 

arvfab

Banned
A more feasible solution, would be to give the possibility to download and backup patches to, e.g. USB or even via PC, and giving the possibility to install them offline. So you could save the patches to all the games important to you.
 

jshackles

Gentlemen, we can rebuild it. We have the capability to make the world's first enhanced store. Steam will be that store. Better than it was before.
a better idea would be to develop a way to install the latest update in the physical disc.
This is the right answer, especially with something like Switch cartridges. Add a small amount of writable scratch space to each cartridge as emmc. When the game gets updated, write the latest update to the cartridge itself rather than to the console. That way, the cartridge itself is always up to date, even if your console dies or if you place that cartridge in an entirely new console.

Would obviously require a the entire process to be re-engineered. New type of cartridges, new type of hardware, new operating system to support it, etc. But it would be the most ideal scenario to calm OPs fears.
 
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Kenneth Haight

Gold Member
homer GIF

Fantastic idea…….
 

Rest

All these years later I still chuckle at what a fucking moron that guy is.
Or they could do what the used to and update the physical version with patches. Not ever game used to be v1.0.0, later printings got updates, especially in the case of game breaking bugs.
 

Midn1ght

Member
Or you just release a GOTY, Definitive, Complete, Full Edition a year or two later for every game but good luck with that.

Good one OP.
 
Not even close to 50% lol. Almost all publishers are showing 80%+ digital these days.
I wondered about that when I saw the post. There’s no way physical is any where near 50% any more, surely?

It’s a diehard subset of gamers these days (and I don’t understand it myself but each to their own) but I don’t believe/can’t imagine it’s even close to 30% any more.

People are still swapping discs? Really?
 
I wondered about that when I saw the post. There’s no way physical is any where near 50% any more, surely?

It’s a diehard subset of gamers these days (and I don’t understand it myself but each to their own) but I don’t believe/can’t imagine it’s even close to 30% any more.

People are still swapping discs? Really?
For me it’s 3 things:

1. Collecting the games is part of the fun
2. Can let friends borrow them when I’m done or sell them
3. Game preservation when the servers inevitably go down.

Bonus: discs aren’t tied to any particular account.
 

EDMIX

Member
So you know how games these days are pretty buggy and unfinished at launch? Well, that also means the disc contains the buggiest version of the game which is bad for the distant future where patches may not be available and you just wanna re-play an old classic.

Well, here's my idea to fix that.

Release the game as digital only on launch day. Let the people who MUST have the game, get it, download it, deal with the bugs and patches. Then after a couple months (max), release the disc version with the crucial bug fixes that were found since the digital version came out. Obviously bug fixes and content will continue to be added over time, but at least the version that's on the disc is in a more playable state with the day one patch and features like photo mode and stuff like performance RT mode in Ratchet and Clank that was added after the game was pressed to disc.

I thought of this idea, because a few games have been coming out recently that don't have a physical release until a little bit later than the digital release. Off the top of my head, Kena is doing this as well as Wreckfest was for PS+ a month before the physical copy came out and the same thing happened with the sugar glider game called "Away", although it was only a week apart. I think also, Metro Exodus Enhanced was available to download before the disc version was created.

Anyone else think this might at least solve some of the issues with physical releases? Yeah, it would suck to have to wait an extra month or 2, but maybe not suck as bad knowing that you'll be getting a decent version of the game on disc.

I'm still sad that DriveClub was never re-released with all the patches and content ON DISC so that people who didn't get to download all the DLC are missing out on 80% of the game. Even the free items can't be downloaded anymore. Also, how long will the update servers be active for the updates that gave us the rainy/snowy weather conditions? The base game is so bare-bones that it's not even funny. You also can't even get the DriveClub Bikes DLC anymore. /rant

What do y'all think? Crazy?

You know what......thats actually a fucking great idea.


Its why I had no issue with Hitman releasing in parts as the game already exist in parts ie level by level, the people playing it provide feedback, those that want it on disc GET the best version already updated, win win. Only thing I see with this is that we already kinda have something like that with GOTY versions many times, but what you are saying is more like a standard where the disk is pressed only after months of patches and the worst issues are corrected.
 

Mirumi

Neo Member
Recent reports show in Europe that ps5 owners prefer boxes. You can find it in one of the threads created today.

With Japan as well, seems digital still isn't the majority.
 
You buying an unfinished disc that requires an update to even work is by design.

This way they have control over the release both digital and physical and when they decide you don't get to play that game anymore they can just make the required day one update unavailable. If Rockstar could make my Xbox GTA: San Andreas disc cease to function so that I'd have to buy the new version I'm sure they would.
 

dano1

A Sheep
Just like electric cars it’s coming wether you like it or not. All digital is the future!! And I’m all for it
 
Here’s an idea. Why not just release a functional, unbroken game at launch with minimal bugs? I don’t mind some glitches and things getting fixed later, but I think too many developers rely on the release now, fix later strategy.
 

Dr. Claus

Vincit qui se vincit
So you know how games these days are pretty buggy and unfinished at launch? Well, that also means the disc contains the buggiest version of the game which is bad for the distant future where patches may not be available and you just wanna re-play an old classic.

Well, here's my idea to fix that.

Release the game as digital only on launch day. Let the people who MUST have the game, get it, download it, deal with the bugs and patches. Then after a couple months (max), release the disc version with the crucial bug fixes that were found since the digital version came out. Obviously bug fixes and content will continue to be added over time, but at least the version that's on the disc is in a more playable state with the day one patch and features like photo mode and stuff like performance RT mode in Ratchet and Clank that was added after the game was pressed to disc.

I thought of this idea, because a few games have been coming out recently that don't have a physical release until a little bit later than the digital release. Off the top of my head, Kena is doing this as well as Wreckfest was for PS+ a month before the physical copy came out and the same thing happened with the sugar glider game called "Away", although it was only a week apart. I think also, Metro Exodus Enhanced was available to download before the disc version was created.

Anyone else think this might at least solve some of the issues with physical releases? Yeah, it would suck to have to wait an extra month or 2, but maybe not suck as bad knowing that you'll be getting a decent version of the game on disc.

I'm still sad that DriveClub was never re-released with all the patches and content ON DISC so that people who didn't get to download all the DLC are missing out on 80% of the game. Even the free items can't be downloaded anymore. Also, how long will the update servers be active for the updates that gave us the rainy/snowy weather conditions? The base game is so bare-bones that it's not even funny. You also can't even get the DriveClub Bikes DLC anymore. /rant

What do y'all think? Crazy?

We already see this with Limited Run Games. The game releases, is out for months or years, and you get a fully patched release (until the devs decide to release new content randomly and frustrate the fucking piss out of me, god damnit WayForward STOP DOING THIS).
 

dano1

A Sheep
Welp, there goes game preservation.
How do you think most files are saved now with big companies. Everything is going paperless and saved on multiple servers and cloud storage. How is most music played today. I’ve played more albums and songs on Apple Music then I’ve ever owed and I’m pretty sure that’s not going away.
 

Flutta

Banned
Ah another digital worshiper obsessed with how people consume their entertainment. So basically lets accept broken games during release and at the same time kill off ownership at a faster rate.
Wow…..
Meme Reaction GIF
 

Fredrik

Member
How about not releasing unfinished games?

Or how about never delisting digital games or take down the servers?

I have games from the early 80s that I can still play, either by using the soon dead cassette tapes and floppies or by using digital ripped versions.
Those old games will outlive me.

But modern games might not be around even 5 years from now unless pirates go in to save them or the industry change how they’re doing things.
 
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How do you think most files are saved now with big companies. Everything is going paperless and saved on multiple servers and cloud storage. How is most music played today. I’ve played more albums and songs on Apple Music then I’ve ever owed and I’m pretty sure that’s not going away.
And what do you suppose happens when those big companies decide the game is no longer for sale and there's no way to play it anymore? All it takes is a push of a button and they can pull your access to that game. Same thing with Apple Music. The music can be here one day and gone the next. However, when you own a disc, the company can't take that away from you unless they come into your home and steal it and with CDs, I'm free to copy and save all of that data on my own hard drives and they're mine until someone physically takes them away from me.
 

dano1

A Sheep
And what do you suppose happens when those big companies decide the game is no longer for sale and there's no way to play it anymore? All it takes is a push of a button and they can pull your access to that game. Same thing with Apple Music. The music can be here one day and gone the next. However, when you own a disc, the company can't take that away from you unless they come into your home and steal it and with CDs, I'm free to copy and save all of that data on my own hard drives and they're mine until someone physically takes them away from me.
CharacteristicPhysicalDigital*
201817%83%
201721%79%
201626%74%
201531%69%
201439%61%
201346%54%
201254%46%
201165%35%
201069%31%
200980%20%

Well you might not like it but I have a feeling the next systems will be strictly digital and big hard drives. I really did think digital was even this high of a percent and this was 2018!!
 

bender

What time is it?
This is the right answer, especially with something like Switch cartridges. Add a small amount of writable scratch space to each cartridge as emmc. When the game gets updated, write the latest update to the cartridge itself rather than to the console. That way, the cartridge itself is always up to date, even if your console dies or if you place that cartridge in an entirely new console.

Would obviously require a the entire process to be re-engineered. New type of cartridges, new type of hardware, new operating system to support it, etc. But it would be the most ideal scenario to calm OPs fears.

I always thought it would be an interesting idea for LRG to offer final release (Final Run) copies of games after development and patching had been completed.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
This is the worst thing I’ve ever heard lol.
the fact that physical is buggy is the essence! you can choose to update or not.
The solution it’s to just let me back up patch files like it was possible on Xbox 360
 
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