• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

I just had an awesome idea about physical game releases!

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?
 
eNfBi3l.gif
 

Agent X

Member
That's not a bad idea, but it would be better if developers and publishers would perform proper quality control before they deem that their game is ready for release. Forums like this would be a great place for users to call out companies that are particularly good or particularly bad at these practices.
 

Mirumi

Neo Member
No. Physical media still accounts for 50% of sales at least estimated. Success of a game is often measured by initial sales and telling people to "wait" is not only disrespecting your customers but also hurts the sales for those that are holding out, and investors might miss out on reinvesting if numbers are too low and close studios and projects.

We aren't at a point where everyone wants digital, too much is still physical, look at Japan.

Finally, driveclub. There are plenty of games and dlc that people will miss out on digital or physical. Hell there are plenty of plat trophies unobtainable anymore due to servers closing. If anything this shows more of a weakness of digital media than physical.
 

Con-Z-epT

Live from NeoGAF, it's Friday Night!
The quality of the initial release on disc should be there at launch so that everyone is able to play through the game without any patch whatsoever. Everything else is just a waste in my opinion.

Doesn't the game version that will be on the disc also gets updated when the game has a newer version and it is still produced?
 

DaGwaphics

Member
Step One:

Plug the Ethernet cable into console. End of steps.

jk I see what you mean about years down the road and the disk versions being so broken. If you are a collector or something like that, probably best to go for the "platinum or GOTY" editions and things like that. They are released some time after the initial launch, so, maybe they have a better version going.
 
Last edited:

Matt_Fox

Member
Physical is the past, digital is the future.

The stable doors are open, the horse has bolted, the ship has sailed, whatever metaphor you want.

I think the latest Far Cry had more GB in the download than actually on the disc.
 
I just want physical games reversible sleeves to at least be the cover art without all the logo and legal crap all over it, if they don't do their own creative reversible cover. At least then we could reverse it after purchase and it would look a lot better in our collections.
 
Last edited:
So you need to buy game twice?
Only if you really want to play it as soon as it comes out and want to collect the disc for archiving purposes, sure.

However, you would have the choice to wait a month while the idiots beta test the launch edition.

Doesn't the game version that will be on the disc also gets updated when the game has a newer version and it is still produced?
No, the disc never gets updated again. Even if they re-release a PlayStation Hits version like they did with DriveClub. It still has version 1.00 on it.

Same thing goes for "complete editions"... often times it will be the base game with a code inside that grants you access to all the DLC to download from PSN.
 
Last edited:

Con-Z-epT

Live from NeoGAF, it's Friday Night!
No, the disc never gets updated again. Even if they re-release a PlayStation Hits version like they did with DriveClub. It still has version 1.00 on it.

Same thing goes for "complete editions"... often times it will be the base game with a code inside that grants you access to all the DLC to download from PSN.
Oh than this is a misconception on my side. Thanks for the info. Can't believe nobody would update the poor game. :messenger_grinning_squinting:
 

German Hops

GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
9ceecb71-e8ee-49a1-830c-3236320ec6fd_screenshot.jpg


So, day one digital buyers are relegated to being beta testers who PAY for the game, rather than getting PAID to be actual beta testers??
My God. The hustle is real..
 
Last edited:

Imtjnotu

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?
michael GIF
 

01011001

Banned
That's not a bad idea, but it would be better if developers and publishers would perform proper quality control before they deem that their game is ready for release. Forums like this would be a great place for users to call out companies that are particularly good or particularly bad at these practices.

forums like this one sadly also have a lot of people on it that are low IQ and will counter that argument with shit like "WHo hAs No iNTerNeT cONneCtioN tHEse daYs??? DuHhhuUhhhh"
 
They already do that for games after launch. In my opinion a consumer friendly practice would be to allow people that bought early versions of a game with a lot of bugs at some point later when physical versions are of better quality be able to come into a retailer and exchange the game. I know with so many physical retailers things could be very messy but there could easily be arrangements made between publishers and retailer chains especially big ones like Microsoft or Sony with Wal mart etc. I'd say gamestop as well but that might be a little messy with their used game sales with opportunity for them to be grimy and resell the buggy one or it possibly hurting their used game sales where they make most of their income from.

Idk just seems there should be a way to do that in this day and age for ppl wanting to go physical. The disc's don't cost much at all so when the inevitable game of year versions come out let ppl trade their copy of what they expected to get when they bought it for one that actually has or doesn't have what they bought it for.
That was a bad example by the way, since game of the year always has extra content and you'd always get people trying to exploit the system but there's ways they can address that I'm sure, and hey maybe even just allow them that game of the year content since they paid for your buggy game played it and waited that long for the disc they bought with the game on it to work as they thought it would. But even if they're against giving the extra game of the year content there is always 2nd and 3rd runs of most games, and most definitely the more popular ones. Let em trade in their defective buggy product they bought for a product that works like it shold have when they bought it to begin with.

I'm in a situation now where I can't even play cod mw 19 cuz my internet hardly works where I am now and I end up using my 5g hotspot some but the area I'm in it's still painfully slow.

Of course they made me install warzone along with single player packs. I pop disc in tells me I need another 85 GB update when mind you I just did that a week ago and it took a week to do it. So I say he'll ill go offline and play the campaign. Nope you won't That damn black box said to me through the TV. You need to be online because you're missing content. Another time said it's because I need the single player packs which I have already. Tried multiple things and nothing worked. So I wasted a whole week of slow internet downloading it when I could have been downloading other things I could actually use.

Stuff like this needs to end it's bs. I'm old school. I like having physical representations of things I buy and like to display things I like to collect as well. Then I can say they are truly mine. I'm financially strapped at the moment so nothing I can do. Not working full time and make just enough to scrape by most weeks. There's only a few different companies that offer service for internet here and I'm in a rural area in a valley surrounded by hills and trees so even though I'm unable to afford it, it still wouldn't matter to much. It may work better but not as good as it should for what I'd be paying for. Here's an example. I have tmobile top plan and have had it for ages and I'm grandfathered in. Up north I had an unlimited hotspot cap and no bs my 5g speed tests showed over 800 mbs on a multitude of tests. Here the highest I've been able to get it was 25 mbs, that was l peak speed not avg. and that was accomplished by slowly walking around watching the speed go up or down just to find the best place to put my ancient original day 1 xbox 1, broken hdmi port ps4 that I can't afford to pay 110$ to fix (been trying to practice soldering but micro soldering is a different beast from what I read and I have a soldering gun but I don't have a micro soldering one, don't have the magnifying glass, light, heat gun to do it anyway.) ps3 xbox360 and wii at. Idk man but this stuff pisses me off, I just want to be able to play the games I bought and a lot of times I can't.

I visited an aunts house once and made sure to bring my 2TB and 500gb external drives to fill em up and update everything while there. Gives me option on gears 5 to shrink, it's a pretty big game near 100gb I think k it was. Says something in description about what it does. Went something like removes higher quality textures your xbox can't use reducing bloated game sizes. I say great go it. Shrinks it in half basically. I'm like nice that's another whole game or even multiple ones if I want I can put on there now, so I do. Go back home and a week or so later try to start it up says campaign not available the newer add on campaign gone as well. File was still 40 some odd gb and I believe there was only a few multi-player modes and maps you could play so having shitty internet that was the end of it for me. I own the disc so deleted it reinstalled using disc and can't still can't play 85 gb update required. It's fucking bs. Idk if that feature works better on series s or x but I can't afford one of those fuckers anyway.It's straight bs. Wanna play madden, wreckfest, drive 5, minecraft dungeons or mlb the show 21? Sorry too bad you can't. Need updates all the damn time. I will credit The Show their updates are always pretty small. I wanna play Forza 5 but that would prob take 2 damn weeks to finish.

Ugh sorry for the rant and length but been in a pissy mood and had to get at least this off my chest. This physical thing can be fixed if they want to which is the point of the thread and they should figure out a way that's OK for all developers publishers and retailers involved to be able to do it without being scammed in the process. Idk, see ya, have a good one everyone.
 
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?

I think it's a cute idea just like you are lil timmy but..

KYFVyG1.gif
 
Last edited:

Griffon

Member
OP what you describe is a physical GOTY edition or Complete edition. It already exists.

But as you can see, it's not a common practice.
 
Last edited:
Only if you really want to play it as soon as it comes out and want to collect the disc for archiving purposes, sure.

However, you would have the choice to wait a month while the idiots beta test the launch edition.


No, the disc never gets updated again. Even if they re-release a PlayStation Hits version like they did with DriveClub. It still has version 1.00 on it.

Same thing goes for "complete editions"... often times it will be the base game with a code inside that grants you access to all the DLC to download from PSN.
This isn’t true.

For example spyro the reignited trilogy had a second disc print that has all 3 games on disc and no patching needed unlike the launch disc. Remember when only spyro 1 was on the disc? I have the new disc.

Just recently I found out the witcher 3 complete edition had the dlc on disc on ps4.
 

sojuwarrior

Member
a better idea would be to develop a way to install the latest update in the physical disc.
or a pick/choose option to select the version of the patch you wish to install.
 
Uuuh, no? I don't think you actually put any thought into this.

  • I don't see how it could ever go well to "delay" the physical release of the game months or years after the game originally released. Gamers wouldn't put with that, being forced to buy a digital version they don't want if they want to play at launch, or any point before they release the physical version.
  • Even if they waited, how much would the "complete" version cost? The game would be old by then in most cases. Are they going to charge full cost, invoking the ire of would be buyers? Do you sell at a discounted price, also annoying people that paid full price for all the dlc, etc, as it came out?
  • Doing this would clearly set your digital buyers as your "free" beta testers, who would feel punished for being early adopters. At least right now EVERYONE is a beta tester.
  • Retail stores wouldn't put up with it. They would probably stop carrying games.

The internet is incredible, but unfortunately it has made developers lazy, because they can always fix it later, and/or greedy, because of questionable monetization. Ideally, the game that is on the disc should be complete on its own. As to what that means, it's gonna vary from game to game, but I feel that as a minimum the game should be entirely on the disc and can boot (no downloads required for this), the performance is as good as its gonna get, bugs are kept to a minimum and no on disc dlc. Complete or GOTY skus can be released later. Patient gamers, like myself, can get this version eventually. What matters is not taking options away from gamers. If you do this, all you'll manage is piss them off.
 

sn0man

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. /rant

What do y'all think? Crazy?
Alternative idea. Release the game as digital, physical, and definitive physical.

digital and physical work the way they do now.

Definitive costs more than either.

Definitive gives you a digital code. The game is available on day 1 to download. You play the game that same way with digital and physical copies like it’s a digital copy (online and all that).

Patches come and everyone gets them.

when the studio is done, they use that extra money to stamp out discs/carts (“media”). They send you that definitive in the mail. If you insert the media into the console the digital version is disabled.

Now you have the definitive physical version of the game.
 
My point is, waiting for the game to be less buggy doesn’t really work for me because version 1.0 is still on the disc.

Also, I didn’t know Spyro was re-released. How do I find out if the disc has all the content on it before I buy it and not just some code inserted inside to redeem the content?

One thing that comes to mind is The Last Guardian can’t even be finished with the code that’s on the disc. It freezes in a couple spots making you NEED to download the patch to continue.
 

Miles708

Member
That's goty editions.
And I think you're also on to something here. Limited Run Games (et similia) already do that and it's a blessing when you got everything on disc.

They're the only sensical way to buy games nowadays. Fight me.
 

NewYork214

Member
So when the game is past its launch window and on sale.

On side note. I just started buying physical games again since ps4 launch. Death stranding few weeks ago (cheap for the $10 ps5 upgrade). And just got far cry 6 and guardians of the galaxy with the buy 2 get 1 deal on Amazon. Mixing it up this gen.
 

AGRacing

Gold Member
Didn't GTA Definitive Edition have this idea already?

I Got It Party GIF by Red Fang


Just kidding. They'll be nowhere near fixed by physical release next month.
 
Top Bottom