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[Deleted member 471617]

I don't even look at digital sales for games that are available on physical disc. I only buy Indie/PSN/XBLA games digitally and even then, my maximum limit is $10.

I'm still pissed I spent $10 on Assassin's Creed Chronicles China especially when it appears that there's going to be physical release with all three chronicles game in February. Oh well.

 

[modalife]

Preference. Personally, I like digital. Most of my friends LOVE physical copies. They're like trophies to them.

 

[Marty Chinn]

Sounds really dumb, i know... but does anyone else pass on digital game sales because they would rather have the physical copy?

I was looking through PSN Flash sale a few days ago (which had some great deals on games, like Arkham Knight for 25$)

A few games i still need like AK, Mad Max, MGSVTPP... all on sale for great prices... but i just couldnt bring myself to buy them because i want the disc sitting on my shelf with the rest of my collection. I feel stupid for passing on the sale, but theres just some part of me that would rather pay the extra 5-10$ for the physical copy instead.

Am I alone in this way of thinking?

All of those were on sale a month ago in physical form for cheaper. It's hard to pass up a digital sale since digital usually costs more and physical goes on sale before it does digitally. There's rarely a case where digital is enticing because the deal is usually late and more expensive.

 

[Wowfunhappy]

I started going retail only (if applicable) for my New 3DS since my sd card is getting full. I want to leave room for download only titles.

Micro SD cards are incredibly cheap. You should invest in one.

 

[haimon]

Considering physical game prices here, I am 100% digital.

I get to preload and buy at American prices. All good for me.

 

[dreamstation]

Given the prices on the AU PSN store (even during sales), 99% of the time it's cheaper getting a physical retail copy. That said though, I often pass on digital only games (such as Rocket League right now) in the hopes that they get a physical release including all of the DLC at a discount. Helldivers did this and I was glad I waited. Hopefully Rocket League does the same.

Yes, I missed it when it was on PS+

 

[dallow_bg]

I used to but now for ps4 I don't care anymore.
I'm not playing these games forever anyway. Let me save some money.

 

[soul creator]

I just buy whichever is cheaper, since it acts as a digital game either way

/posting from the alternate 2013 timeline

 

[M_A_C]

Console physical, PC digital. Mainly because the trade in credit is so good with GCU.

 

[joecanada]

Used to buy physical to share, now share accounts instead so digital all the way

 

[DJ_Lae]

I actually prefer digital now, although the cheaper deals still generally come on physical discs.

Selling games is more awkward and less profitable than it used to be, so I'd rather pay a little less and not have to swap discs - plus, the games are all getting installed anyway so it's not as if I save hard drive space by getting a disc.

 

[Stallion Dan]

EU digital prices blow, even in sales the digital price is higher than retail, so it's not really a question.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

I do the opposite. I always pass on retail and just wait til the digital version goes on sale.
I don't derive pleasure from having shelves full of stuff, I don't care for box art and I used to like looking through booklets, but most games don't have them anymore. They haven't since last gen. I'm also not a collector. I don't plan on selling stuff for more money and I don't intend to pass off my stuff to anyone. And I'm also not paranoid about my "digital rights" and having my accounts taken away or whatever.

Holy shit, I came to this thread to type a variation on this post. I agree with every single part of it.

I started the gen with a couple of physical PS4 games, but got pretty dismayed at the cheap plastic boxes cluttering up space, largely uninspired artwork, and the biggest crime of all, no booklets. So for PC, PS4, and (when I get it down the line) XBO, I will likely be fully digital.

The only current gen consoles I own physical for are Nintendo's, because their digital deals usually suck, I started the gen with the stock 32GBs (LOL), and I like consistency so physical it is.

 

[Hamster Plugin]

EU digital prices blow, even in sales the digital price is higher than retail, so it's not really a question.

The currently on going January Sale on EU PSN is cheaper than retail on a lot of games. I also got MGS5 for 35€ on the "12 deals of Christmas" which was cheaper than the ~50€ retail copies. Normal prices definitely blow, though. 70€ is fucking nuts.

Steam is much worse than PSN, considering that PC retail games go for a lot cheaper than PS4 retail games. The average PC retail game is 45€ while Steam charges 60€. Pretty much every 2015 game on the current Steam sale either matches or is more expensive than retail copies. Witcher 3 launched at 40€ on retail, Steam charged 60€.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

I usually buy physical but I'm getting tired of having to swap discs even though my consoles are all right next to me. Digital really is convenient if you have the space on your console and digital prices during sales are better than ever


One important factor for me is being able to share my games with friends and family and physical is the only way I can do that

 

[Pro from Dover]

Micro SD cards are incredibly cheap. You should invest in one.

Oh, totally. Got a 32g one in there now. But, did you know, for the New 3DS, you need to unscrew that baby and open it up to make that magic happen. So, thanks, no.

Spoiler

Wow, you totally come across as condescending.

 

[RadioHeadAche]

That's what I did for Danganronpa. If there's physical, I'd prefer that. Plus, you can resell them if they're not your thing.

 

[The_Inquisitor]

it's really a trade-off. Since I don't collect games I pick whichever option is cheapest if I were to sell the physical on eBay once completed.

 

[Bog]

I bought Wolfenstein the Old Blood on Amazon (retail) instead of digitally and paid like $4 more for it. Didn't bother me.

 

[Bear Force One]

Some people also do the opposite: passing on deals in retail (which can be very good) to stay fully digital.

That's me. Not going physical again if I can help it.

 

[Robot Pants]

Yep do it all the time.
Digital just isn't what I want yet. Discs are too big and hdds are too small

 

[Consumer]

At the end of the day this is yet another Digital vs. Retail thread, and at the end of the day it's always subjective. I've debated way too much about this issue.

Once you've accounted for objective factors like data cap/download speeds & digital taxation, there's several subjective factors to consider.
Do you want to resell your games, or build a library?
Do you wish to gameshare with friends digitally, or physically (rendering your discs vulnerable to loss/theft/damage)?
Do you gain some sort of sentimental value by having the games "in your hands" rather than merely the licenses, perhaps out of paranoia that PSN may shut down?

Don't feel stupid for having preferences, OP. Your purchase decisions don't really harm any of us.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Yeah, of course I do that. I like having the physical copy of a game whenever it's available. I'm not going to remember saving $5 a week after a buy a game, but I will enjoy seeing the game in its rightful place on my shelf.

 

[JaseC]

I ignore digital games on consoles unless they're exclusively digital or, in regard to the PS4 specifically, are PS+ bonuses.

 

[Dragon]

I ignore digital games on consoles unless they're exclusively digital or, in regard to the PS4 specifically, are PS+ bonuses.

Any particular reason? Cost, convenience...?

 

[ReaperXL7]

Which route I go tends to be based on what the game is and how much I will actually play it. If its a single player game that has a heavy date requirement I will usually go retail, but if its a game that has an emphasis on multiplayer or farming I will usually go digital.

As an example I saw no reason to buy games like FFXIV,ESO,Toukiden Kiwami, Dead or Alive or Destiny at retail because they are the kind of games I would like to just have at the ready when I want to jump in. Games like God of War, Uncharted, Witcher are games that I probably wont play as often once they are "Finished" so I'm fine having them on discs.

 

[JaseC]

Any particular reason? Cost, convenience...?

The relatively short span of generations. I don't see the value in cultivating a digital library on a platform that will be superseded no more than a handful of years following its release when the most likely outcome is that the purchases will not carry over, whereas I can flog off my physical games once I've no need for them, as I did last year with my X360 and PS3 libraries.

 

[EloKa]

I want my games on a shelf and collect dust. Also I want to know that they will still be there in 10 years.
My internet connection is slowish, downloading a 40gb AAA title is a no-go for myself if I feel like playing a specific game 'right now'.

 

[Deepo]

I pass on physical sales for digital copies instead.

 

[Terrible_Majesty]

Physical unless it's free on digital or digital only.

Games I know I will replay, physical.

Games I want to beat just once digital.

 

[dreamlongdead]

The only digital games I will get on 3DS are eShop only titles. I have five retail 3DS games currently saved on my system.

Last year, I bought Shin Megami Tensei IV, Etrian Odyssey IV and Untold digitally because they were half of their retail price. I saved a lot of money, but I will now buy physical retail games no matter what. I have New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Mario Golf: World Tour as Club Nintendo rewards.

I will admit that Atlus, Capcom, and other third party companies have enticing digital sales, even though I will not buy digital anymore. Nintendo, though, is an utter joke when it comes to digital pricing and sales. The retail store promotions are a godsend when it comes to collecting Nintendo 3DS cartridges.

 

[Crayolan]

If a physical version exists I won't buy the digital version, unless it's an old game for a console I'm never going to own anyway.

 

[Creaking]

I've been doing that lately, mostly because I still haven't upgraded my PS4's bog standard 500 gig hard drive. Wanted to play Wolfenstein: The Old Blood, but I didn't want to buy a 30+ gig download, even for $5.

 

[yarrmateys]

I passed up The Order @ $10 in the PSN sale in exchange for a $20 physical copy... not just because of the idea of owning the physical disc, but also because the 30GB download is brutal on my slow internet

 

[Caayn]

I do.

I'd rather pay a few bucks more and own a physical copy than pay a few bucks less and own a digital copy.

 

[Marvel]

I'll always buy physical I love collecting game boxes. Digital doesn't interest me in the slightest, and those prices are a joke.

 

[nelo_inc]

For me it really depends on the console:

- On XOne i buy almost everything digital (since i have an external hard drive);

- On PS4 i would say it's 50/50,mostly because of space limitations;

- On Wii U it's physical for sure,because of space and also because somehow i don't feel Nintendo it's so digital as Sony/Microsoft.

 

[PaulloDEC]

Did it just today with The Witcher 3. Could've got it for 30 bucks on Steam, but paid 35 (after a 25 dollar gift card) for a physical copy because the download would've totally trashed my data allowance for the month.

Plenty of times I've opted for physical just because, though. If I care about a game I like to have a physical product.

 

[Sniffynose]

Some people also do the opposite: passing on deals in retail (which can be very good) to stay fully digital.

This is me now, my wife loves her PS4 and Xbox one and being able to share between the two of us makes digital much more tolerable, a new physical game for example looks like this:

2 copies @ 79.99 each + tax = $180.78 cad eww...

Or

1 copy digital on PSN $79.99 and no tax (xbox taxes us though)

So $100 in savings on a new game, if we wait for digital sales it's even better.

Of course its gross to begin with that two people sitting next to each other both need ps+ (only one of us needs live) but to need 2 physical copies to play games together is evil, thankfully PSN and XBOX Live sort of have leeway with this (MS is better in a way since even my kids get live benefits yet i'd need more plus accounts if the game was on ps4 grrr)

So for some it definitely makes sense =)

 

[Jonneh3003]

The vast majority of the time preowned physical copies are cheaper than digital copies on sale. Not just on PSN or XBLA but Steam sales too. Obviously its not always the case as there can be some real bargains but most of the time I stick with physical for affordability and for actually owning the product.

 

[system11]

Usually the digital 'sale' is still more expensive than Amazon retail copies. They have to be compellingly cheaper because trawling all that data down is a pain in the ass.

 

[SpinningBirdKick]

Physical every time unless the title is digital only.

When you want to cash out and sell off all of your games collection you'll have a hard time doing that with digital copies.

 

[mokalovesoulmate]

In most cases I buy digital when discount (above 50%), but if I really liked the game, I buy the physical ones.

 

[Necron]

Always physical release unless it's only available digitally.

Still love to collect discs.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

I prefer to buy physical over digital literally every time unless the deal is irresistible for digital which is normally not near as often as it should be. Honestly, digital prices are normally ridiculous, but if the deal is good enough, I will buy digital without too many regrets. I love my physical games, but a $10-20 digital game over a $50-$60 physical game is hard to pass up.

 

[Gnome]

All physical does anymore is act as a license to the digital game that is downloaded regardless of having the disc. So no, I don't skip a digital deal for want of a disc.

That said, digital console deals are typically garbage.

 

[WITHE1982]

I normally stick to the golden rule that: If a physical copy is only £5-£10 more expensive then I'll always go for physical.

That being said I'm not against digital copies per-se. It's just you have to take into account your HDD size. My 2TB PS4 has only 400GB of space remaining so I tend to be a bit more frugal when it comes to massive downloads.

 

[bobbychalkers]

I do it all the time. I have a set pattern on what retail games I would buy on consoles. I have to deal with shitty circa ~2004 internet so large AAA games are a no go. My PS4 came with the Uncharted collection but I have no plans on downloading it anytime soon. The only console I will go all digital on is the Wii U since even their notable games are tiny.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

I do, all the time. I never buy any game digital if there's a physical copy available in fact, even if its been free on plus or heavily discounted, whatever. Fuck that digital shit.

 

[ThatStupidLion]

I strictly adhere to avoiding the tempting digital sales to stay physical. Really hard at times but i dont mind it. Saves money and back log time