Varies from game to game unfortunately.
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Rumour: No physical release for Batman: Arkham Knight PC
- Thread starter JaseC
- Start date
Varies from game to game unfortunately.
Yeah here in Switzerland, PC games shelves are still a thing. And you can even get retail versions for "small" indie games, so it's not limited to AAA stuff either.
zerokoolpsx
Member
Surprised they still make physical versions of PC games. Only one shelf for PC games over here.
I welcome our digital overlords.
I welcome our digital overlords.
AHA-Lambda
Member
Considering Amazin is selling it wwaaaayyy cheaper than Steam and my internet sucks ass, this is bullshit.
Visualante2
Member
Prices will get higher now there is a digital monopoly. No way to strip retail codes and resell.
I actually see physical releases becoming more relevant to me as I don't want to download 50gb games. It ties up my connection for days.
I actually see physical releases becoming more relevant to me as I don't want to download 50gb games. It ties up my connection for days.
doctorcdcs
Member
Man... As much as I like digital copies, nothing compares to a well done physical PC box release. Love having them on my shelf.
By "well done" in today's standards I mean a game disc and a manual that isn't a leaflet, and is an actual manual.
By "well done" in today's standards I mean a game disc and a manual that isn't a leaflet, and is an actual manual.
Visualante2
Member
Same in the UK. I saw gone home, goat simulator and a bunch of other noteworthy indie titles at GAME. The PC selection was actually quite reasonable. Bigger than Vita or WiiU
Did you not bother to read some of the responses from the first page?
Its been stated many times that retail is much cheaper than digital in some territories.
Nocturno999
Member
This game is going to be too expensive on my country's Steam so I was planning to buy it from Amazon.
The Abominable Snowman
Member
In the beginning of the 360 generation/during the first Xbox's life, there were many debates about games going digital with HDDs being standard. A common argument was that people wouldn't be getting the full game-owning experience since they cant smell the manual.
styl3s
Member
Very, very, very small section in Target and Best Buy here. Best Buy is probably the worst to buy games these days at least here because they keep everything in this little cage and the workers have stopped putting display cases to bring up they only put out a hand full of new ones and 0 PC ones so you have to go up and ask if they have it in stock and 100/100 times you ask here they never know what the fuck you are talking about and you have to go up to the cage with them and watch them fight this lock on it for 5 minutes only to spend another 5 minutes looking for the game. It's the worst.
Target has like 1 shelf for new PC games and its only ever like the newest Call of Duty or Assassins Creed.
They all come with digital manuals and it literally takes 2 seconds to google control schemes etc. Personally i am glad they cut back because it's a waste of paper. You don't need a manual with Madden or Call of Duty or Assassins Creed and by the time you are done with forced tutorials you don't need one with JRPG's etc. They make big CE guides and stuff for people who want the art and guides and information.
You can still sell CEs with a key.
sixteen-bit
Member
What if it's a box with a code in it?
How big is the download going to be?
I've actually had to go back to physical for some big AAA PC games. I'm buying GTA V on disc because there's no way I'm going to be able to download 65 gigs off of Steam.
So far, no massive games have gone digital-only. The closest thing I can think of is Alien: Isolation, which doesn't have a physical PC version in North America and is 30GB.
I've actually had to go back to physical for some big AAA PC games. I'm buying GTA V on disc because there's no way I'm going to be able to download 65 gigs off of Steam.
So far, no massive games have gone digital-only. The closest thing I can think of is Alien: Isolation, which doesn't have a physical PC version in North America and is 30GB.
Zalusithix
Member
The only physical copies of PC games that I've gotten in the last decade plus have been a hand full of LEs and Kickstarter reward tiers. It's not really surprising to see the boxed game go the way of the dodo. Rather, it's harder to understand how they've managed to hold on for so long on a digital distribution dominated platform. Especially given that the physical copies are generally garbage compared to what you got back in the day.
this hasn't been the case for the Game stores i've been to. its only been wow expansions and a few garbage games. it's been a while since i've been in one so thing might have changed.
Yeah me too. I'm actually surprised this is still a thing.
SmartWaffles
Member
I wouldn't realize that physical PC game is a thing until this thread pops up.
curiouscharles
Member
crazy! i had no idea!
i had been out of PC gaming for ~10 years, and when i went to buy Titanfall [among others] i was shocked to see not a single store stocked PC games anymore...
jealous of y'all's boxes!
If you come to Europe you'd discover that HUGE numbers of PC games are released on disc including low cost indie titles you'd never expect to find. It's quite something.
edit - looks like someone beat me to the punch. Yes, PC game selections are HUGE over here. The PC section at a local Saturn, for instance, is actually larger than all of the console shelves put together.
gigantor21
Member
The only reason I still know is because I like to track game rankings/pricing on Amazon so much.
The last physical PC game I bought was Stranglehold.
Gamezone
Gold Member
So if you want to give little Billy a hard gift for his birthday, what do you do? Not to think of how many sales they will lose around christmas.
Hamster Plugin
Member
Come on, the thread is less than two pages long. Others have already explained this: the prices in European Steam are stupidly high which drives people to buy cheaper retail copies.
Yeah, they're Steam keys in a box - that makes them even better because you get all the benefits of Steam while paying the lower price of a retail copy.
Darkroronoa
Member
As an example, here in greece you can pre-order retail arkham knight for 35€ while the steam price is 50€ (even ps4 retail is 55€, the pc retail is really cheap)
Αnother example, dying light retail is 23€
Αnother example, dying light retail is 23€
You're implying companies even bother to release the collector's editions for the PC versions of games... >>
giant_frying_pan
Member
Heh, I just pre ordered this on the back of the new footage yesterday.
I won't re-order for £6 more if Warner cancels the physical release, so the ball is in their court I guess
I won't re-order for £6 more if Warner cancels the physical release, so the ball is in their court I guess
GhostTrick
Banned
Fantastapotamus
Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
As a PC gamer I have to say: Okay
RipperGrim
Member
The game is going to be big so this will be very shitty for those with slow or capped net speeds.
If this is true I wonder if this is the beginning of the end for physical discs for PC? I personally haven't bought any discs for quite a while and I've been expecting it to happen for while now.
If this is true I wonder if this is the beginning of the end for physical discs for PC? I personally haven't bought any discs for quite a while and I've been expecting it to happen for while now.
Let's face it : the death of physical PC releases is a question of when, not if. Square Enix have switched to digital for their PC games in the US. Europe is next.
CyberPunked
Member
They still sell physical PC games?
Only Blizzard Collector Edition's that's it really for me.
The only physical copies that will stick around will be collector's editions
Schweinehund
Member
I already bought my copy at gmg. The preload is going to be horrific on my connection.
This is really shitty news for the people who have strict bandwidth caps.
Pretty much in the same boat. Just leave my comp on at night and it takes a few days but it gets done.
This is really shitty news for the people who have strict bandwidth caps.
Pretty much in the same boat. Just leave my comp on at night and it takes a few days but it gets done.
First company to tie getting a digital version but also being sent the physical collectors stuff, are going to make a chunk of money. I know plenty of people who just want a digital copy but want those physical collectors stuff too
Psyrgery ES
Member
*Brofist.
My main gaming platform is the PC, and all of my games are physical editions. Sometimes I stare at my beautiful collection and lose the notion of time (well, not like that, but you get the point
)Oh BTW, if the op is true, then that's a bummer for me
Yes. many people still buy them, I think it's mostly outside America. look at Amazon Uk for an example tons of new PC games from the big publishers like 2K or Bethesda are on Discs
Many of these releases games also are Steamworks, mean that you use the Disc/Discs to install the game on Steam after putting the Steam key, this help people with slow internet or bandwith cap, especially nowadays games are huge like 30~ 50GBs
I didn't think of that, that is a point too yes.
Though here in Norway sometimes the steam prices are actually a bit cheaper than the retail versions sometimes. It varies quite a bit of course.
chromatic9
Member
Never come across that. All my PC disc games have the full game on the disc. The last one I bought being Watch Dogs which comes on three discs.
I can only think CD key on a disc is some high street store gimmick to jump on the Steam bandwagon, its no way the norm or even considered a physical copy.
So yes 100% indeed it does save you from downloading.
I'm in the UK so pretty sad to see no DVD release. Can be a good way to buy games cheaper than Steam.