Which game medium do you prefer?

[KDub]

Cartridge!
Be it in the form of a classic style Cart, a Hu/Master System Cards, DS Cards, or giant Neo Geo cartridges.

After that optical media beats download but only because I like owning physical copies. Disc based games are too fragile for my tastes and some day a lot of early games will be lost forever in the wild if they were on optical discs. There is simply no way to not scratch a disc, just playing it can scratch it. Plus a lot of early optical discs are starting to show disc rot now.

[Gamerforlife]

Cartridge!
Be it in the form of a classic style Cart, a Hu/Master System Cards, DS Cards, or giant Neo Geo cartridges.

After that optical media beats download but only because I like owning physical copies. Disc based games are too fragile for my tastes and some day a lot of early games will be lost forever in the wild if they were on optical discs. There is simply no way to not scratch a disc, just playing it can scratch it. Plus a lot of early optical discs are starting to show disc rot now.

Yup, I hate that. It's why I understand those people who collect sealed games. It's the only way you're going to keep a disc in pristine condition. I don't mind so much that digital downloads have no physical form anymore. I mean, a lot of great digital games would never be released otherwise and as a collector, it's still fun to show off whatever great games you have downloaded to your 3DS or Xbox Live/PSN account, like showing someone what's on your ipod.

Nothing beats good old fashioned cartridges though, but I love the whole enchilada. Carts with their original boxes and manuals.. Not much in my collection brings a smile to my face like some of my CIB SNES or Genesis games

[AppleQueso]

There is simply no way to not scratch a disc, just playing it can scratch it. Plus a lot of early optical discs are starting to show disc rot now.

Tell that to all the games, cds, and movies I own that have been played yet remain scratch free.

Also disc rot is a manufacturing issue that only affects a minority of discs.

[Gamerforlife]

There is simply no way to not scratch a disc, just playing it can scratch it. Plus a lot of early optical discs are starting to show disc rot now.

Tell that to all the games, cds, and movies I own that have been played yet remain scratch free.

I doubt that. You hold any disc that's been used a few times up to a bright enough light and you WILL see scratches....unless it's blueray

[AppleQueso]

It's true, I have discs with no scratches that have been played. Not counting used stuff of course, but it's really not that hard to keep a disc in nice condition...

Hey if you want to believe that a laser not making physical contact with the plastic part of a disc is somehow scratching it go ahead.

Scratches can come from all kinds of places, (those cd binders are the worst) but not from merely playing a disc, ESPECIALLY scratches that could render a disc unusable.

[Forlorn Drifter]

Carts. Carts. Carts.

I like CD's though. Don't give them to idiots/small children, and you're good.

[SwooshBear]

There's something I love about just having my games on carts. You can't stack discs or downloads, and it doesn't matter if you don't have a case or box for your carts like it does when your missing a case for a disc.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Digital. Takes up no space, easily recoverable. Can't scratch. Can't have pin corrosion.

Second place are cards. Not traditional carts. Think DS and PSVita things.

[J T]

Digital. Takes up no space, easily recoverable. Can't scratch. Can't have pin corrosion.

Seconded. It's the only way I can have the collection I do without owning a mansion where one wing is devoted entirely to storing videogames. Also, games are more easily kept alive and available for purchase over extended time periods thanks to digital media.

I do love a good cartridge though. Booting a PC and launching Steam is never as gratifying as jamming in a SNES cart and locking the power switch into place. I love that feeling.

[Key-Glyph]

Bahaha! Who didn't see that poll result coming from a mile away?

There is simply no way to not scratch a disc, just playing it can scratch it.

This. There's something to be said for a medium -- be it cartridge, cassette tape, or VHS -- that can be practically thrown across a room without getting damaged.