Why are some gamers so desperate to go pro digital?

[Exhuminator]

This thread's gotten pretty big, so I guess I'll throw in my own opinion. There are strong arguments to make on both sides of the fence. Digital has its primary motivations; immediacy and convenience. Physical has its primary motivations; resale and longevity. So I really can't say with a straight face either approach is better than the other. Neither is.

That said, I will always buy physical if it's available. Probably because I'm an older dude who grew up pre-mobile age and likes seeing his gaming shelves full of pretty game cases. But if a game is digital only and I really want it, I will buy it digitally of course. I'm not such a Luddite as to ignore a good game simply because it only exists in the digital ether.

[Hobie-wan]

If, say right at this moment, Valve said "fuck you no more Steam", you are going to have a massive effort to unlock those games. There are millions of Steam users who can collaborate to get the job done. No question. If you have just 1% of the user base, even half of that 1%, of XBLA users who have downloaded stuff, find a way through to remove licenses, you will have those games unlocked and playing in no time at all.

It's a side diversion, but you're horribly underestimating the number of Steam users. This is from October, but still. I don't know of up to the minute XBOX logged in stats, but here's Steam numbers. There are far more PC hackers than console ones out in the world as well.

[darsparx]

@Exhuminator I'm the same way even though I grew up in the 90's. Something about seeing those shelves pretty full makes me pretty happy. I will get digital only games if I have to but if I can find a physical version I will get that before I ever get a digital version. Plus since i was little i've always tried to take the best care of my games(even though I got rid of the boxes for boxed games ). I think I may even make boxes/cases on my shelf for my digital games just to have a physical representation of the games I own

[Key-Glyph]

The loss of manuals really hit hard the other day. I went out with my daughter to buy Kirby Triple Deluxe. In the car she excitedly opened the case to find nothing but the digital manual pamphlet. She would have loved to read the manual, even if it was just one of those basic control booklets.

I just want to throw in on the manual lament. I passed up on the deal Nintendo recently had of buying one of a few physical 3DS games and getting Pokémon X or Y free largely because I love manuals and artwork. I still don't regret buying the physical copy of Pokémon, but I was totally deflated by the one-page flyer they had tucked in there. I wasn't expecting it.

I have a difficult time with digital manuals and struggled with the one in Pokémon. I either need to get comfortable with them quickly, or get comfortable with the concept of playing games without reading the manuals first. I'm not sure which will be less difficult.

I'm such an old person.

[GSZX1337]

Why do people prefer digital games? Why that's a simple question to answer! And in multiple sarcastic parts no less!

Well, I'm going to reply to these points about digital games? And in multiple sincere parts no less!

A) Because they enjoy paying money for something they're guaranteed to lose someday. Nothing is better than the comfort of knowing you won't be bothered by all those pesky games when the online service for your console of choice goes down in ten years!

You don't have to lose the games. If you're downloading DRM-free games you can backup your files as many times as you live and then some. If you're using Steam (not sure about Origin) there's some games (mostly older games) that don't require Steam to be running which can be backed up like DRM-free games. For the other games, there's always cracks. I'm not sure about PSN and XBLA, but I know Wiiware games can be pirated and moved from console to console. If there aren't ways to do so already, it's only a matter of time before you can break the copy protection of PSN/XBLA games and move the games from system to system.

B) Because they don't want any control over the product they payed money for. Stop living in the past with antiquated idea's like "play the game when I want to."

This is a simplification of the current digital games situation.

You should log in to EA's servers first! Oops, they're down.

I'm assuming you're talking about Sim City 2013. That definitely was bullshit and is a relevant point, last year. Sim City now has an offline mode. The thing is that the same thing can happen to a disc-based game.

Well how about a nice game Diablo 3? Still lagging in single player because it's raining out? That's okay, I heard Steam has a sale going!

Wait, what? Blizzard doesn't even sell their games on steam?

The above two points seem to be more about always-on DRM than about digital games.

I also heard Valve banned you for some vague reason and now you can't access your games.

This is a real stretch. With the exception of forcing you to agree to waiving your right to a class action lawsuit, Valve doesn't just lock people out. So long as you don't cheat in any VAC-secured games or troll in their forums you should be fine.

C) Because those bulky physical packages take up too much space, and we all know digital space is infinite right? You know, the PS4 and XBone have 500 GB's of hard drive space. That's the biggest of any console to date. Wow! I'm sure that will last long when 20+ GB game installs are becoming standard!

You do realize that you can upgrade the harddrive of the new consoles, right?

[MrEco]

Why do people prefer digital games? Why that's a simple question to answer! And in multiple sarcastic parts no less!

Well, I'm going to reply to these points about digital games? And in multiple sincere parts no less!

I hope nobody was put off by my sarcasm in that post. It was just in fun, because this is a subject I've ranted about before and I figured I would shake it up with a little attempt at comedy.

A) Because they enjoy paying money for something they're guaranteed to lose someday. Nothing is better than the comfort of knowing you won't be bothered by all those pesky games when the online service for your console of choice goes down in ten years!

You don't have to lose the games. If you're downloading DRM-free games you can backup your files as many times as you live and then some. If you're using Steam (not sure about Origin) there's some games (mostly older games) that don't require Steam to be running which can be backed up like DRM-free games. For the other games, there's always cracks. I'm not sure about PSN and XBLA, but I know Wiiware games can be pirated and moved from console to console. If there aren't ways to do so already, it's only a matter of time before you can break the copy protection of PSN/XBLA games and move the games from system to system.

Yes, but that only works with DRM free games as you pointed out. And this point is probably the most subjective, because to keep those digital titles then you have to put in extra work and money to store those games in a safe fashion. Personally, I'd just prefer to spend money once on buying the physical game and then play it whenever I want. I don't think I should have to jump through hoops to ensure my collection will stay around forever.

B) Because they don't want any control over the product they payed money for. Stop living in the past with antiquated idea's like "play the game when I want to."

This is a simplification of the current digital games situation.

A bit of a simplification, true, but the point stands. Digital distribution is by it's very nature a form of DRM that puts a wall between the consumer and their product. I can't re-download a game if my internet isn't working properly or if the website I bought it off is down. I can always put the disc into my system and just play it.

You should log in to EA's servers first! Oops, they're down.

I'm assuming you're talking about Sim City 2013. That definitely was bullshit and is a relevant point, last year. Sim City now has an offline mode. The thing is that the same thing can happen to a disc-based game.

I've never seen someone put always online DRM in a disc based game. The only possible exception is when disc based games are tied to services like Origin or Steam, but those hardly count as real physical releases because you can't install those games without an internet connection in the first place.

Well how about a nice game Diablo 3? Still lagging in single player because it's raining out? That's okay, I heard Steam has a sale going!

Wait, what? Blizzard doesn't even sell their games on steam?

The above two points seem to be more about always-on DRM than about digital games.

The "That's okay, I heard Steam has a sale going!" part was not meant to say that Blizzard sells their games on Steam. It was to segue into the next point, as if I was saying "Well you can't play Diablo 3, but you can probably buy something off of Steam to play instead."

I also heard Valve banned you for some vague reason and now you can't access your games.

This is a real stretch. With the exception of forcing you to agree to waiving your right to a class action lawsuit, Valve doesn't just lock people out. So long as you don't cheat in any VAC-secured games or troll in their forums you should be fine.

Maybe Valve doesn't, but they can. It's all to do with my general point in that second part of the post. You don't actually own anything that you buy digitally. Ultimately the power to control that product, when you can or can't download/access it, is up to the people you bought it from. Not yourself. Whether it's banning your account, shoving DRM into the game, tying a physical release to their digital service or whatever, you the consumer do not have true choice in the matter.

C) Because those bulky physical packages take up too much space, and we all know digital space is infinite right? You know, the PS4 and XBone have 500 GB's of hard drive space. That's the biggest of any console to date. Wow! I'm sure that will last long when 20+ GB game installs are becoming standard!

You do realize that you can upgrade the harddrive of the new consoles, right?

Yes, but again, that's more work and money. Alternatively I can just buy the game once in physical form and put it on the shelf I already have. This point of mine wasn't really trying to say that physical is better because of storage, it was merely to debunk the commonly believed myth that digital is better just because it doesn't take up physical space. I've seen many people (on this forum and elsewhere) praising our digital overlords that they no longer have to worry about finding shelf space for all their games. I was merely pointing out that it's a double sided sword, and neither is perfect.



Now don't get me wrong everyone, I understand that digital isn't pure evil and there are upsides to it (Price being a big one, at least on the PC side). My original post was just a colorful way of showing why I, personally, prefer physical media and why I dread the possibility of an all-digital future where physical games are no longer an option. I believe both can, and should, live together in harmony so that all of us gamers can go with whichever option we prefer.

[MrPopo]

I'm looking forward to 50 years from now when many fundamental services require an internet connection and we look back to this debate and wonder what the big deal was.

[CavZee]

I'm looking forward to 50 years from now when many fundamental services require an internet connection and we look back to this debate and wonder what the big deal was.

Well in 50 years I'll either be dead or will have new idea how to use my neurologically implanted cell phone/computer/VR gaming/personal TV OS without asking my grandson for help. So I'm not surethat will affect me. >_>

[ZeoDefender]

I'm looking forward to 50 years from now when many fundamental services require an internet connection and we look back to this debate and wonder what the big deal was.

In 50 years, quality and high-speed Internet will be far more ubiquitous than it is today.

[Exhuminator]

In 50 years, quality and high-speed Internet will be far more ubiquitous than it is today.

Exactly, one of the biggest issues here (in the USA at least) is our spotty internet infrastructure.