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[ShadyAcshuns]

I've been a collector of physical games for generations, amassing hundreds of them. Always appreciating the feeling of ownership and having that tangible presence of seeing my physical games on the shelves. I loved reading those manuals while sift through prints that usually included hints and colorful displays of the controls.

Sadly, those days are gone forever and we will not be getting them back. The once-convenient features of having physical media are diminishing faster than the blink of an eye. With Nintendo allowing owners to share digital games now, all we have left now over digital is reselling of physical copies. Physical advocates used to champion the fact that those without internet had a way to get games, but now virtually everybody can download games online, and even out in the wild we can use our smartphones to tether with wifi networks to authenticate digital gaming. Physical proponents also used to point to physical games getting massive sales, but that rarely is the case these days, especially with fewer places to actually buy physical games.

With key card cartridges, Blu ray games that require large downloads, what are we doing by holding on to the past when those conveniences have been kicked to the curb? So I ask my fellow physical gamers: is it time to move on, or is there still hope for clutching that plastic copy firmly in our hands until death do us part?

 

[BossLackey]

I'm moving on for the most part. I'll get physical games here and there where it's convenient/cheap/novel, but not outside of that.

We've been moving this direction for a very long time and for me personally, I've hit my point of no return. This isn't the future any more. It's the present and it's here whether we like it or not.

Anyone clinging to physical moving forward, I wish you luck, but I have better things to do with my time than hunt for plastic.

 

[Eimran]

No

 

[Danjin44]

 

[Duchess]

No, dammit!

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

With regards to current and new games: Yes, it's dead.
If you're a retro gamer and like collecting: Why change anything?
If digital is the only option, at least in my view it becomes almost mandatory to use an open platform instead of a gated ecosystem where some de facto monopoly f you sideways all the time.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

but now virtually everybody can download games online

What happens when a company turns off download servers 10 years from now?

Then again it's an industry that absolutely hates game preservation…

 

[Labadal]

On PC, yes. On consoles, no.

 

[Sooner]

On PC, yes. On consoles, yes.

It doesn't matter what you WANT. Physical is dead. Still buying Physical games at this point only ensures you won't have access to those games next generation.

 

[Topher]

Hell no

 

[ChazAshley]

 

[Putonahappyface]

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

What happens when a company turns off download servers 10 years from now?

Then again it's an industry that absolutely hates game preservation…

We are at the mercy of these companies going forward, no matter how much we kick and scream.

With regards to current and new games: Yes, it's dead.
If you're a retro gamer and like collecting: Why change anything?
If digital is the only option, at least in my view it becomes almost mandatory to use an open platform instead of a gated ecosystem where some de facto monopoly f you sideways all the time.

Yeah retro collecting will always be a thing no matter what.

 

[Gexxy1]

You hold physical games because they have value. Digital games don't. This is true even if said physical game is locked behind digital downloading/installing.

You will not be playing every game you've ever bought from now until the day you die. Eventually, you'll reach the point where you can't see yourself playing specific games ever again. In which case, it makes sense to sell it. Get your money back. Sometimes you can even get more- the increased rarity of physical has only been driving up their value with time.

Digital games aren't worth 1 penny.

 

[protonion]

Hell no!

I will fight till the end.
Small indies ok. But games from big publishers will be boycotted.

I will not get Indiana Jones for Ps5.
I traded Hogwarts when I found that a download was required (iirc it wasn't mentioned on the box?). And if I buy a Switch 2 I will not even entertain the idea to buy an empty cartridge.

There are more physical games to play than I have time.
Also, with limited run and other publishers there are more physical releases than ever if you think about it.

You can have your all digital future after I die.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

PC gamers dont seem to care. And they havent in ages. And if anything, PC gamers should care more because PC games are more complex and they used to have big thick manuals you could flip through, whereas console games were always thin since the games are simpler. Without big manuals who wants to flip through guide tabs and readme files like back in the day? Nobody. But PC gamers seem to have moved on, why cant console gamers?

Console games have patches like PC games since the 360/PS3 days, so you might as well just hook up your system to the net and download it or if youre an online MP gamer, youre connected to the net anyway. Games have to be installed too, so it doesnt matter if its disc or digital. Youre going to wait till it finished installing. At least for 360/PS3 days you could pop in the disc and play right away (at least for 360 you could).

If youre a collector, most big name games releasee a physical copy too. The difference is it may be a key code instead of a disc. Who cares. You can still put the plastic case on the shelf to display.

 

[DragoonKain]

Never. I will never just bow to these greedy fucking companies and allow them to have full control over what you're allowed to own and when. They could just pull a game off their servers, and that's it. If you no longer have your current console, you can never play it again if there's no physical copy. Not to mention they can mistakenly ban your account and just steal potentially thousands of dollars worth of games from you that you paid for. Digital games suck. I want to own what I buy and know I can always play it. Well, most of the time. Some games require updates, which also sucks.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

You hold physical games because they have value. Digital games don't. This is true even if said physical game is locked behind digital downloading/installing.

You will not be playing every game you've ever bought from now until the day you die. Eventually, you'll reach the point where you can't see yourself playing specific games ever again. In which case, it makes sense to sell it. Get your money back. Sometimes you can even get more- the increased rarity of physical has only been driving up their value with time.

Digital games aren't worth 1 penny.

I always said Switch 2 would be my last hurrah at physical game collecting, but now it seems kind of pointless, and those few pennies you speak of probably wouldn't even buy us a damn chic fil a sammich, speaking about new physical games.

 

[HeisenbergFX4]

Fuck no if I am ever forced to go all digital my gaming days will be numbered

I actually like to own my games and dictate when I want to play them

 

[Fabieter]

 

[The Lunch Legend]

 

[Sebastian1295]

I feel like you're misinformed on alot of the stuff you put in your post no offense. You say that it's hard to get physical games and that less people sell them but that simply isn't the case at all. Amazon, walmart, gamestop, best buy, target, etc all sell physical games online and they all always have deals on physical games that make them cheaper than digital games 90% of the time. I'm someone that once physical gaming dies i'm out and i'll continue playing all my old stuff and i won't be the only one who does so btw.



And just ask microsoft/xbox how moving away from physical gaming has done for there business 'gamepass' if you want evidence of the harm it can do to a business and mindshare in the market 'store shelves are empty which leads to more marketing for nintendo/playstation for retail'.

 

[bender]

With most 3rd party Switch 2 titles being Game Key Carts, it certainly feels like we are nearing the end.

 

[GHound]

No, but I do think it's time to start beating the shit out of the weird corpo cumrags that demand less options.

 

[Kenneth Haight]

Thick Thighs Save Lives

 

[Gexxy1]

I always said Switch 2 would be my last hurrah at physical game collecting, but now it seems kind of pointless, and those few pennies you speak of probably wouldn't even buy us a damn chic fil a sammich, speaking about new physical games.

Don't know what you're smoking about "pennies." They're worth a lot more than that.

 

[Fbh]

Said it in another thread but I'd like physical to stick around even if it's basically just small capacity discs/cartridges that serve as physical DRM.
The preservation side of physical media might be dying, but I still think there are benefits beyond that. Being able to lend, trade and resell your games is still a big plus for many people, as is being able to buy games from multiple vendors and take advantage of sales and promotions from them instead of being locked into a single store monopoly.

Want to buy, say, Shin Megami Tensei V on Ps5?
Right now it's $59.99 on PSN or $33 on Amazon
Want to buy Armored Core?
Right now it's $59.99 on PSN and $29.99 on Amazon.

And yeah I know they also go on sale on PSN, the point is with physical media you aren't 100% dependent on PSN having a sale to have access to cheaper games. And that'll remain true even if the whole game isn't on the disc/cartridge.

 

[Sebastian1295]

With most 3rd party Switch 2 titles being Game Key Carts, it certainly feels like we are nearing the end.

If playstation were smart they'd market the ps6 when it comes out as the premier place to play if you're a physical game owner. Go all in on physical games and market yourself as the consumer friendly brand with advertising/mind share. Let nintendo and xbox leave the physical gaming market if they want too and in exchange you get more retail space in stores for your products which is essentially free advertising.

 

[roosnam1980]

 

[clem84]

I think LRG and other limited print companies will do better than ever with the number physical releases going down. The demand will still be there.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

That's never going to happen

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I feel like you're misinformed on alot of the stuff you put in your post no offense. You say that it's hard to get physical games and that less people sell them but that simply isn't the case at all. Amazon, walmart, gamestop, best buy, target, etc all sell physical games online and they all always have deals on physical games that make them cheaper than digital games 90% of the time. I'm someone that once physical gaming dies i'm out and i'll continue playing all my old stuff and i won't be the only one who does so btw.



And just ask microsoft/xbox how moving away from physical gaming has done for there business 'gamepass' if you want evidence of the harm it can do to a business and mindshare in the market 'store shelves are empty which leads to more marketing for nintendo/playstation for retail'.

Compared to the past? It's awful. Why can't I pre-order Switch 2 and Switch games on Amazon any more? Why is the game selection at Wal Mart so paltry these days? When a new Japanese game comes out on Switch or PS5, why can't I find it at my local brick and mortar stores? All I see when I shop there is Madden, Fortnite and Assassin's Creed type games. All that's left to local people who physically shop is Gamestop. What happens when they all dry up? How come a lot of physical games this gen haven't dropped below $40 or $50, including non-Nintendo games?

There's a trend here, and we are just barely holding on to the edge before our fingers give out and we fall off.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

So Playasia, Limited Run Games, Amazon E-Starland, how are they going to do business?

 

[rodrigolfp]

PC gamers dont seem to care. And they havent in ages. And if anything, PC gamers should care more because PC games are more complex and they used to have big thick manuals you could flip through, whereas console games were always thin since the games are simpler. Without big manuals who wants to flip through guide tabs and readme files like back in the day? Nobody. But PC gamers seem to have moved on, why cant console gamers?

Because we can get PC games elsewhere if Valve and others decides to "steal" our purchased games from us. Same thing is impossible or very very hard on consoles.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

 

[BennyBlanco]

I like how people think they have a choice. Publishers and console makers both want this. No dealing with retailers. No used game market. No lending games to friends. Walled garden gets 100% of revenue.

On PC, it's different because you have options. I barely ever buy games directly through Steam, only when I think I may want a refund. If Sony and Nintendo instituted Valve's refund policy it would soften the blow a lot, but they won't unless they are ordered to by a court.

 

[VGA-Games]

No

I won't buying Video Games for the Nintendo Switch 2 where the Game isn't complete on the Cartridge!!!

 

[Snakeeyes646]

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

No

I won't buying Video Games for the Nintendo Switch 2 where the Game isn't complete on the Cartridge!!!

Me either, I'll be getting them... DIGITALLY!

 

[jshackles]

I am MUCH pickier about which games I purchase digitally. It basically has to be something that I don't mind losing in the future, the "play once and forget about it" kind of games. If the option to purchase something physically (with the caveat that it has to be playable in the future aka not these "game key cards") exists, I'll take it over digital 100% of the time. If digital is the only option, I'll have to balance my desire to play it with my desire to actually own it (hint: lots of times this ends up with me doing neither).

If publishers are cool with the trade-off of me (and people like me) not spending money on their games, then I have no choice but to accept the death of physical media.

 

[Topher]

Fuck no if I am ever forced to go all digital my gaming days will be numbered

I actually like to own my games and dictate when I want to play them

I don't understand why anyone would want a physical media option to go away. They prefer digital....that's fine, but they can have that option while others are able to buy physical. So why would anyone care that physical remains an option?

 

[tr1p1ex]

I will buy physical as long as they offer it for Nintendo platforms just because I see more sales and you can resell.

But on the pcgaming side I hadn't bought physical games for 15-20 years. They haven't even been on the shelf for at least 10-15 years.

So digital would be easy for me. Probably buy fewer games though. KNowing I can resell 1st party Nintendo and usually get $30 back worst case often years down the line ...loosens the purse strings.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I don't understand why anyone would want a physical media option to go away. They prefer digital....that's fine, but they can have that option while others are able to buy physical. So why would anyone care that physical remains an option?

If you're referring to me, I'm with ya bro. I'm just asking if the fight is futile? Is there still hope, Obi Wan?

 

[Walter Matthau]

I only consider diving into digital when the games are like a quarter of what they cost physically.

I'd pay slightly more for a game key than pure digital, but nowhere close to a full physical release.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

The day they make games digital-only, that's the day I'm going to pirate them.

If I buy physical games, it's because of their value, and I'm also supporting the video game industry.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

I am MUCH pickier about which games I purchase digitally. It basically has to be something that I don't mind losing in the future, the "play once and forget about it" kind of games. If the option to purchase something physically (with the caveat that it has to be playable in the future aka not these "game key cards") exists, I'll take it over digital 100% of the time. If digital is the only option, I'll have to balance my desire to play it with my desire to actually own it (hint: lots of times this ends up with me doing neither).

If publishers are cool with the trade-off of me (and people like me) not spending money on their games, then I have no choice but to accept the death of physical media.

Hell to the yes! If I have to become a digital consumer, I'll be much more selective about what I buy, and when. I know we probably won't make a difference in the grand scheme of things, however.

 

[Topher]

If you're referring to me, I'm with ya bro. I'm just asking if the fight is futile? Is there still hope, Obi Wan?

Nah man. Not you. I'm talking about folks who actively want physical to go away.

 

[Robot Carnival]

 

[HRK69]

The awnser had been yes for the last 7+ years

 

[Amin_Parker]

I've been a collector of physical games for generations, amassing hundreds of them. Always appreciating the feeling of ownership and having that tangible presence of seeing my physical games on the shelves. I loved reading those manuals while sift through prints that usually included hints and colorful displays of the controls.

Sadly, those days are gone forever and we will not be getting them back. The once-convenient features of having physical media are diminishing faster than the blink of an eye. With Nintendo allowing owners to share digital games now, all we have left now over digital is reselling of physical copies. Physical advocates used to champion the fact that those without internet had a way to get games, but now virtually everybody can download games online, and even out in the wild we can use our smartphones to tether with wifi networks to authenticate digital gaming. Physical proponents also used to point to physical games getting massive sales, but that rarely is the case these days, especially with fewer places to actually buy physical games.

With key card cartridges, Blu ray games that require large downloads, what are we doing by holding on to the past when those conveniences have been kicked to the curb? So I ask my fellow physical gamers: is it time to move on, or is there still hope for clutching that plastic copy firmly in our hands until death do us part?

I gave up collecting and buying physical games last generation. The last physical game that I bought was Xenoblade Chronicles X on the Wii U. Ever since then I've been buying all my games digital on the Switch. I prefer it that way because I don't want to have too many things cluttering up my desk or my drawer. Digital is awesome. I can care less about holding onto a case or a booklet. I just want to play the game and keep it moving with less Junk lingering around my environment as possible.