Is it finally time to let go of physical games?

ShadyAcshuns said:
What I'm still not sure about is ownership of the key card download. I guess if it's not code in the box, it won't expire like they do. Wouldn't it be terrible if they linked the download to the original owner? Even so, eventually those servers will stop functioning at some point.
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The game key cards are not tied to an account....that's the point.

Well in the case of the 360 era consoles....those servers are still going and it's now almost 20 years.
 
Digital can be done right, if you look at gog for example. I think gamers should be able to own the games and not rely on internet (aka at the mercy of servers being up for you can install those games). if they can do something similar to gog on consoles then i think more physical gamers will be ok with digital. digital done right is actually ideal since it doesn't waste physical space in your house, you get to own the game as well.
 
I hate it, but it's a done deal and has been for some time. I would have loved to see Switch 2 use re-writeable media so you could buy a physical copy and update the cart with patches and DLC that you've purchased. That would've been incredible. Instead, we're getting the worst of all worlds with physical copies.

I'm glad that collecting for old systems means I get all of the enjoyment of buying physical copies, but it's a little sad that there's basically a wall after which you just can't plausibly do that anymore. At least, not if you want the physical media to actually work on its own.
 
Not really, but to be fair I will go for whatever is cheaper.....

But there is some games I mainly buy physical ( for any nintendo consoles I have)
 
Was just checking online, and, if true, some digital games have been delisted and had their licences revoked. Like some Marvel games from Capcom and Activision, Telltale's Wallace and Gromit etc. This is according to ai overview so I don't know if it's accurate or not.
 
You won't have a choice soon. I'd just look at each purchase on a case-by-case value prop. "Is this digital license for xx-game worth $70?" instead of taking a blanket stance. Let it sting the publishers a bit when you're less likely to take a chance on a game since you won't have any recourse to sell it and get some money back.

Not to mention, imagine how many million if not billion GameStop has made on used Sony software. I'm sure Sony is looking at that.
 
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Physical will always exist as long as consoles are a thing because people look at games as more of an "Experience" rather than Movies or Music(which people happily rent/stream.) There's a reason Game Pass has plateaued(even though it's on hundreds of millions of devices now) and Xbox has been clobbered this gen by Sony and Nintendo.

The demand for Physical, while no longer the primary form of game purchasing, still holds a significant enough space in the market on Nintendo and PlayStation that it would be suicide to get rid of it. Instead, going the physical route now means paying a premium for a disc drive, or higher prices in games(Mario Kart World.) There is also a much more favorable split between Physical/Digital when it comes to single player or narrative driven games. Yearly releases like COD, Madden, etc. skew heavily to digital for obvious reason.
 
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I had no choice but to get the digital PS5 due to major supply issues when the console was released. So I've been all digital ever since.

We still get a lot of physical games for the Switch but it's a mix, maybe 75/25 physical to digital on the Switch.

It really makes me annoyed that there is no way to transfer a physical PS4 game to a digital PS5.
 
No. I wont buy any digital game, or key games on switch 2, same way as i dont buy digital games on my ps5, nor games with bad physical releases (looking at you Microsoft and you indiana jones)
 
Quezacolt said:
No. I wont buy any digital game, or key games on switch 2, same way as i dont buy digital games on my ps5, nor games with bad physical releases (looking at you Microsoft and you indiana jones)
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What was the problem of the Indiana Jones release?? ( Sorry no idea what happen)
 
I get some collectors editions and stuff like that from time to time, but except for a few Nintendo games, I buy all games digital these days (naturally, since they're mostly PC games).
I've never had a passion for collecting disc-based games, but some old cartridge games are cool to have.
 
Its this type of stupid mentality that has us here in the first place.
Loss of ownership due to convenience. Will buy physical on every release. If it has a disc in any capacity- its worth more than anything digital and can be sold if need be.
I also have two sons that enjoy my copies of games aswell on their consoles.
 
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I am going back to more retro instead.

Also, there are quite a few games on Switch and PS that still offer proper game on disk/cart and there is GoG on Steam.

I have also been collecting more of older computer games on disk (and downloading patches) since I am also building a proper WinXP PC that can run the OG games without stupid remasters (that break crap half the time).
 
Shifted to digital in 2009 with the psp go and actually went back to physical, sure games can get stolen but based on what I've seen physical is definitely better in terms of used cost (eBay) and building collections creates more value, you can't sell a digital game.
 
ShadyAcshuns said:
Was just checking online, and, if true, some digital games have been delisted and had their licences revoked. Like some Marvel games from Capcom and Activision, Telltale's Wallace and Gromit etc. This is according to ai overview so I don't know if it's accurate or not.
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That is the case for any digital content. There is also the issue of games being released on older systems digitally, but no longer on new systems. For example, on the PS3 I had the Konami beat em up classics X-Men and the Simpsons, but because those games never made it to the PS4 store, I lost access to them when I sold my PS3. Even if I had my PS3, I don't think I'd be able to access them anyway.

This sort of BS is what needs to change for digital to really be a solid alternative to physical, especially in the console space. It's not so bad in the PC space because you have services like GOG.
 
Discover No Way GIF by ADWEEK
 
digital is so much easier for travels, mobility and eventual moving

Moving my old physical collection is a witch and barely have enough time to play new games.
 
GinSama said:
What was the problem of the Indiana Jones release?? ( Sorry no idea what happen)
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Microsoft only put 20gb of data on the disc. You have to download the rest. They do that for all their games on xbox, and now are doing it too on playstation even tho ps5 discs can hold 100gb. Or they could ship the games in 2 discs, like other publishers with much less money did.
 
At this point I care more about pushing for improvements on digital consumer rights.

Core game files not fitting on physical storage, day one updates, later patches and DLC have eroded the value of physical ownership, because you're dependent on the console maker keeping their servers up.

Otherwise, I'd rather see later physical releases that fit the entire game on physical storage, and can charge a bit more than sale price for the flash storage/blu-ray discs.

Also wouldn't mind digital games that have been on sale for years getting the bulk of their revenue, just removing DRM and selling GoG versions so they can be preserved.
 
Cyberpunkd said:
What happens when a company turns off download servers 10 years from now?

Then again it's an industry that absolutely hates game preservation…
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Nintendo is the worst

Correct me if I'm wrong

My entire Wii digital collection
My Wii U digital collection
My 3DS digital collection

That's all gone and dead right? Not a single way to get it back correct?

Long since not had those systems anymore btw

On the contrary, I can Get my PSN/Xbox/PC digital library back anytime I feel on any system I buy
 
Didn't have a choice on PC, and it's been that way for a long time, but if i was a Console user then i would choose not to, if that's possible as the industry is saying you don't own your games but wants you to pay more at the same time for them, although it they leave data off the disc's and make you download the missing parts of the game then it's over anyway and all anyone can do to combat it, is not to buy their games and hope they change their policies.
 
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I love physical games and have a small collection. Even I am seeing it is time to let go. My main concern is how things will carry forward. Eventually Sony will cut disc drives. Nintendo won't always have a cartridge slot. Digital games will carry forward, while my physical stuff will not. This could happen as soon as PS6 and Switch 3. In the bigger picture that is not too far away.

I have tons of Switch 1 games. I was expecting Nintendo to carry on with how things were handled on that console in regards to physical copies being decent. Now I see even things on the Nintendo platform are starting to move on with most 3rd party being game key cards.

Physical is also harder to find. Most store here have a very small selection now. Big sites rarely ship to get to me in time for release day. I try Best Buy instore pickup and they get it a few days late all the time. We can keep kicking and screaming, but physical will be dead soon.
 
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I'll ride it out until the end. Even if only PS6 remains. Fuck Nintendo. After that, I dunno. Once everything is digital only I will wait for deep sales on everything and remain a retro gamer. And this won't be one of those fake boycotts where I fold after the first big new release, since I already never paid more than 30 bucks for a digital game.
 
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CrimsonTide said:
Nintendo is the worst

Correct me if I'm wrong

My entire Wii digital collection
My Wii U digital collection
My 3DS digital collection

That's all gone and dead right? Not a single way to get it back correct?

Long since not had those systems anymore btw

On the contrary, I can Get my PSN/Xbox/PC digital library back anytime I feel on any system I buy
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You can still download those games with your original account.
 
So if I go buy a used Wii, Wii U or 3DS tomorrow. You're saying I can Re-Download everything? All of the NES games or whatever I paid For?
 
ShadyAcshuns said:
Maybe not Wii, not sure about that, but if you have a Nintendo ID, you can re-download those 3DS and Wii U games that are digital.
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So all my Wii collection is dead and gone? Nice

But you're saying my Wii U and 3DS is fully 100% re-downloadable? Genuinely don't know. I go buy a used Wii U or 3DS and "login" and it's fine?
 
Laptop1991 said:
Didn't have a choice on PC
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Technically true, but DRM-free games give you most of the same benefits of physical games, short of (legally) selling them. For example, you could copy GOG offline installers to an SD card to make your own physical copy of a game. You can insert that card into any Windows PC (sometimes even as far back as XP), install the game from the card, and play the game.

I'd be FAR more likely to purchase digital games on consoles if I had the freedom to back them up to my own physical medium to ensure I could play them in the future.
 
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