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physical games are dead, long live physical games

Kupfer

Member
Have you played the new trilogy? It's quite literally the best Hitman has ever been
I tried, but for me it doesn't feel gritty anymore.
OG- Hitman's felt more brutal, like many games in the late 90s - early 2000s era.

Welp, here are my latest physicals since the last update, which I believe was the TEVI post about 10 days ago. Yes, I love physical games. :)

This summer, I also plan on doubling down on more Japanese and some North American imports too.

Locally, I'll be grabbing some indies and smaller AA games, such as Outer Wilds, Cigny, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, As Dusk Falls, etc.

U6cbR5v.jpg

eKtaaCM.jpg

oXq0zvr.jpg

DD3ngSD.jpeg
Great additions to your collection, although most of the games are not my genre, I'm in love with all those cover artworks.
And yeah, fuck GTA "definitive" edition.

My full updated PSVR2 physical collection. Do you have any recommendations what I should get next?
It is not like I buy everything, some games I know, I will never play, so I skip them.
Some of this games are still unsealed since I still play Hubris, which is very nice game BTW, I can recommend it.
7vRIDdZ.jpeg
Wow, nice! I'm jealous...
 
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Dr. Claus

Banned
I tried, but for me it doesn't feel gritty anymore.
OG- Hitman's felt more brutal, like many games in the late 90s - early 2000s era.


Great additions to your collection, although most of the games are not my genre, I'm in love with all those cover artworks.
And yeah, fuck GTA "definitive" edition.


Wow, nice! I'm jealous...

I would argue that the older hitman games weren't more brutal, they were just more archaic and had you fill in gaps with your imagination. The animations, variety of kills, and outright visceral action for many of the kills are superior in the newer trilogy by a country mile.

My biggest issue with the new HItman games is that it gets really repetitive after a while.
 

IDKFA

I am Become Bilbo Baggins
It's a shame that not all games get a physical release.

I'd love a physical copy of the new Marvel Vs Capcom collection on the Switch, but from what I understand it's only getting a physical copy on the PS4.

Same with the console version of Zoo Tycoon. I'd love a physical copy of that, but it's digital only.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Great additions to your collection, although most of the games are not my genre, I'm in love with all those cover artworks.
And yeah, fuck GTA "definitive" edition.
Thanks! Most of them are visual novels and I try to buy all of them on the Switch since I like to read/play them in portable mode. The art really shines on the oled screen and most of them are very light on resources so the battery lasts 5h+ which is great for 2 reading/gaming sessions in a day .

And yeah, that GTA 'definitive edition' got me real good. I've returned it yesterday and ordered an Xbox copy instead since it comes with both last gen and current gen versions.
 
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dano1

A Sheep
Simply put I like to own what a pay for, I wasnt aware of this magic trick of renting digital rights to play a game or I didnt care much, but I do care now.

I have bought all digital since the PS4. Never once had a problem. Just make sure your acc is two step. Every game I bought is still there.
Even started buying movies and shows through apple. Again all still there and so convenient.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
This Indie game, SCHiM, which caught my eye during one of the more recent Nintendo Directs is getting a physical release in the West through iam8bit. It will be available through regular retailers, too!

2saEJTc.png


 
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Killer8

Member


I pre-ordered this for ~$47, the box art looks far better than LRG's version and the goodies seem worth the markup without getting into excessive >$100 collector's edition territory.

I'd be very surprised if it didn't contain English. The Asian release SUPERDELUXE are putting out on Play-Asia is multi language and I imagine when LRG ported the game to Carbon Engine, all these languages were translated by them already (ie. a publisher would need to go out their way to remove them). We'll see.

EDIT: English is confirmed on website now - "Corresponding language:Japanese, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Korean, Traditional, Simplified"
 
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Guilty_AI

Member
How common are games sold on a USB stick? I know they exist but i know only one company that does this.
 
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Kupfer

Member
How common are games sold on a USB stick? I know they exist but i know only one company that does this.
I've never come across this before.
But unlike a proprietary mass storage device such as a cartridge or similar, I personally wouldn't consider a game on a USB stick to be a physical medium. I mean technically it is, but for me it doesn't feel 'worth' something.
It would be like buying a 3D printed toy in a store.
 
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Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
How common are games sold on a USB stick? I know they exist but i know only one company that does this.
It's really uncommon. I've only seen it from LRG and maybe one other specialized distributor of physical games.

It's also worth pointing out that most of the USB sticks make use of cheap NAND flash memory, which is prone to degrading over time, especially when not powered on for a prolonged period and it eventually leads to 'bitrot'.
  1. Bit Rot: Bit rot refers to the gradual degradation of data stored in electronic devices over time. This can be caused by various factors such as environmental conditions, radiation, or simply the passage of time. When flash storage is not powered on, it is more susceptible to bit rot, which can result in data loss.
 
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Guilty_AI

Member
It's really uncommon. I've only seen it from LRG and maybe one other specialized distributor of physical games.
The one i know makes consistent USB releases is MangaGamer. I became curious about how common it is after seeing it, especially since the copies aren't really that expensive (around $40-50 from the games i've checked) as a common reason i've seen thrown around for not doing it is the cost of a USB stick.

It's also worth pointing out that most of the USB sticks make use of cheap NAND flash memory, which is prone to degrading over time, especially when not powered on for a prolonged period and it eventually leads to 'bitrot'.
A lot of data deteriorations from USB comes from write cycles, which shouldn't be an issue in this case. Apart from that, most deterioration causes aren't that different from that of a disk such as storage conditions and temperatures, even if you don't use it for a prolonged period of time (though using it every other year is indeed a good way to help preserve it)
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
The one i know makes consistent USB releases is MangaGamer. I became curious about how common it is after seeing it, especially since the copies aren't really that expensive (around $40-50 from the games i've checked) as a common reason i've seen thrown around for not doing it is the cost of a USB stick.


A lot of data deteriorations from USB comes from write cycles, which shouldn't be an issue in this case. Apart from that, most deterioration causes aren't that different from that of a disk such as storage conditions and temperatures, even if you don't use it for a prolonged period of time (though using it every other year is indeed a good way to help preserve it)
As a collector of physical games, I personally wouldn't bother with games that are delivered on USB sticks. As I mentioned earlier, these distributors are likely using cheap NAND flash for those USB thumb drives. Even if no writing cycles occur, memory degradation still happens over time. Eventually, after 10+ years (and probably even less), the data on these USB sticks may get corrupted. It would get annoying real fast for me to plug in every USB game stick I would have in my collection every 2 years just to ensure the data remains intact. Just look at the bitrot fiasco that happened with the Wii U, which was caused by Nintendo cutting corners on flash memory modules in several batches of the console they produced.


I would rather just buy the games digitally at that point, but that's just me.
 
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sn0man

Member
At this point, I only buy physical console exclusives cause multiplatform games I buy on Steam.
My exception is games with couch coop or local multiplayer. Something about the shared experience feels very console to me even know a PC can facilitate that.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Yo, wtf!? Super Rare Games are teasing their next physical releases which look to be from left to right OTXO, Solar Ash and Sable. 😳

I need to keep an eye on this since I've been wanting physical releases of Solar Ash and Sable ever since they first launched digitally several years ago.

 
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Kupfer

Member
Yo, wtf!? Super Rare Games are teasing their next physical releases which look to be from left to right OTXO, Solar Ash and Sable. 😳

I need to keep an eye on this since I've been wanting physical releases of Solar Ash and Sable ever since they first launched digitally years ago.


I'd be in for Sable for sure!
I kind of bought it out of desperation for the Steam Deck, but I never felt like I want to play it that way.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
I'd be in for Sable for sure!
I kind of bought it out of desperation for the Steam Deck, but I never felt like I want to play it that way.
Dunno what's up with Sable since it doesn't look like a demanding game, but for some reason even on PS5 and XSX runs pretty bad. I've even made a thread here on GAF a while ago.


That said, it's more less playable, but those hiccups are a bit annoying. :lollipop_pensive:
 

Dr. Claus

Banned
Dunno what's up with Sable since it doesn't look like a demanding game, but for some reason even on PS5 and XSX runs pretty bad. I've even made a thread here on GAF a while ago.


That said, it's more less playable, but those hiccups are a bit annoying. :lollipop_pensive:

Sable had more effort put into hiring DEI than making sure the game ran well.

 

Kupfer

Member
Dunno what's up with Sable since it doesn't look like a demanding game, but for some reason even on PS5 and XSX runs pretty bad. I've even made a thread here on GAF a while ago.


That said, it's more less playable, but those hiccups are a bit annoying. :lollipop_pensive:
Too bad, but I like the idea of owning a copy of the game nevertheless.
Probably Solar Ash as well, artstyle is bonkers

Sable had more effort put into hiring DEI than making sure the game ran well.

The game doesn't give me the impression that there is an important or diverse story and / or characters that are forced upon you, but rather that it lives from its art style and atmosphere.
What negative things did you notice about the game in this respect?
 
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Dr. Claus

Banned
The game doesn't give me the impression that there is an important or diverse story and / or characters that are forced upon you, but rather that it lives from its art style and atmosphere.
What negative things did you notice about the game in this respect?

Typical skin deep slacktivism to fill checkboxes and a self-insert characters via Kim Belair, head of SBI. It is everything you expect in a slacktivist title. Prominent use of They/Them pronouns, culture primarily pushed by strong, independent women of color, quite a large number use prosthetics, and none of it has any depth other than surface level. Every one of these things are just treated as tokens.
 
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Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Whoops, I forgot to post this upcoming release. Humanity, a super unique puzzle/action-platforming game is getting a physical release for PS5 and XSX through LRG. Pre-orders open tomorrow.

keraj37 keraj37 You might want to add this one to your PSVR2 collection. :messenger_sunglasses:

GSD5x4FW0AAELqk
 
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Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Yo, wtf!? Super Rare Games are teasing their next physical releases which look to be from left to right OTXO, Solar Ash and Sable. 😳

I need to keep an eye on this since I've been wanting physical releases of Solar Ash and Sable ever since they first launched digitally several years ago.


They've confirmed the Sable physical release! 2000 copies only and pre-orders open next week on July 25th.

 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Looks like Hookah Haze will be getting an Asia English retail release on Nintendo Switch and PlayAsia will be one of the online retailers carrying it.

GSnvKb9XwAE-b8F
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Yo, wtf!? Super Rare Games are teasing their next physical releases which look to be from left to right OTXO, Solar Ash and Sable. 😳

I need to keep an eye on this since I've been wanting physical releases of Solar Ash and Sable ever since they first launched digitally several years ago.


Ummm... so I randomly won their giveaway which I guess means I don't have to buy OXTO anymore since they'll be shipping me a free copy of the game once it launches in September. Oh and they'll be opening pre-orders for OXTO next week, on July 25th.
GSsp7wAWQAAXvaj

They've confirmed the Sable physical release! 2000 copies only and pre-orders open next week on July 25th.


Will still have to buy Sable though... :messenger_grinning_sweat:
 
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Hudo

Member
Welp, here are my latest physicals since the last update, which I believe was the TEVI post about 10 days ago. Yes, I love physical games. :)

This summer, I also plan on doubling down on more Japanese and some North American imports too.

Locally, I'll be grabbing some indies and smaller AA games, such as Outer Wilds, Cigny, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, As Dusk Falls, etc.

U6cbR5v.jpg

eKtaaCM.jpg

oXq0zvr.jpg

DD3ngSD.jpeg
Why would you reward Rockstar for the absolute shitshow that is the GTA Trilogy "The Definitive Edition"?
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Why would you reward Rockstar for the absolute shitshow that is the GTA Trilogy "The Definitive Edition"?
They patched it a lot since release and it's now in a "decent" state. I also wanted the trilogy in my collection on a current gen console and €20 was a price that I was okay with.

Anyway, I buy a lot of mid games that can be considered worse than this GTA trilogy, so it doesn't really matter for me as long as the games are playable and can be finished.
 
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Hudo

Member
They patched it a lot since release and it's now in a "decent" state. I also wanted the trilogy in my collection on a current gen console and €20 was a price that I was okay with.

Anyway, I buy a lot of mid games that can be considered worse than this GTA trilogy, so it doesn't really matter for me as long as the games are playable and can be finished.
That's fair
 

Killer8

Member
Got these shmups on Amazon JP for $67 total. Took just 6 days to arrive and all shipping and import fees were included in the price.

h426yMJ.jpeg


esp2_mockup_fullset_nsw_B.png
ddpc_mockup_fullset_nsw_B_2.png



These are deluxe editions from LRG's Japanese sister company SUPERDELUXE. Compare these with LRG offering just the basic bitch Switch games for $40 each (*both sold out), or one limited edition for more than the price I paid for both, and it's a no brainer to go with the Japanese. The games are fully English since SUPERDELUXE get the same materials to work with from LRG.

Soon they'll be putting out a Mushihimesama deluxe edition for ¥4,891 on Amazon (about $31):

mhs_mockup_fullset_nsw_B.png
 
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anthony2690

Member
Whoops, I forgot to post this upcoming release. Humanity, a super unique puzzle/action-platforming game is getting a physical release for PS5 and XSX through LRG. Pre-orders open tomorrow.

keraj37 keraj37 You might want to add this one to your PSVR2 collection. :messenger_sunglasses:

GSD5x4FW0AAELqk
Ordered this & beyond good and evil 20th anniversary the other day :)

MdqUnEI.png

Ratatan is a Patapon spiritual successor that I highly recommend ordering via backerit, as there is no guarantee of a physical release after. (Especially an Xbox version, like with Eiyuden chronicles, what I'll be forever be depressed about)
 
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StereoVsn

Member
Got these shmups on Amazon JP for $67 total. Took just 6 days to arrive and all shipping and import fees were included in the price.

h426yMJ.jpeg


esp2_mockup_fullset_nsw_B.png
ddpc_mockup_fullset_nsw_B_2.png



These are deluxe editions from LRG's Japanese sister company SUPERDELUXE. Compare these with LRG offering just the basic bitch Switch games for $40 each (*both sold out), or one limited edition for more than the price I paid for both, and it's a no brainer to go with the Japanese. The games are fully English since SUPERDELUXE get the same materials to work with from LRG.

Soon they'll be putting out a Mushihimesama deluxe edition for ¥4,891 on Amazon (about $31):

mhs_mockup_fullset_nsw_B.png
Oh man, this is great. Well, it’s not great because I am now going to start browsing Amazon Japan which means inevitably I will get more crap than just a few games. 😉
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Oh man, this is great. Well, it’s not great because I am now going to start browsing Amazon Japan which means inevitably I will get more crap than just a few games. 😉
Seriously, I was unaware that Super Deluxe Games was a LRG subsidiary created to distribute their physical releases on the Japanese market. This new info kinda changes things a lot for me, lol.

In July [2022], the company announced the formation of SuperDeluxe Games, a joint venture with the Japanese localization company 8-4 that distributes Limited Run Games' releases in Japan. Limited Run Games owns 40% of SuperDeluxe Games.

Like, I missed out on Unpacking for the Switch, and now I see the Super Deluxe release on Amazon JP for ~¥3,000 which is a very good price imo. My wallet is going to scream...
 

Killer8

Member
If you go down the Amazon JP route I recommend buying a few things in one order. The shipping is usually around ¥4500 however adding more items doesn't seem to increase it that much. Having a pre-order in there too, which will be shipped later on, also doesn't seem to affect the shipping cost (even though it means Amazon JP will need to do separate shipments).

For example I have an order for the Nintendo World Champtionships special edition, DoDonPachi DaiOuJou, and the upcoming Clock Tower deluxe edition shipping in November, yet i'm only being charged around ¥6000 for the shipping.



By the way, in terms of a rare physical find, Amazon JP have the Superdeluxe version of the Radiant Silvergun collector's box for Switch for ¥13,980 (around $89):


RSG_CB_fullset_mockup_nsw_B_1491080c-8445-4540-8f96-7c30737d0ed0.png



This is the one that comes with the metal ship collectible. The 'Amazon Exclusive' for that price also throws in a free 'tin badge' (used Google translate on that, it's probably like a metal plate of the Sega Saturn box art).

Personally I think it looks way better than LRG's own effort sold for $125:

radiant-silver-gun-lrg-switch-ce-1.png
 

Kupfer

Member
I had the game on my wishlist for a long time, but forgot about it. I remembered thanks to Thick Thighs Save Lives Thick Thighs Save Lives thread.
I thought it would only be released digitally, but their website says that there will also be a physical version.


GcWP6nA.png


Check their website for your nearest store


Just reminded me I ordered Ufouria 2 for Xbox, sure I'm meant to have it by now :')

Just got the notification that my order is being processed. Probably Brotato - it took some time
 
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Paasei

Member
I would argue that the older hitman games weren't more brutal, they were just more archaic and had you fill in gaps with your imagination. The animations, variety of kills, and outright visceral action for many of the kills are superior in the newer trilogy by a country mile.

My biggest issue with the new HItman games is that it gets really repetitive after a while.
Play roulette, freelancer and contracts.
 

StereoVsn

Member
If you go down the Amazon JP route I recommend buying a few things in one order. The shipping is usually around ¥4500 however adding more items doesn't seem to increase it that much. Having a pre-order in there too, which will be shipped later on, also doesn't seem to affect the shipping cost (even though it means Amazon JP will need to do separate shipments).

For example I have an order for the Nintendo World Champtionships special edition, DoDonPachi DaiOuJou, and the upcoming Clock Tower deluxe edition shipping in November, yet i'm only being charged around ¥6000 for the shipping.



By the way, in terms of a rare physical find, Amazon JP have the Superdeluxe version of the Radiant Silvergun collector's box for Switch for ¥13,980 (around $89):


RSG_CB_fullset_mockup_nsw_B_1491080c-8445-4540-8f96-7c30737d0ed0.png



This is the one that comes with the metal ship collectible. The 'Amazon Exclusive' for that price also throws in a free 'tin badge' (used Google translate on that, it's probably like a metal plate of the Sega Saturn box art).

Personally I think it looks way better than LRG's own effort sold for $125:

radiant-silver-gun-lrg-switch-ce-1.png
Oh damn, was actually looking for that! Really appreciate it!
 
Been cleaning the closet up recently and found a box of older PC games, including some awesome physical copies I've kept over the years. One of my favorites is Elder Scrolls Anthology. Sure Arena and Daggerfall are freeware, but it's awesome having actual physical copies you can install independently (except Skyrim which is a Steam key and install only). The collectible box and CD sleeve has some really nice art, as well as maps of each region. It's insane that this includes literally all of the Elder Scrolls games, and that we are years away from Elder Scrolls VI, which may or may not ever have a physical PC edition.


81yxenO47ZL._SL1500_.jpg
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
I wonder if my bro's big stash of PC games from the 90s has any value. He's got a mix of discs and CD-roms. Probably all in good condition too. I know for sure he's got Master of Magic on 3.5 disks because that game crashed every 10 minutes when I played it. lol

And going by Lavitz's pic, my bro had old Arena and Daggerfall too!
 
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Impotaku

Member
Not sure if this is posted anywhere but it seems the Mario kart 8 physical release that had the expansion pass stuff on the cart has a second print revision that includes everything on the cart including the wave 6 tracks that nintendo stupidly left off by releasing it before wave 6 dropped. Seems no download is required. However the annoying thing is you can't tell if it's the 002 version till you open up the game & look at the serial on the back of the cart to check as nintendo didn't update the box art to say no download required so it looks like the version 001 release from the outside.
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Grime Definite Edition has just been announced for the Switch and PS5. It comes with all the released DLCs presumably on the cart.





 
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