Physical games are great, but disc rot is real for older ones, they can get stolen, carts mess up, a storm destroys them, really a bevy of things can happen to them.
Disc rot is an overblown issue caused by small batches of low quality produced discs during specific periods of time that got notoriety due to internet fear mongering.
My entire collection is physical with discs (including LaserDiscs) older than 20 years, and I've never had it happen once. I have VHS and casette tapes that still work perfectly fine.
If you're comparing the chances of getting banned and losing all your games to an act of god causing you to lose your entire physical collection, okay. But it's still better to have owned your games (and movies and whatever else) rather than just letting companies take that right away from you.
Disc rot is an overblown issue caused by small batches of low quality produced discs during specific periods of time that got notoriety due to internet fear mongering.
My entire collection is physical with discs (including LaserDiscs) older than 20 years, and I've never had it happen once. I have VHS and casette tapes that still work perfectly fine.
If you're comparing the chances of getting banned and losing all your games to an act of god causing you to lose your entire physical collection, okay. But it's still better to have owned your games (and movies and whatever else) rather than just letting companies take that right away from you.
Thing is, these days many games, not all of course. But they release in an unfinished state and need a Day 1 patch and a Day 300 patch. So the v1.0 on the disc is an unpolished title.
But I would say my Steam collection will outlast your laserdisc collection.
But really, why would anyone FEAR losing their digital games? I have had digital accounts for almost 20 years (2007 steam) and it's just fine. Same with GOG, PSN,XBL etc
The only way I would fear it, is if I was hacking online games or doing malicious things online. Which in most cases would likely just get be banned from playing online, while still having my games.
Physical games are great, but disc rot is real for older ones, they can get stolen, carts mess up, a storm destroys them, really a bevy of things can happen to them.
Also, it genuinely is nice just going from game to game with a click.
Many digital games are released with optional large soundtracks and art books. Those are a lot easier to store and access as well should the desire arise.
Disc rot is an overblown issue caused by small batches of low quality produced discs during specific periods of time that got notoriety due to internet fear mongering.
My entire collection is physical with discs (including LaserDiscs) older than 20 years, and I've never had it happen once. I have VHS and casette tapes that still work perfectly fine.
If you're comparing the chances of getting banned and losing all your games to an act of god causing you to lose your entire physical collection, okay. But it's still better to have owned your games (and movies and whatever else) rather than just letting companies take that right away from you.
disk rot is real and will happen eventually. there is no specific time. also digital can be done right if they do it like gog where they let you own the game. its ideal like that since disks take away too much space in your house and you run out of space eventually to put them. it becomes a hassle when you get a big enough collection and hard to manage. the next consoles will be digital only,. its inevitable.
I agree OP, we've gotten to a point where physical feels like a last thought, and it's a shame. Hell, if it has the game on the disc that's huge alone at this point.
Man, I'll never forget getting a new game and frantically flipping through the booklet on ride home from the mall/Toys R Us. Just the nostalgic smell of a new video game manual, and the hype of the experience.
The fact that some booklets were SO thick was insane. Hell, and some even had color. Only to get to a point where booklets don't even exist, and you're lucky if you even get an insert of any kind.
I still hate that we've reached a point where physical games and digital games are the same price. They shouldn't be. When you eliminate everything it takes to make a physical good, the digital good SHOULD be cheaper. But it isn't. It makes absolutely zero sense. It's kind of why if I could continue to get physical for consoles, I will, and would. I mean, even if physical isn't as good as it used to be, I'd rather at least pay for something I can hold. It makes me feel like my money is going further. Of course that's all subjective, but I still wish we could have a future where buyers have choices. There's nothing wrong with options, and there never should be. But when you take options away, it becomes problematic, and it should.
Except it's not your collection, remember? It's Steam's collection, they're just letting you borrow it lmao. I actually own my LaserDiscs. What do you own again?
Disc rot is an overblown issue caused by small batches of low quality produced discs during specific periods of time that got notoriety due to internet fear mongering.
I totally miss the manuals that had actual important information in them. We used to rent games when we were kids. One would start with the manual and the other would start playing and we would switch. Can't do that now…
Rockstar used to be great with this, the GTA manuals were always set up like Location brochures/magazines/newspapers, and then with GTAV it was just a slip note saying download the app.
Disc rot is an overblown issue caused by small batches of low quality produced discs during specific periods of time that got notoriety due to internet fear mongering.
My entire collection is physical with discs (including LaserDiscs) older than 20 years, and I've never had it happen once. I have VHS and casette tapes that still work perfectly fine.
If you're comparing the chances of getting banned and losing all your games to an act of god causing you to lose your entire physical collection, okay. But it's still better to have owned your games (and movies and whatever else) rather than just letting companies take that right away from you.
Except it's not your collection, remember? It's Steam's collection, they're just letting you borrow it lmao. I actually own my LaserDiscs. What do you own again?
It's fine, Steam will let me borrow it until I die. Again, it's becoming less relevant simply because we dont even get the games on discs anymore, and IF we do its an unoptimized broken mess.
I collect games btw. I have over 500 ranging from NES-7th Gen.
But modern games are hardly worth collecting physically is my point.
Yeah, it is depressing, and they could add so much detail or stuff on a game manual. Like just give these people something more cool like reverse cover print (was really this expensive that they just print the insert there or just leave it blank?) or a simple manual: you can add lore or some techniques for the game. GT2 manual on the PS1 has techniques for curves and handling cars.
This is so sad, because I think there is a way to have digital and physical to survive: have the licenses to people that dont care and make some good physical products that are not "collections edition" to people that enjoy games this way.
Sucks shucks.
You guys suck who don't buy physical games and prefer to buy more expensive games, tied to you account with 0 control over it.
And more ps5 games are playable offline than ps4 games
And plenty of games have goodies, maps, reversible covers and inner artwork.
Only some (like EA games) have text on the inside cover and I agree - it sucks ass then.
When it's only the white page with legal crap, I used to throw it away. Need to do that to remaining games too. This page sucks and sometimes cover some art.
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btw - steelbooks suck ass. I only like stuff that is able to fit in game case. Everything else is a liability you have to keep somewhere. And steelbooks look like ass and are too fragile
I'm happy physical is basically dead. Nintendo going the game key card route was the final nail in the coffin. Too much plastic, too much waste, too many losers to deal with online if you want to resell. Disc rot, etc. etc.
I'm happy physical is basically dead. Nintendo going the game key card route was the final nail in the coffin. Too much plastic, too much waste, too many losers to deal with online if you want to resell. Disc rot, etc. etc.
I see reselling as a pro for physical and OF COURSE it is.
But I think many hardcore gamers, like many here, would only purchase a curated selection of games they want to collect and keep. Maybe I am way wrong and folks buy new for $70, beat in a week and sell for $60. No idea. I do not buy to sell personally.
But really, why would anyone FEAR losing their digital games? I have had digital accounts for almost 20 years (2007 steam) and it's just fine. Same with GOG, PSN,XBL etc
The only way I would fear it, is if I was hacking online games or doing malicious things online. Which in most cases would likely just get be banned from playing online, while still having my games.
Physical games are great, but disc rot is real for older ones, they can get stolen, carts mess up, a storm destroys them, really a bevy of things can happen to them.
Also, it genuinely is nice just going from game to game with a click.
Sucks shucks.
You guys suck who don't buy physical games and prefer to buy more expensive games, tied to you account with 0 control over it.
And more ps5 games are playable offline than ps4 games
And plenty of games have goodies, maps, reversible covers and inner artwork.
Only some (like EA games) have text on the inside cover and I agree - it sucks ass then.
When it's only the white page with legal crap, I used to throw it away. Need to do that to remaining games too. This page sucks and sometimes cover some art.
Copy link
...
btw - steelbooks suck ass. I only like stuff that is able to fit in game case. Everything else is a liability you have to keep somewhere. And steelbooks look like ass and are too fragile
I'm good not owning any games. Perfectly happy to pay a few bucks via subscriptions, or Steam key sites, or a deep digital discount to play a game and move on. My days of stacking up clutter and calling it a collection are long over and I don't want to spend any more of my time trading and selling physical goods when I'm finished with them. I understand that a lot of people still enjoy it, and I have empathy, but I'm not inclined to set my free time on fire to keep them warm.
I'm good not owning any games. Perfectly happy to pay a few bucks via subscriptions, or Steam key sites, or a deep digital discount to play a game and move on. My days of stacking up clutter and calling it a collection are long over and I don't want to spend any more of my time trading and selling physical goods when I'm finished with them. I understand that a lot of people still enjoy it, and I have empathy, but I'm not inclined to set my free time on fire to keep them warm.
It's sad you need collector's editions to get the basic pack-ins from yesteryear. Switch cases are the biggest waste of space though, they should have gone with smaller case like Vita or 3DS.
Sucks shucks.
You guys suck who don't buy physical games and prefer to buy more expensive games, tied to you account with 0 control over it.
And more ps5 games are playable offline than ps4 games
And plenty of games have goodies, maps, reversible covers and inner artwork.
Only some (like EA games) have text on the inside cover and I agree - it sucks ass then.
When it's only the white page with legal crap, I used to throw it away. Need to do that to remaining games too. This page sucks and sometimes cover some art.
THANK YOU to reestablish the truth about physical games. I'm so sick of these people spreading the urban legend that all PS3/PS4/PS5 games need anyway to be patched (or are empty key) or require an mandatory online connection to download the whole game or a mandatory patch to play the game. The immense and vast majority of games are 100% playable without any single patches (beside stupid exceptions solo games like Hogward legacy, Jedi Survivor, Star Wars Outlaws, AC: Shadows... from greedy publisher like Warner, Activision, Ubisoft... ). You can even never connect your console to Internet because OS update are always included on the disc.
(I won't speak about Xbox/Microsoft because they seem to give up on everything, their physical release are pure joke when they were the best in the 360 era)
Yes, data on the disc are going to be the 1.0 GOLD unpolished version (except with Nintendo still published physical polished games) but that's infinitely better than owning nothing and count on online servers that will be soon or later offline and unavailable. You CAN'T trust corporations: they don't give a SINGLE shit about you and your digital collection as long there is no laws to regulate all this mess.
Also, disc rots are not a thing nowadays, BLURAY are simply IMMUNE because they are VASTLY different from CD and DVD.
Also, the reason that these incomplete physical games are happening is because, you people, have simply gave up on physical (aka "I'm too lazy to change disc", "I prefer to have all my games directly accessible", "urban legend disc are simple key with no data", etc...).
Incomplete physical discs are indeed happening sometimes from greedy publishers and are simply a consequence of your choice, but people are actually burring themself in a hole where they will be stuck: the more digital games you buy, the more you give control and send the message to manufacturers, devs, publishers to continue this shameful practice and bypass resellers, and thus, suppressing any competition from resellers we use to had since the video games creation.
I bought so many physical games at so low prices, thanks to physical resellers competition, especially at launch, while seeing the same game at the same FULL INSANE price on online console store years later, it's pathetic and hilarious. This what you will get if physical is no more a thing (And I will stop gaming on consoles or go dark side...).
You will reap what you sow.
Thankfully, for now, this competition is still a healthy thing in my area and physical games are available more than ever with even some nice goodies at normal price like said "plenty of games have goodies, maps, reversible covers and inner artwork") and showed by rofif
in the section "Example of some games with more than white inside cover with legal text"; proper physical release is such a joyful pleasure !
I'm so sick of these people spreading the urban legend that all PS3/PS4/PS5 games need anyway to be patched (or are empty key) or require an mandatory online connection to download the whole game or a mandatory patch to play the game. The immense and vast majority of games are 100% playable without any single patches (beside stupid exceptions solo games like Hogward legacy, Jedi Survivor, Star Wars Outlaws, AC: Shadows... from greedy publisher like Warner, Activision, Ubisoft... ).
Nobody is going to actually do this. It's some weird fascination by "Collectors" who think their physical copy of Elden Ring will be worth $$$$ 20 years from now.
Sucks shucks.
You guys suck who don't buy physical games and prefer to buy more expensive games, tied to you account with 0 control over it.
And more ps5 games are playable offline than ps4 games
And plenty of games have goodies, maps, reversible covers and inner artwork.
Only some (like EA games) have text on the inside cover and I agree - it sucks ass then.
When it's only the white page with legal crap, I used to throw it away. Need to do that to remaining games too. This page sucks and sometimes cover some art.
Copy link
...
btw - steelbooks suck ass. I only like stuff that is able to fit in game case. Everything else is a liability you have to keep somewhere. And steelbooks look like ass and are too fragile
