Digital Distribution the future? No thanks.

As of late I keep hearing a lot of talk about how digital distribution is set to overtake physical media sooner or later, and as a gamer who is also a collector of video games I take issue with that. I'm not going to regurgitate information you've all read somewhere else, because we all know the pros and cons of dd at this point. My question is this: Am I in the minority in my perspective on the necessity of physical media? How many of you share my sentiments on the issue?

I don't buy much digital distribution, maybe a few pc games. But yeah I am with you. I am a small collector, and I don't like the concept of everything being downloaded.

Most people probably still prefer physical copies given the option, but I believe game developers eventually won't even give you the option. Either you buy the digital copy or you don't play the game. The ability to bypass retailers and save money on packaging and shipping will be too much of an incentive for them not to do so.

The thing that is going to keep hard copies of games out there is players' lack of want to connect. I know its odd but there are people that still never connect there games to the net and even some that do not have a connection. although its far fetched and may not be believable but those customers are still money and well there more likely to buy games over all if they have less to do with each game (no multiplayer out side there home, no DLC,) .

I was completely opposed to the idea of digital distribution until Steam started getting it right. With their offline mode and the ubiquity of internet access its DRM isn't invasive in any way, and you can freely redownload games you've deleted or copy them to make backups that are instantly reinstalled upon copying them back into the Steam folder. Consoles have a ways to go before they get it right, as you can't make your own backups and there's no guarantee you'll be able to use anything you've purchased on the 360/PS3/Wii on each company's next console. Steam has the benefit of the openness of the PC platform.DJ_Lae

Oh, you are most definitely right. Steam is genius. I don't even buy physical copies of PC games anymore. I'm mostly talking about console gaming, which we seem to agree on. Thing is, unless one of the big three steps up to the plate and makes some revolutionary move to change the way console gaming works, DD won't ever fit very well IMO. This whole five to ten year console lifetime format isn't very friendly to something like that.

Plus, to keep all of the games you'd want from each generation for future play, you'd have a lot of hard drives laying around. :P

I like having digital distribution around for things like the Wii's Virtual Console, XBLA, PSN, and for hard to find games that are out of print but when given the opportunity I will always choose the physical copy over the digital one even if that means having to much more for it. I don't like to do without the box, disk, or manual and I just really like taking the shrink-wrap off of a new game.

I'll take the physical copies for the consoles, thanks. But I'll admit that I've downloaded the majority of mygames onthe PSP.

I'll take the physical copies for the consoles, thanks. But I'll admit that I've downloaded the majority of my games on the PSP.

Pixel-Perfect

I'll take physical copies over downloads for consoles, handhelds, & PC games. What would happen when all the servers, HDD's, etc., gets completely broken &/or shut down one day? Or what happens when your favorite company goes bankrupt? Plus back-ups aren't exactly a guarantee.

I only like DD when it's optional, not mandatory.

[QUOTE="Pixel-Perfect"]

I'll take the physical copies for the consoles, thanks. But I'll admit that I've downloaded the majority of my games on the PSP.

garland51

I'll take physical copies over downloads for consoles, handhelds, & PC games. What would happen when all the servers, HDD's, etc., gets completely broken &/or shut down one day? Or what happens when your favorite company goes bankrupt? Plus back-ups aren't exactly a guarantee.

I only like DD when it's optional, not mandatory.

I also really, really like knowing that I can get something for physical copies of games from trading them in, selling them, or trading/lending to friends/family if I ever choose to do so.

The so calle "era of Digital Distribution" probably won't occur for some significant amount of time. Sure, Steam is a wonderful service that is provided for PC Gamers, but what I would like to know:

• How many PC gamers in the world actually use the service?
• How much money do they spend, how many games, and how often do they purchase games?
• How does the price of titles Fluxuate? Do prices go down at a reasonable amoutn of time?

I know Steam usually likes to have great special deals, but what's important are the normal pricings of titles and not "special deals" that are not always caught by consumers.

In terms of consoles, there would have to be some sort of improvements in terms of hard drive space. Not only is the amount of time you have to sit there to download the title, it's the amount of space it takes up. The pricing of hard drives would have to be reasonable to the average consumer(or allow the use of secondary business hard drives like Sony has allowed that are somewhat reasonable in todays markets).

Lastly, I find digital distribution to be a total threat to our economical system and to the gaming industry. People do not own they physical powress of owning a title and being able to do as they please with it such as the ultimate thing to do: Sell the title. But, as it may be to a threat to the industry as used titles goes, we don't actually control the prices. We are at the complete mercy of the publishers whim. Which brings more questions?

• Will the price of the titles go down because of the lack of need of having to ship and package games?

The PSPGO! is an excellent example that just isn't working. The titles are within the same exact prices as thier physical siblings. Shouldn't they be cheaper?

Digital Distribution, as much as unique as it sounds and "futuristic as it sounds", I think it won't work out as planned and both consumers, and within the gaming industry, will be hurt.

Of course, this is all just my opinion. Others will have other opinions which they're completely entitled to and will probably argue with me on several points, but I will always stand against Digital Distribution.

Console games should stick to physical copies because people like me don't have the ol' 360 connected to teh internet all the time.

Now, for PCs, clients like Steam and their DD makes sense because it is very rare nowadays for any PC not to be connected to the internet. like 1% chance.

I'm with you as well, TC. In fact, the total number of hours I've spent online this generation on the PS3/360 is probably less than five hours (was exploring Home on PSN and testing out my XBL trial membership that I never used until three years into my 360's life). I collect games, and I prefer physical media to DD. Plus, download speed. I don't want to wait hours upon hours for a game to download when I can just drive up to the game store in ten minutes and purchase what I want. It's just not happening for me.

after the newer super computers and newer revisions of internet are complete digital distribution will be the only means of acquiring software.

On console I like to own a disc version I find that downloads like on the Playstation Store the publishers most times do charge way too much for a download then the price you can get it on disc. But if all games went to digital distribution and game companies stopped releasing disc versions I would be against it as that would just cause Video Game stores to go out of business and the fact is not everyone has access to the internet. I'm actually glad that Sony Europe do release certain PSN games to disc as it's always good to get a choice of a download or disc.

I prefer retail, but damn, Steam is just plain awesome. It's just so convenient and easy. Readily available old and niche games is a huge plus as are all the great features such as Steam Cloud. Also, Steam's unique ability to experiment with pricing makes buying games off of it irresistable sometimes.

man.. i dont understand this **** it really pisses me off...

its like they dont even want us leaving our homes.... **** digital distribution straight up...

I don't know if you are in the minority with your perspective but I certainly hope you are. I don't share your sentiments on the issue.

Digital distribution should at least become a standard for handheld consoles, for they will then be truly portable.

I agree with you for the most part, I still use DD for games that are hard to get or really expensive if sold as a hard copy.

I think there are valid points either way for DD; it's nice to just run a game of your hard-drive, but you can't trade in a digital copy; one thing I do know about it, it's here and it's going to get bigger!! :?

Usually I prefer a physical copy but because of the many crazy deals on Steam I just couldn't resist.

A lot of people prefer physcal copies.

I never buy a digial version of anything if the real thing is available. That goes for games, movies, music and anything else.

But unfortunately, the industry is pushing for it. No more rentals, used sales, lending games to friends and maybe even less pracy means they think they can make a lot more money from it. (though weather or not they can remains to be seen.)

If you could copy a game that you downloaded onto a disc, so that you can take it over a friend's house if you wanted to, that would be ideal.

But they will probably never in a million years let us do that.