Is it just me, or...

does anyone else have a problem with everything becoming digital? I see many gamers happily switching to Steam, and many gamers happily looking towards the future filled with digitial distribution-only games. I see the benefits, but what happened to the fun of great box art, and owning physical copies? I don't like owning digital copies of games because it feels like I don't "own" them, to me it feels like they're just rentals or something. When I own a physical copy I feel like it's a real piece of work, a very nicely made piece of art, a nicely packaged experience. I love smelling the plastic seal, admiring the box art, then unwrapping it and looking at the beautiful manual. Then looking at the art on the disk. I don't like just starting a game from my system, I like to have a collection of games, then open up the fully packaged box, and place the disk in the console/computer to play. This is all gone with digital distribution. Does anyone else feel this way? Because from the Steam fans, and the gamers or analysts talking about the future, I feel I'm part of a very small minority.

I have no problem. As long as internet speeds continue to rise, I believe this will be more beneficial towards publishers and developers. If we can have great deals like on steam, then there is no use for the used game market. Publishers win. Developers win. We win. Gaming wins!

Boxes and manuals are a waste of material and space. IronBass

It sounds like a fear of change, you will just need to adjust. I very much feel like my steam list is mine, it has close to $1000 in games on it, most of which I've actually played. I feel I own it more than physical copies since I can access them from any computer at any time. Don't need to sift through 50 boxes to get to a game I want, it is just on a list and I click it. No need to insert a disk while playing or any of that nonsense. It is a lot more convenient to play everything digitally. The only real problem could be if you live in a country with low bandwidth, the rest is something you will need to adjust to.

Yes, and like the comments before me said, there is a huge overhead cost with shipping a product, producing the box, making the manual, potentially translating the manual and printing that version too, a lot of wasted plastic from cases will eventually be thrown out or take up far too much room. It is far more likely small projects and teams can get a game released when they can release a digital copy. This gen has had far more indie games because of it. There are no real negatives other than nostalgia.

Boxes and manuals are a waste of material and space. IronBass

I've always hoped we could have a solution like this:

You buy a game in a store, physical copy with a box, everything as it is now. In the box in a disc, but also a code just like MS' 25 character codes. You can put the disc in, enter the code and copy the game to your hard drive. Put the disc away and you dont need it for the game. To combat piracy, the code would be tied to your gamertag and only be able to be used by that gamer while that code is active on the console. You could go to a friends house, leave the disc but sign into your account and download the game from the servers, play it all you want while your GT is there. Sign out and leave and the game is useless. If you want to sell, give or trade in your game you can release the code from your account and let someone else use it. It would please retailers, consumers and even keep Gamestop happy. No one loses their business and everyone gets the perk of the digital age.

Obviously not just you, I do like digital though. I do have to admit that I don't play as many digital games though. If I own the hard copy, I always seem to find a way to play it.

And money...TailBlood

[QUOTE="IronBass"]Boxes and manuals are a waste of material and space. TailBlood

This is true. If companies didn't have to worry about paying for disc, box, and maunal production and distributing the product out to retailers, it would cost them a lot less and they wouldn't have to charge as much. They would of course, but they wouldn't have to.

I've always hoped we could have a solution like this:

You buy a game in a store, physical copy with a box, everything as it is now. In the box in a disc, but also a code just like MS' 25 character codes. You can put the disc in, enter the code and copy the game to your hard drive. Put the disc away and you dont need it for the game. To combat piracy, the code would be tied to your gamertag and only be able to be used by that gamer while that code is active on the console. You could go to a friends house, leave the disc but sign into your account and download the game from the servers, play it all you want while your GT is there. Sign out and leave and the game is useless. If you want to sell, give or trade in your game you can release the code from your account and let someone else use it. It would please retailers, consumers and even keep Gamestop happy. No one loses their business and everyone gets the perk of the digital age.

mynamesdenvrmax

I support this solution, it's the best of both worlds :)

It's not really fear of change, I just love the box, plastic, and manual, it just works for me. It feels like a complete package.

[QUOTE="TailBlood"]

[QUOTE="IronBass"]Boxes and manuals are a waste of material and space. Phoenix534

This is true. If companies didn't have to worry about paying for disc, box, and maunal production and distributing the product out to retailers, it would cost them a lot less and they wouldn't have to charge as much. They would of course, but they wouldn't have to.

So why not just make digital distribution cheaper, while retail is slightly more expensive?

I've always hoped we could have a solution like this:

You buy a game in a store, physical copy with a box, everything as it is now. In the box in a disc, but also a code just like MS' 25 character codes. You can put the disc in, enter the code and copy the game to your hard drive. Put the disc away and you dont need it for the game. To combat piracy, the code would be tied to your gamertag and only be able to be used by that gamer while that code is active on the console. You could go to a friends house, leave the disc but sign into your account and download the game from the servers, play it all you want while your GT is there. Sign out and leave and the game is useless. If you want to sell, give or trade in your game you can release the code from your account and let someone else use it. It would please retailers, consumers and even keep Gamestop happy. No one loses their business and everyone gets the perk of the digital age.

mynamesdenvrmax

I just love the box, plastic, and manual, it just works for me. XVision84

[QUOTE="Phoenix534"]

[QUOTE="TailBlood"]And money...

XVision84

This is true. If companies didn't have to worry about paying for disc, box, and maunal production and distributing the product out to retailers, it would cost them a lot less and they wouldn't have to charge as much. They would of course, but they wouldn't have to.

So why not just make digital distribution cheaper, while retail is slightly more expensive?

some people, like me, like them. there is nothing like taking up your new game box and unwrap the coverlightleggy

I've always hoped we could have a solution like this:

You buy a game in a store, physical copy with a box, everything as it is now. In the box in a disc, but also a code just like MS' 25 character codes. You can put the disc in, enter the code and copy the game to your hard drive. Put the disc away and you dont need it for the game. To combat piracy, the code would be tied to your gamertag and only be able to be used by that gamer while that code is active on the console. You could go to a friends house, leave the disc but sign into your account and download the game from the servers, play it all you want while your GT is there. Sign out and leave and the game is useless. If you want to sell, give or trade in your game you can release the code from your account and let someone else use it. It would please retailers, consumers and even keep Gamestop happy. No one loses their business and everyone gets the perk of the digital age.mynamesdenvrmax

That doesn't sound that unlikely. It's not too different from what MS introduced with the optional installations for all 360 games.

I also would like to add that they would eventually still need to pay gamestop in order to sell their games. Hence an extra % off their profits.

Smart thing is:

• Go digital at $50.00
• Not ship anything to retailers.

Even if they might sacrifice a couple of costumers who don't have internet (seriously?). It would be ultimetly worth it. Plus the fact that those costumers will be forced to get an internet service.

I've always hoped we could have a solution like this:

You buy a game in a store, physical copy with a box, everything as it is now. In the box in a disc, but also a code just like MS' 25 character codes. You can put the disc in, enter the code and copy the game to your hard drive. Put the disc away and you dont need it for the game. To combat piracy, the code would be tied to your gamertag and only be able to be used by that gamer while that code is active on the console. You could go to a friends house, leave the disc but sign into your account and download the game from the servers, play it all you want while your GT is there. Sign out and leave and the game is useless. If you want to sell, give or trade in your game you can release the code from your account and let someone else use it. It would please retailers, consumers and even keep Gamestop happy. No one loses their business and everyone gets the perk of the digital age.

mynamesdenvrmax

The only problem is that DD solutions let games stay at higher prices longer because there's no used market to compete with.

[QUOTE="mynamesdenvrmax"]

I've always hoped we could have a solution like this:

You buy a game in a store, physical copy with a box, everything as it is now. In the box in a disc, but also a code just like MS' 25 character codes. You can put the disc in, enter the code and copy the game to your hard drive. Put the disc away and you dont need it for the game. To combat piracy, the code would be tied to your gamertag and only be able to be used by that gamer while that code is active on the console. You could go to a friends house, leave the disc but sign into your account and download the game from the servers, play it all you want while your GT is there. Sign out and leave and the game is useless. If you want to sell, give or trade in your game you can release the code from your account and let someone else use it. It would please retailers, consumers and even keep Gamestop happy. No one loses their business and everyone gets the perk of the digital age.

TailBlood

I suppose thats true, but if they cut off the big retailers from selling their products they are less likely to sell consoles. They dont make money on consoles for the most part, if they do its a small amount. So we either pay the extra for the games there or they'll jack up the price on consoles to make their money. I should have added that the option to buy online only should be there, but if you want a physical copy and the digital you could still get both in one box.

[QUOTE="XVision84"]

[QUOTE="Phoenix534"]

This is true. If companies didn't have to worry about paying for disc, box, and maunal production and distributing the product out to retailers, it would cost them a lot less and they wouldn't have to charge as much. They would of course, but they wouldn't have to.

TailBlood

So why not just make digital distribution cheaper, while retail is slightly more expensive?

Well publisher's could make more money from digital. If they made digital, like you said, just $10 cheaper (which would make it the go-to option for people who don't mind digital copies) then they'd make a lot of profit.

does anyone else have a problem with everything becoming digital? I see many gamers happily switching to Steam, and many gamers happily looking towards the future filled with digitial distribution-only games. I see the benefits, but what happened to the fun of great box art, and owning physical copies? I don't like owning digital copies of games because it feels like I don't "own" them, to me it feels like they're just rentals or something. When I own a physical copy I feel like it's a real piece of work, a very nicely made piece of art, a nicely packaged experience. I love smelling the plastic seal, admiring the box art, then unwrapping it and looking at the beautiful manual. Then looking at the art on the disk. I don't like just starting a game from my system, I like to have a collection of games, then open up the fully packaged box, and place the disk in the console/computer to play. This is all gone with digital distribution. Does anyone else feel this way? Because from the Steam fans, and the gamers or analysts talking about the future, I feel I'm part of a very small minority.

XVision84

[QUOTE="TailBlood"]

[QUOTE="XVision84"]

So why not just make digital distribution cheaper, while retail is slightly more expensive?

XVision84

Well publisher's could make more money from digital. If they made digital, like you said, just $10 cheaper (which would make it the go-to option for people who don't mind digital copies) then they'd make a lot of profit.

[QUOTE="TailBlood"]

[QUOTE="mynamesdenvrmax"]

I've always hoped we could have a solution like this:

You buy a game in a store, physical copy with a box, everything as it is now. In the box in a disc, but also a code just like MS' 25 character codes. You can put the disc in, enter the code and copy the game to your hard drive. Put the disc away and you dont need it for the game. To combat piracy, the code would be tied to your gamertag and only be able to be used by that gamer while that code is active on the console. You could go to a friends house, leave the disc but sign into your account and download the game from the servers, play it all you want while your GT is there. Sign out and leave and the game is useless. If you want to sell, give or trade in your game you can release the code from your account and let someone else use it. It would please retailers, consumers and even keep Gamestop happy. No one loses their business and everyone gets the perk of the digital age.

mynamesdenvrmax

I suppose thats true, but if they cut off the big retailers from selling their products they are less likely to sell consoles. They dont make money on consoles for the most part, if they do its a small amount. So we either pay the extra for the games there or they'll jack up the price on consoles to make their money. I should have added that the option to buy online only should be there, but if you want a physical copy and the digital you could still get both in one box.

I prefer digital because I'm horrendous at keeping track of things. All those game discs are just too easy to lose track of lol.

I don't like digital distribution either. I'd rather like to have a collection of physical copies. But I can't help it, most of the PC games I play have been downloaded through Steam because they're not available in stores.

Boxes and manuals are a waste of material and space. IronBass

i LOVE boxes and manuals, but i can see why they are not the highest priority.

For my PC.. I can do with or without the disc.

For my consoles.. I want the box, disc, and manual.

If its mini-games or what not, I don't mind too much.

If I'm dropping full price for a gave or movie, I want the physical copy in my hand. So I can play it till the disc itself disintegrates.

i like having a physical copy because i dont have to worry about not having internet connection

but if it werent for my stupid bandwidth limit, i would have no problem with digital copies. As long as there is fast connection, installation from disk or physical copies are basically the same.

Also, auto patching would be awesome and i dont have to worry about my disks not working (i dont take very good care of disks :P)

does anyone else have a problem with everything becoming digital? I see many gamers happily switching to Steam, and many gamers happily looking towards the future filled with digitial distribution-only games. I see the benefits, but what happened to the fun of great box art, and owning physical copies? I don't like owning digital copies of games because it feels like I don't "own" them, to me it feels like they're just rentals or something. When I own a physical copy I feel like it's a real piece of work, a very nicely made piece of art, a nicely packaged experience. I love smelling the plastic seal, admiring the box art, then unwrapping it and looking at the beautiful manual. Then looking at the art on the disk. I don't like just starting a game from my system, I like to have a collection of games, then open up the fully packaged box, and place the disk in the console/computer to play. This is all gone with digital distribution. Does anyone else feel this way? Because from the Steam fans, and the gamers or analysts talking about the future, I feel I'm part of a very small minority.

XVision84

Agreed, but I only get 20GB of net a month so DD is not really an option :/gamebreakerz__

[QUOTE="XVision84"]I just love the box, plastic, and manual, it just works for me. 110million

I see what you're saying, but when i can get games like GTA4 on sale for £5 on steam i don't mind not having a box.

yeah but it's a sad fact that DD is the future. I'm just worried about losing my games if the DD service shuts down in the future.

Yeah I agree with you to an extent, I love owning the hard copies, the feel of the case and looking at the manuals and box art and the cd cases stacked in a row gives a sense of ownership, which I like.

However, the convenience of DD and the cheaper prices outweigh this advantage of buying a hard copy for me...there could be a hybrid solution, but I don't agree with the one propunded by one guy here, as it still has the inconvenience of going and buying the game for yourself.

does anyone else have a problem with everything becoming digital? I see many gamers happily switching to Steam, and many gamers happily looking towards the future filled with digitial distribution-only games. I see the benefits, but what happened to the fun of great box art, and owning physical copies? I don't like owning digital copies of games because it feels like I don't "own" them, to me it feels like they're just rentals or something. When I own a physical copy I feel like it's a real piece of work, a very nicely made piece of art, a nicely packaged experience. I love smelling the plastic seal, admiring the box art, then unwrapping it and looking at the beautiful manual. Then looking at the art on the disk. I don't like just starting a game from my system, I like to have a collection of games, then open up the fully packaged box, and place the disk in the console/computer to play. This is all gone with digital distribution. Does anyone else feel this way? Because from the Steam fans, and the gamers or analysts talking about the future, I feel I'm part of a very small minority.

XVision84

I see the benefits, but what happened to the fun of great box art, and owning physical copies?

XVision84

What was fun about that? The fun is in the game.

On consoles I still like having the disc, manual and case. Only because of splitscreen mulitplayer. It's easier to carry over a case and disc, then downloading a game and waiting hours.

On PC though, I much prefer downloads. Always hated boxed copies of PC games.

i feel the same way. you are not alone.

[QUOTE="IronBass"]Boxes and manuals are a waste of material and space. lightleggy

I honestly find it hard to value or appreciate digital content.

[QUOTE="110million"][QUOTE="XVision84"]I just love the box, plastic, and manual, it just works for me. Some-Mist

[QUOTE="Some-Mist"]

[QUOTE="110million"] I just love games, and not the box I look at for 2 seconds when I take out the game, and 2 more seconds when I'm putting it away. 110million

many of the games I play aren't on steam either. as opposed to cloud based gaming services, I prefer actually owning my games (I take it you aren't a game collector?). In the event that I actually buy a game I don't like (there's only been one this gen) I can sell it back if I want to.

I can't complain at the moment because Im doing well with the steam sale and I get my games faster than if I had to wait for them to be delivered :D.

NOPE...I like owning my media. Cloud is not ownership and never will be. Ive bought like 4 games from Steam since I started using it and I hate that I did.