Digital vs Physical Videogames Discussion: Which do you prefer and why?

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Noxce

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#1 Noxce
Member since 2016 • 10 Posts

Hello everyone! I’m an undergraduate student in the United Kingdom. I’m currently doing my dissertation on the impact of digital growth and availability of videogames on consumer propensity to purchase physical copies of videogames. As part of this, I’d love to generate some discussion on the transition from the purchase of physical copies of videogames to the digital versions. Particularly, to what extent are you likely to purchase a digital copy of a videogame over the physical versions, (or vice versa) and why?

Despite some clear benefits to digital content and somewhat steady growth in digital sales, there is still a huge gap between physical and digital sales outside of stores like Steam, e.g. Xbox Live store/PSN Store. I’d love to know your opinion on the digital videogames vs physical videogames debate and I will contribute a few of my opinions to the discussion aswell. If you have a spare moment as a member of the community to contribute an opinion to the discussion, I would greatly appreciate it!

Some of the key points for me as a gamer are as follows:

  • · Pricing – Considering the obvious monetary benefits to digitization of videogame content for developers etc., outside of Steam, we as customers really don’t appear to be receiving much of these benefits through reduced digital download costs, particularly on Xbox and PSN Stores. Does the pricing of digital games make you apprehensive to purchase them over say, a second hand copy off of EBay, Amazon, or even a new copy from any number of retailers?
  • · Time – Simply put, it is far quicker in most scenarios, not to mention more convenient, to purchase a digital copy over traveling to a local store or waiting several days (unless you pay extra for one-day delivery) for the physical copy.
  • · Ownership – Do you really feel like you own a copy of something you have purchased digitally and only have a digital copy of? Consider that when you purchase a game off of Steam for example, you are purchasing a licence and your rights to ownership as a customer are vague at best.
  • · Second hand markets –Personally, a lot of the value of a physical copy comes from the knowledge that I can recover some of my initial costs by re-selling. Does the loss of value in not being able to trade in a game affect your propensity to buy digital over physical?
  • · Heritage/Collectors – Many including myself enjoy expanding on existing collections of videogames as a hobby, whether it be for heritage purposes or just the joy that some get from having a collection of something, much like a collection of DVD’s or Vinyl’s. Is this a barrier that any of you find to purchasing digital videogames?

There are many more points to be brought up, but overall, I’d love to know whether you purchase digital videogames, physical videogames or a mix, and most importantly, what are your reasons for doing so? If I have said anything that feel may be inaccurate/incorrect, or if you disagree with anything, please let me know, I’d really like your opinions!

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deactivated-5bda06edf37ee

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#2  Edited By deactivated-5bda06edf37ee
Member since 2010 • 4675 Posts

PC - Digital only

Consoles - Physical only

PC games have no re-sell value, nor collection value really (once you use the serial code, it's paper weight, except in rare non-DRM games like Witcher 3), so i'm getting everything pretty much from Steam if possible. I like to keep my library in the same place, and i don't even have an optical drive in my system anymore. On consoles the games do have some collective value, so i like to own them in old-school physical versions. I love to think that i can dig up my dusty console after 20 years of it's release, and boot up some of the old classics, even if the online services would have died long ago. On PC, you can't really even rely on the old games working with your futuristic super-system anymore. Ofcourse, some games on consoles have heavy online features these days too, but you can still enjoy most of them to some extent even offline.

Then there's the fact that i simply like the physical object. It feels like i truly own the game then. I love the artwork and booklets and the smell of it and and... <3 The most recent physical PC games i've bought have never even been in my PC; i just used the serials to get them digitally, which made me think what's the point of it anymore. Makes the physical goodies feel pointless. BRING BACK THE CARTRIDGES ARRR!

Btw, i love how the copy of Windows 10 came in a cool little box on a USB stick. I'd buy more PC games this way, especially if i could apply latest patches and DLC to it later on. You could finally apply the definitive GOTY edition to your day-one collectible! OMG, that would be the best thing ever. Even for consoles. The ultimate solution. Think about all of the cool USB game-stick designs we could have! It should be somehow protected though, so peasants couldn't wipe the data off of them accidentally. I'd sure as hell pay the little premium that the USB stick would result, compared to cheaper optical discs.

Collector's Edition leather coated USB stick, with game logo etched on it, in a wooden cigar box with velvet interior. That's what i'm talking about.

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Noxce

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#3 Noxce
Member since 2016 • 10 Posts

I think i share a lot of the same viewpoints, for me it's digital on PC and physical on console aswell. The lack of value in re-sale for PC means that it's just pure convenience, not to mention the prices on stores like Steam and GoG just make a lot of everything else look a little redundant, mainly due to the frequency of sales. It's been a while since i purchased a physical copy of a game despite owning an Xbox One, i guess i just prefer everything in one place, plus most of the stuff i could play on console, i could play on PC for cheaper and it would look better. I do miss actually having the physical copy though, used to go into town and read the manuals etc on the way back when i was a kid, i guess it's that nostalgic element i hold onto. I've not actually upgraded to Windows 10 yet but i had no idea that's how they were shipping it, pretty cool idea, applications to gaming distribution seem like a pretty unique idea aswell.

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deactivated-5bda06edf37ee

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#4 deactivated-5bda06edf37ee
Member since 2010 • 4675 Posts

@noxce said:

I do miss actually having the physical copy though, used to go into town and read the manuals etc on the way back when i was a kid, i guess it's that nostalgic element i hold onto.

Oh yes, this. Me too. And holding the more expensive, steel-cased special editions in your hands.

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Archangel3371

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#5 Archangel3371  Online
Member since 2004 • 43988 Posts

I definitely prefer having my games on physical format and I don't mind paying more for it. I'm a collector and keep all the games I purchase so resale value isn't important to me. A physical collection holds more appeal to me visually. Another reason why I prefer physical is because I find it easier and quicker to reinstall games whenever I feel like replaying them instead of downloading them again.

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MarcRecon

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#6  Edited By MarcRecon
Member since 2009 • 8191 Posts

I'm in the middle, I like having the physical copy but I also like the convenience of just downloading the game as well. My gaming collection(PS3-4, 360) is about 50-50 so I'm cool with that balance.

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SoNin360

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#7 SoNin360
Member since 2008 • 7175 Posts

Mostly physical... I hardly ever resell games, but I just like being able to see the collection of games I've accumulated. But really it mostly comes down to pricing. There are more buying options when it comes to physical games, at least when we're talking about consoles. So I can almost find a physical copy cheaper than I can digital, so it's a no brainer for me. I'll only buy digital if it's what I feel is a really good deal. PC is digital only for obvious reasons, one of which being that my PC doesn't have an optical drive lol.

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Telekill

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#8  Edited By Telekill
Member since 2003 • 12061 Posts

When it comes to games, I will always prefer physical over digital. I feel like I actually own it and can go and play it whenever I want without worrying about having that item taken away in some fashion.

That said, I'm a bit odd with other digital content. When it comes to...

- music - 99% digital

- movies - 99% physical

- TV shows - all digital now

- books - all digital unless a gift or a Michael Crichton novel.

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Noxce

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#9 Noxce
Member since 2016 • 10 Posts

@Archangel3371 said:

I definitely prefer having my games on physical format and I don't mind paying more for it. I'm a collector and keep all the games I purchase so resale value isn't important to me. A physical collection holds more appeal to me visually. Another reason why I prefer physical is because I find it easier and quicker to reinstall games whenever I feel like replaying them instead of downloading them again.

Yeh indeed, i still own a rather sizeable collection of Xbox 360 games and although i mainly game on my PC now, i still find it somewhat difficult even thinking about getting rid of them or selling them! Something about having that physical copy is just a little addicting when adding it to an existing collection. In terms of the faster re-install time, i'm with you on that, countless times i've had to leave a download on overnight, and i have semi-decent internet... I can only imagine what it must be like for those in rural locations with weaker internet connections.

@SoNin360 said:

Mostly physical... I hardly ever resell games, but I just like being able to see the collection of games I've accumulated. But really it mostly comes down to pricing. There are more buying options when it comes to physical games, at least when we're talking about consoles. So I can almost find a physical copy cheaper than I can digital, so it's a no brainer for me. I'll only buy digital if it's what I feel is a really good deal. PC is digital only for obvious reasons, one of which being that my PC doesn't have an optical drive lol.

Yup! Outside of steam, i'll usually use Amazon to find used copies of games for my Xbox One, sometimes eBay. It's almost always cheaper new by some margin aswell. Think i've used the optical drive i put in my PC maybe 3 times in the last 3 years...

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GunMason

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#10 GunMason
Member since 2016 • 21 Posts

Just down to how easy it is to acquire games on PC through Apps like Steam, Origin and Uplay, I have all my PC games digitally downloaded onto my PC.

My PS4 however for some reason is the complete opposite. I would say out of the 20+games I own for the PS4, 3-4 are digital copies.

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benbob

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#11 benbob
Member since 2016 • 6 Posts

Consoles - Physical .

PC - Digital.

Pricing: For me it usually just comes down to where I can get it cheaper, although I would still prefer the physical copy for consoles (digital for PC), I’m not sure I would be willing to pay more than a £10 difference just to have the physical copy.

Time: I used to go to the local store when I was a kid but as I’ve gotten older it’s just more inconvenient than anything, I’d rather not leave the house to go get it, unless it’s a new release I’ve been waiting a long time for. I usually just purchase a physical copy off of Amazon and just wait the allotted time for delivery, unless it’s on PC, in which case I’ll just digital download off of Steam.

Ownership: I’ve not had any negative experiences with ownership issues on Steam for example, but I guess it’s just another reason I would purchase a physical copy. Legal rights to ownership seem more than a little vague, but it doesn’t bother me too much when I’m using Steam.

Second hand: Absolutely, countless times I’ve bought a game and then sold it on to a friend or back to my local store for credit on another game. PC games don’t really hold much value, but physical copies on consoles definitely do, one of the big reasons I won’t purchase digital console games.

Collectors: At the moment I probably have around a 60-40 split of physical games to digital. It’s not a massive deal to me personally, but I do enjoy have a collection of games that I can put up on a shelf, particularly some collector’s editions with all the extra bits! I love the new street fighter collector’s edition with the Ryu model. It would probably be another reason overall for me to purchase a physical copy.

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immortality20

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#12  Edited By immortality20
Member since 2005 • 8546 Posts

Always, always, always physical. I love displaying my collection, knowing I'll always own it and being able to trade/sell or lend to friends. Evem if it launches later like Rocket League I'll wait for it. Plus I live in country so terrible internet, and with the obscene sizes of games it'd take me incredible amount of time to download.

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Yams1980

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#13 Yams1980
Member since 2006 • 2861 Posts

physical copy every time since i feel like i own it more if i have a physical copy...

Although now adays with DRM, its kinda pointless to even own the physical copy since you still need to run the game in a malware activation system like steam, origin or uplay to activate it before you can play it... but it at least saves bandwidth for people with slower internets to have a physical copy for games that are big. I used to buy games a lot before this, but i barely buy any pc games now because im so turned off the lack of ownership of games now.

But back in the good old days in the 1990s and early 2000's owning a physical copy meant something.

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raugutcon

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#15 raugutcon
Member since 2014 • 5576 Posts

I like physical cope, however 99% of all the games I own are digital, go figure. One thing that really bugs me is why, in many cases, digital copies maintain the launch price while their physical counterparts go down in price as time goes by, for example you can get a new physical copy of COD MW3 for 20-25 US while the digital copy is still priced at 50 US ----> what the hell ?!?!.

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BattleStreak

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#16 BattleStreak
Member since 2016 • 1763 Posts

For PC, digital is practically the only option. For consoles, I go digital every time. The prices of physical and digital games are extremely close, when digital games go on sale. Which is frequent, especially on the PSN. I've never paid more than $40 for a game, digitally, on PSN. You need to download your game, whether you have the physical disc or not, so that doesn't matter. For collectors, I could see physical being the best option. Or for someone who needs to sell their game when they're done, to afford the next one. But other than that, I think digital is the way to go. So much more convenient.

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thehig1

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#17 thehig1
Member since 2014 • 7537 Posts

@raugutcon: yeah I don't get that, more console gamers would buy digital games if the pricing was better.

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Noxce

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#18 Noxce
Member since 2016 • 10 Posts

Thanks all for the continued response, i greatly appreciate it! Personally i also feel like it makes for some genuinely interesting discussion about the opinions of the gaming community as a whole.

@raugutcon said:

I like physical cope, however 99% of all the games I own are digital, go figure. One thing that really bugs me is why, in many cases, digital copies maintain the launch price while their physical counterparts go down in price as time goes by, for example you can get a new physical copy of COD MW3 for 20-25 US while the digital copy is still priced at 50 US ----> what the hell ?!?!.

The general consensus from a multiple sources seems to indicate that the biggest reason for consumers like us not benefiting from the lack of production costs as a result of digitizing videogames, is the fact that it would create a great deal of tension between producers/intermediaries and physical retailers. Because physical retailers are struggling as it is to stay afloat, not only do they not want to put further pressure on these shops, but also the could refuse to stock certain games if stores like PSN store and Xbox One store undercut them massively with digital prices.

Overall theme definitely seems to indicate that many of you are still very much leaning towards physical games, not entirely unexpected either.

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deactivated-60a3c754d0a16

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#19 deactivated-60a3c754d0a16
Member since 2002 • 9782 Posts

I'm an older gamer and remember the fun of opening a physical game box, reading the manual, and sometimes being delighted by special inclusions like the awesome map from Ultima VII. But even with nostalgia tugging at my brain my preference these days digital for everything. So be it VHS, cassette tapes, CD's or cartridges I would rather own the digital rights than a physical copy. Books remain one of my only holdouts, but I'm still not the type to claim that physical books "will always be better" or some such nonsense.

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#20  Edited By DaVillain  Moderator
Member since 2014 • 55898 Posts

PC-digital.

Consoles-digital for this gen with PS4 & 3DS only. Wii U exclusive games only i buy for Physical due to installed base is weak.

My answer remains the same. Hard copies are nice because you can physically own the game, and digital copies are nice because of convenience and sales on Steam and GOG.

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MarcRecon

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#21  Edited By MarcRecon
Member since 2009 • 8191 Posts

@thehig1 said:

@raugutcon: yeah I don't get that, more console gamers would buy digital games if the pricing was better.

It's just the timing! They are always having flash sales for new tittles on the PSN and XBL. You just have to look out for them, over the Christmas holiday and after, they've had huge discounts on tittle like MGS5, The Witcher 3 and Dying Light.

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thehig1

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#22 thehig1
Member since 2014 • 7537 Posts

@MarcRecon: the fact that prices on standard games don't drop is annoying

I'm shops, last year's call of duty or assassins creed is not full price, however it stays full price on digital apart from sales.

The price on games like this should lower slightly over time and not just for a limited time during a sale.

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#23  Edited By FenixDelta2
Member since 2016 • 10 Posts

I used to be in the "physical only" crowd, but since having my Xbox One I have found that there is incentive to buy digitally. Purchase the rights to play a game, and you acquire a dual license to use on another console. This helps to cut the cost of game buying in my home by half, and then again in half because whomever I game share with pays half the cost of a game that we agree on mutually. Not to mention there's no need to swap discs, and I retain the rights to that game forever, so if I ever delete it from my console and I decide later I want to play it I merely have to re-download the game. The only downside to this is literally that I can no longer trade games, but I only ever did that to help pay for a new game. Now I no longer have to. So it's a win all around.

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deactivated-5cf0a2e13dbde

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#24 deactivated-5cf0a2e13dbde
Member since 2005 • 12935 Posts

I bought physical copies of every game I had gotten from 1999 to around 2013, save a bunch of indie titles for 360. I ditched the consoles and got a PC. Since July 2013, when I got the pc, the only games I have bought physical copies of are Diablo 3, GTA V, Star Wars TOR.

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SoAmazingBaby

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#25 SoAmazingBaby
Member since 2009 • 3023 Posts

PC = Digital

Console: Physical

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sukraj

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#26 sukraj
Member since 2008 • 27859 Posts

Console - Physical

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LuminousAether

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#27 LuminousAether
Member since 2005 • 322 Posts

Digital. I don't need or want the clutter and digital is just so much more convenient. Don't have to order a physical item and pay shipping and handling or go to a store, I can just make a few clicks and wait a bit and I'm playing a new game. I switched to all digital with WoW: Cataclysm and I haven't looked back, it is just way, way better to buy all digital. Also you can get lots of really, really good deals on digital games. I recently bought the newest Humble Indie Bundle, for example, for about $8 and one of the top tier games, Sunless Sea, has given me over 60 hours of engrossment and I'm still not done with it.

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loafofgame

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#29 loafofgame
Member since 2013 • 1742 Posts
  • Pricing – I do not own consoles, so I can't say anything about that, but Steam sales are so frequent that I hardly ever pay full price for a game, unless I really really want it at release.
  • Time – This doesn't really matter to me, but if convenience can be seen as part of time, then yes, digital is so much more convenient.
  • Ownership – I really don't care about this. Steam is a service I've never had any problems with in the ten years that I'm using it (apart from the occasional servers being down). I realize I'm paying for a service, but I also know that it's in Steam's best interest to keep me happy, because well, it's a service. That I don't really own the games I pay very little money for doesn't bother me at all. I don't tend to replay a lot of games anyway. Still, I don't think I'd be worried if did care about owning my games. Given the explosive nature of the internet, if Steam ever tries to take games away or restrict access to said games in any significant way, peope will go berserk.
  • Second hand markets – This has never been an issue. I've never bought a game I didn't like and even with all these cheap games, I still don't buy games on a whim, so I never feel like I've made a bad purchase. And the cheaper it is, the more lenient I am toward the quality of the game. I've never felt the need to resell or buy second hand. But again, I don't own consoles.
  • Heritage/Collectors – Based on the ownership bulletpoint, it's probably not surprising I don't care about this either. I understand the appeal of having a physical collection and since I generally do care about getting as much achievements as possible (or seeing numbers go up on my steam account), there's something in me that wants to show that I'm invested in games, or that I'm making some sort of accumulative progression. However, physical collections are cumbersome and annoying. They take up space, they catch dust, I have to clean them and in my experience, having a physical collection of anything never really felt that satisfying. I've stopped collecting cd's and dvd's and I don't really care about physical copies of books either.
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ps3hdalltime

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#30 ps3hdalltime
Member since 2012 • 427 Posts

The internet conncetion/bandwidth is very very poor in my region hence i prefer only physical discs for my console never digital and i dont do gaming on pc

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deactivated-5bd1e31726b43

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#31 deactivated-5bd1e31726b43
Member since 2004 • 1081 Posts

I struggle with this. Half my games our digital half my games our physical... Certain games I like having digital copies for sure... Example ESO. ESO is a game that I will play for a long time to come so I like not worrying about having to put in a disc every time I want to play. Just annoying to me that they have not done with video game what they have done with movies. I would pay a little extra to receive a digital copy of a game with the physical copy... They do it with movies why cant they do it with games?

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ArchoNils2

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#32 ArchoNils2
Member since 2005 • 10534 Posts

@Legend_of_Link:What are you doing, reviving a one year old thread?

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Valgaav_219

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#33 Valgaav_219
Member since 2017 • 3129 Posts

I go pretty much all physical unless the game is only available digitally. I prefer physical copies due to the fact that too much digital media leads to spacing issues then you have to start figuring out what to delete by process of elimination. Only other reason I go digital is if I'm super hyped and I download at midnight on release day lol

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ryanwilliams

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#34  Edited By ryanwilliams
Member since 2017 • 9 Posts

I just bought my PS4 and have amassed a. Nice size library of games already by taking advantage of the PS Store sales. I'm going digital. I'm always switching back and forth with multiplayer games and it's really nice having my Battlefront, Battlefield 1, and Killing Floor game icons sitting right next to each other, along with all my other titles all neatly together ready to play. The convenience is beautiful and I don't like the clutter of boxes and discs. So much neater and easier.

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RSM-HQ

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#35  Edited By RSM-HQ
Member since 2009 • 11655 Posts

Physical, relying on an online service is the same as trusting a stranger with your wallet. It's good to have faith in others but foolish non-the-less.

The sad thing is some of the best games are digital only. And as mentioned by another, on P.C. you don't really have much choice. Last two 'physical copies' I got for P.C. turned out to be an online code for the games. . . Defeats the point really, shiny boxes with paper inside.

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omegaMaster

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#36 omegaMaster
Member since 2017 • 3448 Posts

Physical copy for sure. It gives you that exciting feeling of owning an object rather than something online.

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Clefdefa

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#37 Clefdefa
Member since 2017 • 750 Posts

I have a mix of both. I buy digital for indie title because they are under 20$ CND most of the time or I wait for a sell for whatever game that put them under 20$CND.

So most of my games are physical disk because if I buy a game that just came out they may have something cool with it or it is the Game Of The Year edition or something like that.

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wiouds

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#38 wiouds
Member since 2004 • 6233 Posts

The problem with digital is that there a third party always involve when you play one of your game. We don't not know what will happen that third party shuts down. It could easily be that they can just giving us access to their system and any game you do not have on your system then it is unplayable.

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#39 DaVillain  Moderator
Member since 2014 • 55898 Posts

I knew this thread look mighty familiar. My post/answer is a year old and it's still relevant today's standards.

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Black_Knight_00

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#40 Black_Knight_00
Member since 2007 • 77 Posts

I used to be a big console collector, but considering the recent trend of releasing unfinished games on console, I decided to go back to PC and Steam/GOG, because what's the point?

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Archangel3371

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#41 Archangel3371  Online
Member since 2004 • 43988 Posts

Over a year ago and my answer remains the same.

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TTLockerroom

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#43 TTLockerroom
Member since 2017 • 21 Posts

Always physical copy. Even for pc games

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FreeRPGer

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#44 FreeRPGer
Member since 2003 • 40 Posts

Physical for me on console. (I don't game on PC).

One reason I prefer physical over digital is I'm a collector (of games & consoles, not hard drives). If I’d want to pop in a classic game 10 to 20 years later (or anytime), I’d just do it. My game room wall is covered with classics from every gaming generation, and I LOVE to look at them. Plus I have several Collector Edition games, in which I would NOT have gotten the extra goodies with digital only. Again, it’s a collector's thing. ;)

Secondly, I also don't like that space-eating digital games are gone forever once they are no longer supported (once the hard drive it’s downloaded on is gone). Example: P.T. (Silent Hills). Moreover, they eat up SO MUCH space (especially RPGs) that you'll need to collect (pricier than game) hard drives instead.

The only way I EVER download digital games is if I have no other choice, such as with Hellblade, or digital add ons.

Another thing that irks me (at least half of the time) is Digital games are often priced the exact SAME as physical copies, at least on some sites --- which is bull ANYtime, because there's $$$ being saved with publishers not having to edit/print covers and/or manuals; then there is also $$$ being saved by not having to press discs. IMO, digital games should be $10 to $20 cheaper for that reason alone.

So, physical for me.

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omegaMaster

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#45 omegaMaster
Member since 2017 • 3448 Posts

Gaming since the start of PS1 I have mainly bought games physically. Physical copies gives me that satisfaction of owning a copy and has resell value :D

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Glitch-

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#47 Glitch-
Member since 2016 • 287 Posts

When I used to collect, I wanted them physical, but now I don't care. I like them digital now, so they don't take up space in my house.

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so_hai

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#48 so_hai
Member since 2007 • 4385 Posts

Physical is better (especially the Switch where the cases are tiny). Digital is OK as well but I noticed that they charge you the same for physical/digital, so the production savings for digital aren't passed on to me.

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TryIt

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#49  Edited By TryIt
Member since 2017 • 13157 Posts

OP:

I can help with your main objective on your question.

Its not at the consumer end that the impact is huge, its in the supply chain that it is.

No longer does a game developer NEED a publisher to invest in the distrubution chain that is global, more over, the developer can make changes immediately rather than a clunkly verion of 'does the customer have the old disk or the new disk, are they connected etc.'

This is what has allowed Steam to be so powerful, developers no longer need publishers. They only reason they need publishers now really is just for seed money on the project itself.

THAT is the major difference here because it allows room for a lot of creativity that otherwise would need a publishers 'approval' and sign off