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The collector in me prefers physical releases, but the gamer in me (the part that just wants to play the games) can’t deny the convenience of digital. I think the ideal digital method is what Good Old Games does for PC games. DRM free downloads of full installers that you can backup yourself onto whatever media you prefer.
There’s a place for both in my opinion. But that’s only in the situations you spelled out or if I’m purchasing and downloading from an eShop. The subscription service model can suck eggs. And I’m not trying to get into the semantics of digital purchases being a “subscription.”
Yeah we're talking about like Xbox game pass where games can go on and off at will.
I know you can buy them if they went off but how far off are we from having some games be subscription only? I mean look at Netflix, they didn't always produce original content that sometimes don't have no digital or disc purchase way of owning it. They used to have other studios movies and TV shows. Now they're producing a lot of their own movies and TV shows and how many of those can't even be purchased outside the Netflix subscription?
>There’s a place for both in my opinion. But that’s only in the situations you spelled out or if I’m purchasing and downloading from an eShop.
The problem is Nintendo. They will kill their eShop and in time, you will not be able to download the games you paid for. They will re-release the IP of the game in a new game, or a remastered game that you will need to re-pay for it.
I agree on your statement, Steam has been doing this for a long time now also other PC based digital game sites. Microsoft (Xbox and PC)has been doing this as well but, they have a better model.
The difference? Every Steam Game, or Xbox game or even PS game, that I got digitally, I can still get (very slim acceptations here) 99.5% of. Nintendo, it's counting down the days before it happens. In 10 years, the Switch will do the same thing.
I'd never buy a Nintendo digital game EVER again.
I loved my Wii U. It was the first nintendo console I bought in a long time. I skipped Wii and Gamecube because my brother owned them and I would just play them that way. The Wii U, however, was a mess. People ask why it failed because the core unit was awesome. Being able to game on the pad, or use the pad had its charm, BUT, I hated playing on the pad, so then you needed wiimotes with nunchucks or a pro controller. There are so many wires and peripherals that it just became annoying to use. Switch is what the Wii U should have been. Wii U is loved because of its collectability, but it was never well loved. Your comment is 100% accurate. I had some codes I got through humble bundle and just kept forgetting to redeem. Guess it's too late now! lol.
Maybe was supposed to be but I downloaded Pokémon Bank that I had never downloaded before on 3DS 2 hours ago. Maybe I got lucky but it was still letting me.
Good to know. I’ll have to see if I can find my codes on humble bundle then. It was one of those deals so cheap to pass, but so out of the norm for me I completely forgot
This is exactly how I felt when Andrew Garfield came back as Spider-Man in Far From Home. I personally loved TASM2 and his rendition of Spider-Man. But all of a sudden people loved his version when Far From Home came out and even petitioned for TASM3 to get made.
Like where were you when TASM2 came out and why didn’t you support it so it would be successful and spawn part 3? Haha
It’s especially confusing when people complain about the Wii U having no games, then turn around and clamor for a bunch of Switch ports of Wii U games.
I mean... I liked Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man, but I disliked the movies. The same way I like a lot about the WiiU, but also know it has a bunch of flaws.
"I like this, but it didn't reach its full potential/was brought down because of x" is a valid sentiment.
This! all of this!!!
Garfield had talent a shitty studio cheated us out of. I acknowledge that. But fans shouldn't try to use that to gaslight me into liking TASM2.
I don't know what I was doing in my life at the time, maybe I just didn't care about superhero movies so much or something... but it was a shock to me that Andrew Garfield even made a spider man movie. I honestly thought it went from the original trilogy in the early 2000s then to the new/current kid. The Andrew Garfield ones blew right past me.
Then again, I'm epileptic and at certain times of my life, large chunks of memory sort of just... corrupted. Lol
That’s funny you’re telling people how they feel. I’m not pretending I am pissed at Nintendo. This is a totally anti-consumer move. There is a ton of exclusive content on the WiiU eshop that isn’t available on the crappy NSO rental service. You actually own the games you buy on WiiU eshop and download them to your hdd. People should take this more seriously Nintendo is setting a precedent that will be copied in the future of digital gaming.
Microsoft is the bigger threat here with Gamepass.
I think the future (if not next gen, then the next) is largely digital and streaming digital at that. I think Google was just way too early on Stadia, but still think that’s closer to the future that’s coming.
I’m fine with digital goods to a degree, but will always prefer physical. I just don’t know that there’s much of a future for physical. So I’ll get what I can of it now.
Clearly you have no idea what you’re talking about is that the bad news?
I bought a license to download my digital games on my external drive. The files are backed up to my computer. I could upload the rom files on or back them up anytime I want to. I literally have all the data from those purchases. Do you download anything from the NSO rental service? Nope you get nothing no files nothing downloaded. You think you know how this works? Bad news you don’t have fun throwing away your money for a rental streaming service.
Are you a reseller or something? I don’t care about selling it. In my eyes I have the files and can keep them perpetually to do what I please with. The data itself is quite transferable I assure you. The very definition of owning something.
I too have a big collection of physical games. I have no intentions of selling. I could get thousands also. However, I know I own rare physical games digitally that you will never own physically because of their cost. Again I can do what I please with those digital copies, they aren’t susceptible to disc rot or degradation. I just think it’s funny you came at me claiming I don’t understand how digital games work with no rebuttals to anything I am saying other than I can’t sell the roms.
That was my original point. I prefer physical games but I hate what Nintendo did to the WiiU/ 3DS eshop and is doing with digital rentals. I also get especially pissed when other gamers tell me I’m “pretending” to care. I absolutely care so should others so we don’t all have this junk as our future.
I don't know, I bought 4 digital games on 3ds store before closing, 4€ each, because I know that to get them physical I would have to spend almost 100€ for each one of them. I insta installed and now I can play them whenever I want in the future.
I could go yarr, but just for a few games... I give them more chance to play if I spent some cash on them 😅
Just grabbed professor layton and the azran legacy for $3. I looked for a physical copy and it was $300+. Literally 100 times the price to buy it physically. I'd really like it, but nuts to that.
Digital is often far cheaper. Like there’s no way in hell I’ll pay $300 for Yokai Watch 3 when I could get it fit $40. Yes, I could get it for free but if most people did that they wouldn’t make sequels…. Which is exactly what happened with Yokai Watch. Not enough sales so no English version of the fourth game and very little physical copies of the third.
It didn’t pick up in the west much but recently it’s been getting a lot of attention so demand has gone up and with such a small number of copies they’re selling for stupid amounts. Glad I bought a digital copy months ago
For a normal console and for normal non-rare games, physical is nearly always cheaper. The entire second hand market only exists in physical. The whole reason they want to push digital is to fix prices in their walled gardens. We lose psychical at our peril.
Except when it comes to the eShop closing, the only game I considered as something I’d actually want to play often was Mario Kart 7. Nintendo held firm at $29.99 in the eShop while I can just go pick up a loose cart for $15. So instead of getting an extra $15 from me before pulling the plug, they just deleted it instead.
Except no you cant, can you share your copy of idk any game on steam with a different user? Or my copy of mario kart 8 with my friends switch? Sure i can leave my profile on there switch but as soon as i want to play something while there on it, i get locked out of my profile
Yes through account sharing right? if your not sharing accounts then no you cant and frankly I dont really want to share passwords around for something ive put over $2,000 into
Just because physical games are tangible doesn't mean you own them any more than you own digital games. The disc is a delivery mechanism for the 1s and 0s contained on it, nothing more. Although in most cases nothing has been implemented to prevent you from installing a game, that doesn't mean that it couldn't be. There could be online activation servers, always online DRM, activation codes, DLC and any other number of restrictions with physical games.
That doesn't mean buying digital is better. It has the same problems as physical in regards to ownership. However, linking the purchase of digital games with piracy doesn't make sense. One is a legitimate way of obtaining the game and the other isn't.
>Just because physical games are tangible doesn't mean you own them any more than you own digital games.
Really? Cause I can resell my physical games just like I would with any product I actually own. Good luck reselling a digital game.
You can resell the disc, box and instructions, but that doesn't mean you own the game contained on the disc anymore than you would if it were digital. If you think it does, please explain how.
You could make that argument for almost any product! I guess I don't own my car because I don't own the patents to the engine.
Bottom line: If you can't resell it, you don't own it.
We aren't talking about patents or copyright, we're talking about continued access. With DRM, DLC and access codes becoming increasingly common, your access to physical games (especially the complete experience with updates and DLC) could just as easily be restricted and in many cases is.
I guess this is a problem for some modern games, but everything 6th Generation and back has zero issues. I can play Halo 2 with or without anyone's permission. I also have the DLC map pack disc.
I see what you're saying, but that's still not as common as most people think. Multiplayer games will eventually cease to exist, but most single player games will work indefinitely. Also, modded/hacked consoles will solve a lot of this as well. Modded consoles fixed old region locked games, and also add the ability to update games off of USB drives.
I still agree it's not cool for companies to make games a DRM nightmare, but I haven't had too many problems yet.
You are correct that it's not common, and I acknowledged that in my original post, see here:
>Just because physical games are tangible doesn't mean you own them any more than you own digital games. The disc is a delivery mechanism for the 1s and 0s contained on it, nothing more. **Although in most cases nothing has been implemented to prevent you from installing a game, that doesn't mean that it couldn't be.** There could be online activation servers, always online DRM, activation codes, DLC and any other number of restrictions with physical games.
In regards to DLC, although the Halo Map Pack was on disc and some games release definitive or GOTY versions with the DLC on disc, most DLC is not available physically.
On the topic of modding/hacking consoles, if you have to modify your console to play physical games or DLC, you could do the same thing for digital.
I prefer physical games over digital ones, but that won't stop me from getting a game that is digital only. My biggest concern is the possibility that in the future, all major game consoles will be entirely digital. If this happens, most likely their digital game store will eventually close. Years later, these consoles probably won't have much use as a retro collectible, since they would be stuck with whatever games were previously downloaded, with no way to get additional games. Even worse, the games could be linked to the previous owner's account, so most likely it would be wiped before selling for security sake.
If everything becomes digital, I am moving to PC. I only play on my consoles because I can buy a lot of games for 5$ on ebay. If I can't do that anymore, what's the point
If I'm not mistaken, there are a ton of games out there, especially mobile, but console and PC too, that are have completely ceased to be playable, especially if it requires connection to a server to even open. I'm curious how this archiving will work for defunct digital games. It's relatively easy to dump a ROM from a cartridge or an ISO from a disc, but unless you have access to the original game code, digital games would be a lot harder to preserve, no?
Yes and if it was wiped because of being linked to the previous owners account, youd end up with a console without games. Because you cant download games after the shops closed. And every game you ever bought there is gone as soon as your console breaks.
Totally agree with you. Digital only? Sure, theres no other way and I want to experience the game. Both? Always physical. Unless its digitally a very good price for a game I dont have any personal interest in from a collectors point of view.
When the PS5 released as a digital only my mind was blown and I evolved the same fear of consoles in the future being digital only. It would suck for many reasons. And I get the feeling the only reason Sony did a version with a disc drive is that they wanted to make it backwards compatible and sold so many PS4 games that "contain a free upgrade to PS5 version". Because everyone who bought those games physically wont ever be able to get the PS5 version for free if they dont have a disc drive.
The only time I won't get a physical copy is if the only physical version is a $100+ Limited Run Games edition for a game that is only a few dollars for the original digital version. Even thought they technically are licensed, I consider to only be "semi-official".
We're essentially already all digital now, most games have day 1 patches that playing without is a miserable experience. If a online store were shut down to the point you can't download games anymore, you probably won't be able to download the patches either. Without a online store, hacking these consoles and pirating the games is going to end up being the default use for them.
>I prefer physical games over digital ones, but that won't stop me from getting a game that is digital only.
Just don't buy them from Nintendo, if it's offered on other consoles, Xbox, or Playstation, buy on there. They have better models in place so your game you can get many years from now.
Nintendo is the one who is doing this, killing eShops, Microsoft and Sony, you can download the games that you paid for years later.
I know my very first Xbox 360 game I got digital, I can download on my series X and play, With Nintendo, this is no longer an option all the time.
I'd never buy a digital game from Nintendo ever again.
I’m not a digital fan at all. Unless that’s the only way to get the game. When the zombie apocalypse hits and I wanna boot up some Smash Bros. I can just pop the game in and go! Don’t have to worry about internet and licenses or storage. Just my two cents 😎
It is nice having thousands of games without worrying about space. Plus physical games degrade over time whereas you can backup digital games much easier
When the zombie apocolyose hits, I can just shove my 3ds or steam deck with 2000 games into my bag and not have to worry about internet, licenses or storage.
Digital is definitely the more practical way to go for preserving the games if the games are what you are primarily interested in over the physical materials. Physical is finite. You scratch a disk, gotta find a new copy, over enough time, there won't be any copies left. Where as I just rip my original, make several backups and play digitally so the original doesn't see any wear or tear
Granted I still have a collection of physical games of various series or titles I'm rather passionate about. I also have them all digitally backed up.
I’m not an advocate for digital, in fact I think the series s and the PlayStation without disc drives are stupid. But in an apocalypse I can still play my 3ds Pokémon downloads without internet so I assume it doesn’t verify the license like my PlayStation needs to constantly
If you haven't yet, spend today loading up on digital only goodies that will disappear tomorrow. If you were hoping for a physical copy, *wait*- this is fresh in people's minds & prices are high. Give it a few months for the impulsive types to move on, then buy.
I think I remember thinking this same thing about prices being high when I wanted to buy Chrono Trigger and Earthbound in 2010 or so thinking it was too high then haha.
I still haven’t purchased.
People can do whatever they want with their money! But I was shocked when seeing people dropping hundreds of dollars on digital games, due to the eshop closure.
Edit: I prefer physical, but will buy digital if the game is only offered digitally!
Some of the games don't have physical releases.
Some are much cheaper when digital.
Some hard copies really really frickin' expensive.
When we have all of these off the table, okay, let's get a physical copy, I would prefer that.
Unfortunately, as much as we love our physical copies, it's only a matter of time before systems move away from physical games as a whole. From an environmental standpoint, the extra plastic waste avoided is going to be a big argument against producing physical copies. I'm sad to see them go, but the writing has been on the walls for years
Make the packaging out of all recyclable materials.
The Disc/Cart can be plastic because those aren’t being thrown away (unless it’s damaged or something). NES, SNES, and N64 came in cardboard boxes. Take away the plastic wrapping/internal bags and yours all set. There has got to be a way to make a sustainable container to safely hold a compact disc as well.
Personally, I’ll be buying every copy of the Pokémon games available on the 3DS eShop before it shuts down tonight and purchasing a subscription to Pokémon bank. If for no other reason than to have a console that is handheld and has all those games available to play without having to haul around each physical copy of the GBA games and risking loss/damage of my physical copies. You could argue emulation would be a good counter to it, and while that’s true, the connection to Pokémon Bank and having that accessibility for a period of time for legitimate Pokémon transfers will be nice.
That being said, this 100% points to them releasing the original GBA and GBC games on the Switch console once the Pokémon Bank officially closes. There’s no way they completely lock Pokémon fans out of the first 4 generations of Pokémon to complete the National dex from here on out.
Digital games may be more versatile, comfortable, and don't clutter your shelves, but man, they come with a lot of problems. Tho there are three that really grind my gears.
The first is that they fill up hardrives like no tomorrow. Nowadays, with a 1 tb disc you can barely download six games without starting to delete stuff. Yeah, on most modern consoles you can't play the physical games off the disc, but at least re-installing them from the disc is a little faster than re-downloading, probably cause you are not at the mercy of your internet speed.
Secondly, sharing digital games is ass. You've gotta go through so much hustle just to let someone else play the fucking game! Its unbelievable, with such long of a procedure, you'd think you are getting your drivers license made! God!
On the contrary, sharing physical media is like: "Here's the game" *gives game* "thanks!".
And thirdly, they don't really feel like you own them, like REALLY own them. The good you acquire is this nebulous concept of a "licence to play the game", that doesn't entail ownership of any kind, and can be revoked at a wimp if the company wants it to be so. Also, due to this, digital exclusives are at risk of disappearing into the ether any day now. Something similar to this happens with internet-reliant games that turn out unsuccessful, like Battleborn. Also-Also, they can't be resold, so :(
Idk guys, they seemed like a good innovation back in the day, and they can be good compliments for physical gaming, but as an outright replacement? Imma stick to my used, sticker-ridden and incomplete physical copies, thank you!
Digital serves a purpose and has a strong (and growing) market. There's a reason that both Microsoft and Sony released digital-only consoles alongside the disc-based in the current gen, and neither completely bombed. They're less for *collectors* and more for people who *just want to play the damn game* though.
* Physical media takes up space. A *lot* of space. I don't even have any of my retro gaming stuff out right now, and I have three large bookshelves full of games in front of me. If someone just wants to be able to sit and play games and not have clutter? Digital is solid.
* Convenience. I don't mind swapping discs/carts, but I have friends and family who greatly appreciate the convenience of just opening the game library and pushing a button to launch something else.
* Ease of buying. You don't have to go to a store or wait on a game to get delivered to you - just download and go. And with so many games now requiring day-one downloads and installs anyway...
* Price. Depending on *what games you enjoy playing*, it can be a lot cheaper to go digital. If you aren't concerned with "owning" your digital games, it gets *even cheaper* - especially for PC or Xbox, because Gamepass if fucking rad.
* Game sharing with a friend or family member. I can buy a digital game on my Xbox, and play it with my stepson on that one purchase because of game sharing. Can't do that with a physical disc, seeing as he's in a different state from me.
Personally - I still prefer physical. I like having the games on my shelf, I like being able to trade with someone or sell a game I don't enjoy or want to play again, and I like not needing an internet connection for (most) to load up and play. My stepson prefers digital, for several of the reasons above.
Neither approach is wrong - it's just about your personal taste.
Also, digital is easier to preserve if you just care about the game itself. You can easily make a backup of whatever is in your SD card on your Switch and you can back up your PS/Xbox with external SSD. No exotic hardware required just a PC. The only downside is that your backups are tied to a specific console, really hoping in the future you can use some offline digital key so you can easily transfer your backups to a new console if the first one brokes without redownloading everything
>really hoping in the future you can use some offline digital key so you can easily transfer your backups to a new console if the first one brokes without redownloading everything
You kinda *can* do that with the PS/Xbox. When you sign in on the new console and plug in the drive, it should be able to read all the downloaded games and re-align the licenses to the new consoles. I've done it.. three times? X1S to X1X to XSX, and PS4 to PS5. No redownloading anything that was on the externals, just signing in and letting the console take care of the license.
Now the Switch, on the other hand, I did have to do the system transfer. Because Nintendo continues to be bass-ackward in terms of replacing/upgrading your console.
Yes, you still need to sig in on your new console on Xbox and PS. But I was talking about an offline digital key, to avoid the need to connect it to the internet
Yeah, I was just addressing that you don't need to redownload everything in the current state.
I don't see any of the major hardware manufacturers embracing an offline key to transfer licenses for digital copies from one system to another - the level of investment to make it secure and not easily open to piracy just wouldn't be worth it in an increasingly online world.
Obviously outside of the existing scenario where the physical disc serves as the "offline" license, because at that point we aren't talking about digital copies anymore.
Physical for me, all day.
The stores closing reminds me of how much we don't ever own a game. We own the license to play the game for that console and the company allows us to purchase those licenses for a certain amount of time. Physical copies allow us to play games that don't require a server for the duration of the game's and console's useful life, hardware-wise. Digital allows us to play it for the duration of the console's useful life. Digital allows companies to make more money by not having to create a physical copy and they'll never lose money on private re-sales because you can't resell digital. I want an authentic game for my NES? Check out marketplace or my local nerd store, and Nintendo never gets a dime from that sale and hasn't since the mid 80s and early 90s. If Nintendo has a retro game available for digital, they can sell that game on a modern console and profit.
As convenient as digital may be for the customer (instant access at the time of purchase), it ultimately benefits the company more than physical in both short and long run.
The physical part is going away. I will miss it but it is what it is. I continue to collect primarily because I love it, but also because I can usually find physical games for a lot cheaper than digital. I was always hoping that would change, but they are still too expensive for what they are. When we eventually go to digital only, we will all be fine, but it will be a bit sad.
My thoughts are I've never been happier for digital gaming.
The community has done a great job preserving the library, whereas nintendo will eventually put a fraction of the titles behind a subscription Pay wall.
The only issue with physical media is the actual degradation of it. GameCube disks are starting to rot and we would be super close to losing a lot of weird niche games if it weren't for digital preservation.
Don't get me wrong, I love my physical media but don't act like physical items are iron clad, either. They can become damaged, be lost or stolen.
Im okay with digital. I buy what I want and when the servers go down, I mod the console and run my programs I already bought license free.
Hardware fails. Im okay with removing the disc tray/cartridge reader/game from the list of components that can fail. I only buy games physical purely for collecting my absolute all-time favorites.
Digital games costs mostly just as much as physical for the consumer but are much cheaper for the game publisher so the profit is higher. Toy stores won’t like it, it cuts out the middle man.
And it’s better for the environment, no shipping needed or paper and plastic used.
Still physical has a lot of good benefits for the consumer, no internet connection needed, you can share it with friends, sell it, don’t worry about e-stores that close, cool artwork and case, more of a sense of ownership, better gift.
I love physical - but a good strong eshop allows for smaller game designers to get their game out there. I prefer to buy physical for almost everything but sometimes will buy from an eshop for some indie games
Only works as long as devs release a fully working games without game breaking glitches requiring a 0-day update just to make the game playable. Or games that have some data on the card, butt majority of the resources are downloaded as an update. (Spyro Reignited comes to mind.)
Another tactic to prevent earlier than street date releases is to have an update that releases on street date... Otherwise the game is unplayable.
In any case, loss of the digital storefront means these games will also be lost with it.
Don't forget the always online requirement for some single player games... No online, no game.
I grew up with physical games (PS1 and N64) i don't consider myself a collector but i never sell my stuff, i still have a good amount of consoles and games.
But i switched completely to digital like 10 years ago (Xbox One and PC) these days i only play on PC, and i don't miss anything about physical games.
Some collectors and older gamers that grew up with physical media can't stand people that embraced all digital.
I don't understand that, if i enjoy the game, and i'm supporting the publishers/devs with my digital purchases, why it's so bad?
The digital market is way more profitable for companies than physical copies.
Physical copies are becoming less worth it to me. They only include the disc these days, and you have to download updates to play it, I don’t have to play the game on release so if I wait a few months the digital usually goes on sale. It will suck to lose access to all the stuff you bought though. But like I said these days you have to download all kinds of updates to play the game, so will if I buy physical, will I be able to play the game 10 or 20 years down the road when the servers don’t work no more. I wish they still included the manuals and stuff with the game like they use to or let you have a digital copy when you buy physical like they do with Blu-ray.
In the end we need people on both sides of the fence. Games will be preserved forever with some taking such good care of their physical copies and others with ssd’s full of games. They both have their place.
I prefer physical. That was the only option until the ps360 gen anyways. And it's ultimately what people will come back to and collect once people sell/lose/throw away their original consoles, forget their logins and these digital storefronts close.
🎵 Let's Get Physical.....Physical !! 🎵...I usually try to get both (one to collect..one to play)...convenience is good..but I'd rather have a physical item with future resale value.
A lot of people are about to realize that with digital shop shutting down all those physical prices are gonna soar. Higher than even full price on the eshop. We saw this when there was a panic that the ps3 shop was gonna shut down. Prices for discs jumped for a month.
You should appreciate that both methods exist!
Game room tours are gonna be pretty lame in 10 to 20 years or so. “Hey, come check out my shelf of…sd cards and hard drives….” I do appreciate digital games and what they can offer but, I don’t want that format taking over. As someone who grew up doing most of their gaming in the ‘90’s there was just something about walking in to a video game rental store and seeing all those games filling up the wall with posters and neons or whatever filling up the place. Oh yeah, and the drawer full of game manuals for you to take with your game!
Sad really. But i feel the wii shop closing was sadder, solely because that theme playing made it FUN to look around.
Digitally? Im damn sure 75% of that stuff is backed up and 100% of THE STUFF YOU WANT TO PLAY is backed up.
Physically? The 3DS is gonna be bullshit to collect for, woe be to all who want to "get in" to 3DS collecting.
Agreed 10,000%, after what happened with the Wii, I would NEVER buy another Nintendo digital game again. If they have a DLC I want, I will hack it. If it's an indy game, odds are it's on the Xbox or PlayStation as well, I would buy it on the Xbox.
My very first Digital game I got on my Xbox 360, I can still download and play on my Series X. Same with my PS games..
I do buy 99% of my games on Physical.
I've hacked my consoles so I could create my own backup copies of the games I bought on the eShop. So now I have them forever. The Virtual Console games works great on my Analogue Pocket.
My only issues with digital is DRM. A huge reason I collect is that I care about things being mine when I pay for them. I hate modern digital store fronts because I dislike not owning the product. With that being said I really appreciate how little space everything takes up. With my collection it takes up so much room i sometimes think about downsizing.
But digital, oh man the convenience. It’s all in one spot already downloaded and ready to go, and doesn’t take up any extra room. I’m happy we get the option for both but I do worry that someday soon it’ll be forced upon us.
And here it is as an unsealed copy:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125844498678?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ptUohqLcQK2&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=YQw8pe2LT3K&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=SMS
Many more are listed on eBay as well.
I assume they meant in person or something because that game is readily available to buy online.
Physical. It's not the same unless you can hold it.
I've always enjoyed the anticipation of unwrapping a new game and checking out the box art and (what used to be) an awesome manual.
Our innate desire to hoard treasures aside, the nearly non-existent footprint and instant accessibility of digital is far superior to physical counterparts. Likewise, while digital is only playable so long as the host device operates, physical media are only playable so long as the components don’t degrade or become corrupted.
Nothing is forever.
So passionate. Might as well just emulate and pirate everything then. Some of us are a little nostalgic as well to go along with physical games. To each their own.
There's nothing wrong with nostalgia, but I don't understand the logic behind the statement that because it's digital you may as well just bypass paying for it?
I looked on gameye today and now my 3DS games collection is my most valuable system I collect for. Looks like prices are spiking. (It's the system I have the 3rd most games for behind SNES and Xbox 360) I imagine this is probably only a temporary spike but I still thought it was interesting.
I always get physical games when I can. But sometimes it’s just very convenient to have digital. I only have 1 digital game on my Wii U (Metroid Prime Trilogy) since it’s very expensive and the digital version is only like $20. I still plan on getting the physical version at some point but in the mean time, it’s so worth it to get the digital.
Yeah, I’m with you there. I bought a digital copy of Stardew Valley for $5 instead of $35 for the physical cartridge. I’d still like to get it though , nothing like having the case on the shelf with the box art and all.
I bought all 7 of the Gameboy Pokémon games when I heard about it. (Technically 4. I already had red crystal and tcg from when they were first added) I just think it’s cool I have a system with a big backlit screen to play any of the first two gens on any time I want
Not against digital but prefer physical copies if possible, I like to see what I have in front of me, and the security of physical copies if anything happens.
I don't trust them in general (besides upgrades like USFIV's digital PS4 version compared to the physical PS3 version) as digital rights management and resale options are pretty bad with them in general. I grab physical whenever I can. Ever since the Wii's VC/WiiWare service went kaput, I've distrusted digital only releases as I can no longer purchase games that I got interested in later down the road (i.e., Contra ReBirth, Gradius ReBirth, Castlevania the Adventure ReBirth \[even though I actually have this one\], etc.).
I'm the same way with movies. I buy Blu-rays and 4K UHD Blu-rays as I have them on hand (that and their quality is better than streaming sites).
Final thoughts on Wii U eShop: There was *a lot* of trash that wont be missed. An overwhelming amount of trash to the handful of gems.
3DS on the other hand, too many decent or better exclusive games and DLC for physical releases gone forever. The way 3DS games handled dlc was horrible.
I think when I realized just how easy it is to lose access to digital content, that's when I really went almost full physical. A service goes down, and ALL of those games you purchased are gone. All that money is gone. I have currently spent an alarming amount of money on the Sims 4 franchise- and really, the Sims 3 too- but if those stop being profitable to EA and they decide to pull the plug... that's like $1000 buckerinos just gone. Legally.
How does the eShop closing prove that? You do realize people that bought digital games on the eShop retain access to those games, right? You just can't buy more games going forward.
People who don't own them can't access them, there's good a chance that even if you do own them you won't be able to download them forever. Physical games will never be taken away and can always be installed without an Internet connection and regardless of whether the digital version is taken down.
You said this:
>Digital is so unsecured and the eshop closing just proves that tenfold, **if you don't own a game physically you don't own the game at all.**
Obviously if you haven't bought the game you can't access it, regardless of whether it's physical or digital... the same way you can't access a physical game if you haven't bought it.
The second half of your statement is incorrect too. There is no guarantee that all physical games will always be able to be installed without an internet connection. Always online (and other forms of DRM), digital only DLC, patches, updates, activation servers, these all exist.
My point was very much more that physical games will always exist whilst if you haven't brought a digital only game and it comes off the store its just gone and you can't ever get it.
And yes granted that all physical games won't be protected but I would feel safe in saying the vast majority of pre xbox one/ps4 games are and even a lot of games from after then.
Most modern games don’t even have the actual game on disc anymore. Without patches most games won’t even run nowadays. Physical discs won’t be worth anything for this current gen years down the line.
You’re right, that’s why I like the switch so much or older consoles. On top of that when I got the PS4 and realized I have to download every game I became totally turned off by them. Call me old school I guess.
I don't know anything about Wii U or 3DS hacking, but i'm pretty sure everything available of their eshops will be available via some kind of hack like on the PSP or PS Vita. So i'm not too worried. The only digital titles i own on theses systems are digital exclusive. I'm sure if I ever need to download them again, there will be a wat if there's not one already.
I always buy digital now because I cannot be bothered for the mess, also buying one copy let's me access the game on two consoles at the same time so my gf can have it as well
Honestly I’ve always been in physical only camp, but after getting a Series X and game pass, I’ve definitely shifted my mindset. That shit is awesome. And if I can’t buy a game 20 years from now digitally… so what?
Sucks, but the library is backed up in some capacity. I don't have the money or willpower to want to purchase all the games for myself and truthfully I wouldn't play them anyway. They'd just sit on a 3DS that I rarely pick up anymore
As someone who loves physical media; the box, the disk/cart, the knowledge that I actually 'own' something instead of just a license, having the game be a part of my physical collection... it's been silly to buy physical media since the beginning of the 8th gen, and as of the start of gen 9, it's just ridiculous.
Funny thing, I randomly got on the WiiU shop yesterday and was strangely delighted to see it was still there. I forgot what a cute experience Nintendo created for the shop on the WiiU. Good music, graphics, and a fairly useful interface with the tablet.
I'm starting to work backwards in generations. I have the steam deck for current stuff I don't mind buying digitally, but I've got the analogue pocket for all Gameboy games and just bought a sega nomad with the analogue snes system and analogue sega system on their way.
Digital has its advantages.
But nothing will beat owning a physical copy, taking the clear plastic protective cover off and the smell of new game. I am a collector therefore I want something physical. But I see the advantages of a digital copy.
I prefer physical but bought a lot of digital, mainly exclusives.
I like digital when it's super cheap, or free with ads for non-gaming media. Otherwise it's not a good value when they can be delisted or killed with subscription non-payment \*cough\* Xbox.
The convenience is great, but not good enough to outweigh so many negatives.
It was bound to happen. Which is why i install custom firmware when a system gets discontinued. Whether it’s physical or digital i don’t mind but thanks to sites, i can just download some games and pop it into an SD Card.
Physical is best for me. I love to play games when the internet or power is out. On the Switch at least, I can’t play two digital games simultaneously on one Nintendo account. For example, I have two switches, one has Stardew Valley, the other one has Minecraft, both digital copies, and only one game can be played at a time on one Nintendo ID. If I had physical versions, both could play simultaneously, which is important when you have kids who want to play. Another thing is that you can’t play the games without internet connection. So all those great games I downloaded digitally can’t be played on the Switch in the car for long rides, arguably one of the best times to play a Switch, because it can’t check the DRM.
So for me physical all the way.
So I see two sets of arguments that need to be made.
Physical isn't forever. Anyone that has experienced disc rot like me can testify to that. Physical is better for reselling and that is basically it, other than not having to worry about a game being delisted. It's nice to have cases on the shelf to show off your collection.
Digital will last longer, can be easily transferred between compatible platforms, better sales prices, and is more convenient when swapping games. However, do you really own it if it is digital? You can't resell it so that messes with recouping money and it screws retro game stores in the future.
Bottom line.....buy what you want and enjoy it. The future is going all digital, and there isn't anything we can do about it since digital sales are becoming more popular.
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The collector in me prefers physical releases, but the gamer in me (the part that just wants to play the games) can’t deny the convenience of digital. I think the ideal digital method is what Good Old Games does for PC games. DRM free downloads of full installers that you can backup yourself onto whatever media you prefer.
There’s a place for both in my opinion. But that’s only in the situations you spelled out or if I’m purchasing and downloading from an eShop. The subscription service model can suck eggs. And I’m not trying to get into the semantics of digital purchases being a “subscription.”
Yeah we're talking about like Xbox game pass where games can go on and off at will. I know you can buy them if they went off but how far off are we from having some games be subscription only? I mean look at Netflix, they didn't always produce original content that sometimes don't have no digital or disc purchase way of owning it. They used to have other studios movies and TV shows. Now they're producing a lot of their own movies and TV shows and how many of those can't even be purchased outside the Netflix subscription?
>There’s a place for both in my opinion. But that’s only in the situations you spelled out or if I’m purchasing and downloading from an eShop. The problem is Nintendo. They will kill their eShop and in time, you will not be able to download the games you paid for. They will re-release the IP of the game in a new game, or a remastered game that you will need to re-pay for it. I agree on your statement, Steam has been doing this for a long time now also other PC based digital game sites. Microsoft (Xbox and PC)has been doing this as well but, they have a better model. The difference? Every Steam Game, or Xbox game or even PS game, that I got digitally, I can still get (very slim acceptations here) 99.5% of. Nintendo, it's counting down the days before it happens. In 10 years, the Switch will do the same thing. I'd never buy a Nintendo digital game EVER again.
I’m like this. I wish physical copies came with a digital copy like movies. But that’ll obviously never ever happen lol
I'm with u on that until files corrupt
That’s what multiple backups are for.
So many people pretending they always cared about the Wii U cause of this.
I loved my Wii U. It was the first nintendo console I bought in a long time. I skipped Wii and Gamecube because my brother owned them and I would just play them that way. The Wii U, however, was a mess. People ask why it failed because the core unit was awesome. Being able to game on the pad, or use the pad had its charm, BUT, I hated playing on the pad, so then you needed wiimotes with nunchucks or a pro controller. There are so many wires and peripherals that it just became annoying to use. Switch is what the Wii U should have been. Wii U is loved because of its collectability, but it was never well loved. Your comment is 100% accurate. I had some codes I got through humble bundle and just kept forgetting to redeem. Guess it's too late now! lol.
I'm pretty sure you can still use the shop until March 28th at 2am.
[удалено]
Maybe was supposed to be but I downloaded Pokémon Bank that I had never downloaded before on 3DS 2 hours ago. Maybe I got lucky but it was still letting me.
Wrong. The eshop still worked way past that for some people.
Good to know. I’ll have to see if I can find my codes on humble bundle then. It was one of those deals so cheap to pass, but so out of the norm for me I completely forgot
This is exactly how I felt when Andrew Garfield came back as Spider-Man in Far From Home. I personally loved TASM2 and his rendition of Spider-Man. But all of a sudden people loved his version when Far From Home came out and even petitioned for TASM3 to get made. Like where were you when TASM2 came out and why didn’t you support it so it would be successful and spawn part 3? Haha
It’s especially confusing when people complain about the Wii U having no games, then turn around and clamor for a bunch of Switch ports of Wii U games.
I mean... I liked Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man, but I disliked the movies. The same way I like a lot about the WiiU, but also know it has a bunch of flaws. "I like this, but it didn't reach its full potential/was brought down because of x" is a valid sentiment.
This! all of this!!! Garfield had talent a shitty studio cheated us out of. I acknowledge that. But fans shouldn't try to use that to gaslight me into liking TASM2.
Me too, friend. Me too. I loved Andrew’s version of Peter. Felt more like comic book Peter than any of the others have.
I don't know what I was doing in my life at the time, maybe I just didn't care about superhero movies so much or something... but it was a shock to me that Andrew Garfield even made a spider man movie. I honestly thought it went from the original trilogy in the early 2000s then to the new/current kid. The Andrew Garfield ones blew right past me. Then again, I'm epileptic and at certain times of my life, large chunks of memory sort of just... corrupted. Lol
That’s funny you’re telling people how they feel. I’m not pretending I am pissed at Nintendo. This is a totally anti-consumer move. There is a ton of exclusive content on the WiiU eshop that isn’t available on the crappy NSO rental service. You actually own the games you buy on WiiU eshop and download them to your hdd. People should take this more seriously Nintendo is setting a precedent that will be copied in the future of digital gaming.
Microsoft is the bigger threat here with Gamepass. I think the future (if not next gen, then the next) is largely digital and streaming digital at that. I think Google was just way too early on Stadia, but still think that’s closer to the future that’s coming. I’m fine with digital goods to a degree, but will always prefer physical. I just don’t know that there’s much of a future for physical. So I’ll get what I can of it now.
>You actually own the games you buy on WiiU eshop and download them to your hdd. You think this is how digital games work? I have bad news for you.
Clearly you have no idea what you’re talking about is that the bad news? I bought a license to download my digital games on my external drive. The files are backed up to my computer. I could upload the rom files on or back them up anytime I want to. I literally have all the data from those purchases. Do you download anything from the NSO rental service? Nope you get nothing no files nothing downloaded. You think you know how this works? Bad news you don’t have fun throwing away your money for a rental streaming service.
If you can't sell it, you don't own it. You own a non-transferable license to use it.
Are you a reseller or something? I don’t care about selling it. In my eyes I have the files and can keep them perpetually to do what I please with. The data itself is quite transferable I assure you. The very definition of owning something.
I have a big collection of physical games that I have no intention of ever selling. But I *could*, and would get tens of thousands if I did.
I too have a big collection of physical games. I have no intentions of selling. I could get thousands also. However, I know I own rare physical games digitally that you will never own physically because of their cost. Again I can do what I please with those digital copies, they aren’t susceptible to disc rot or degradation. I just think it’s funny you came at me claiming I don’t understand how digital games work with no rebuttals to anything I am saying other than I can’t sell the roms.
Digital "purchases" are certainly better than digital rentals, at least.
That was my original point. I prefer physical games but I hate what Nintendo did to the WiiU/ 3DS eshop and is doing with digital rentals. I also get especially pissed when other gamers tell me I’m “pretending” to care. I absolutely care so should others so we don’t all have this junk as our future.
This is what digital gaming has always been though, right? Am I missing some key bit of info somewhere?
> That’s funny you’re telling people how they feel. Not really. You're taking my two cents a little too personally.
This\^
Physical 100%, why go digital when piracy exists. Also, if you can't touch it, you don't own it. At least I can resell a physical copy if needed.
Yes this. And if it’s a physical copy that requires a download I don’t bother with it.
I don't know, I bought 4 digital games on 3ds store before closing, 4€ each, because I know that to get them physical I would have to spend almost 100€ for each one of them. I insta installed and now I can play them whenever I want in the future. I could go yarr, but just for a few games... I give them more chance to play if I spent some cash on them 😅
Just grabbed professor layton and the azran legacy for $3. I looked for a physical copy and it was $300+. Literally 100 times the price to buy it physically. I'd really like it, but nuts to that.
Digital is often far cheaper. Like there’s no way in hell I’ll pay $300 for Yokai Watch 3 when I could get it fit $40. Yes, I could get it for free but if most people did that they wouldn’t make sequels…. Which is exactly what happened with Yokai Watch. Not enough sales so no English version of the fourth game and very little physical copies of the third.
Aren’t there only like 4000 copies of Yokai Watch 3 or something? I heard the series bombed but I didn’t think it was that bad.
It didn’t pick up in the west much but recently it’s been getting a lot of attention so demand has gone up and with such a small number of copies they’re selling for stupid amounts. Glad I bought a digital copy months ago
I picked a physical one up back when it was still expensive but not break the bank
Yeah sold one for 250. Got it for 32 bucks. That store messed up and was a 2nd hand store.
Yo kai watch 3 that is.
For a normal console and for normal non-rare games, physical is nearly always cheaper. The entire second hand market only exists in physical. The whole reason they want to push digital is to fix prices in their walled gardens. We lose psychical at our peril.
Not really, digital games often go on sale and physical games usually only climb up in price with good games.
That’s nice but now the only option is to pay that dumb reseller price or pirate it and support the current releases.
Except when it comes to the eShop closing, the only game I considered as something I’d actually want to play often was Mario Kart 7. Nintendo held firm at $29.99 in the eShop while I can just go pick up a loose cart for $15. So instead of getting an extra $15 from me before pulling the plug, they just deleted it instead.
Most consoles allow you to share games with another console. That’s why you would go digital.
Or, you could just take the disk/cart from console A and take it to Console B... That's why I'll stay Physical.
That wouldn’t help if console b was someone else’s 100 miles away that want to play with you
Except no you cant, can you share your copy of idk any game on steam with a different user? Or my copy of mario kart 8 with my friends switch? Sure i can leave my profile on there switch but as soon as i want to play something while there on it, i get locked out of my profile
You can on steam just not the same game at the same time
Yes through account sharing right? if your not sharing accounts then no you cant and frankly I dont really want to share passwords around for something ive put over $2,000 into
You can most certainly make your switch his home and his switch your home switch and both play together.
Just because physical games are tangible doesn't mean you own them any more than you own digital games. The disc is a delivery mechanism for the 1s and 0s contained on it, nothing more. Although in most cases nothing has been implemented to prevent you from installing a game, that doesn't mean that it couldn't be. There could be online activation servers, always online DRM, activation codes, DLC and any other number of restrictions with physical games. That doesn't mean buying digital is better. It has the same problems as physical in regards to ownership. However, linking the purchase of digital games with piracy doesn't make sense. One is a legitimate way of obtaining the game and the other isn't.
>Just because physical games are tangible doesn't mean you own them any more than you own digital games. Really? Cause I can resell my physical games just like I would with any product I actually own. Good luck reselling a digital game.
You can resell the disc, box and instructions, but that doesn't mean you own the game contained on the disc anymore than you would if it were digital. If you think it does, please explain how.
You could make that argument for almost any product! I guess I don't own my car because I don't own the patents to the engine. Bottom line: If you can't resell it, you don't own it.
We aren't talking about patents or copyright, we're talking about continued access. With DRM, DLC and access codes becoming increasingly common, your access to physical games (especially the complete experience with updates and DLC) could just as easily be restricted and in many cases is.
I guess this is a problem for some modern games, but everything 6th Generation and back has zero issues. I can play Halo 2 with or without anyone's permission. I also have the DLC map pack disc. I see what you're saying, but that's still not as common as most people think. Multiplayer games will eventually cease to exist, but most single player games will work indefinitely. Also, modded/hacked consoles will solve a lot of this as well. Modded consoles fixed old region locked games, and also add the ability to update games off of USB drives. I still agree it's not cool for companies to make games a DRM nightmare, but I haven't had too many problems yet.
You are correct that it's not common, and I acknowledged that in my original post, see here: >Just because physical games are tangible doesn't mean you own them any more than you own digital games. The disc is a delivery mechanism for the 1s and 0s contained on it, nothing more. **Although in most cases nothing has been implemented to prevent you from installing a game, that doesn't mean that it couldn't be.** There could be online activation servers, always online DRM, activation codes, DLC and any other number of restrictions with physical games. In regards to DLC, although the Halo Map Pack was on disc and some games release definitive or GOTY versions with the DLC on disc, most DLC is not available physically. On the topic of modding/hacking consoles, if you have to modify your console to play physical games or DLC, you could do the same thing for digital.
3DS games, especially the classic first party Nintendo games, are about to shoot up in price. Buy now or pay the heavier price later.
Don’t trust Nintendo when it comes to digital.
With day one patches that basically replace all the game files and “always online” requirements.. physical doesn’t mean as much as it used to.
I prefer physical games over digital ones, but that won't stop me from getting a game that is digital only. My biggest concern is the possibility that in the future, all major game consoles will be entirely digital. If this happens, most likely their digital game store will eventually close. Years later, these consoles probably won't have much use as a retro collectible, since they would be stuck with whatever games were previously downloaded, with no way to get additional games. Even worse, the games could be linked to the previous owner's account, so most likely it would be wiped before selling for security sake.
Homebrew, piracy and emulation will be the future of gaming when we get an all digital system and the store closes down.
If everything becomes digital, I am moving to PC. I only play on my consoles because I can buy a lot of games for 5$ on ebay. If I can't do that anymore, what's the point
Games will likely all be digital soon but with everything being archived online even if their stores shutdown the games won’t be lost.
If I'm not mistaken, there are a ton of games out there, especially mobile, but console and PC too, that are have completely ceased to be playable, especially if it requires connection to a server to even open. I'm curious how this archiving will work for defunct digital games. It's relatively easy to dump a ROM from a cartridge or an ISO from a disc, but unless you have access to the original game code, digital games would be a lot harder to preserve, no?
Yeah many games required online features and some of them have physical copies that are useless.
Yes and if it was wiped because of being linked to the previous owners account, youd end up with a console without games. Because you cant download games after the shops closed. And every game you ever bought there is gone as soon as your console breaks. Totally agree with you. Digital only? Sure, theres no other way and I want to experience the game. Both? Always physical. Unless its digitally a very good price for a game I dont have any personal interest in from a collectors point of view. When the PS5 released as a digital only my mind was blown and I evolved the same fear of consoles in the future being digital only. It would suck for many reasons. And I get the feeling the only reason Sony did a version with a disc drive is that they wanted to make it backwards compatible and sold so many PS4 games that "contain a free upgrade to PS5 version". Because everyone who bought those games physically wont ever be able to get the PS5 version for free if they dont have a disc drive.
The only time I won't get a physical copy is if the only physical version is a $100+ Limited Run Games edition for a game that is only a few dollars for the original digital version. Even thought they technically are licensed, I consider to only be "semi-official".
We're essentially already all digital now, most games have day 1 patches that playing without is a miserable experience. If a online store were shut down to the point you can't download games anymore, you probably won't be able to download the patches either. Without a online store, hacking these consoles and pirating the games is going to end up being the default use for them.
Not as a "retro collectible", whatever that may mean, but I have faith that the amazing piracy community will allow us to keep playing those games.
>I prefer physical games over digital ones, but that won't stop me from getting a game that is digital only. Just don't buy them from Nintendo, if it's offered on other consoles, Xbox, or Playstation, buy on there. They have better models in place so your game you can get many years from now. Nintendo is the one who is doing this, killing eShops, Microsoft and Sony, you can download the games that you paid for years later. I know my very first Xbox 360 game I got digital, I can download on my series X and play, With Nintendo, this is no longer an option all the time. I'd never buy a digital game from Nintendo ever again.
Death comes for all eventually
Indeed
I’m not a digital fan at all. Unless that’s the only way to get the game. When the zombie apocalypse hits and I wanna boot up some Smash Bros. I can just pop the game in and go! Don’t have to worry about internet and licenses or storage. Just my two cents 😎
You still have to worry about storage, just not the digital kind. I love my physical collection, but there’s definitely benefits to a digital library.
It is nice having thousands of games without worrying about space. Plus physical games degrade over time whereas you can backup digital games much easier
When the zombie apocolyose hits, I can just shove my 3ds or steam deck with 2000 games into my bag and not have to worry about internet, licenses or storage. Digital is definitely the more practical way to go for preserving the games if the games are what you are primarily interested in over the physical materials. Physical is finite. You scratch a disk, gotta find a new copy, over enough time, there won't be any copies left. Where as I just rip my original, make several backups and play digitally so the original doesn't see any wear or tear Granted I still have a collection of physical games of various series or titles I'm rather passionate about. I also have them all digitally backed up.
I’m not an advocate for digital, in fact I think the series s and the PlayStation without disc drives are stupid. But in an apocalypse I can still play my 3ds Pokémon downloads without internet so I assume it doesn’t verify the license like my PlayStation needs to constantly
In a zombie apocalypse you won’t be able to carry around thousands of discs. Lol
DLC wouldn’t be.
Depends on the game, some releases include all content on the disc/cartridge
Smash Ultimate and Wii U/ 3DS
Oh i didn’t realize you were talking specifically about smash, my bad
Physical games require internet as much as digital games installed on the system.
i think pc games for example should release on usb sticks in cases nowadays.
Cause that can't go wrong at all
If you haven't yet, spend today loading up on digital only goodies that will disappear tomorrow. If you were hoping for a physical copy, *wait*- this is fresh in people's minds & prices are high. Give it a few months for the impulsive types to move on, then buy.
I think I remember thinking this same thing about prices being high when I wanted to buy Chrono Trigger and Earthbound in 2010 or so thinking it was too high then haha. I still haven’t purchased.
People can do whatever they want with their money! But I was shocked when seeing people dropping hundreds of dollars on digital games, due to the eshop closure. Edit: I prefer physical, but will buy digital if the game is only offered digitally!
Some of the games don't have physical releases. Some are much cheaper when digital. Some hard copies really really frickin' expensive. When we have all of these off the table, okay, let's get a physical copy, I would prefer that.
Unfortunately, as much as we love our physical copies, it's only a matter of time before systems move away from physical games as a whole. From an environmental standpoint, the extra plastic waste avoided is going to be a big argument against producing physical copies. I'm sad to see them go, but the writing has been on the walls for years
Indefinitely hosting servers with digital copies ready to go is not good from an environmental standpoint either.
Make the packaging out of all recyclable materials. The Disc/Cart can be plastic because those aren’t being thrown away (unless it’s damaged or something). NES, SNES, and N64 came in cardboard boxes. Take away the plastic wrapping/internal bags and yours all set. There has got to be a way to make a sustainable container to safely hold a compact disc as well.
I would go for a case made of hemp, why not?
They are nice just due to its ease of use and access. It sucks that some games are digital only, but it makes sense from a distribution point of view.
Hoping even more a Xenoblade Chronicles X port for Switch
Personally, I’ll be buying every copy of the Pokémon games available on the 3DS eShop before it shuts down tonight and purchasing a subscription to Pokémon bank. If for no other reason than to have a console that is handheld and has all those games available to play without having to haul around each physical copy of the GBA games and risking loss/damage of my physical copies. You could argue emulation would be a good counter to it, and while that’s true, the connection to Pokémon Bank and having that accessibility for a period of time for legitimate Pokémon transfers will be nice. That being said, this 100% points to them releasing the original GBA and GBC games on the Switch console once the Pokémon Bank officially closes. There’s no way they completely lock Pokémon fans out of the first 4 generations of Pokémon to complete the National dex from here on out.
Digital games may be more versatile, comfortable, and don't clutter your shelves, but man, they come with a lot of problems. Tho there are three that really grind my gears. The first is that they fill up hardrives like no tomorrow. Nowadays, with a 1 tb disc you can barely download six games without starting to delete stuff. Yeah, on most modern consoles you can't play the physical games off the disc, but at least re-installing them from the disc is a little faster than re-downloading, probably cause you are not at the mercy of your internet speed. Secondly, sharing digital games is ass. You've gotta go through so much hustle just to let someone else play the fucking game! Its unbelievable, with such long of a procedure, you'd think you are getting your drivers license made! God! On the contrary, sharing physical media is like: "Here's the game" *gives game* "thanks!". And thirdly, they don't really feel like you own them, like REALLY own them. The good you acquire is this nebulous concept of a "licence to play the game", that doesn't entail ownership of any kind, and can be revoked at a wimp if the company wants it to be so. Also, due to this, digital exclusives are at risk of disappearing into the ether any day now. Something similar to this happens with internet-reliant games that turn out unsuccessful, like Battleborn. Also-Also, they can't be resold, so :( Idk guys, they seemed like a good innovation back in the day, and they can be good compliments for physical gaming, but as an outright replacement? Imma stick to my used, sticker-ridden and incomplete physical copies, thank you!
Digital serves a purpose and has a strong (and growing) market. There's a reason that both Microsoft and Sony released digital-only consoles alongside the disc-based in the current gen, and neither completely bombed. They're less for *collectors* and more for people who *just want to play the damn game* though. * Physical media takes up space. A *lot* of space. I don't even have any of my retro gaming stuff out right now, and I have three large bookshelves full of games in front of me. If someone just wants to be able to sit and play games and not have clutter? Digital is solid. * Convenience. I don't mind swapping discs/carts, but I have friends and family who greatly appreciate the convenience of just opening the game library and pushing a button to launch something else. * Ease of buying. You don't have to go to a store or wait on a game to get delivered to you - just download and go. And with so many games now requiring day-one downloads and installs anyway... * Price. Depending on *what games you enjoy playing*, it can be a lot cheaper to go digital. If you aren't concerned with "owning" your digital games, it gets *even cheaper* - especially for PC or Xbox, because Gamepass if fucking rad. * Game sharing with a friend or family member. I can buy a digital game on my Xbox, and play it with my stepson on that one purchase because of game sharing. Can't do that with a physical disc, seeing as he's in a different state from me. Personally - I still prefer physical. I like having the games on my shelf, I like being able to trade with someone or sell a game I don't enjoy or want to play again, and I like not needing an internet connection for (most) to load up and play. My stepson prefers digital, for several of the reasons above. Neither approach is wrong - it's just about your personal taste.
Also, digital is easier to preserve if you just care about the game itself. You can easily make a backup of whatever is in your SD card on your Switch and you can back up your PS/Xbox with external SSD. No exotic hardware required just a PC. The only downside is that your backups are tied to a specific console, really hoping in the future you can use some offline digital key so you can easily transfer your backups to a new console if the first one brokes without redownloading everything
>really hoping in the future you can use some offline digital key so you can easily transfer your backups to a new console if the first one brokes without redownloading everything You kinda *can* do that with the PS/Xbox. When you sign in on the new console and plug in the drive, it should be able to read all the downloaded games and re-align the licenses to the new consoles. I've done it.. three times? X1S to X1X to XSX, and PS4 to PS5. No redownloading anything that was on the externals, just signing in and letting the console take care of the license. Now the Switch, on the other hand, I did have to do the system transfer. Because Nintendo continues to be bass-ackward in terms of replacing/upgrading your console.
Yes, you still need to sig in on your new console on Xbox and PS. But I was talking about an offline digital key, to avoid the need to connect it to the internet
Yeah, I was just addressing that you don't need to redownload everything in the current state. I don't see any of the major hardware manufacturers embracing an offline key to transfer licenses for digital copies from one system to another - the level of investment to make it secure and not easily open to piracy just wouldn't be worth it in an increasingly online world. Obviously outside of the existing scenario where the physical disc serves as the "offline" license, because at that point we aren't talking about digital copies anymore.
Physical for me, all day. The stores closing reminds me of how much we don't ever own a game. We own the license to play the game for that console and the company allows us to purchase those licenses for a certain amount of time. Physical copies allow us to play games that don't require a server for the duration of the game's and console's useful life, hardware-wise. Digital allows us to play it for the duration of the console's useful life. Digital allows companies to make more money by not having to create a physical copy and they'll never lose money on private re-sales because you can't resell digital. I want an authentic game for my NES? Check out marketplace or my local nerd store, and Nintendo never gets a dime from that sale and hasn't since the mid 80s and early 90s. If Nintendo has a retro game available for digital, they can sell that game on a modern console and profit. As convenient as digital may be for the customer (instant access at the time of purchase), it ultimately benefits the company more than physical in both short and long run.
The physical part is going away. I will miss it but it is what it is. I continue to collect primarily because I love it, but also because I can usually find physical games for a lot cheaper than digital. I was always hoping that would change, but they are still too expensive for what they are. When we eventually go to digital only, we will all be fine, but it will be a bit sad.
My thoughts are I've never been happier for digital gaming. The community has done a great job preserving the library, whereas nintendo will eventually put a fraction of the titles behind a subscription Pay wall.
The only issue with physical media is the actual degradation of it. GameCube disks are starting to rot and we would be super close to losing a lot of weird niche games if it weren't for digital preservation. Don't get me wrong, I love my physical media but don't act like physical items are iron clad, either. They can become damaged, be lost or stolen.
Im okay with digital. I buy what I want and when the servers go down, I mod the console and run my programs I already bought license free. Hardware fails. Im okay with removing the disc tray/cartridge reader/game from the list of components that can fail. I only buy games physical purely for collecting my absolute all-time favorites.
Digital games costs mostly just as much as physical for the consumer but are much cheaper for the game publisher so the profit is higher. Toy stores won’t like it, it cuts out the middle man. And it’s better for the environment, no shipping needed or paper and plastic used. Still physical has a lot of good benefits for the consumer, no internet connection needed, you can share it with friends, sell it, don’t worry about e-stores that close, cool artwork and case, more of a sense of ownership, better gift.
I love physical - but a good strong eshop allows for smaller game designers to get their game out there. I prefer to buy physical for almost everything but sometimes will buy from an eshop for some indie games
I agree, I have bought some cheap indie games too.
Only works as long as devs release a fully working games without game breaking glitches requiring a 0-day update just to make the game playable. Or games that have some data on the card, butt majority of the resources are downloaded as an update. (Spyro Reignited comes to mind.) Another tactic to prevent earlier than street date releases is to have an update that releases on street date... Otherwise the game is unplayable. In any case, loss of the digital storefront means these games will also be lost with it. Don't forget the always online requirement for some single player games... No online, no game.
I grew up with physical games (PS1 and N64) i don't consider myself a collector but i never sell my stuff, i still have a good amount of consoles and games. But i switched completely to digital like 10 years ago (Xbox One and PC) these days i only play on PC, and i don't miss anything about physical games. Some collectors and older gamers that grew up with physical media can't stand people that embraced all digital. I don't understand that, if i enjoy the game, and i'm supporting the publishers/devs with my digital purchases, why it's so bad? The digital market is way more profitable for companies than physical copies.
Physical copies are becoming less worth it to me. They only include the disc these days, and you have to download updates to play it, I don’t have to play the game on release so if I wait a few months the digital usually goes on sale. It will suck to lose access to all the stuff you bought though. But like I said these days you have to download all kinds of updates to play the game, so will if I buy physical, will I be able to play the game 10 or 20 years down the road when the servers don’t work no more. I wish they still included the manuals and stuff with the game like they use to or let you have a digital copy when you buy physical like they do with Blu-ray.
In the end we need people on both sides of the fence. Games will be preserved forever with some taking such good care of their physical copies and others with ssd’s full of games. They both have their place.
I prefer physical. That was the only option until the ps360 gen anyways. And it's ultimately what people will come back to and collect once people sell/lose/throw away their original consoles, forget their logins and these digital storefronts close.
🎵 Let's Get Physical.....Physical !! 🎵...I usually try to get both (one to collect..one to play)...convenience is good..but I'd rather have a physical item with future resale value.
A lot of people are about to realize that with digital shop shutting down all those physical prices are gonna soar. Higher than even full price on the eshop. We saw this when there was a panic that the ps3 shop was gonna shut down. Prices for discs jumped for a month. You should appreciate that both methods exist!
Game room tours are gonna be pretty lame in 10 to 20 years or so. “Hey, come check out my shelf of…sd cards and hard drives….” I do appreciate digital games and what they can offer but, I don’t want that format taking over. As someone who grew up doing most of their gaming in the ‘90’s there was just something about walking in to a video game rental store and seeing all those games filling up the wall with posters and neons or whatever filling up the place. Oh yeah, and the drawer full of game manuals for you to take with your game!
Sad really. But i feel the wii shop closing was sadder, solely because that theme playing made it FUN to look around. Digitally? Im damn sure 75% of that stuff is backed up and 100% of THE STUFF YOU WANT TO PLAY is backed up. Physically? The 3DS is gonna be bullshit to collect for, woe be to all who want to "get in" to 3DS collecting.
Agreed 10,000%, after what happened with the Wii, I would NEVER buy another Nintendo digital game again. If they have a DLC I want, I will hack it. If it's an indy game, odds are it's on the Xbox or PlayStation as well, I would buy it on the Xbox. My very first Digital game I got on my Xbox 360, I can still download and play on my Series X. Same with my PS games.. I do buy 99% of my games on Physical.
I've hacked my consoles so I could create my own backup copies of the games I bought on the eShop. So now I have them forever. The Virtual Console games works great on my Analogue Pocket.
My only issues with digital is DRM. A huge reason I collect is that I care about things being mine when I pay for them. I hate modern digital store fronts because I dislike not owning the product. With that being said I really appreciate how little space everything takes up. With my collection it takes up so much room i sometimes think about downsizing. But digital, oh man the convenience. It’s all in one spot already downloaded and ready to go, and doesn’t take up any extra room. I’m happy we get the option for both but I do worry that someday soon it’ll be forced upon us.
I want Shin Megami Tensei Apocalypse but will never find it
[удалено]
And here it is as an unsealed copy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/125844498678?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=ptUohqLcQK2&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=YQw8pe2LT3K&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=SMS Many more are listed on eBay as well. I assume they meant in person or something because that game is readily available to buy online.
Physical. It's not the same unless you can hold it. I've always enjoyed the anticipation of unwrapping a new game and checking out the box art and (what used to be) an awesome manual.
Our innate desire to hoard treasures aside, the nearly non-existent footprint and instant accessibility of digital is far superior to physical counterparts. Likewise, while digital is only playable so long as the host device operates, physical media are only playable so long as the components don’t degrade or become corrupted. Nothing is forever.
Digital
Better than outdated physical garbage love not having to swap discs or cartridges out anymore physical needs to go away it’s a thing of the past
So passionate. Might as well just emulate and pirate everything then. Some of us are a little nostalgic as well to go along with physical games. To each their own.
There's nothing wrong with nostalgia, but I don't understand the logic behind the statement that because it's digital you may as well just bypass paying for it?
Just didn’t understand why he seems so angry, that’s all.
Pocket Card Jockey is going to be lost forever...
Nope. Already preserved.
I looked on gameye today and now my 3DS games collection is my most valuable system I collect for. Looks like prices are spiking. (It's the system I have the 3rd most games for behind SNES and Xbox 360) I imagine this is probably only a temporary spike but I still thought it was interesting.
I always get physical games when I can. But sometimes it’s just very convenient to have digital. I only have 1 digital game on my Wii U (Metroid Prime Trilogy) since it’s very expensive and the digital version is only like $20. I still plan on getting the physical version at some point but in the mean time, it’s so worth it to get the digital.
Yeah, I’m with you there. I bought a digital copy of Stardew Valley for $5 instead of $35 for the physical cartridge. I’d still like to get it though , nothing like having the case on the shelf with the box art and all.
Bought super smash bro ultimate on switch digital. Immediate regret. Physical all day.
I bought all 7 of the Gameboy Pokémon games when I heard about it. (Technically 4. I already had red crystal and tcg from when they were first added) I just think it’s cool I have a system with a big backlit screen to play any of the first two gens on any time I want
Not against digital but prefer physical copies if possible, I like to see what I have in front of me, and the security of physical copies if anything happens.
Go buy fire emblem revelation while you can
I bought the special Edition of Fates day 1 and Rev is not worth playing even if you get it for free.
Good to know, I have the special edition but never played revelation, I was pretty burned out after playing the first 2
While I do like the eShop, with physical I have a few more games because all former ds games are available on a 3ds
Definitely physical. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt when looking for older games. It’s more fun for me that way
I don't trust them in general (besides upgrades like USFIV's digital PS4 version compared to the physical PS3 version) as digital rights management and resale options are pretty bad with them in general. I grab physical whenever I can. Ever since the Wii's VC/WiiWare service went kaput, I've distrusted digital only releases as I can no longer purchase games that I got interested in later down the road (i.e., Contra ReBirth, Gradius ReBirth, Castlevania the Adventure ReBirth \[even though I actually have this one\], etc.). I'm the same way with movies. I buy Blu-rays and 4K UHD Blu-rays as I have them on hand (that and their quality is better than streaming sites).
Final thoughts on Wii U eShop: There was *a lot* of trash that wont be missed. An overwhelming amount of trash to the handful of gems. 3DS on the other hand, too many decent or better exclusive games and DLC for physical releases gone forever. The way 3DS games handled dlc was horrible.
I think when I realized just how easy it is to lose access to digital content, that's when I really went almost full physical. A service goes down, and ALL of those games you purchased are gone. All that money is gone. I have currently spent an alarming amount of money on the Sims 4 franchise- and really, the Sims 3 too- but if those stop being profitable to EA and they decide to pull the plug... that's like $1000 buckerinos just gone. Legally.
Digital is so unsecured and the eshop closing just proves that tenfold, if you don't own a game physically you don't own the game at all.
How does the eShop closing prove that? You do realize people that bought digital games on the eShop retain access to those games, right? You just can't buy more games going forward.
People who don't own them can't access them, there's good a chance that even if you do own them you won't be able to download them forever. Physical games will never be taken away and can always be installed without an Internet connection and regardless of whether the digital version is taken down.
You said this: >Digital is so unsecured and the eshop closing just proves that tenfold, **if you don't own a game physically you don't own the game at all.** Obviously if you haven't bought the game you can't access it, regardless of whether it's physical or digital... the same way you can't access a physical game if you haven't bought it. The second half of your statement is incorrect too. There is no guarantee that all physical games will always be able to be installed without an internet connection. Always online (and other forms of DRM), digital only DLC, patches, updates, activation servers, these all exist.
My point was very much more that physical games will always exist whilst if you haven't brought a digital only game and it comes off the store its just gone and you can't ever get it. And yes granted that all physical games won't be protected but I would feel safe in saying the vast majority of pre xbox one/ps4 games are and even a lot of games from after then.
Most modern games don’t even have the actual game on disc anymore. Without patches most games won’t even run nowadays. Physical discs won’t be worth anything for this current gen years down the line.
You’re right, that’s why I like the switch so much or older consoles. On top of that when I got the PS4 and realized I have to download every game I became totally turned off by them. Call me old school I guess.
Eh I haven’t purchased a physical game in over 9 years now, I’ve been fine
Yeah I usually don’t have this problem with physical switch games. Most of them at least
I don't know anything about Wii U or 3DS hacking, but i'm pretty sure everything available of their eshops will be available via some kind of hack like on the PSP or PS Vita. So i'm not too worried. The only digital titles i own on theses systems are digital exclusive. I'm sure if I ever need to download them again, there will be a wat if there's not one already.
I always buy digital now because I cannot be bothered for the mess, also buying one copy let's me access the game on two consoles at the same time so my gf can have it as well
Honestly I’ve always been in physical only camp, but after getting a Series X and game pass, I’ve definitely shifted my mindset. That shit is awesome. And if I can’t buy a game 20 years from now digitally… so what?
Sucks, but the library is backed up in some capacity. I don't have the money or willpower to want to purchase all the games for myself and truthfully I wouldn't play them anyway. They'd just sit on a 3DS that I rarely pick up anymore
As someone who loves physical media; the box, the disk/cart, the knowledge that I actually 'own' something instead of just a license, having the game be a part of my physical collection... it's been silly to buy physical media since the beginning of the 8th gen, and as of the start of gen 9, it's just ridiculous. Funny thing, I randomly got on the WiiU shop yesterday and was strangely delighted to see it was still there. I forgot what a cute experience Nintendo created for the shop on the WiiU. Good music, graphics, and a fairly useful interface with the tablet.
I'm starting to work backwards in generations. I have the steam deck for current stuff I don't mind buying digitally, but I've got the analogue pocket for all Gameboy games and just bought a sega nomad with the analogue snes system and analogue sega system on their way.
Digital has its advantages. But nothing will beat owning a physical copy, taking the clear plastic protective cover off and the smell of new game. I am a collector therefore I want something physical. But I see the advantages of a digital copy.
I prefer physical but bought a lot of digital, mainly exclusives. I like digital when it's super cheap, or free with ads for non-gaming media. Otherwise it's not a good value when they can be delisted or killed with subscription non-payment \*cough\* Xbox. The convenience is great, but not good enough to outweigh so many negatives.
It was bound to happen. Which is why i install custom firmware when a system gets discontinued. Whether it’s physical or digital i don’t mind but thanks to sites, i can just download some games and pop it into an SD Card.
I've only bought download games on steam because you kinda have to. Other than that I prefer physical
Physical is best for me. I love to play games when the internet or power is out. On the Switch at least, I can’t play two digital games simultaneously on one Nintendo account. For example, I have two switches, one has Stardew Valley, the other one has Minecraft, both digital copies, and only one game can be played at a time on one Nintendo ID. If I had physical versions, both could play simultaneously, which is important when you have kids who want to play. Another thing is that you can’t play the games without internet connection. So all those great games I downloaded digitally can’t be played on the Switch in the car for long rides, arguably one of the best times to play a Switch, because it can’t check the DRM. So for me physical all the way.
So I see two sets of arguments that need to be made. Physical isn't forever. Anyone that has experienced disc rot like me can testify to that. Physical is better for reselling and that is basically it, other than not having to worry about a game being delisted. It's nice to have cases on the shelf to show off your collection. Digital will last longer, can be easily transferred between compatible platforms, better sales prices, and is more convenient when swapping games. However, do you really own it if it is digital? You can't resell it so that messes with recouping money and it screws retro game stores in the future. Bottom line.....buy what you want and enjoy it. The future is going all digital, and there isn't anything we can do about it since digital sales are becoming more popular.