Weekend Discussion: What would you do if games only released in a digital format?

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Chances are, if you're a fan of video games, you've more than likely gone to a store to pick up the latest hot fall game release. If not, then you likely have purchased a game online and had it shipped to your door. From the older cardboard boxes housing bulky game carts, to the plastic cases that hold thin game discs, we've seen multiple forms of video games throughout the years. While the form of its delivery has changed, what hasn't changed is the fact that if you want to play a game, you need to get a cart or disc.

That is, unless you buy digitally.

The advent of digital games has changed the entire industry. The previous console gaming generation introduced the idea of being able to download older retro titles, or even smaller indie-developed games by simply connecting to the internet and paying through a digital storefront. Shortly after that, we began to see fully fledged major releases on both Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, and later, the Nintendo eShop. During those years, there was a heavy push for being able to have your library of games be playable without even getting up to change the disc. Not everyone was willing to take that step, however, with a large portion of players preferring their beloved boxes. PC gamers might be more at-home with being invested in a digital only library--they're familiar with forgoing physical releases. If you play only on a computer, there's a chance that you may not even own a single hard copy of a game.

To counter the rise of the "digital age", many people were outspoken about only supporting physical releases. This led to small publishers like Limited Run Games becoming incredibly popular, and providing fans with official boxed copies of smaller titles that wouldn't normally be put on such a format.

Even if you do purchase a physical game these days, you might find yourself forced to download it to your system anyway, and in the Nintendo Switch's case, sometimes the full game doesn't even fit on the game cart itself. SD flash storage and HDD prices are falling more and more with each passing year, and it makes going all in on digital gaming a more appealing option. Especially in regards to the Switch, because while it is considered a home console, it also has a portable function, and having to carry multiple cartridges on the go alongside it can be considered cumbersome.

Though a full-digital future isn't imminent--the chances of the next generation of PlayStation and Xbox ditching discs entirely is unlikely--it appears that the industry is certainly trying to move towards that goal. Representatives and analysts from influential companies like EA, Ubisoft, and Activision all believe that in the next decade, physical games will be a thing of the past. More niche games have even managed to make their way stateside purely on fact that a digital-only version would be much more financially viable, compared to having to release it on store shelves.

What are your thoughts? Have you already made the jump to a digital world? Or are you a collector, and the thought of not being able to buy a physical copy of your favorite games pains you? If such a future time comes and you're forced to play digital-only, will you be okay with that? Let us know in the comments below!
 
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i wouldn't do anything tbh, i'm switching over to digital only because it's far too easy to lose my physical copies
 

Noctosphere

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Easy for me: Stop playing current games and play old games

The reason?
1- My internet speed is god damn slow, and current games easilly take ~60Gb of space (GTA V, 77Gb, took me a whole week to download from steam no jokes)

2- I have no easy way to add digital currency
if your internet is sooo slow...
And that it took you a week to download it...
Damn, what about your bandwidth...?
 

Ryccardo

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Pretty much every 3DS game I legally own is digital: by buying them (most of which in 2014), I took a bet that eventually we would be able to create backups installable on any other console - looks like I was right - which solves the disadvantage of digital games I care about
 

Axido

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I'd pirate the hell outta those mere downloads I could get elsewhere just as fast. Unless a game makes me want to support the devs. Then I'd buy it in a sale after I already pirated it.

Jokes aside, I'm already pretty consistently buying digital games, but only if in some way they make up in price what they lack in physical components.
 
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Noctosphere

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Honnestly, Internet is a worldwide thing
It should be available with high speed everywhere in the world
Country that are too poor for it should require the help of industrialized country
Those who don't have high speed just don't have the correct infrastructures...
 

Vieela

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In a place where my internet spikes at 5 Mbps, it's impossible for me to go digital, specially on PC games. I mostly buy physical games or download small games (10 GB max) because i can't simply let my computer on for 9 years and expect the energy bill to come cheap or anything. It's annoying. Plus, i really love the feel of physical media. It just seems more collectible, it's special in a certain way, i guess. I kinda feel like it's better.
 

FAST6191

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Can I trade, lend, resell... these games?
If so carry on as usual and lament my decision to do this country living bit (800KB/second is too slow for a lot of modern stuff to be done after being used to internet over light).

Are they going to be locked down might as well be permanent rentals a la most such things today?
I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills; skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.
 

Jack Daniels

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  • A disc or a medium to store it for myself is worth more in some conditions when it becomes rare, a digital download will not ever have this value.
  • If i bought something i wanna be able to sell it as well, not as a package like my whole account but each game separate.
  • I wanna have the guarantee to be forever able to get to my bought stuff.
  • If i buy something online i want guarantee that the game will work on my HW of today.
  1. Internet must either never fail, or there must be another solution to that problem.
  2. Better conditions then GOG, Steam, Origin, Uplay (okay, origin is a total waste i know) offers now.
  3. Permanent updates are a must.
 

leon315

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Honestly i don't mind, now i passed to the Light (pc) side all games bought from Steam and Blizzard are digital only.

The game unlike the physical ones won't break or get scratches :)
 

Noctosphere

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Honestly i don't mind, now i passed to the Light (pc) side all games bought from Steam and Blizzard are digital only.

The game unlike the physical ones won't break or get scratches :)
Idk about steam, but with blizzard, you can buy the game in store
and register the cd key on your battle.net account and download it;)
 
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Deleted-447617

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If it is only digital. i dont buy it. for example
RE Revlations for ns is in europe only download but in america gamecard and download but i really like that game but it is download only in europe so i dont buy it. :(
 
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The world's ISPs are not ready for that kind of abuse yet, and with games getting ridiculously huge these days, and devs not giving one fuck about using lossless compression, it seems digital-only distribution for consoles just isn't ready, and won't be for a while (15 to 20 years, realistically). Ant then there's the data caps ISPs put on us too, that also cramp gamers.

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If it is only digital. i dont buy it. for example
RE Revlations for ns is in europe only download but in america gamecard and download but i really like that game but it is download only in europe so i dont buy it. :(
Good thing the Switch is region-free, so you can buy the American game card, and it will work in your Switch.
 

AxlSt00pid

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if your internet is sooo slow...
And that it took you a week to download it...
Damn, what about your bandwidth...?
Total crap, I did Google's internet speed test and the results are... hilarious
Screenshot_20180425-220548.png

(Sorry for the Spanish text, but it basically says 2.77Mb/s of Download speed and 0.23Mb/s of Upload speed, ultra faaaaaast huh?)
That's why I prefer physical games
 

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