Cartridge/UMD/Disc vs. Digital storage

which do you prefer?


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NeoSupaMario

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I've always wandered: do gamers like physical storage devices or just downloading games and stuff directly to a console/handheld? I personally prefer cartridges and discs- for some reason I like having something physical in my hand so that say if my system crashes I don't have to go through heck to restore my purchases. Plus I like the feeling if clicking in a cartridge or feeding a disc into my console- maybe it's something nostalgic. Idk. :)

Which do you like better and why?
 

Psionic Roshambo

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For me it all depends, carts for loading speed, optical disks for storage space. Would have loved to see consoles continue to use both formats but $$$ is a big motivator for picking one media source and I fully understand that cutting a dollar off the cost of producing a console adds up to a huge sum of money.

Hate digital downloads more then almost anything... As an avid collector of old games and old systems, nothing brings me more joy then finding some odd game I never played before at the local thrift store and buying it for one or two bucks. Might suck, might be awesome but its what I enjoy. Digital downloads will by design kill off that bit of joy. (used market hurts new sales but what about the used market for games that are nearly 20 years old?)


Edit: Hmmm to give a more solid answer, I would say I prefer carts. As you say the feel of snapping in a cart and the nearly instant load just is great.
 
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Guild McCommunist

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Honestly I prefer any physical medium over digital copies because it makes me feel more secure in the sense of losing it when compared to digital copies.

It's almost impossible to "lose" a digital copy of something unless that digital copy is no longer provided.

I chose digital copies. I like having a collection of games but I don't trade stuff in so that doesn't matter to me. Digital is just more convenient. Instead of having to constantly swap discs/cartridges I can just load stuff instantly. It's a much bigger draw on a handheld when you can carry around a bunch of games and play them as you wish. In fact I've started regretting buying physical Vita games a bit since I do find myself wanting to switch games on-the-go but I don't lug around my cartridges everywhere.

Digital copies also don't break, get lost, or get stolen. I've had a few of my games lost or broken over the years and it does indeed suck.
 
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Deleted_171835

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Cartridges for most games.

Digital distribution for pick-up and play games like Tetris and various iOS games.
 

Psionic Roshambo

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Digital copies also don't break, get lost, or get stolen. I've had a few of my games lost or broken over the years and it does indeed suck.

Until the DRM server is taken offline and your hard drive crashes or some hacker group is DoSing the server with its "Always on connection DRM!!!"

Digital copies do break, just ask the long list of happy Ubisoft gamers :)

http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/07/ubisoft-drm-authentification-server-is-down-assassins-creed-2/
 

Guild McCommunist

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Until the DRM server is taken offline and your hard drive crashes or some hacker group is DoSing the server with its "Always on connection DRM!!!"

Digital copies do break, just ask the long list of happy Ubisoft gamers :)

http://www.joystiq.c...assins-creed-2/

For like all two games that use DRM nowadays.

Assassin's Creed dropped DRM when they went with Brotherhood and the amount of "always on internet connection" games out there are really low. Most companies are dropping DRM because they encourage more piracy than they prevent.
 

Sychophantom

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For my own games, I like the option of being able to trade-in or sell if I'm broke. I do buy digital for some, but I also happen to like having the booklet and art and all that stuff.

However, for the consoles at work (I work in a group home for the intellectually disabled) I prefer digital, if only because my clients can't destroy the games so easily. I have one in particular who will scrape the shiny side off of any DVD he gets. No clue why, it just bothers him, and he's the biggest gamer in the group.

So as long as I can finagle an internet connection, replacing a digital game is easy. Replacing the 50-60 bucks spent on a new coaster is not.
 

Skelletonike

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I prefer physical, but I never sell or trade my games (unless I really dislike them, which in that case, I usually don't buy them since I try them first). It's just so awesome to collect them, I can't get that same feeling from digital downloads, only use them for indie and other stuff that has no retail alternative.
 
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