Steam made a lot of things right, and others give it an inheritant advantage. Steam quite often has sales with a considerable discount for games which in turn is what @FAST6191 is arguingI'm firmly in the physical media camp BUT I think Steam has proved that the digital download model can work if you do it right.
Valve apparently understands this. Also, Steam is still running after all these years unlike the Wii shop or the DSi Shop. This is due to the PC platform being pretty much unchanged over the last few decades as opposed to the console market which produces brand new devices every ~5 years."the lack of an unrestricted resale market tanks such things for me unless every game is pocket change and I can stomach them being rentals" - FAST6191, 2018
There's a number of issues with Switch game carts. Longer load times, higher price and sometimes a download along with it eg. Wolfenstein II. eShop games are more expensive in order to match the higher price of the physical cartridges. The Switch's portability aspect makes space a major design factor. Perhaps it would have been better to avoid cartridges altogether and include more than just a tiny 32GB internal memory.
Steam is not on consoles, PC have never provided physical media without some form of DRM.I'm firmly in the physical media camp BUT I think Steam has proved that the digital download model can work if you do it right.
The only media I use in digital form is music.Digital books, digital games...
Digital friends...
Digital sex...?
Digital death ??
Well, are we sure we want to go all digital ?
Steam would never work on consoles, but I think it's inevitable that consoles will go digital only someday in the near future. It's only the older generation that are fighting this ownership issue as that's what we were raised with, but the new gamers won't care as they will be born into it. Young kids growing up with Xbox Live and PS Plus now for example actually seem to find physical media annoying.Steam is not on consoles, PC have never provided physical media without some form of DRM.
Not the same thing, I want to own my games on console or else I won't use console at all.
It will happen but not anytime soon, 70% of console sales are physical.Steam would never work on consoles, but I think it's inevitable that consoles will go digital only someday in the near future. It's only the older generation that are fighting this ownership issue as that's what we were raised with, but the new gamers won't care as they will be born into it. Young kids growing up with Xbox Live and PS Plus now for example actually seem to find physical media annoying.
I guess I should've defined what I meant by near future.. I've been watching a lot of ancient history stuff lately, so 15-20 years felt like near future. Yeah, I agree it won't be viable until ISP's stop treating customers like crap, which won't happen until there is some serious competition from an outsider.It will happen but not anytime soon, 70% of console sales are physical.
Internet speeds and data caps are not even close to enough worldwide, they would lose massive profits dropping physical.
Did you know only 50% PS4 users have PSplus? the rest just play offline just like we did in the old school.
I guess I should've defined what I meant by near future.. I've been watching a lot of ancient history stuff lately, so 15-20 years felt like near future. Yeah, I agree it won't be viable until ISP's stop treating customers like crap, which won't happen until there is some serious competition from an outsider.
Until we have a standard 10TB SSD and most people have internet . Hell na! To the na na na.There's a number of issues with Switch game carts. Longer load times, higher price and sometimes a download along with it eg. Wolfenstein II. eShop games are more expensive in order to match the higher price of the physical cartridges. The Switch's portability aspect makes space a major design factor. Perhaps it would have been better to avoid cartridges altogether and include more than just a tiny 32GB internal memory.
While I would have agreed back in 2008-2009 when this downloadable only lark was first floated -- between speeds available, harsh bandwidth caps in some places and general adoption of things I could not see such a thing being a feasible product but today we seem to be looking out at a far different landscape*.and most people have internet