Has the Technological Age Devalued Physical Media?

[Sterling]

In the technological age, there have been many new things that have come about. New benefits and threats have emerged from the sea of 1s and 0s. Some have been neutralized or discarded, others remain useful or detrimental. Digital distribution is a relatively new way of distributing goods and services. This is just in it's infancy, and will continue to grow whatever we do, and think. What I want to know is whether you guys think that physical media is, or will be still a relevant thing now, or in the near future, and if the censorship and suppression of free speech will be an even bigger threat, and if this is acceptable.

 

[Just Another Gamer]

I can't see how any amount of censorship can be said to be acceptable since its limiting free speech to begin with, the problem with this is who decides what gets censored or not and are they a good judge on what should/shouldn't be censored and I'm gonna just say that most of them being a bloody ultra conservative ass isn't helping this problem either.

 

[DinohScene]

I like my games on physical media.
I like the boxarts etc.

Physical copies gives you an insight on the value of a game.
At least imho

 

[Sterling]

I can't see how any amount of censorship can be said to be acceptable since its limiting free speech to begin with, the problem with this is who decides what gets censored or not and are they a good judge on what should/shouldn't be censored and I'm gonna just say that most of them being a bloody ultra conservative ass isn't helping this problem either.

There are already many outlets that are censored. Whether we like it or not, we see and learn what other people want us to. This is why the Internet is the last bastion of free speech, because it's a treasure trove of information that isn't controlled. This is why I'm concerned that if there is no other information outlet other than the intangible, then we'll lose one of the last areas of free speech. The target will then be the brightest over the internet.

 

[Gahars]

I imagine that physical media will always exist in one form or another; while we're able to place more and more online, that doesn't work for everything. Besides, there's just something satisfying about holding a hardcover copy of a book (or a game/DVD case, or a CD, etc.) in your hands from time to time.

So yeah. I can't predict the future, but I'm sure that a lack of physical media will bring about an Orwellian-like tyranny anytime soon.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I think they'll always be important, because like the post above me says, there's nothing that can replace that feeling of owning a physical copy of something you really like.

 

[raulpica]

I still miss my Floppy Disks... but it's blatant that physical media is going to disappear soon.

NetFlix has proved that movies don't need to be conveyed on phyisical media anymore, and sites like Flickr and Facebook just show how everyone can store their pics online.
Sites like Dropbox offer a reliable safe storage for documents and such. Games are now offered with a digital download version most of the times, and those are downloaded in millions.

I personally own a crapload of games on Steam, and I'm really fine with it. It feels so nice to not have to dig between loads of boxes and CD/DVDs.

Give it 20 years, and phyisical copies will disappear entirely.