What do you think about bringing back physical games for the PC.

[tech3475]

Some older form of LTO drive might work. (Even LTO-1 can store 100 gb)

NGL, if my DDS/DAT drive worked I was going to put Sonic CD on it.

I would have even wanted to stream the data from tape but apparently only later LTO standards could do this.

 

[DarkCoffe64]

A physical version of a game is good only when its the actual full game on the disc/cartridge/whatever, with all updates and DLCs and such, and doesn't have any forced online DRM bullshit. Otherwise it's a waste of plastic or what.

 

[kijetesantakalu042]

A physical version of a game is good only when its the actual full game on the disc/cartridge/whatever, with all updates and DLCs and such, and doesn't have any forced online DRM bullshit. Otherwise it's a waste of plastic or what.

Yeah. I think that's the main issue.

 

[Ryab]

I'm really surprised that there isn't a company making DVD or USB versions of games.

This really depends on the country. A LOT of countries still release their PC games physically. There is a Japanese company I collect merch from and they release every single game and soundtrack on physical discs with exclusive goods.

 

[kijetesantakalu042]

This really depends on the country. A LOT of countries still release their PC games physically. There is a Japanese company I collect merch from and they release every single game and soundtrack on physical discs with exclusive goods.

That's cool.

 

[tech3475]

A physical version of a game is good only when its the actual full game on the disc/cartridge/whatever, with all updates and DLCs and such, and doesn't have any forced online DRM bullshit. Otherwise it's a waste of plastic or what.

Not necessarily, even say my LA Noir Switch copy which requires a download still has the advantage of having the DRM tied to the cartridge.

If we're talking about say code in a box and/or steam on a disc, then I'd mostly agree, with exceptions like Doom 2016 which had nice reversable artwork.

 

[Taleweaver]

Probably doesn't mean much to you internationally, but my local game shop was gamemania. Rows upon rows of boxes to buy, items to get and consoles to score. Lots of second hand games and bargain bins. There was a time I was there nearly daily.

It's gone. Gamemania is filling for bancrupcy, and... I can't deny I'm part of the reason. It's from the wiiu days ago that I've bought anything physical. I occasionally borrow advd from the library, and the discs are mostly scratched. Of course non-borrowed items see a lot less play, but c'mon... Laptops don't come with optical media anymore, and nobody misses it but nostalgics. At my former jobs we had a portable dvd burner to borrow if anyone needed it. In ten years, it happened exactly twice.

It could be it becomes something like vinyl, but i wouldn't hold my breath. Those stores thrive on dj's, and I don't see an equivalent in our hobby.

 

[impeeza]

But flash loses is data, sometimes within 10 years

NOT ALL FLASH, only some type of unused now flash memory.

 

[Jayinem]

Not coming back, they aren't even making computers with disc drives any more, and you'd have to have a blu-ray drive in it.

Sony and MIcrosoft want to go all digital as well with their consoles.

 

[DarkCoffe64]

Not necessarily, even say my LA Noir Switch copy which requires a download still has the advantage of having the DRM tied to the cartridge.

If we're talking about say code in a box and/or steam on a disc, then I'd mostly agree, with exceptions like Doom 2016 which had nice reversable artwork.

What kind of DRM is it? If it's the "need to collect online every x hours or you can't play the game" kind of DRM, its pointlessly intrusive. Even more when its for a single player game.

But what I meant with my post is, if you can continue to play a game with all of its updates and DLC on disc/cartridge, long after the console and online services are discontinued, then that physical copy is actually worth something. Otherwise, its next to useless. What's the point of having say a quarter of a game that might not even be playable without the updates, because shipping broken/unfinished games is the norm nowadays?

 

[kijetesantakalu042]

What kind of DRM is it? If it's the "need to collect online every x hours or you can't play the game" kind of DRM, its pointlessly intrusive. Even more when its for a single player game.

But what I meant with my post is, if you can continue to play a game with all of its updates and DLC on disc/cartridge, long after the console and online services are discontinued, then that physical copy is actually worth something. Otherwise, its next to useless. What's the point of having say a quarter of a game that might not even be playable without the updates, because shipping broken/unfinished games is the norm nowadays?

That shouldn't be the norm though

 

[OilFreak]

Bringing back physical games is something I thought about when I struggled to get the steam version of Bioshock to run smoothly on my PC. It would 100% be better for the consumer. Not just because of ownership, but because it would give the user a more intimate relationship with their games.
When I look at my Steam library, I feel no connection to any of it. 1/3 of my games I haven't even played. Digital games also mean going out to buy games in person is a thing of the past, which I personally think is leading to the death of gaming culture. You don't get to meet up with fans and wait in line in anticipation for games anymore! You just sit in your room alone and wait for the download to finish.

 

[Kwyjor]

There will come a time in the future when current tech will be no different to dialup and floppies now. (Also, dowloading multiple floppy images on early dialup was bloody brutal.)

Seems to me there are limits? People only have so much time in their lives and only so much space for a screen. You can't just keep scaling up resolution and frame rate continually and expect people to keep paying more. Or so I'd like to imagine.

When I look at my Steam library, I feel no connection to any of it. 1/3 of my games I haven't even played.

You could just, y'know, stop buying new games and play the ones you already have..? I feel no connection to the horrific stacks of unplayed physical games I own either.

Digital games also mean going out to buy games in person is a thing of the past, which I personally think is leading to the death of gaming culture. You don't get to meet up with fans and wait in line in anticipation for games anymore! You just sit in your room alone and wait for the download to finish.

I think a lot of those people "waiting in line in anticipation" probably didn't want to talk to other people either.

 

[OilFreak]

I think a lot of those people "waiting in line in anticipation" probably didn't want to talk to other people either.

I'm gonna have to disagree big time on that one

 

[tech3475]

What kind of DRM is it? If it's the "need to collect online every x hours or you can't play the game" kind of DRM, its pointlessly intrusive. Even more when its for a single player game.

But what I meant with my post is, if you can continue to play a game with all of its updates and DLC on disc/cartridge, long after the console and online services are discontinued, then that physical copy is actually worth something. Otherwise, its next to useless. What's the point of having say a quarter of a game that might not even be playable without the updates, because shipping broken/unfinished games is the norm nowadays?

The DRM is 'you plug in the cartridge/disc and the game plays', at least on console. Lose your online account? You don't lose the game, want to sell the game? Go ahead. Want to share the game? Just hand over the cart.

I got the point of your post, but my point is as of now, there is still potential value in physical media over DD only even if the media itself is an incomplete copy.

Of course in an ideal world it would be completely useable without internet like the old days.

 

[RAHelllord]

Physical media for PC games is pretty much entirely dead and will stay that way for one simple reason.

Profit.

Digital copies have a higher profit margin due to the lack of physical components that have to be created, the digital licenses can't be sold by the end-user (meaning anyone that wants to play it has to buy a new copy from the developer, even if at a steep discount it's still more income than 0 from a secondhand sale), there is no financial risk associated with printing a game that doesn't sell well, and executives want the ability to remove licenses from people to sell the game again in the future with a small newly applied coat of paint and ensure the new release doesn't compete with the old one.

The only realistic way to offset any of those financial risks to companies is to basically offer a physical version as a limited collectors edition to play into FOMO to drive the sale and ensure all (or almost all) created copies actually sell.

All other options would, these days, require a new type of physical media that's actually widely usable and can't easily be replicated and pirated. USB sticks and external drives are trivial to rip and distribute elsewhere, if they come with a product key that can only be used once people won't be willing to buy it because it can't be sold again as working. BD discs aren't an option because almost nobody wants to invest into a drive to read them. HDD or SSD releases would still need to connect externally because most people aren't going to be willing to insert a foreign drive with into their PC that can only hold a single game, and people on laptops likely can't internally connect it even if they wanted to.
So what options are left? A new proprietary type of USB drive with a custom DRM controller? That'd cost a lot of money to develop which just wouldn't be worth it to any developer.

 

[InsaneNutter]

PC is a weird one for me when it comes to physical media. Generally I've just accepted I can't buy physical games, however I don't think it bothers me as I know games are released unfinished anyway, so by the time its an issue the game will be long since cracked with all the updates, DLC and no DRM in once nice download.

This is why I buy games on GoG where possible, you can download the installers and keep them on a USB drive, or some other physical media if you wish, knowing you can use that installer on any PC to play the game.

Consoles on the other hand I always buy physical where possible. I like knowing I can put that disc or cartridge in any console and play that game without it been tired to an online account. This is especially useful with the Switch as you can only play digital games on your primary console. When the Switch online services are dead i'll still be able to play my Switch games on any Switch.

Xbox I buy physical as the games are cheaper than digital, granted whatever is on the disc is never usually the full game these days, so theirs always 100's of gb to download. But I still essentially like having the disc as a DRM dongle that will allow any Xbox to play the game I own, so I can connect my usb hard drive to any Xbox and use the disc to authenticate I own the game offline. Granted I know that consoles still has to have gone online at some point and had a Microsoft account linked to it, so its not perfect, but I perceive it to be better than 100% digital regardless as I can still easily play friends physical games or even buy cheap second hand games.