Physical disc VS digital download (consoles)

[alba Phenom]

Digital ... All day long.

I'm not a collector of things generally, I don't like clutter and to me those boxes are nothing but worthless clutter, also I have found that since moving to digital on XboxOne my actual collection of games is far larger than I've ever had with any other system. I have over 200 games between the Gold downloads, purchases, previously owned B/C games, etc etc and I never have to get up and bother changing a disc to play any of them.

Plus they don't get scratched and ruined.

My biggest complaint is the cost, they should be substantially cheaper since there is no logistics and hardware cost involved but more often than not, they are MORE expensive as a download than available of a shop shelf... the only way I can see round this is for the games companies to be a bit more realistic and reasonable and offer stores dedicated game code-cards at wholesale prices that they can sell, discount and offer deals on. This protects the high street while giving you the convenience of on HDD games.

Plus another benefit to this, which I found this Xmas, is that you can then give these cards to people as gifts to download on their system themselves. It's a small thing but it's pretty important tbh.

[Odyssey]

Means all your games and all your money are lost when the platform store closes! What a supersmart move, genius !

[Viewpoint]

I'm more of a physical type person. It won't stop me from buying digital if that's the only choice but I'll buy solid state media 1st before I spend bucks on digital. Come to think of it, I've been willing to double dip if a digital only game gets a physical release.

[Odyssey]

This isnt a question at all: Its always physical media (the Switch and 3DS uses cartridges, not disks ).

Just to clarify the terms: There isnt any digital or physical. Cause both are digital. So I differ between the correct terms physical or download.

Download versions are almost ever just subscriptions. Thats what most users dont realize, cause they ignore the EULA and simply click "Agree" . That means when there isnt any service left for this platform all the games are gone! It doesnt matter if they will still work, cause you dont have a license for them anymore. Means you could simply have avoided spending money for the subscription, cause you could play them for free without any license already (for example, by modding your console). And in both cases it wouldnt be legal at all (when the subscription service is closed for your platform). So paying for downlaod versions is simply a complete waste of money, cause you get absolutely nothing for your money. And no you dont buy them. You just rent them (most times with a onetime fee, which most users mismatch with buying).

I know that there are small exceptions like GoG (they are simply amazing and should be called Thinking People Steam ). But we are talking about console gaming here. And there each and every service is subscription/account-based.

For physical media: You buy your game and it will stay yours forever. As long as your platform works you could play thos games perfectly legal. Sony stops the support for your Vita? You doesnt give a damn about it cause you got a physical media. Indeed that will exclude mulitplayer only games (you cant paly them without the servers runnign anymore).

And one more thing: You cant play any download version in 10 years anymore. No game you pay for now will be used legally in such a short frame of time! Yopur physical media will still work in many, many decades!

So only real shortsighted and selfhating people paying for downlaod versions. And I even accept one aspect for using download versions: You dont have to leave your couch for switching games. Using downloaded games is way more comfortbale. Thats why I want a download version with any physical media for free. Cause thats why I paid for the game! Cause even I am a little selfhating : Cheap and small games I pay at the online stores to get the download version. Its way easier and I could open them just by clicking at them. But thats only true for small games which arent important for archive purposes. Each and every other game (includes all full price games) are indded bought (!) as a physical media. Anything else is simply a waste of money and time.

[Aidy]

This isnt a question at all: Its always physical media (the Switch and 3DS uses cartridges, not disks ).

Just to clarify the terms: There isnt any digital or physical. Cause both are digital. So I differ between the correct terms physical or download.

Download versions are almost ever just subscriptions. Thats what most users dont realize, cause they ignore the EULA and simply click "Agree" . That means when there isnt any service left for this platform all the games are gone! It doesnt matter if they will still work, cause you dont have a license for them anymore. Means you could simply have avoided spending money for the subscription, cause you could play them for free without any license already (for example, by modding your console). And in both cases it wouldnt be legal at all (when the subscription service is closed for your platform). So paying for downlaod versions is simply a complete waste of money, cause you get absolutely nothing for your money. And no you dont buy them. You just rent them (most times with a onetime fee, which most users mismatch with buying).

I know that there are small exceptions like GoG (they are simply amazing and should be called Thinking People Steam ). But we are talking about console gaming here. And there each and every service is subscription/account-based.

For physical media: You buy your game and it will stay yours forever. As long as your platform works you could play thos games perfectly legal. Sony stops the support for your Vita? You doesnt give a damn about it cause you got a physical media. Indeed that will exclude mulitplayer only games (you cant paly them without the servers runnign anymore).

And one more thing: You cant play any download version in 10 years anymore. No game you pay for now will be used legally in such a short frame of time! Yopur physical media will still work in many, many decades!

So only real shortsighted and selfhating people paying for downlaod versions. And I even accept one aspect for using download versions: You dont have to leave your couch for switching games. Using downloaded games is way more comfortbale. Thats why I want a download version with any physical media for free. Cause thats why I paid for the game! Cause even I am a little selfhating : Cheap and small games I pay at the online stores to get the download version. Its way easier and I could open them just by clicking at them. But thats only true for small games which arent important for archive purposes. Each and every other game (includes all full price games) are indded bought (!) as a physical media. Anything else is simply a waste of money and time.

There's only one problem with your argument...it is based on a complete misunderstanding of how downloaded games on consoles work.

[PriestTroit]

I know there's a thing as licenses for digital games on my PS4. For example, my brother's account still exists in my PS4, but he moved to Hawaii and bought a new PS4, then listed that console as his primary one. Now I can't play any digital games he bought and played on my console because I don't have the license on my account.

I think what Odyssey is trying to say is... say Playstation goes kaput one day and shuts down all their servers. Technically, you account wouldn't exist anymore and I don't think your licenses would either. I dunno if that would mean you wouldn't be able to play the games you downloaded. I don't know the first thing about all that techno-wizardry, so.. meh

[alba Phenom]

He's talking complete shit is what he's talking, sure, if Microsoft unexpectedly decide to ditch their Xbox Live platform in the next iteration for seemingly no reason at all and offer no backup measures to port games to the new system, then you would lose the titles but why would they ever do that?

That would be the stupidest business decision they could ever make, my Xbox Live account is almost 15 years old at this point... I have had long forgotten 360 titles just appear on my dashboard as available to download because I bought them once upon a time... so your entire objection to "digital" games is based on some hypothetical situation with no precedence or reason to believe it would happen.

As I said, I'm not a collector but I've been playing videogames for a very long time and can't say I've ever made substantial money off the resale of games. As for actual subscription services like EA Access and Xbox Game Pass ... I'm all for that, if I can pay £20 per year and get dozens of games for that entire year or a cheap monthly subscription and hundreds of titles including big name titles on release day ... sign me up, even if it means I don't actually own the title. I'll get my moneys worth for sure.

[Aidy]

How can I possibly come back against robust statements like "he's talking complete shit". With such abuse and profanity you really must know what you're talking about.

*disconnects xbox from the internet*
*can still play all my downloaded games*
*disconnects DS from the internet*
*can still play all my downloaded games*

Mmmm, maybe I'm not talking shit after all, maybe your arguments are simply made of straw.