Agarest War shows why I hope they don't phase out hard copies

[Snapple]

People who own a 360 can buy Record of Agarest War, get a disc, a case, a pillow cover, and a mousepad with 3D BOOBS!

The PS3 version of Agarest War is download-only. No disc. No box. No pillow case. No boob-pad. And you need over 9 GIGS OF SPACE TO INSTALL.

Not that I wanted the game all that much, but who really wants the PS3 version more than the 360 version? If PS3 got the collector's edition, I would've considered it, but not now. Not this junk.

Now, we can complain to Idea Factory about not offering a hard copy to PS3 owners, making a weird business decision there. But the issue here is bigger than this one game. The industry is trying to trend towards more full-size games that are download-only. Some experts are saying that it will be more convenient and save shelf space and you won't have to worry about a disc breaking or getting lost... but we're collectors here, right? I'm not ready to give up my collectible tangible games that I can hold in my hand. And I certainly don't want to use 10 gigs of space on my PS3 HD for an ecchi SRPG. Am I overreacting here?

[kupomogli]

Am I overreacting here?

Nope. I posted the same thing on the new DLC thread stating how even though I'm not interested in the game itself, I'd have probably picked up a special edition at a reasonable price because I was interested in the mouse pad to be honest.

We already know the reason they allowed it for DLC only. Accessibility. All PS3 owners will have atleast 9GB of space, provided you delete other stuff. Not all 360 owners will have the availability of any decent amount of hard drive space.

Because of this, PS3 owners were screwed out of a very nice special edition. Just because they wanted to save some money.

[maxlords]

On the other hand, all the Agarest War DLC will be free for PS Network and Xbox owners will have to pay for the same content....

[Famidrive-16]

oh man, i kinda want to play this game but that boobpad is kinda creeping me out

[DonMarco]

People who own a 360 can buy Record of Agarest War, get a disc, a case, a pillow cover, and a mousepad with 3D BOOBS!

This kind of fan service is hard to come by in the states. Extra crap in the box and it's still $60? It may seem like a tad more than PS3 owners pay, but instead you get a physical disc and a box that's either really uncomfortable to display or a box that you aren't allowed to display on your game shelf.

Quick plug: I made a video about unboxing Agarest War. There are now like 200 videos showing off essentially the same thing. Is there anyone else here that would be willing to film their own youtube unboxing video and then post it? Or if you did already, drop a link. If there's ever a game you wanted to unbox on youtube, it would be this one, right?

I'm curious to see what the sales numbers will be. I can see 360 players buying the PS3 version because it's cheaper and doesn't have stupid crap bundled with it. I can also see PS3 players picking up the 360 version to get the crap and not support DLC. Anyone here own both or one system and are wrestling with a choice? I've only got a 360 and love this Really Naughty Limited Edition on principle, so it was a no-brainer for me.

oh man, i kinda want to play this game but that boobpad is kinda creeping me out

Because she has the three eyes?

[Flashback2012]

People who own a 360 can buy Record of Agarest War, get a disc, a case, a pillow cover, and a mousepad with 3D BOOBS!

The PS3 version of Agarest War is download-only. No disc. No box. No pillow case. No boob-pad. And you need over 9 GIGS OF SPACE TO INSTALL.

Not that I wanted the game all that much, but who really wants the PS3 version more than the 360 version? If PS3 got the collector's edition, I would've considered it, but not now. Not this junk.

Now, we can complain to Idea Factory about not offering a hard copy to PS3 owners, making a weird business decision there. But the issue here is bigger than this one game. The industry is trying to trend towards more full-size games that are download-only. Some experts are saying that it will be more convenient and save shelf space and you won't have to worry about a disc breaking or getting lost... but we're collectors here, right? I'm not ready to give up my collectible tangible games that I can hold in my hand. And I certainly don't want to use 10 gigs of space on my PS3 HD for an ecchi SRPG. Am I overreacting here?

Idea Factory/Aksys Games could easily circumvent the issue for PS3 owners by going the "Patapon 2" route and offering up a box with the exact same content as the XB360 counterpart but instead of a disc, you get a voucher card that's redeemable for the download of the game.

And as far as collecting goes in the future, publishers could all do this and we'd still have cases to collect with items and such. Of course, the odds of it actually happening are not very likely and if it did happen, publishers would still charge us $60 for the game download and then another $20-30 for the box of swag on top of that.

At any rate, I completely forgot about this game coming out this month.

[megasdkirby]

I ordered the Xbox 360 version mainly because it's a physical disc...and in part because of the extra crap thrown in.

I don't know, but I see this edition fetch quite an amount later on.

But I am happy knowing that if I care to play the game 10 years from now (hoping I have a working 360), I know I can, while I am pretty sure the PS3 version will long be obsolete and no longer available to download.

[Bojay1997]

Two things. First, if you really must have a physical version, you can always import the PAL version. Admittedly, it doesn't have all the additional content and the better version of the localization, but it's pretty good. Second, Aksys didn't make the DLC choice voluntarily. Per several posts on their forums by an employee/moderator, for various reasons Sony or the publisher they licensed from in Japan would not allow them to do a physical release on PS3. My advice is just to accept the fact that if you are a gamer and collector, you have to have all three major console platforms. There will always be exclusives and turning your back on the 360 which dominates shmup releases and certain other niche genres is foolish.

[kupomogli]

But I am happy knowing that if I care to play the game 10 years from now (hoping I have a working 360), I know I can, while I am pretty sure the PS3 version will long be obsolete and no longer available to download.

I don't think that the PS3 version will be gone before then. The PS2 is still selling and also there are quite a few PS2 games with active servers that can still be played online. Maybe 20 years, but 10 years there's a good chance that the game will still be available for download. If by chance the PS4 uses the exact same online servers, then we could see the DLC up there for even longer if it's given the compatibility the PS4.

*edit*

Someone on my PS3 friends list is playing it. Checked out the trophies and it's showing it has a platinum. First PS3 game that has no physical copy that has a platinum trophy? There are others on there but you can also buy physical copies.

[Tempest]

I think I'm going to pick up the 360 version just because I want the physical disc. Ten years from now when I want to go back and play it again I'd rather not worry if my PS3 HD is going to go bad or pray that I can download it again because I wiped it from my HD years earlier. With the physical disc I can always go back and play it without worry. That's worth $15 more to me.

Tempest

[kupomogli]

Don't forget the mouse pad with boobs, Tempest.

*edit*

Waiting for a demo to download on my PS3 right now, but I actually just remembered something. Record of Agarest War is technically only $9 for PS3 users. If you happen to know four other people who want the game and you split the costs. Instead of giving out your main account to four other people, you could always create a separate main account to purchase the game on so you're not limited to sharing with just five people, just five people per account.

Still not worth $9 to me.

[Snapple]

Second, Aksys didn't make the DLC choice voluntarily. Per several posts on their forums by an employee/moderator, for various reasons Sony or the publisher they licensed from in Japan would not allow them to do a physical release on PS3. My advice is just to accept the fact that if you are a gamer and collector, you have to have all three major console platforms. There will always be exclusives and turning your back on the 360 which dominates shmup releases and certain other niche genres is foolish.

So I should take my complaints out on Sony, and not the people who made the game. Well screw you, Sony.

I really don't foresee myself supporting all consoles. I don't have the money to do that, but what I do own, I want to be collectible. And I want it to still be viable after PSN has gone down. That's all. I'm never going to be that guy who has to buy every good game. I'll buy like 15 games per year, and I'm satisfied with that.

Someone on my PS3 friends list is playing it. Checked out the trophies and it's showing it has a platinum. First PS3 game that has no physical copy that has a platinum trophy? There are others on there but you can also buy physical copies.

No, it's not the first. Trine has a platinum trophy. I don't think we can automatically say anymore that PSN-only games immediately mean no platinum. It's still a retail-sized game, for a retail-high price. Your $10 PSN games are always going to have no platinums though.

[Aussie2B]

The funny thing is that the game is only rated Teen. The whole sex angle is nothing but a marketing gimmick.

Even though I'm trying to cut back on purchases, the absurdity of the limited edition convinced me to pick it up. If wonder if those boob mouse pads are actually comfortable. I seem to remember some chick working for Xseed or one of these niche publishers using a Dead or Alive boob mouse pad at her desk. I hear the Agarest one smells like chemical death, though.

Plus, just the fact that it's a strategy RPG means I'd want it sooner or later, and I like picking up limited editions early on before it becomes a pain making sure you have all the bits and pieces. And in this case, I don't want anyone's used pillowcase. :P

[ScourDX]

I had hard time downloading 9 gig file. My ISP cap monthly download limit & monitor my download. If Sony expect their customer to do this for every other game, then goodbye PSN.

[G-Boobie]

So I should take my complaints out on Sony, and not the people who made the game. Well screw you, Sony.

I really don't foresee myself supporting all consoles. I don't have the money to do that, but what I do own, I want to be collectible. And I want it to still be viable after PSN has gone down.

That right there is my reason for being concerned. I'm not much for collecting just to own yet more plastic crap, but the plastic crap I DO own gets played every now and again. I have no assurance that if I want to play Shadow Complex in fifteen years it will still be available, and that sucks. On the other hand, if I want to play Tech Romancer in my Dreamcast in fifteen years, there's no guarantee that I'll be able to do that either. Bit rot, etc. Therefore, I don't really care ether way. Digital, disc... Whatever. As long as it plays now, I guess.

I also hope that more games release with boob-fortified ergonomic devices. Discs are merely temporary, but chemical-stinking wrist supporting breasts are truly forever.

[jcalder8]

Discs are merely temporary, but chemical-stinking wrist supporting breasts are truly forever.

This is pretty poetic, maybe you should send it to a greeting card company.

Valentine's Day
My love for you is like chemical-stinking wrist supporting breasts, it will last forever.

Sympathy:
The memories that you shared will live on like chemical-stinking wrist supporting breasts.

[Therealqtip]

that boobpad is kinda creeping me out

its japanese bro

[neojapan]

haha sorry, but I don't think an XBOX 360 will survive 5 years of use let alone 10! hehe doomed console, but still I ordered 1 for my collection and hope it will get some value in the future.

I ordered the Xbox 360 version mainly because it's a physical disc...and in part because of the extra crap thrown in.

I don't know, but I see this edition fetch quite an amount later on.

But I am happy knowing that if I care to play the game 10 years from now (hoping I have a working 360), I know I can, while I am pretty sure the PS3 version will long be obsolete and no longer available to download.

[Arthur-Otaku]

Yea, the idea of downloadable only on ps3 is ridiculous, pay for a game file and nothing else just don't fit on my mind, this remembers me download a pirate stuff from torrent (for free)

But the xbox version is ridiculous too with all that crap-jap-virgin included

Hard to choose

[Richter Belmount]

You said hard lol