Physical media is almost dead now! (RIP)

[Iron Draggon]

Now that the next gen of next gen systems are about to release, it's nearly impossible to get new games on physical media anymore. Since 2010, most new games for PC have only been available as digital downloads on Steam here in the US, even though the majority of them can still be bought on discs everywhere else in the world. Importing has become a necessity for those of us Americans who refuse to buy games with no physical copy. MS threatened to go digital only with the XBONE and Sony is going with digital exclusives as well as releasing games in both digital and disc form, at least for the initial launch of the PS4. This probably doesn't bother most people, but it signals the eventual death of games on physical media, which has already progressed to the point that most PC games aren't available anywhere but online, and only as digital downloads. Go into any retail store now, and chances are they won't have any PC games at all, and if they do, what's there is old stock that hasn't sold yet. Pay attention console gamers, because you're the next targets of this trend, and soon you too will be forced to import if you want your games on discs, or submit to digital downloads, and the glory days of game collecting will finally be over. The line that separates professionally produced games from amateur productions will no longer be as simply defined by whether or not it's available on physical media, and the mobile phone gaming scene you mock for its casually oriented content will be upon you. Gaming is rapidly moving toward an entirely digital future where content is controlled completely by developers who can simply delete what you paid for from existence, leaving you with nothing but memories of your favorite games, and no way to reinstall them. It may not bother you now, but rest assured it will come to bother you very soon, about the time you feel nostalgic for that great old game that was just released a few months ago.

[Guru of Time and Space]

Good riddance.

-GoTaS

[PreZZ]

I still prefer media discs on my consoles, but really PC games have ZERO resale value and I really like Steam. No more finding Cd keys, changing discs, and paying full premium prices. If you have seen crazy summer sales or humble bundles, why buy physical?? I got Dead Space, Dead Space 3, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, Crysis 2 Ultimate Edition, Mirror's Edge, Medal of Honor, Battlefield 3,The Sims 3+2 expansions,Populous and Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 for LESS than 5$ last week. Most of these games are still available physically at my local best buy, but I dont even want to know what all this would have cost. Dead space 3 is still 49.99 alone!

[Gameguy]

If I can't own a physical copy, I have no plans on paying for it. It generally suits me fine as I have more than enough games to play on older consoles and PCs.

I'm just hoping DVDs will still be coming out for at least a decade or more, there's so many old shows and films I'd still like to see come out on the format.

[Melf]

I want no part of a download-only industry. Spending an entire generation buying games, only to find the next gen is not compatible, is not what I want. A console's online service is taken down and your console dies (as seems so common with today's POS hardware), what do you do? If my Genesis breaks, I get a new one and can still use my library. What will we do when the 360 and PS3 are no longer connected to Live and PSN and our consoles need to be replaced? What happens to my dozens of games?

Digital downloads on consoles are extended rentals, nothing more. No thanks.

[eskobar]

I am amazed at how the transition from physical to digital media has progressed the last 3 years and its really incredible the massive acceptance of the digital media.

Speaking from a 3rd world country where retailing has evolved in giant steps in the 6 years ... I is really expensive to purchase brand new games here and its quite hard to find niche games on the month of release, sometimes is almost impossible to find a niche game on Mexico, so digital distribution is very practical for any Mexican.

Of the modern consoles I own a 3DS and PS3, we have a Mexican PS Store since 2 years ago and is very easy to purchase a PSN card or just register any debit card to pay for games at American retail price only making the currency conversion. Gone are the days of having a game a week after the US release date.

In the Nintendo front the things are quite different, since the official distributor for Nintendo is a company named LATAMEL, they have very high retail prices on Nintendo published games and consoles, and the mexican eShop is forced to match that price ... for example:

Fire Emblem 3ds US Price : 39.99 usd
Fire Emblem 3ds mexican retail Price : ($799 pesos) 62.42 usd
Fire Emblem 3ds mexican eshop Price : ($799 pesos) 62.42 usd

But if you wanna purchase Atlus games, the conversion is straight currency conversion, for example:

US Retail price for SMT Soul Hackers = 39.99 usd
Mexican Retail price for SMT Soul Hackers = $749 = 62.42 usd
Mexican eshop price for SMT Soul Hackers = $512 = 39.99 usd ....



I love having physical media but when you have pretty lacking distribution and very high prices, digital media is a great way to purchase the games you want to play

[CRTGAMER]

If I can't own a physical copy, I have no plans on paying for it. It generally suits me fine as I have more than enough games to play on older consoles and PCs.

I'm just hoping DVDs will still be coming out for at least a decade or more, there's so many old shows and films I'd still like to see come out on the format.

Preorder has turned a turn for the worst
I was at Wallymart the other day and saw advertising for Preorder Bonus for movies. Not games, but DVDs and BlueRay discs! Are you kidding me?! Bad enough about some stuff on movies only available a limited time as a download or streaming, but now footage that will not be seen due to only available as a preorder.

I'm expecting eggs and milk be next on the preorder band wagon.

[Gamevet]

I still prefer media discs on my consoles, but really PC games have ZERO resale value and I really like Steam. No more finding Cd keys, changing discs, and paying full premium prices. If you have seen crazy summer sales or humble bundles, why buy physical?? I got Dead Space, Dead Space 3, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, Crysis 2 Ultimate Edition, Mirror's Edge, Medal of Honor, Battlefield 3,The Sims 3+2 expansions,Populous and Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 for LESS than 5$ last week. Most of these games are still available physically at my local best buy, but I dont even want to know what all this would have cost. Dead space 3 is still 49.99 alone!

I still see physical copies of PC games at stores like Target, Walmart, Fry's and Microcenter. I paid $40 for SCII: Heart of the Swarm, when I bought a physical copy from Fry's, but it's pretty much a digital download with a useless disc.

I buy physical copies of PC games from Half-Price-Books. I can pick up a sealed copy of Fear 3 for about $7 from there, as well as older sealed games like Grand Theft Auto III.

If the consoles start heading towards digital content only, I'll go strickly PC for my gaming needs and continue to purchase console games for older systems.

[theclaw]

Digital sounds great for countries like Brazil with steep taxes and limited print runs.

Either way I'd rather have digital, than "pseudo-digital" physical discs that require a code tied to an account.

[Zthun]

Now that the next gen of next gen systems are about to release, it's nearly impossible to get new games on physical media anymore. Since 2010, most new games for PC have only been available as digital downloads on Steam here in the US, even though the majority of them can still be bought on discs everywhere else in the world. Importing has become a necessity for those of us Americans who refuse to buy games with no physical copy. MS threatened to go digital only with the XBONE and Sony is going with digital exclusives as well as releasing games in both digital and disc form, at least for the initial launch of the PS4. This probably doesn't bother most people, but it signals the eventual death of games on physical media, which has already progressed to the point that most PC games aren't available anywhere but online, and only as digital downloads. Go into any retail store now, and chances are they won't have any PC games at all, and if they do, what's there is old stock that hasn't sold yet. Pay attention console gamers, because you're the next targets of this trend, and soon you too will be forced to import if you want your games on discs, or submit to digital downloads, and the glory days of game collecting will finally be over. The line that separates professionally produced games from amateur productions will no longer be as simply defined by whether or not it's available on physical media, and the mobile phone gaming scene you mock for its casually oriented content will be upon you. Gaming is rapidly moving toward an entirely digital future where content is controlled completely by developers who can simply delete what you paid for from existence, leaving you with nothing but memories of your favorite games, and no way to reinstall them. It may not bother you now, but rest assured it will come to bother you very soon, about the time you feel nostalgic for that great old game that was just released a few months ago.

The main issue with digital distribution is digital rights management. This is the true evil and the core problem with moving to a digital world. When you buy something, you should be able to keep a copy without having to keep checking in with the publisher to make sure your not redistributing it.

Things will move in a digital direction because it's cheap, easy, and convenient - but there are strings attached; and those strings have the initials DRM.

[Gamevet]

The main issue with digital distribution is digital rights management. This is the true evil and the core problem with moving to a digital world. When you buy something, you should be able to keep a copy without having to keep checking in with the publisher to make sure your not redistributing it.

Things will move in a digital direction because it's cheap, easy, and convenient - but there are strings attached; and those strings have the initials DRM.

What happens when a service like Steam decides to lock your account, because you broke some rule that you didn't know about that was in the small print?

My favorite is when a company goes out of business and no longer has an online service to update your game, or allow you to install it on another PC. I picked up a sealed copy of Juiced 2 for the PC, but I'm unable to install it on my computer, because Juice games folded right before THQ filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

[Zthun]

What happens when a service like Steam decides to lock your account, because you broke some rule that you didn't know about that was in the small print?

My favorite is when a company goes out of business and no longer has an online service to update your game, or allow you to install it on another PC. I picked up a sealed copy of Juiced 2 for the PC, but I'm unable to install it on my computer, because Juice games folded right before THQ filed for bankruptcy in 2012.

That's what DRM is and is exactly what I'm talking about. When a publisher, developer, or distributor reigns controls over your library, shit like this can happen.

Digital = Nice and convenient. Saves tons of space and never have to worry about the data wearing out because it can be copied and backed up easily.

DRM = Garbage. Prevents a large portion of positives of digital distribution.

Get rid of DRM and a lot of the problems go away. Humble Bundle is (generally) great because of this. They give installers that aren't tied to a steam account and you can still play your games if your account got locked.

[WCP]

I don't have any problem with digital, as long as the prices go down as quickly as it happens on Steam and Gamers Gate and Amazon downloads and Green Man Gaming, etc, etc.


Problem is, we know that's never gonna happen. Micrsoft, Sony and Nintendo are too greedy to ever sell their triple A games for 5 bucks.


I consider all digital games to basically be "long-term rentals", with many stipulations added on. So, I never pay more than $7.50 or sometimes I'll actually splurge and buy something for $9.99. Normally I just stick to 5 bucks and 6 bucks.

[kupomogli]

While I have over 100 games on Steam and GOG combined, games that I've spent less than $200 on combined, if it comes to playing a game that's digital only for mofre than $10 or never playing the game, I'd never play the game.

It's not like I think the devs should give us it for free, but if we don't actually own it, then I don't think I should be charged near as much as they're expecting. A digital copy in my opinion is nothing more than a rental as some time in the future it won't be available for me to play. I won't pirate the games. As good as they may be, I just won't play them.

With as many games as I have now, I could just as easily quit next gen gaming and keep replaying these games and I'd be satisfied. Over 600 games I own and like, not including the GOG games, a week per game should last me a long time, then once I'm done with every game, should be enough time to replay them.

Infamous Second Son is getting a retail release though and that's the game I'm most interested in this next gen. So far I'm satisfied and nothings entirely set in stone. There's still the 3DS and Vita too.

[GREEN00]

I want no part of a download-only industry. Spending an entire generation buying games, only to find the next gen is not compatible, is not what I want. A console's online service is taken down and your console dies (as seems so common with today's POS hardware), what do you do? If my Genesis breaks, I get a new one and can still use my library. What will we do when the 360 and PS3 are no longer connected to Live and PSN and our consoles need to be replaced? What happens to my dozens of games?

Digital downloads on consoles are extended rentals, nothing more. No thanks.

I totally agree. These days I'm buying more and more PS2 and earlier games and fewer and fewer new releases. A few years ago I was buying lots of new releases at full price and turning up my nose to older games, but now it's the opposite.

The only new release I'm buying for sure this fall is XCOM: Enemy Within (PS3) because Firaxis is awesome and is giving us a meaty expansion+DLC all on the disc for a reduced $40.

[Niku-Sama]

i dont think physical media is done yet, the infrastructure for every one to be on all at once is just not there. the "cloud" is flawed. once it becaomes main stream you'll be hit either with super slow usage or usage fees, limites and restrictions.

in all honesty i think cartridges will make a come back before we go to the could.

end users can pick up a 30 something gig SSD for about $1 a gig. they are getting cheap to produce. if its $1 on our end per gig how much do you think it is cose wise for them to make it per gig?
take into consideration a single layer bluray disc is 20 something gigs, and a dual layer is 50 something, i dont see it being far fetched that theres some NAND flash based carts and a console to use them.

plus imagine the load times.....or lack their of.... on a system like the PS4, or even the PS3?

[Tupin]

ISPs already throttle connections and cheat people out of advertised speeds as it is. Imagine if Microsoft announced an Xbox that only used digital downloads. It would be a nightmare for them.

[Niku-Sama]

not all ISPs i'm not limited on mine but i dont want to be bothered with the task of going out on the interwebs to load something when the internet isnt all the reliable for that sort of thing.

average speed in the US is pretty slow any way. i'm getting 60 Mbits/sec the average i think is something like 12 Mbits/sec....pretty dismal
i know the US is a bad example but a good majority of the gamimg market is here obviously and couple that with could stuff. the sheeple here have been eating the cloud stuff up like crazy.

edit:

an example of what i am talking about for SSD's
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=1&srchInDesc=

sure these are refurbished but think about it.

some one buys one, its bad, happens some times. it gets sent back to the manufacturer, repaired and reworked and shipped back out to the reseller as a refurb at a huge discount and they still make money off of it.

so basicly they shipped it twice, manufactured it twice and on top of all that, the retailer has a mark up too.

[FFStudios]

all digital would be fine if they dropped the price of a new game to like $20

other than that, you better give me a nice blu-ray disc to pop in this sucker or you aren't getting any of my money

[Sothy]

I don't mind paying 5 - 20 bucks for good digital downloads if it something I want to play "Like State of Decay" But for a full $50.00 retail price point I want a physical copy manual/maps, all that jazz.