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[SkylineRKR]

Physical losts its charm, its only an ID check. No manual. Usually very lame ass and samey packaging. There is little point beside the fact you can sell it, or loan it to someone. Or take it somewhere to play. Prices of physical games tend to be lower, at least at launch you can find them for a bit lower and some are heavily discounted over time while digital versions are still expensive. But the downside is that you have to manually switch discs for each game, which is less convenient and downright annoying for those short burst games. On top of that you lose the purpose of Quick Resume and the such. You could say that for digital you pay for convenience I guess.

Also, while you can't sell digital, you will keep them. When I rebought my Vita I immediately had a decent library since I already owned those games. I didn't have to go out of my way to scoop up some sales. Some games will fade away though, such as TMNT arcade on my Live account I reactivated for my Series after 13 years. But my personal experience is that I never sold a lot of games I beat, yet I never replayed them either. They were just there taking space. I ended up selling all my PS4 games last November, got like 200 bucks for them. Which is nice but actually a fraction of the purchase price since it was quite a load. I lost those games forever, except for the ones that appeared on Plus.

The most cost efficient way is buying, beating, selling. A good example of physical being cost efficient was my TLOU2. Bought it used last summer, beat it and sold it for the same price. This right here is ofcourse the reason the likes of Sony and MS want to kill off physical software. But usually you will make a loss and the game is gone from your account. And with selling also comes the hassle of putting it up online, dealing with no shows, whiners, etc. And when physical is discounted, guess what, you get shit for it back. Like, I had a hard time selling some Ubi games for more than 10 bucks. Since I gone 100% digital I simply buy less, I wait for sales a lot. And with GP and Plus there is enough to play anyway.

 

[waquzy]

- Mosty cheaper than digital games
- Can be sold
- Can be traded
- Can be boworred

END THREAD

 

[Monkeygourmet]

Only Nerd Virgins display their games

 

[Hydelol]

Why would I be in favor of only buying my games (speaking of console as pc hasn't had physical games in a loooong time) at Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft? Those 3 companies would be the only places I could buy my games in an all digital world. Why would I want this? To get even more fucked by their policies and always increasing prices? RIght now I would have to spend 79,99€ in Germany for Demon's Souls on the Playstation Store. The only way to get in cheaper would be a sale from Sony. No other way.

That doesn't mean digital is bad. I want to have the choice where I buy my stuff. I don't understand how customers today are perfectly fine giving away their rights and freedom.

Seems like customers are fighting for the companies, when the companies should be fighting to get the customers.

 

[KormaChameleon]

Yes. Many reasons include:

• Recently, PS3 & Vita store closing, if you haven't downloaded them games to your system then you will loose access to what you have paid for.
• Digital games can sometimes be removed from store fronts. Forza Horizon 3 for example. You can now only buy it physical.
• Not every country in the world have access to high speed internet or those that do would be mega expensive.
• ISP download caps.
• People who don't have good internet in general.
• If your internet gets knocked out, you can still play them where some digital games on certain platforms require you to be connected to the internet.
• You can trade in physical games when you finish them and get some money back or swap/trade with friends. Did this for a long time back in my console days.
• Physical games often goes cheaper than digital games. (At least in the UK)

Physical will always be here, whenever you like it or not. I don't mind. I enjoy having access to both, whatever is the cheapest.

 

[Zeusexy]

I buy digital only when there's no chance of getting a physical edition.

I prefer actually owning my games and do whatever I want with them.

 

[=GabrielKnight=]

I recently bought Ys IX. For me getting the box, looking at the art and descriptions, removing the cellophane, smelling its "new" smell, is part of a ritual.
Then Ys IX comes with a ost cd and a mini artbook.
And then I can put it on the shelf and help build memories.
Take away this from me, and I lose 50% of the fun.
Digital can go to hell, and so, yes, there is a huge point for keeping physical releases alive.

 

[ValiantTraveler]

- My internet speed is too slow for me to download any game bigger than 10 Go. I suppose many people in Asia, South America and Africa are in the same boat. On the other hand, installing a game from a disk is brisk and painless. Even in a 90 Go game (FFXV) it only took 25 minutes during which I played the battle tutorial.
- I can find physical games for very affordable prices.
- Some physical editions come with extra features like a small artbook (Trails of Cold Steel III, Aegis Rim) or a beautiful case (FFXII TZA Steelbook).
- Most of my games can be played offline and without the latest patch.
- I'm a collector at heart.
- I don't trust a server to keep my game accessible beyond 5 years.

 

[The Cartographer]

Digital only is barely acceptable for PC and console gaming without printed games is worthless.

 

[Dr. Claus]

No there is not.

/thread

I went all digital last gen already, only exceptions were a couple bargains I got in physical, other than that digital is way more convenient.

Bullshit. Most games are complete at launch. Only a few AAA titles aren’t and they have been shit for a while now.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Now that many games have become practically unplayable without multi gigabytes of patches physical games have become less useful.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

Well, the industry seems to be actively trying to discourage and disincentivice physical media overall. So, take that as you will.

This. It's pretty easy to tell if you're just a bit observant. Big tech wants you to get rid of all your physical stuff and trust them with digital licenses. Do you have a reason to trust them? Are there reasons not to trust them?

 

[Mithos]

As long as the account where the games are tied to is controlled by someone else then ME, I'm going to be physical as much and long as possible.

I mean they can ban/boot you out for ANY reason and they do not even need to say what that reason is.
Hell maybe you'll get ban/booted of your account for simply having the wrong opinion or supporting the wrong things.

Spoiler: Joke (or is it?)

I mean I'm posting on an alt-right neo-nazi forum am I not? (according to some people)
Someone at Steam/Sony/Microsoft etc might ban you for that reason, in the world today who the heck knows

 

[PharaoTutAnchAmun]

It seems that we will never go back to the before times where a game was feature complete like DS era and before that.
Games now sold as physical releases are hardly complete at all.
When you have a base copy of the game you still have to connect to the internet to access the patches, hotfixes, DLC bonuses, preorders, access game servers, free updates, expansions, etc.
So when the servers shut down or it's no longer supported by the publisher or the system itself, everything disappears along with it. The game is wholly reliant on it.
Content is spread all over the place, you have the console, the physical cart, then the internet access, then the memory card, etc.
Wouldn't it be better just to have a larger capacity memory card instead?

I used to go big on physical collecting, but now seeing that physical release is nothing more than check to see if you have an access license, it just doesn't make any sense now to have digital copies.
For example looking at Xenoblade Chronicles 2, copies of the Torna expansion increased in price because of Mythra and Pyra announcement which got attention and demand to see their backstory etc.
Smash Bros always has a way of making niche franchises and making them popular.
The Torna physical copy doubled in price. However, it's part physical release and also DLC vouchers.
With all these updates, it seems like it is better in the long run just to own a digital license and have an account.
As long as you don't violate the TOS then you can still gain access.

With Smash Bros Ultimate and its constant updates and additions keeping a physical copy seems like a chore now. Always swapping and juggling physical carts.
I guess it may be good to buy games that are already feature complete knowing that it will never have additional content added down the road.

Anyways what are your thoughts on going all physical, digital etc?

For me as a physical collector, I would go for the Special and Collector Editions of games.
But games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Animal Crossing New Horizons, Monster Hunter Rise, games with constant updates, it's best to be kept digital.
Games fully completed in carts with no chance of getting additional content will always be bought physical.

 

[Shinobitron]

Not everyone lives in an area where they can get unlimited data on their internet, I would be completely screwed If had to download every game.

 

[Impotaku]

when people mention been 100% digital and it been more convenient because it's a hassle to change a disk i see this.....

Behold your digital champion

 

[CuteFaceJay]

It depends on your living space and what you enjoy. I enjoy having my own store in my basement and I’ve seen some incredible game rooms.

Hope you got good insurance.

 

[Rival]

I do both physical and digital depending on price.

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

Hope you got good insurance.

It’s not worth insuring your games.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I can buy a used Xbone game for £10, or I can buy the digital version for £60. Yeah, no thanks.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

No there is not.

/thread

I went all digital last gen already, only exceptions were a couple bargains I got in physical, other than that digital is way more convenient.

The only advantage digital really has is convenience though. Yes, physical is getting tampered with more, but it still has many more advantages. The prices for example with digital are almost always much more expensive than physical for starters. I can get some games for $10 to $20 physical while digital has games over 5 years old for $60 still and I don’t have to wait for special online sales with lack of competition and have choices of where I want to purchase my games from.

 

[ZywyPL]

Gifts. Unpacking a phsical copy on Christmas, birthday etc. will never be replaced by gift cards for me.

 

[Banjo64]

when people mention been 100% digital and it been more convenient because it's a hassle to change a disk i see this.....

Behold your digital champion

I have some physical Switch games, but bought Smash, MK8 and Splatoon 2 digitally as I like to play a game or two on each before swapping to another game. Switching carts every 10-20 mins? No thanks.

I have a normal BMI.

 

[Putonahappyface]

I wouldn't feel comfortable paying for a digital game let alone £70+ for a AAA digital game. If I buy a physical copy online I can get a fare price and then sell it on to recoup some money back. I used to hoard games which is utterly pointless if you're not continuously replaying them. If games went all digital I'd probably quit gaming altogether or buy less games..

 

[hemo memo]

I don't rent games, so yeah. I'll never rent games, so I will never pay for digital games.

This this this.

Physical (for consoles) will always always always be cheaper than digital. Until they fixed that shit I will always buy physical.

 

[hemo memo]

- Mosty cheaper than digital games
- Can be sold
- Can be traded
- Can be boworred

 

[lh032]

I love actually able to touch and owning my games.

 

[SkylineRKR]

I have some physical Switch games, but bought Smash, MK8 and Splatoon 2 digitally as I like to play a game or two on each before swapping to another game. Switching carts every 10-20 mins? No thanks.

I have a normal BMI.

I don't think switching discs is gonna help with burning fat anyway. I just don't like switching discs either. I play a few rounds of Tekken and then I jump into WRC9 or Tony Hawk. Its pretty great. On handheld I think digital is even better. You only have to carry the device after all, and you can play anything on the go. When we were on travel way back, I only took this 64 in 1 Gameboy cartridge. It was great.

 

[Mojoraisin]

We should all beware of giving any company full control over the distribution chain. For physical we have retail stores competing. Who competes with PSN for example? No one.

 

[KungFucius]

• PS5 - Physical preferred. Digital if the price is right. Will buy and sell used on ebay.
• Switch - Digital for 1st party, possibly physical for things with zero chance of replay
• PC - No choice, but you can shop around for the best price or play some on services like Ubisoft + and Gamepass.
• Xbox - Gamepass on PC

Basically I blow money on hardware and then waste time trying to find the best deal on the games I want. I want to buy used and sell PS5 physical games when I am done with them. I will never play through games like TLOU2 again. Selling games gives me a reason to justify owning the PS5 for exclusives when I have a nice PC.

However I am finding that for many games, the used market sucks for buyers. So I might buy new then sell. I think this is because more are shifting to digital. I got Miles Morales used and sold it for nearly the same price a couple weeks later, but Ghosts of Tsushima has few used copies and they are still pricey for an older last gen game. Either way it is better than being tied to price controlled markets as the only source. It's easier to find a deal on a physical game new if someplace had an excess of physical copies, but Sony has no incentive to lower the prices of a digital copy until the sales in that region warrant it.

Obviously I don't care about it on PC but those games tend to have better prices and sales, especially with multiple stores selling them. On Nintendo Platforms I tend to keep 1st party games and will be going digital for 1st party games from now on. Switching out micro carts is just wasteful. Also I wouldn't trust my kids with them.

 

[Reality Czar]

Nah this is overblown, most physical games are still perfectly playable without any patches. Even the PS5.

Physical games will also hold value for a long time and more than likely gain in value. Just ask anyone who owns a boxed copy of N64 games.

 

[Fuz]

GO. AWAY.

 

[Alright]

Physical or digital, who the hell buys games anymore?

Most releases are borked at launch, or released half completed, or are sold at full price then rammed with mtx and loot boxes, or are just plain crap.

With very very very very few exceptions, buying a game is just pointless. Wait for it to be on a digital sub service.

And this is coming from a guy who would buy every new release day one during the 360 days, often spending £200 a month during the busy periods

 

[kraspkibble]

not really. the amount of money you get back for games is so small it's not really worth it. to sell a game in store or online any money you get back will likely go towards travel, postage, packing, seller fees. if you have anything left over it's gonna be pennies.

alright, you could loan a game to a friend (if you have any)

keeping them forever? lol yeah sure you can do that but when servers go down you'll lose access to download data because blu rays don't have the capacity for entire games, patches that make the games functional, and dlc with features that should've been in the game at launch.

"bUt I wOnT uNiNstalL muH gaM!!" say PS5 servers go offline in 2041. by that time it's likely your internal SSD (which you can't replace...) will be failing or straight up dead. ALSO, discs are at risk of damage either by scratching/breaking or degradation/wear over time. so you might not be able to activate the game due to faulty disc, you will need to buy a new motherboard or entire new console if the SSD goes. so that will require reinstalling the game OFF THE DISC. you try telling someone who bought Cyberpunk 2077 that they will someday need to play only what is on the disc....lol. the only kind of discs you should buy are the ones that come out a year or so after launch with all that stuff on it (oh and you'll get it cheaper too).

 

[Sander Cohen]

This.
Also why do digital only users have a hard on for people that buy physical?
Its like they want to convert people into a religion or something.... its fucking weird man.

Just how Gamepass preachers are all over the place trying to convert other 2 camps on their side. Let‘s put to the side that it’s objectively worse to buy digital, I don’t understand this desire for uniformity, we can all coexist people. Options and competition is always good.

 

[Kimahri]

I don't care about physical at all anymore. I used to ha e walls of bookshelves filled with games. Got sick of it. It meant something before I had thousands of games, but the more you get, the less each individual game means.

I've just given away boxes of the stuff. Digital is far more convenient, and quite frankly, if one game at some point disappears, I'm not too bothered. There's so many other games out there.

 

[Birdo]

The only point left is account transfer.

For instance, if you lose your PSN/XBN account for any reason, your entire digital collection dies with it.

However, if you have physical copies, you can just start a new account and install them again.

 

[KAL2006]

Yes I still borrow games and lend games to my friends and family. I also resell games and buy games used

 

[Portugeezer]

If you live in a country/state/City with slow Internet or low bandwidth, physical releases are a must.

Even with huge day one patches, you still save dozens of GB's by getting the physical version.

 

[VAVA Mk2]

Nope. Unless you enjoy waiting in line in the dark for a big release with teens, kids that got their parents to take them, or neck beards.

 

[sw0mp_d0nk3y]

I've always defended physical in these discussions. I buy a lot of physical games on sale or used and the resell them, usually recouping most or all of my money. I actually came out ahead with Demon's Souls and Miles Morales recently, reselling them and selling the code for OG Spider-man separately.

That being said, I decided to take the all digital plunge. I just sold my disc PS5 and ordered a Digital PS5. I mostly play Destiny, and I also have a huge digital backlog, and figured I'd tackle that for the next year or so, as many games play better and are enhanced on PS5. I just don't plan on buying many new games for a long time, especially anything single player.

I guess, if I find I miss discs much, I'll get the disc version when a PS5 pro comes out. I have a feeling I'll never go back though.

 

[Xeaker]

WTF? I never buy digital, doesn't feel like I own the games.
If they ever stop with physical disc I stop buying games.

 

[AV]

Can't think of a single reason.

 

[KormaChameleon]

when people mention been 100% digital and it been more convenient because it's a hassle to change a disk i see this.....

Behold your digital champion

 

[Elios83]

There are a few:

1) If you like collectors editions or deluxe editions of big games. For collectors digital will always be a poor unsubstantial option.
2)If you fear the negative consequences of going all digital. If somehow your account gets banned/hacked/whatever you might lose all your collection.
3)If a game is delisted you're forced to download and keep a copy forever.
4)You're into reselling the games you've finished to get some money back.

Personally atm I continue to buy all the big AAA games physically, <=40$ games, indies and deals I've gone fully digital.

 

[Arcadialane]

It's always sad to see consumers pushing for pro business anti consumer policies

 

[Nigel]

It’s yours forever. You could get banned and lose all your games for instance.

 

[TheDreadLord]

The only pro I can see now is that they are often cheaper, after a while, than the digital releases.

 

[Shadowstar39]

We should all beware of giving any company full control over the distribution chain. For physical we have retail stores competing. Who competes with PSN for example? No one.

Yep...this, Its even worse as Sony stopped letting brick and mortar stores like GameStop from selling digital codes, and making them all go directly through psn. This stopped competition.

What is bad too is how these companies are becoming woke and in league with activist and cultists. Who is to say Sony or MS won't ban your account 5 years from now for not bowing down to their worldview. Not announcing "pronouns" or not self-flagellating with decrying your "privilege as an oppressor" , so sayeth the multi-national conglomerates. Some of these tech sites are now banning based on what you say outside of their site.

Its not hard to imagine a world where some twitter culty gets mad about what you say and tries to cancel you. And then the rest of the tech bubble bans all your accounts. Seems drastic but i wouldn't put it past any of these multi-national corps.

Just look at how people like Colin Moriarty who has the most popular playstation podcast but Sony refuses to talk with him or acknowledge his existance over him telling a joke that upset morons on twitter (a funny one too).

Not saying this will happen but with how these corporations are becoming ideologically in league with the same group of people who promote banning, de-personing, firing, cancelling, demonizing, dehumanizing, etc.... Banning your account with all your games wouldn't be so far off base.

Again, Hope I am wrong. I enjoy both physical and digital. Physical for larger games that fit on the disk or have real world stuff like cloth maps etc.. Digital for small indies or smaller games that get played between larger games. It would suck not having physical.

 

[ReBurn]

No there is not.

/thread

I went all digital last gen already, only exceptions were a couple bargains I got in physical, other than that digital is way more convenient.

How come all of these people kept replying after you said /thread?