Keeping It Physical In A Digital Age

Publishers explain why physical games matter more than ever.

[Retroman]

Physical copies will always matters.
They have good price value as it ages.

[ravinash]

The main problem for NEW Physical games these days, is usually there is a big update to install as soon as you insert the disk.
Games companies seem to be in the mind set of we can ship it today and fix the bugs on the first day the people get it.
That might be find when the games comes out, but what happens in 20 years when someone wants to play the game again and those updates are not available?

[dumahim]

At least you'll still be able to play the game with the physical version. Once the service goes down, you might not even be able to play your digital version. If you don't have it installed already, you won't be able to even download the game again. I'll take playing the unpatched game over not being able to.

[rainslacker]

Most games have updates, but most dont actually need updates to be playable. It's usually the high profile games from specific publishers that are the worst offender.

[Kornholic]

What happens? You install the game and play it without updates.

[Edgelordsupreme]

This is really unlikely to happen, server infrastructure just isn't set up like that anymore. Unless Microsoft or Sony totally implode and just cease to exist, theres no reason for either of them to not have those updates available. I mean you guys don't think there's a possibility an engineer at Sony or MS looked at this problem?

If Valve can keep updates available for my copy of Half life 2 16 years later, than I think I'm willing to give Sony and MS the benefit of the doubt that they have a plan long term.

[stefd75]

I dont know if it just me but it does seem people under 30ish who are more into digital games then some of us older gamers. I will always buy physical unless something is in a sale cheaper then i can buy the disc for.... I know digital only will happen, it did with the new Mobile Suit Gundan Vs game but I will not pay a price Sony make us pay when i can buy a disc version for about £20 cheaper..but in Gundam's case i paid £20 more to get it imported from Japan

[EazyC]

Generational thing, but I imagine games will have little resistance compared to music and movies when it comes to going all-digital because games aren't ACTUALLY on the disc, the disc is effectively a key to open what is a digital copy.

For the record, I still buy physical as I like to have physical things, resale value etc...but I can see the change happening.

[Christopher]

While games aren't on the disc, ownership is tied to them and can actually be traded or sold. So, you know, not quite like a digital copy.

In europe, if things move all digital, they will eventually have to open themselves up to being able to sell those digital items. It's also a change that will happen, and I don't think console manufacturers want to deal with that and will keep things on disc.

[Kornholic]

Wrong, most of the times the game is actually on the disc. You can install them and play them unpatched if you have the disc.

[Mr Marvel]

I often won’t buy a game if I can’t get a physical copy.

[Godmars290]

Physical media is pretty much worthless in this day and age. With big mainstream publishers at least. Especially because of day one patches that are practically digital reissues of games.

[Kornholic]

Absolutely wrong. You can still play the unpatched version of the game if you own the physical copy, unless it's an online game. Stop spreading digital propaganda.

[Edgelordsupreme]

The Digital propaganda from the Digital bourgeoisie, feeding all of our physical proletariat disks to their mags.

[Godmars290]

Have you confused me with someone happy that physical media if being phased out?

[OneLove]

Still talking about this. The ones that can't adjust will be left behind. Simple as that. Always been this way whether you like it or not.

[strayanalog]

I too like to keep it real, both literally and figuratively.

[QuePasa87]

There's something about collecting physical games that's really satisfying to me