Fans already plan to skip Senua's Saga Hellblade 2 due to digital-only release

It's still early days, but a digital-only release for Hellblade 2 already has fans up in arms.

[-Foxtrot]

Honestly just wait it out and eventually Microsoft will do a physical release. They’ll see how much they’ll get on release and do physical much later.

I’m still confident by the end of this year Remedy will do a physical version of Alan Wake II

[BeHunted]

Hellblade 2 will only cost $50. It will have a similar duration to the first game, around 8 hours.

[Sonic1881]

Hopefully not just a walking simulator

[mkis007]

Hellblade 2 limited run . Calling it.

Also its on gamepass just wait for the end of the year and play all 4 games in a month or 2. Thats $35? instead of $230?

[Crows90]

Or $0 with microsoft.rewards

[Fist4achin]

Limited run has pretty much stopped doing Xbox releases since they don't sell well.

[Sonic1881]

I think most gamers will do that anyway

[mkis007]

Fist4achin

That was kind of my point. This would surely sell 5000 copies...so it would be a sure thing.

[blackblades]

All i know is those fan is all talk. Happened with Hogwarts and TLOU2 and even though its different situration both still went on to do good.

[badz149]

What are you talking about? This and the cases against Hogwarts Legacy and TLoU2 are totally different. The case similar to this is Alan Wake 2. See how that went? They struggle for sales even just to break even. And that was one of the best games released last year too.

[BrainSyphoned]

Maybe. If you take into account of 74% of Xbox owners being Series S owners that doesn't leave a lot of people that can and/or would use a disc.

[NotoriousWhiz]

Added to that, anyone playing on PC certainly isn't using a disc either.

[crazyCoconuts]

+ GamePass
+ This doesn't have the mainstream appeal that Indy Jones / Starfield has. Kinda more of a niche game I think

[Ironmike]

U going off facts from 2 yrs ago mt

[RhinoGamer88]

8 hours for $50 is not good math for me. :-(

[Michiel1989]

you ever go to the cinema?

[Sonic1881]

I'm more curious about the review score than waiting for a physical release. I always thought that Hellblade was just a mediocre game to begin with. Hopefully it's a lot better than the first game.

[darthv72]

Yeah... im calling bullshit on this one. Its a videogamer piece so it is what it is.

If someone was a fan of the first, they will play the second. They know the first was digital only and this one also being digital wont stop them. If anything, this could get a disc a year later just like the first.

[dumahim]

"They know the first was digital only"
Is it? Could have fooled me.

https://m.media-amazon.com/...

[isarai]

I bought the 1st at launch physically wtf are you talking about?

[darthv72]

At both above... yes, the first game was digital only when it launched in 2017. It wasnt until 2019 that a physical version was made.

So isarai... you may have bought it physically but it wast "at launch".

[neutralgamer1992]

MS want their fanbase to use GP and sign up for the service. I doubt they will do a physical. Sadly it seems the days of Physical games are starting to see an end point. These gamers who are happy with all digital and praising will soon realize having less options will never be benefical

[neomahi]

I'm hoping you're right on Alan Wake II. As is stands right now, I'm rather impressed with my will to resist, I'm doing great at waiting for a sale and price drop to get it for $15. Imagine what game sales could do if it's my only option. Physical media Ive gotten day 1 for a long time, full price. Digital, as I said, I think my bank will be rather impressed with my increase savings, that they can somehow manage to hang on to my money

[RaidenBlack]

Calm down ... physical version will come ...

[neomahi]

You'd think so, but it didn't happen with HiFi Rush. You'd also think they saw the crazy money they saw with Collectors Edition scrambling for versions before they sell out. Sonys great at that and rarely seem to have overstock as a result, their CE are always gone in under 5 minutes. Getting every CE for a PlayStation game is like getting the PS5 was at launch.... That's just PlayStation demand. You'd think Xbox would see it the same

[Fishy Fingers]

Beginning to question why I even put that DVD+RW drive in my PC.

Quote me videogamer, I'm fuming.

[RaidenBlack]

exactly ... the largest gaming platform has already gone digital-only

[Terry_B]

..since around 10 years.

[Amplitude]

Bad comparison honestly.
I primarily play on PC this gen for all the obvious reasons but in the past, I only bought console games physically.

I'm comfortable buying digital on PC because
1- I fully trust Valve to allow me to have access to my games for the rest of my life. They've never taken any digital content away from me.
2- I don't trust Sony or Nintendo to have access to my games for the rest of my life. They have taken digital content away from me.
3- PC is an open market with multiple storefronts that can compete, like GOG.
4. PC is an open platform, where all games are guaranteed to be archived for all of history. Even if Valve gets blown up by nukes, I'm confident I can get any game I want back. Can't say the same for the PS5.

Once a console is hacked with a CFW I actually start buying digital games lol. I'm maybe a bit extreme with this.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

Well this is lame I'll wait till the physical 😊

[TwoPicklesGood]

LOL, they get it on Game Pass so fans aren’t skipping anything.

[ChasterMies]

Dude, Game Pass is the whole point of Microsoft releasing this as digital only. Microsoft doesn’t want you to sell games. Microsoft wants to rent them. Just look at how Microsoft sells Office. I’m on the side of paying once for software, including games.

[Seafort]

I'll rent away all I can. These companies won't be able to sell any of their games for $70/£60 anymore when I can just pay £10-15 for 3 month's game pass and access to most of the MS games. This is what I'll be doing with HellBlade, Indy Jones and Avowed.

If they don't want us to own our games the gamers won't be paying full price anymore.

I sub for £12-15 per month with EA and Ubisoft, finish their high priced games and unsub. What would have cost me £120+, cost me £15 at most.

[shinoff2183]

And I get downvoted when I say ms is the one ushering all digital age in. Yet here we go. People bitching about smaller publishers not releasing physical on xbox and Xbox won't release their own first party games physically. Really this is my biggest issue with xbox/Microsoft, with ushering in the all digital age and brainwashing as if physical is some kind of bad thing. I'm glad Sony and Nintendo are still pretty good about this.

[Eonjay]

I was gonna call your bluff on Helldivers 2 being digital only ($40) but I was wrong even that is getting a physical release too.
https://www.amazon.com/PS5-...

[TGGJustin]

I'm not skipping it but Microsoft will get no money from me for the game. I'll play it with Game Pass that I get for free with Microsoft Rewards. Had they done a physical release they would've gotten me to buy a retail copy. With it being 7 hours or shorter there is no reason for me to spend anything on this digitally.

[ThinkThink]

Either way, I hope you enjoy the game! :)

[Amplitude]

Ah Justin brother - casting aside games just because they're 7 hours long is so depressing. This generation of gamers seems to require a constant 100 hour grind with multiplayer. The number of absolutely fantastic 5-10 hour story-based games we got in all the other generations is somehow just forgotten and ignored now, or seen as a bad thing. I think this logic is why I barely care about any games this generation. If Hi-Fi Rush wasn't on Gamepass - would it not worth $50? Give me an amazing 7 hour game over an amazing game I need to commit the next 5 months of my life to 100% of the time

Edit: Oh wait - this is a physical media argument.
I'm on your side there - this should have gotten a physical release. If you're protesting the lack of a physical release by using Reward points to buy Gamepass idk if they're gonna get the message though lol

[Barlos]

So they won't get it on GP then?

[badz149]

Freakin Starfield and Forza did almost nothing to boost GP subs, what makes you think Hellblade2 will?

[Barlos]

I didn't say it would, I'm saying that People who have GP aren't going to not buy Hellblade 2 because it's digital only. They weren't going to buy it anyway because they'll get it on GP.

[Elda]

If I decide to play the game I'll play it through GP like most folks will be doing.

[Terry_B]

*watch...not play ;)

[shinoff2183]

I'll be honest I never played the first. Just had other stuff I felt was worth my time more.

[MrNinosan]

I don't see the issue compared with any other Xbox game?
GamePass had already killed purchasing of games.
The extremely few that buy games on Xbox won't be shown in the stats regarding how many steps Senua has walked anyways.

[Terry_B]

okay..another videogamer "article" about some random people posting something on twitter or reddit. Yeah..we have these submissions now everyday here. And each of them sucks and shouldnt be approved.

[Eonjay]

And then calling them fans. So deliberately stupid imo

[aaronaton]

Adorably digital...

[Profchaos]

So yesterday I popped my cartridge of super Mario bros 3 in my NES and played it. Try doing that to hellblade 2 when it approaches 40.

The 2013 Xbox prophecy is upon us and many are to busy arguing in favour of gamepass v buying games.

Internal Walmart emails have leaked of them discounting starfield to 3cents to clear stock.

More leaks around the fact that the next 4 Xbox first party games will not be getting a physical release are coming out.

I'd expect PlayStation to follow suit next generation and there's rumours that the switch 2 will feature a all digital model for a Nintendo first

Physical media is being pushed off a ledge and we all contributed to that. When physical dies there will be only one place you can buy your games and there will be no competition and discounts will be trivial.

so excuse me while I get off this ride and go play my retro systems where I own the game.

[Chris12]

Respect your decision to keep your retro consoles, but like many people I play Super Mario Bros 3 on an emulator. In 40 years time this game will just be another ROM, like SMB3 is today. And I do think that's a good thing as over time those old consoles will break or become rare, more valuable and/or inaccessible to many. The emulation scene will keep retro gaming alive and available...and it's all digital.

[Crows90]

Well the good news is that if they really keep pushing gamers...PC gamers will just emulate and / or pirate.

[Pickledpepper]

What systems you have? I collect game consoles and games and still play them now

[Profchaos]

I've got the NES, genisis / mega drive (tower of power), PS1, n64, PS2, Wii with GC support, 360, ps3, Wii U.

I've got all the older systems pre PS2 going to a retrotink 2x via AV switchers. Oh and I use a everdrive for most systems.

Sounds like a lot but I've done tons of work with cable management and the setup looks neat and everything hooks up well.

For modern stuff I've also got a X1, switch and ps5.

I actually find myself playing older systems more than my modern ones lately given the longer drought periods between good games and getting bored of recycled gameplay lately

[Pickledpepper]

@Profchaos
I haven't got all mine set up as I've not got the room.
Check out my profile picture, that not even half of what I have.
My prized possession is a sealed copy of cannon spike for the dreamcast, I also have 2 copies of conkers bad fur day all completed.
I'm a bit OCD everything has to be complete and boxed.

The NES is nearly new and only been used a few times and still looks new in the box with all the wrappers.

Just wish I had the room as would love to have a few of them set up.

[anast]

MS needs you to rent games. They are jealous of Steam and how all the PC gamers don't mind spending thousands on rentals.

[Crows90]

They also don't mind refunding them

[anast]

Refunding a rental...that doesn't makes up for perpetually renting something. They also don't mind blocking accounts.

[Crows90]

PC gamers also dont mind pirating or emulating..tell me how they can stop that smart guy

[VariantAEC]

Anti-piracy measures. Software cracking isn't getting easier, it's getting harder.
It's also the reason PS feels more comfortable releasing games on PC to start with. After they made their cash on PS5 and PC they release on GOG. There are only 3 PS games on GOG's store; Days Gone, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection. 2 of the 3 total games were added in November of 2023.

To my knowledge there are no cracked versions of The Last of Us, Ratchet and Clank, or even Sackboy's Big Adventure.
There are allegedly cracked versions of both of the PC releases of Marvel's Spider-Man with videos claiming to show a cracked version being played. If I take that at face value, there are still only 3 PS games on GOG (no cracks required) and a few PS games on Steam uncracked on PC.

I'm not saying these games will never be cracked - that is unlikely - but cracking is getting harder and penalties for cracking are also getting harsher. When the software locks are too competent and penalties are too significant, cracking will likely stop. And then what? Piracy won't exist anymore. It's already more difficult on Mobile and in F2P games (where cheating to get content faster without paying is the goal since those games are already free, which is fought by requiring online access to play).

It's a mess and if people just saw the value to buy or not buy a given virtual product we not likely have any DRM to worry about in software to begin with.
I'm ok with emulation, but the conditions have to be just right to convince me that piracy is ok. It really is a case by case basis.

Im either case piracy of certain digital software (namely videogames) looks to be dying a slow death.
Emulation is largely doing ok, I'm okay with that.

[Dirty_Lemons]

Man same shit as Alan Wake 2. Folks said we'd end up digital only, and I hate that slowly they're being proven right. Call me a nerd but I love having my collections - if I'm buying a game, show or film, it's nice to have something physical to show for it.

[Crows90]

Alan Wake is independent but hellblade 2 is baffling.

MS has been hyping the game up like crazy...I have a bad feeling it wont impress.

[fan_of_gaming]

Remedy is independent but Alan Wake II was published by Epic Games. Who could have, and should have, easily offered a physical.

[Hedstrom]

How many would have bought it on disc? No pc player. And on Xbox you get it on Game pass. I mean physical sales of Xbox games are abysmal. And if it releases on GP day one, I doubt this game will sell much att all. Its not the purpose of it, its to get more people to sub for gp.

[Pickledpepper]

I buy games on disc but play them on game pass, I collect game consoles and games right back to the atari 2600 woody.
I have atomic heart, starfield, spiderman miles ps5, demon souls and quite a few others still sealed.
My most prize possession in my collection is a seal copy of canon spike for the dreamcast.

[dumahim]

Not everyone has game pass.

[shadowhaxor]

Please. It didn't seem to bother people when Alan Wake 2 was a digital-only game. Drama queens much?

[fan_of_gaming]

A quick Google search shows the same type of articles for that game

https://www.trueachievement...
https://metro.co.uk/2023/05...
https://www.thegamer.com/al...

[hiawa23]

Fine with digital. Can't wait.

[purple101]

Any reasons why your fine with it, genuinely curious

[hiawa23]

Simple. As an almost lifetime gamer, at this stage of my life games are just that to me, games.

I play the games on whatever platforms they are available on as they are. Most of my games are digital, but I am also fine with physical.

Any trip to Walmart, Best Buy, Target, it is clear to me physical media including games, are on its way out, but for those who are against digital, I say keep fighting. I will continue enjoying my gaming as I see fit, and I stay away from telling other gamers what they should be buying or not.

[z2g]

Stupid reason to skip what looks to be an amazing release.

Fight it all you want but discs are dying.

[Blaze929]

What fans? The game is coming to game pass. Who was actually going to buy this when you could just get it on Game Pass?

[fan_of_gaming]

Not everyone who has an Xbox supports GamePass.

[jznrpg]

They won’t have a choice very soon. It will be GamePass or nothing eventually

[RhinoGamer88]

Another issue with digital...good luck on discounting/sales. Lags far behind retail.

[dumahim]

Yep. I had last week off from work and was looking around a little bit to pick up something new to play. I saw something on Total War Warhammer III and looked into it, but I wasn't sure if I was up to spending full price on it, so I looked up the previous titles. The original one that came out in 2016 is still $60

[Laskin]

A very loud and very, very tiny minority of “fans” will actually skip this one because of that… it’s like that Hogwarts Legacy BS “boycott”, they don’t matter, it’s less than 0.1%, keep screaming inside your little bubble.

[Agent75]

Not sure why, but Microsoft have turned into a weird company, be it Xbox or Windows. Windows died after Windows XP and Xbox died after the Xbox 360. The Xbox Series X has been shocking for releases. Another weird side to Microsoft is having PC and Xbox games. I still have the first game factory sealed and haven't had a chance to play it. The sequel being download only. it just adds to Microsoft's continuation of weirdness. As other people have mentioned, it probably won't sell big being digital only and there's a big chance it'll be released on disc. Doesn't help that games can cost an eye watering £70. At that price, digital games are for people who have money to burn. Games on disc, you can move them on and claw back some of your money.

[purple101]

You are so right, all those people that say ‘oh it’s convenient’ or, “it just works for me” types of statements, are either a, rich, b, stupid or c, both.

[dumahim]

Phil Spencer last year: "We are full speed ahead in our mission to bring players more ways to play their favorite games."
Yes, by abandoning the traditional way it's been done since the start.

[Trilithon]

Im a physical copy kind of guy. That way i can trade them in later. But Hellblade 1 was sick! I wont be skipping this

[franwex]

That’s unfortunate. I get that it’s not a big deal to some of you guys, but having an option is always nice.

Having said that-The only console where this is playable would be in series X, and the install base is really low. Would this game actually even justify printing disc as it’s relatively a niche game?

[fan_of_gaming]

They gave Redfall a physical release (two of them if you count the Bite Back upgrade). I would imagine the expectation is for Hellblade II to perform better than that game.

[jambola]

how much you want to bet that when it says "fans" it's about 25 people on twitter

[bunt-custardly]

"Fans", like how many of them? A few on X who can't accept the digital-age MS hinted at back in 2013. Or its heavy focus on Gamepass subscription service. Jeeze.

[Rynxie]

Xbox 360 sold over 100 million units. Ms digital only push and anti-consumer practices for the Xbox one dropped their install base by over half. So, it's definitely not a "few."

[Mulando]

Well, honestly who cares. In the last years games are so buggy that the disc version is worth nothing without a patch.

[TheEroica]

Only Small brained husks boycott games over non issues like these...

[sagapo]

Funny, fans didn’t plan to skip BG3 due to digital only release.

[dumahim]

Except there were holdouts. You know what those people got? A physical release.

[GhostScholar]

So dumb. I can’t wait to play it on game pass.
Anyone who doesn’t play it based on it being digital just doesn’t like games as much as they like complaining

[LoveSpuds]

It's interesting that Alan Wake 2 commercial success has been much lower than anticipated, perhaps not catering for the 30-40 percent who still prefer physical isn't as smart a move as the journalists (who all get their download codes for free) try to suggest.

I am really keen to play Alan Wake 2, but I will pass on it unless it gets a physical. As a predominantly PS5 gamer, I'll be waiting another year or two before getting Gamepass so there us hopefully a decent back-catalogue of 1st party games to play.

If MS want my cash though, if the released Hellblade 2 on PS5 physical, they'd have my money immediately.

[PassNextquestion]

Why would you want to buy a single player first party Microsoft game that you can finish in less then a month? You just purchase gamepass for a month finish that game and play a ton of others for less then a quarter of the price of the game.

[GamingSinceForever]

🤦🏾‍♂️

[Joker35]

Really all this complaining cuz it's digital only?? We didn't hear all this about Alan Wake 2 being digital only and that was up for game of the year! Plus with physical copies today the whole game is not on the disc it stills downloads some to the HDD to play and the updates have to be downloaded.

[Schriefer9]

The future is digital. Doesn’t matter if we like it or agree but the majority goes digital. Books, movies, and music. PC gaming had the same issue a decade ago and it is currently digital. Consoles unfortunately will be the same. And biggest segment of gaming (smart phones) is digital.

[Gaming4Life1981]

Fans aren't skipping the game and anyone who believes this is clearly out of touch with reality.

[koga88]

It is annoying for games but when it comes to PCs, it has become the norm. You have to either custom built or pay extra to have a CD/Blu-ray drive installed into your computer now these days and a lot of cases don't even come with a slot for a disc drive. Consoles should always keep this option but it's starting to become a trend.

[Amplitude]

As much as I only buy physical discs on consoles, physical sales of XBox games are not something Microsoft cares about this gen. That massive leak they suffered a while back shows their next console being digital only. They're HEAVILY focused on only Gamepass this gen. The XBox section in every store worldwide has shrunken to be almost non-existent, and to top it off I cant think of a single game collector I watch on Youtube that collects XBox discs.

If there was a PS5 version i'd be throwing a fit at digital only. XBox? I totally get it. At least it's not also a ****ing Epic Store exclusive on PC like Alan Wake 2 lol

[InUrFoxHole]

GP day 1!

[Aussiesummer]

Repack it is.

[Kosic]

It's going to gamepass, so I'll be playing it and moving on with my life.

[YourMommySpoils]

It was always digital only. Even part I wtf

[jznrpg]

MS has clearly been grooming the Xbox crowd for all digital. That was the plan with Xbox one but they got a lot of crap for it and changed the strategy to game renting to get what they wanted all along. And it’s working on the xbox people. They cheer for renting digital games because Ms is making it cheaper entry to start to get people on the ecosystem of renting and not owning anything but when they have no other option they are going to get smacked with the money MS needs to recoup from all of their previous losses and investments.

[neomahi]

Wow, I'm seeing a recurring theme on N4G tonight. And I thought Game Pass was a screaming success, guess people really do like physical after all. Interesting