Half and Half. Hardcopy you don't have to download and worry about data being corrupted. Download so you don't have to waste gas going to the story or shipment prices. But in the end it's about convenience because they're both the same.
Poll: Download vs. Hardcopy
- Thread starter KSI Hellboy
- Start date
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If the download is cheaper then probably that but if they are the same price then the hard copy as it feels like I am getting more for my money.
I wouldn't like to see all games go the download route unless they start to distribute them via a number of competing sites. At least with hard copy games you can pick them up in sales or as bargains when two stores start a price war.
I wouldn't like to see all games go the download route unless they start to distribute them via a number of competing sites. At least with hard copy games you can pick them up in sales or as bargains when two stores start a price war.
I can buy games from Amazon for about £10 less than what I'd pay in the Steam store. Interestingly, this doesn't seem to be much of a problem with Impulse.
I have nothing against downloads in principle but I would like to have all of my games available at any time. In that respect, Steam and Impulse are excellent.
If there is a server failure of some sort and my purchases are inaccessible, well... there's always UseNet. One can... ah... "buy" lots of games there.
I have nothing against downloads in principle but I would like to have all of my games available at any time. In that respect, Steam and Impulse are excellent.
If there is a server failure of some sort and my purchases are inaccessible, well... there's always UseNet. One can... ah... "buy" lots of games there.
I'm nostalgic for the days of 'Syndicate', 'Dungeon Keeper', 'Civ I', and the like where the box they came in was huuuge and it really felt like you were getting a lot for your money. Nothing like a game that comes with a proper manual and posters etc. Some games still manage it like 'Civ IV' and 'X3 - Terran Conflict', but they are now few and far between.
In some ways downloading can be better but it leaves me with the feeling that some element of the control 'I' should have over something 'I' purchased has been removed. If I wanted to play, say 'Half Life', on my laptop that refuses to acknowledge any form of internet not google related (Grrr!) I should be able to!
Also, another bugbear of mine, the prevalence of the internet has led to a reduction in game quality, where developers seemingly can't be bothered to playtest and balance their games properly before release like in the good 'ol days. Instead they now rely on releasing patch after patch after patch so that you are effectively 'employed' as extended beta testers for the first 6 months. 'Farcry' and 'Frontlines - Fuel of War' are particular offenders here with patches several GB in size!
Oh, looks like I've been ranting again, time for my meds!
In some ways downloading can be better but it leaves me with the feeling that some element of the control 'I' should have over something 'I' purchased has been removed. If I wanted to play, say 'Half Life', on my laptop that refuses to acknowledge any form of internet not google related (Grrr!) I should be able to!
Also, another bugbear of mine, the prevalence of the internet has led to a reduction in game quality, where developers seemingly can't be bothered to playtest and balance their games properly before release like in the good 'ol days. Instead they now rely on releasing patch after patch after patch so that you are effectively 'employed' as extended beta testers for the first 6 months. 'Farcry' and 'Frontlines - Fuel of War' are particular offenders here with patches several GB in size!
Oh, looks like I've been ranting again, time for my meds!
Hard copy. If/when the HD blows up, if you don't have a hard copy, how are you going to reinstall? Or prove that you actually bougth the game?
besides, hardcopies have the option of adding nifty stuff with them: Still remember the tech-treee on the civilization (was it 2 or 3? or both?)case. You didn't have to bother with in-game menu's, you could just open the drawer next to you.
besides, hardcopies have the option of adding nifty stuff with them: Still remember the tech-treee on the civilization (was it 2 or 3? or both?)case. You didn't have to bother with in-game menu's, you could just open the drawer next to you.
There's a certain accessibility i like about downloading games. It's more immediate, and it's always there. But, hard copies win my vote because, well, if my computer ever crashes, that's most of my PC games gone.
Hardcopy..not everyone has access to 7-20 Mbit highspeed..some of us are in the dark ages with speeds like 1-3Mbit..
I've always preferred hard copies of my games..
I've always preferred hard copies of my games..
Hardcopies are more expensive, but I'll take having a nice case sitting in my collection instead of having to redownload it any time I want to play it.
Plus, if something happens to your account, you have a good chance of losing that little number saying you've payed for it.
Plus, if something happens to your account, you have a good chance of losing that little number saying you've payed for it.
Both can be fine. I see no inherent problem with the old method of creating a box; a physical product has its own charm, particularly when the thing you just bought is entirely abstract. However, it costs more to make the box (not a lot, but still) and everything else that comes with it, so companies certainly prefer digital delivery, as do some customers too lazy to go to the store, or just don't give a shit about all the stuff that comes in the box.
Realistically, it's a matter of taste on the customer's part. However, there are a lot of ways to fuck up digital delivery. The first and foremost would be limiting the number of installs, or requiring the game can only be on one computer at a time. Frankly, I have no idea how companies can still fuck up digital delivery, because they have a perfectly good example to look at: Steam. Now, Steam isn't without flaws, but it works pretty god damned well, so don't try to reinvent the wheel.
Anyway. So yeah, accounts maintained by large companies are pretty reliable, and the service is free (other than the individual games). Plus, digital delivery means that you can buy games that no retailer can stock because they're too old, such as the X-Com series (3 out of 5 games of which are awesome).
I guess I favor digital delivery in the end. Particularly, it comes with copy protection that is both highly effective and hardly annoying at all: only one computer can be logged into the same account at the same time. Simple enough; you can play all your games from any computer, or someone else can too so long as you aren't at that time. Simple, effective, easy. Only downside is you can't sell individual games. In theory, they could add functionality that you can give rights to a game to someone else by sacrificing your rights to it (and the cash changes hands outside the system) but I've never seen anything like that. You can always sell your account, but most people won't want all the games you have (and so won't pay as much).
Oh yeah. Having manuals and such can be good, though there is usually a PDF version of it on the disk anyway. I've stopped caring, probably because I've been gaming for most of my life and can figure out most games without using the manual.
Realistically, it's a matter of taste on the customer's part. However, there are a lot of ways to fuck up digital delivery. The first and foremost would be limiting the number of installs, or requiring the game can only be on one computer at a time. Frankly, I have no idea how companies can still fuck up digital delivery, because they have a perfectly good example to look at: Steam. Now, Steam isn't without flaws, but it works pretty god damned well, so don't try to reinvent the wheel.
Anyway. So yeah, accounts maintained by large companies are pretty reliable, and the service is free (other than the individual games). Plus, digital delivery means that you can buy games that no retailer can stock because they're too old, such as the X-Com series (3 out of 5 games of which are awesome).
I guess I favor digital delivery in the end. Particularly, it comes with copy protection that is both highly effective and hardly annoying at all: only one computer can be logged into the same account at the same time. Simple enough; you can play all your games from any computer, or someone else can too so long as you aren't at that time. Simple, effective, easy. Only downside is you can't sell individual games. In theory, they could add functionality that you can give rights to a game to someone else by sacrificing your rights to it (and the cash changes hands outside the system) but I've never seen anything like that. You can always sell your account, but most people won't want all the games you have (and so won't pay as much).
Oh yeah. Having manuals and such can be good, though there is usually a PDF version of it on the disk anyway. I've stopped caring, probably because I've been gaming for most of my life and can figure out most games without using the manual.
What I would like to see is being able to buy a game online and getting both a download copy and a hardcopy sent to my house. That probably wont happen as they don't want you to sell the hardcopy while keeping the download.
the next best thing that would also be great is getting both a download and a hardcopy with the download expiring once you get the hardcopy. that way you get the instant gratification of downloads with the peace of mind of the hardcopy that you could eventually sell or give away
the next best thing that would also be great is getting both a download and a hardcopy with the download expiring once you get the hardcopy. that way you get the instant gratification of downloads with the peace of mind of the hardcopy that you could eventually sell or give away
A digital receipt is generated when you purchase something, which you should have a copy and so does an independent database at the company (required for tax purposes). You lose access to a game, you just call them up and they can fix it. Yes, customer service can suck balls sometimes, but any competent company shouldn't ever lose your information irretrievably. Database servers are protected and maintained extremely well; probably the best of any non-liquid asset in the company.AtticusSP said:
Since my internet provider is holding back on us and putting us on a limit for downloadinging, having downloaded games would mean I can get less then one game every three months. Considering all the video's I watch, research I need to pull from the net. Having to download install files to a game, which are roughly the size of a DVD disk (8GB non-commercial). I can't afford that on a 30GB bandwidth limit.
Also otherwise I still like having the hardcopy around. That way I can actually nicely keep track of everything I own, instead of forgetting.
Also otherwise I still like having the hardcopy around. That way I can actually nicely keep track of everything I own, instead of forgetting.
I prefer to have a hard copy for 2 reasons. The first is because I enjoy going into shops to buy games. The second is because digital distribution requires that the company that sold you the game stays in business and always keeps their servers up and running and this is not guarenteed. I still install and play games I bought 10+ years ago and I no faith that a digital distribution company will wtill be around after 5 let alone 10.
Most games i got i buy off steam because then im not affraid i will one day loose a game because of to many scratches etc what can happend to a CD/DVD/BD... dont have to worry about that with Digital... and games run faster directly from Your Harddrive (FACT! tested with GTA 4 runs better directly from Harddrive/digital than from the DVD drive) but still got loads of hardcopy's on a shelf some games i HAVE to own a hardcopy of ^^ (special editions etc.)
some games i HAVE to own a hardcopy of ^^ (special editions etc.)