VideoGame_Discussion

None of the console manufacturers are going to drop physical support completely right now. There's too much scrutiny going on around monopolistic practices of walled gardens like Apples App Store. They'll keep physical as an option as a defense to their own digital store fronts with no competitive marketplaces on these devices. However, they'll continue to entice customers to purchase the digital editions by selling the hardware at a reduced cost and creating subscriptions that appear to bring good value.

MS is really pushing it though getting rid of there physical games division. I wish they would just come out and say it... Like Nintendo that they are sticking with Physical.

There had been a lot of incorrect rumors going around to start the year

Microsoft did not get rid of its physical division, but it was impacted by layoffs like the rest of the company

Phil Spencer did commit to physical shortly thereafter in an interview with Game File

Walmart is not dropping physical support for any of the three major consoles. There was a rumor on Xbox regarding Starfield, but it was an incorrect leak and was actually Starfield pre order steelbook that was being dropped from shelves

To me, there's a certain satisfaction of putting a cartridge or disc into a console. Maybe it's nostalgia, I don't know. Maybe it's even a bit silly. But this satisfaction simply isn't there with digital. While that doesn't mean that I'll refuse to buy a digital game, if physical is around I'd much prefer it.

Aside from that, I don't want to deal with game downloads and required updates. When I pay for a game, I want the full game to bring home and play. No updates, no downloads, none of that.

So if a company announces that they're committed to physical, that to me is a win.

Finn wrote:

Sure, Nintendo.

That won't stop companies like Capcom from releasing games half on cart, half digital because they're too fudging cheap to pay for a full sized Switch cart that can hold the entire game, or from selling "Cloud Versions."

Physical games are somewhat of a scam these days if your desire is "game preservation" of some kind. Almost all games these days require huge day 1 updates and constant patches to get in a more stable state. Your disc is more of a sellable license, that's it.

Kommie wrote:

You can neg but you know he's right.

But sellable license is still a pretty big perk over digital.

Right, no way I'd pay $70 for a digital game.

Foxhack wrote:

LOL, yeah no I get it. I can't stand when companies do it. Why even bother with a physical release.

I don't like buying expensive digital things because if I don't like, that money is just...gone. Even taking a huge hit I want to be able to recoop some of that $ which is why I like physical.

Meta gives you I think 2 hours of play time before you can no longer get a refund. That's been good but Suicide Squad doesn't start off a bad game. It takes some time before you realize there's actually nothing to it. I know how I would feel having a $70 hole in my pocket and seeing that title every time I browsed my game library knowing I'd never play it again.

I can't remember the last time I bought a physical game at a store though. If Best Buy and other places no longer had stuff in-store and you had to buy things online and have them shipped...I'd be totally fine with that.

But a $500 console that only has digital games is something I have no interest in. I do play a lot of older digital content on my XSX but unless the game stars Kratos I will never pay $70 for a digital game.

Once consoles go all digital may as well just play PC. At least there you get steam sales and humble bundles.

Steam sales are way better and more frequent than what consoles do.

Kommie wrote:

Switch eshop sales be like:
Oh look! A first party Nintendo game from 5 years ago is 15% off! I'd better buy it! Sales like this don't come around very often!

On Steam:
Oh look! A big release from 5 years ago is 15 cents! Eh... It'll probably be even cheaper in 6 months.

Nintendo can do that when there's only one place you can buy their games.

Sony Seems to always run sales IMO. I open my app quite often and it always seems there is something going on at any time.

I am ok with the lack of Nintendo digital sales as I mainly stick to first party physical on the console, I wish they had more for 1st party physical games.

Anxiouz wrote:

Agreed with you up until the Kratos parts

Its the reason I still haven't given Baldur's Gate 3 a try. I refuse to pay full price for a digital game, and the physical edition is too expensive and includes a lot of chachkies I don't care about. I just want an uncensored physical edition at normal pricing.

I buy way less games since going digital only. Because of how sales and pricing works on consoles. I don't want to buy a lot of brand new games for full price. And it takes forever for a decent sale on a console digital copy. I'm thinking of going back to buying physical again so I can resell to re-coop some of the cost of the games I buy. I might start playing more new games again. Instead of replaying a lot of games I own that I know I like.

benstylus wrote:

This isn't just Nintendo now days. Both Sony and Microsoft are doing the same thing on their digital stores now. The sales are not good like they used to be. Prices never really drop. And the sales prices are never really that great. And they advertise like "games as much as 40% off". And all those end up being 40% off indie games. While the big games are 10-20% off full price. Even on 6-10 year old games. So its not really a sale. As you can get it way cheaper physically. Even brand new in a store.

Finn wrote:

Yes, they do. But they are terrible "sales". 10% off a $69.99 game is still $62.99. Big whoop. And those extra rare 40% off sales on 6+ year old games that are not indie games, so they are now $35.99 instead of $59.99. Even though its a 6+ years old and should be priced $39.99 MSRP. You know, like it is in a physical store at that point.

Archer wrote:

I think that's a good idea for multiple reasons. The whole "vote with your wallet" argument applies too. If you want them to continue supporting physical media, buy it when available.

That said pre-ordering games this generation is a sure-fire way to overspend. It's almost a balancing act of picking and choosing the companies and practices you want to support,

Frank wrote:

If you are talking about spending more than a game will be worth a few months down the road (or weeks/days for an Ubi game), absolutely. But there is a certain perceived value in playing a game when it's released, especially if there is an online focus.

Preorders for digital games are just dumb though.

benstylus wrote:
Exactly. Unless you're Nintendo, game prices plummet shortly after launch. It's just not very practical to pre-order everything. Reserve it for only physical, and only the Franchises you want to directly support.

On the opposite spectrum, I probably should have bought Rebirth new, instead of second hand off someone on here. Sure I saved $20, but Square got no money off the sale, and the sales numbers for rebirth specifically were seen by them as a failure. The balancing act isn't easy.

Square has never been satisified with multi million levels of sales. Their leadership is completely idiotic. But that's another topic.

benstylus wrote:


I used to think so too, but my opinion has flip-flopped now and I've done it quite a few times. Can't think of any specific games I've regretted pre-ordering digitally, but there might be a couple I'm forgetting.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf was the first digital game I ever pre-ordered in 2013. I played it exactly at midnight on day of release until 6am with my friend who also pre-ordered it digitally.

Since then I've done it multiple times, a few on 3DS and Wii U, but mostly on Switch. Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Maker 2, Splatoon 2 and 3, ACNH, SMB Wonder to name a few. No regrets on pre-ordering them digitally, there was no reason not to since I knew I was getting them all on launch day anyway.

You could spin that and say pre-ordering digital versions of Ubisoft or Sega titles is dumb, however, because their titles drop in price quicker than most, and I wouldn't argue that.