Who here actually like digital downloads

I would prefer to have the discs, but yeah I often pay to digitally download games. For one they're usually cheaper, and for two it's an easier way to get a hold of them; as in I could wait a few days for a slightly more expensive physical version to arrive from amazon or I could have it right here right now. I never use Steam to buy games though as I hate DRM. I also buy games second hand where I can which I know some people hate to do; the UK has a store called CeX which only sells second hand games (amongst other things) and it only allows people to trade in games that are in good condition - though it does baffle me when occaisonally the second hand version is more expensive than buying it new.

As to EA or the publisher marketing their games poorly, I don't think it's unique to Steam as often you can see similar bundle packs on amazon much cheaper than any individual game. It's stupid, yes, but it regularly happens and not just with games.

 

I hate a digital downloads, especially those that comes from ~censored~! Also, I would also rather have the CD's and nicely printed manual and a nicely printed box.

The digital download simply sucks, mainly because you don't get anything and you still have to pay the same amount of money as you did, or sometimes even more. Plus, you can't give or sell the game, after you finish playing it, as it's permanently assigned to your account.

They're legally disallowing you to give or sell what you've bought. Also they're monitoring you by keeping track of which and how many games you bought, plus when and for how long you have been playing those games.

What's even worse, is the way how some of those digital download distributors, such as ~censored~, removes the CD copy protections.

They're often using "cracks" (or "no-cd patches", if you want) from a warez groups, so they don't remove the CD protection in a legal way, plus you're paying for something that was illegal a years ago. Of course that they're trying to erase the tracks/marks of those groups, but still, any reverse-engineer will be still able to identify the work.

If you don't believe me, have a look at you favorite game - Arcanum.

Shame on them! :thumbup:

Edit: Btw, I've bought many oldie games from eBay, and the average price for a game is only about $5 each, including shipping. Can't hate those hard, shinning and nicely printed CD's.

 

I was initially against it but Steam has made the process so easy, cheap, and reliable that I'm pretty okay with it now. I've personally had nothing but smooth sailing with my many purchases through Steam.

If there's a reason to pay for a physical copy sure, but what's the point? My personal best case scenario would be to pay your premium price, still get the digital DL, and get mailed a physical copy on top of the other bonuses (like a cloth map or something else cool).

For somebody like me who has zero interest in reselling old games there's no real downside.

GoG is an entirely different matter Crypton. Assigning GoG's issues to all digital downloads is an incorrect argument. For most people, digital downloads are for newer games or packages offered through like Humble Indie Bundle or Steam.

 

So you don't miss those CDs and large boxes? So you don't even care about the prices?

Also, it's not only about whether you want to give or sell the game someone or not, it's about the freedom.

When you buy a game on CD's, then you can lend it to your friends, and in a exchange, and they can also lend you a game. This was an ordinary thing a years ago.

Now the game industry is successfully trying to take this kind of freedom from you. You can also see such restriction attempts for a video console games, and it's just a matter of time, when they succeed. Now it's a copy of software per account, but it's about time, when they start thinking in a way "a copy per person".

How would you like, if you wanted to buy a car, and some automobile corporation would force you, not only to buy a brand new car, which will be expensive and not really yours, but also disallow you to sell that car? You also won't be allowed to lend the car, and one day, every member of your family would also have to have own car.

Simple example, right?

 

Do I miss the hassle of dealing with physical media? Not in the slightest. Do I miss the well-crafted box sets and accoutrement of a game? Yes I do. See my previous post on my personal best-case scenario.

Prices are either the same (so it's a wash) or better for the most part on Steam and other services. And if it's a direct buy from a publisher I would imagine they would get a larger cut than having to sell through a middle-man bricks and mortar store.

Can I be a dick for a minute? Can I be real with you son? I'm slowly reaching the point in my life where my free time is at a higher premium than my money. And it's probably only going to get worse. I realize this isn't the case for a lot of people, but I can only speak for myself.

Ergo, the last time I wanted a friend to play a game with me I enjoyed that he didn't already have (rare), I bought him the fucking thing so we could both enjoy it. Most of my current gaming friends share similar interests so when we game we've all already gotten the game.

However, I will give you this point. Not being able to lend/resell games is the one of two real legitimate, non-luddite pro-physical media argument I've heard. The 2nd one being worries over service cancellation (most of the good ones have processes built-in for this issue though). This, of course, is not counting those people with no access to the web or are still on a 56k. And fuck those people. Get a different hobby that doesn't require broadband.

I realize this opinion towards NEW THINGS puts me at odds with several of you on a forum for a 2001 isometric steampunk CRPG. But as I've already angered the powers that be into changing my avatar a few times (the mathboy one kinda made me giggle) I'm out of fucks to give.

EDIT SINCE VORAK ALSO POSTED WHILE I WAS WRITING THIS: I think a lot of the direct-to-buyers style of DRM-free media is the future. People like Louis CK are releasing stand-up straight to consumers DRM free for 5 bucks and making way more than they would selling it through a publisher for $17.99. The internet is the great equalizer. We're just in the shitty middle-times where you have the remnants of the old and the not-complete foundations of the new.

I, for one, welcome our new Robot Overlords.

 

Oh, I saw your post Xz, I was addressing the other unwashed masses for the most part.

Yea, let us retire to my ivory tower anon, where we shall sup upon victuals and enjoy various fine vintages.

edit: I miscorrected the same typo TWICE

 

I agree with everything Vorak said. It is technology/physical limitations that are holding that application back.

This type of service likely won't be common in our lifetime, though I'd love to be proven wrong.

 

You'll notice I left in the key qualifier "probably" in my statement. The real rate limiting step for something like that in America is infrastructure over a very large geographical area. Our poor crappy cables can't handle it, and the resources and manpower required to upgrade it in most areas would be far more extreme then people dropping a grand or two on personal computers and ISPs yearly. Places like Japan are already far superior to most country's networks. You Eurofriends might have better luck as far as timing and implementation for than we do across the pond. Or maybe we're all boned, who knows.

Also, if we're assuming bandwidth is near-infinite enough for complex streaming software why couldn't they add the extra few MB for a PDF or what have you? You confused me on that one Vorak. The cool important additions to all the best box sets were items that could only be tangible, and thus would require shipping or the like.

 

I used to hate steam and other digital distribution simply because Australia's internet hadn't caught up. In fact I do recall several years ago I went on a rant on this very forum about Steam and the ill effects of digital distribution. Australian internet still hasn't caught up by the way but it is tolerable now. I suppose the only downside to not owning physical copies of games is without the internet you are boned. I did encounter a problem with installing Neverwinter Nights 2 a couple of months ago, I had lost the original manual to the game and I could not install it even though I had the disk and the two expansions that followed on. I had to find a code on the internet just to install the game because BioWare no longer kept my original CD Key registered to my account there.