Poll: If Video Games Were ONLY Digital

[avatar! | 1,827]

The recent discussion concerning the PS5 brings up interesting questions such as, is this the end for physical games? 

Imagine that in some 10 years the next next gen systems (PS6, etc) are digital only. What would you do? One can argue whether this will come to pass, BUT, let us assume that this is the case. ALL new games will be entirely digital - the quality of games has NOT gone down, but they're only released digitally to consoles that no longer support physical games. Will you still play? 

[DefaultGen | 5,433]

This has been close to reality on PC for a long time. I don’t hoard physical nuts for the impending apocalypse like physical media, I simply buy games when I want to play them. Rather than spending $5 on 100 games I might want to play, I’ll just play full price for 1 the instant I want to play it. The titles sitting in my account list hold little value to me unlike physical media. This feeling is tenfold for digital purchases on consoles which get entirely replaced by new boxes and services every few years.

I guess that’s ultimately a pretty normal way to consume things, but hey, I’m normally a collector.

Edited June 13, 2020 by DefaultGen

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

I've been 100% digital on the PC since the end of the Wii-generation of consoles.

I can understand the issue for people that only game on consoles, since you don't have the same level of backward compatibility, but for PC gaming this is so much easier than it ever used to be with physical media.

[zeppelin03 | 314]

I'm also digital only on PC.  Planning the same for all releases except for a zelda/Mario for nostalgia sake.  It's the way if the future and I want to continue gaming.  No sense fighting it in my eyes.

[Tulpa | 3,534]

Yeah, I can't remember the last time I bought a disc game for PC; probably at least six or seven years ago, maybe more. Steam has spoiled me.

Consoles will at some point, it's inevitable. Just a matter of when, not if.

[TDIRunner | 2,771]

I've been saying it for years, but an all digital world is where I draw the line.  That's where I stop buying video games and I just enjoy what I have.  It's coming and there is no way to stop it.  Honestly, I don't even care.  I almost see it as an excuse to stop buying games.  Besides, as I get older, I enjoy modern games less and less.  All the more reason to enjoy what I have.  My backlog is big enough to keep me busy for most of the rest of my life.  

[zeppelin03 | 314]

31 minutes ago, TDIRunner said:

 Besides, as I get older, I enjoy modern games less and less.

This is a bigger reason that the digital issue for me.  I've been noticing AAA drifting away from what I like. One day I expect the whole industry to be doing something I want nothing to do with.  That will be my true cut off.

[Doctornick | 419]

If it happens on a new generation that will definitely be my stopping point.  I don't buy a ton of new games as it is now, but anything I do pick up for switch or Xbox is physical other than a few indie games that look fun.  It's not even being able to trade or resell them, it's the fact that if they remove it from the market for whatever reason I no longer own or have access to that game.  Weird I know, but I have plenty of old stuff to play for the rest of my days if it comes to that.

Edited June 14, 2020 by Doctornick

[captmorgandrinker | 1,650]

5 hours ago, arch_8ngel said:

I've been 100% digital on the PC since the end of the Wii-generation of consoles.

I can understand the issue for people that only game on consoles, since you don't have the same level of backward compatibility, but for PC gaming this is so much easier than it ever used to be with physical media.

If they made access on the consoles like they did with PC, then I would be more onboard with digital.   It is pretty handy to not have to get up and look for a disc or switch games or what have you.

I would do it for things where I was forced to (the first expansion for GTA IV you had to buy it digitally at the time) but beyond that I'll pass unless the digital version is wicked cheap.

[twiztor | 855]

i'd probably slow down on my game buying, but i can't say i would quit altogether. I've been drifting further and further from current gaming as it is, so no real loss on my end. 

[Gloves | 11,830]

I buy most of my modern games digitally for PC so not much changes. I'll probably go digital-only on PS5. I already tried it on PS4 and it was... meh. I still don't think that the digital realm is prepped for an all digital world, but it's the way it is.

[Strange | 1,701]

22 minutes ago, twiztor said:

i'd probably slow down on my game buying, but i can't say i would quit altogether. I've been drifting further and further from current gaming as it is, so no real loss on my end. 

This is my answer.

For the record I think digital gaming on consoles is total ass right now as it is. Almost no price drops (I get there are sales but if they decide not to partake, a 5 year old game can still be $60). No returns like on Steam, really terrible backwards compatibility, etc. It’s just not consumer friendly at this time.

What Xbox seems to be doing with their consoles (blurring the line between definitive generations and just releasing more powerful consoles with better software access across all systems) would be more enticing if all companies adopted it in the all digital future. That would solve the backwards compatibility issue.

[Quest4Nes | 376]

cutting out all competition with digital only. Having one source for all game purchases. Its not going to go well. Theyll control all pricing etc with no reason to lower them. Right now they have to compete with retail, and second hand so thats why you occasionally see sales because they have to. Im not going to be in the all digital game world. Ill get a machine one-two generations behind when its hacked and has all the games.

 

All digital is going to be a huge boom to the piracy community.

Edited June 16, 2020 by Quest4Nes

[Tanooki | 4,952]

I voted the bottom one, but it's only because it was closest.

Truth be told nothing fits.  If everything went digital, I'd devalue games to a value of free to $20 considering there's no ownership, they're rentals long term or otherwise as you can't share or transfer ownership when you're finished.

BUT...that said, if they went digital in respect to how uniquely GoG.com handles it, then I'd be fine with normal higher end game pricing as usual.  Considering they allow real updated downloads and patches that stand alone and can be made physical and archived otherwise for later 100% offline non-snooping use, I'd be ok with it.  I'd call Steam the unhappy-kind of happy middle ground as they waffle between GoG and console as some games don't need the net or even the steam client to work, others do, but they work over multiple OS lifetimes anyway and supposedly if they ever did fold it's designed so games can be detached to work without.

[Cepp | 34]

PC has been mostly digital only for a long time now as mentioned above, and I don't plan on giving up gaming any time soon. However, I do buy significantly less PC games on day one now simply because the RRP is too high for most of them and there's no way for me to shop around for a cheaper price. The same would happen with consoles. In fact, I may end up buying less games since a lot of what I'm into ends up having low print runs (fomo) and that's obviously not an issue with digital.

[jonebone | 1,307]

I don't really collect modern generations, I only buy the games I want to play.  That wouldn't change, so I'll be playing and gaming in an all digital world. 

[avatar! | 1,827]

14 minutes ago, ChickenTendas4PokeyEater said:

It happened in the music and tv/movie industries

Hmmm, my Criterion Collection Blu rays would disagree with you  

Look, no doubt disc sales have plummeted, but they're still here. There are still numerous new and recent films you can buy physically. Also plenty of CDs. 

People predicted that books would be dead, years before 2020. Guess what

 

[avatar! | 1,827]

4 minutes ago, ChickenTendas4PokeyEater said:

Books are their own beast. My point was that with Netflix and a billion other streaming services, very few give a damn about DVDs anymore. Some do, but not to the point of "I will never watch a movie if it isn't released physically" like people are with games. Games are a much bigger thing emotionally, seeing as you can spend hundreds of hours in them, interacting with the environment, whereas I highly doubt anyone consistently spends hundreds of hours watching and rewatching movies.

I think it's a valid point that games are inherently different than movies. However, I do think there is still a demand for physical copies, otherwise why would it be so easy to get many of them? Criterion does actually have a streaming service, but they also keep making physical copies, many of which sell out. You can call it niche if you want, but there is definitely a profit to be made with physical goods. 

[Hammerfestus | 3,882]

This is a tough choice.  I really don’t like the thought of all digital and not actually owning games I purchase.  But I ultimately selected the first choice because while I’d probably resist for a while, at some point I’d end up relenting and just buying the stupid digital copy.   Bastards.

Actually, I think more than true ownership of digital games I think my issue is probably that I don’t really ever do retail price any more.  With a few very rare exceptions I’m almost exclusively second hand and without the ability to do that...well I’d be pretty lost.

Edited June 15, 2020 by Hammerfestus

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

Eh not really a choice that fits me. I will not buy digital. I've done it exactly one time and just not interested in doing it ever again. I also don't play games on a PC so I've never "got use to it." I'm willing to play games on a digital only console if the games are free, but I don't ever intend to purchase any.

[themisfit138 | 523]

I voted no, but it doesn't really matter. I am not planning on buying into the upcoming generation anyways. Besides the Switch I only bought 10 current gen games. Then half of those were remasters. 

[elprincipe | 142]

Does anyone think all-digital platform providers would do something to games a la what Netflix did in censoring Back to the Future 2? Or what about Disney Plus removing an episode of The Simpsons? What if the game you "bought" on Steam got a required patch that removed part of the game that had an expired license, or something deemed "offensive"?

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

10 minutes ago, elprincipe said:

Does anyone think all-digital platform providers would do something to games a la what Netflix did in censoring Back to the Future 2? Or what about Disney Plus removing an episode of The Simpsons? What if the game you "bought" on Steam got a required patch that removed part of the game that had an expired license, or something deemed "offensive"?

I believe this has already happened numerous times, although I can't think of any examples off the top of my head. It's definitely problematic.

[Code Monkey | 2,013]

On 6/13/2020 at 1:28 PM, arch_8ngel said:

I've been 100% digital on the PC since the end of the Wii-generation of consoles.

I can understand the issue for people that only game on consoles, since you don't have the same level of backward compatibility, but for PC gaming this is so much easier than it ever used to be with physical media.

The Wii is still getting new games so that end hasn't happened yet.

[Cepp | 34]

2 hours ago, elprincipe said:

Does anyone think all-digital platform providers would do something to games a la what Netflix did in censoring Back to the Future 2? Or what about Disney Plus removing an episode of The Simpsons? What if the game you "bought" on Steam got a required patch that removed part of the game that had an expired license, or something deemed "offensive"?

Already happened on Steam with certain music tracks being removed from GTA: San Andreas. Made me regret getting rid of my physical copy.