The digital download path is one that is full of cracks, bumps and weeds when it comes to getting through to console owners. Whilst services such as Steam thrive and flourish on the PC, there has been no such breakthrough for our beloved Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo devices.
It seems console owners really do love their boxed products. Even the loss of the much maligned UMD was criticised when Sony unleashed the PSPgo onto the public.
A survey of over 1,000 people by research firm Ipsos MediaCT found that 64 per cent preferred physical discs for their games over digital copies. In all honesty we are surprised the figure was that low.
The reasons for the rejection of digital download are numerous. Many gamers have been brought up with boxed games, and as such have fond memories of them. Digital downloads are – dare we say it – a touch soulless. There is no anticipation on the bus ride home with game in hand; there is no cursory glance at the instruction manual before deciding you know how to play the game already.
Factor in the loss of trade in value, and the generally high price of digital downloads, and it’s clear to see why the boxed product has a place in our hearts.
With giants such as SEGA backing digital downloads we have no doubt they will become the norm – but will it be this generation?
mad_dunc
Got to agree with pretty much all the above posts. I like physically having a new game, the process of buying it, waiting for it to be delivered, the smell of it when you open it – I just can’t get as excited about something I have to download.
I also don’t trust my playstation not to crash and lose everything. Had mine for over two years now, and half expecting it to conk out at any time, I don’t want to lose all the money I’ve invested in games if it does.
Finally, I almost always sell on my games once I’ve finished playing them – I generally don’t have more than four or five games at any one time. The only way I can really justify paying the very expensive prices for new games, is to sell them on (and thereby go towards funding the next game I want). I can’t justify paying almost full price for a downloaded game, and not be able to recoup anything at the end of it, and even worse not even have a physical game to put on a shelf somewhere if I can’t sell it on.
Jas-n
I love the smell of a freshly opened BD film, smells of marzipan. Yummy!
DJ-Katy
You know what that smell is? Hormones that have been sprayed onto it. It alters your mood. It’s the same as when you get a new car and smell the interior.
mrfodder
I’m somewhat split. I love my PSPgo and the fact I have my entire collection to choose from while sitting on the train. However, the price of games on the psn leaves a lot to desired. DRM can be an issue as well. The physical content is by it’s very nature yours and I prefer this for the ps3, where I have my collection sitting beside it. Both types have a place, but the delivery of digital needs much improvement if consumers are to accept it.
coolgr33k
Happy Birthday son!! Have a code for this game!!
No, just no.
I dont really like digital downloads, well since i dnt buy games often, its a nice moment when you go and buy one.
So its a no from me for digital games.
However i like the pspgo, so for portable devices I say yes to digital downloads so you can carry loads of games on the move.
But for ps3/xbox/wii bigger non-handheld consoles, its gota be disks. I want my cases!!
Also as mentioned above, if consoles do go digital, there has to be faster internet, and bigger hdd’s. Also there should be offers available.
O also a problem for digital is that how would shops like Game continue?
(sorry this comment was a little messy)
Charmed_Fanatic
Woop, take that big gaming companies!!
Disc’s are the future!
hol
Whilst I’ve always liked hard copies of games, the thing that puts me off digital downloads is the price. Especially when you can buy a disc copy for much less than the same on psn or live. Why not when you buy a disc version, allow a digital download code in the box?
rossthebassist
i for one think digital has its place within handheld gaming, and classic game distribution aswell as small studios.
i have a PSPgo, and the only negative is the price of 3rd party titles.
Sony relised quick on and the cost of a sony title like LBP and MNR was about £5 – £8 cheaper than retail, which is good. HOWEVER 3rd party studios like Konami with Peace walker, £31.99 on the store, as low as £24 at retail, same with EA and the fifa world cup PSP title. they think its a captive audiance and can milk the cow, unfortunatly the attitude is wrong, i simply just dont buy the title.
being on digital has opened my eyes to allot of thing, like when comments are made that the world is not ready for digital distribution. well someone created a mass piracy device called the R4 cartridge which aside from the fact its illegal is a mass was of playing digitaly (albeit pirated) games, TRUST me im the last person to advocate piracy, BUT the games industry is now with digital suffering a similer fate to the music industry. they are falling behind. the infastructure is in place, but they dont want to use it right. 3rd parties need to stimulate sales of digital distribution at the end of the day peace walker £24 retail would still make less margin for konami against it being sold at the same price on PSN store… so what is with all the greed.
for handheld gaming i prefer digital, i dont have to carry anything other than my PSP go, minis are a great price, however same game on apple app store makes me wonder what these publishers are thinking about when they set the price.
Radiitz
I wouldn’t mind digital download only for just the handhelds, but not for home consoles.
alcides
reality show they buy it anyway.
alcides
shows* !!
3shirts
The only advantage I see for downloads is having them all on the hard drive which makes it easy to see your whole collection, organise them, and choose one to play. I like that.
Unfortuantely the price, lack of resale, long download times and DRM issues all weight to heavily against that.
I would like to see a way of installing games from disk to the hard drive so you don’t need the disk to play. I guess there are piracy issues to overcome there but it can’t be that hard.
gazzagb
I prefer having disks, its just nice to have something physical rather than an invisible file. Also, downloadable games are compressed so much (take LBP which was given with PSN+). Plus, you can’t exactly trade in a digital copy.
Oh, and hey Dan! :)
Dan Lee
Hello!