Digital Distribution and You

[storino03]

If you put N/A, explain why in your post!

I think we're on the cusp (transition of sorts) to the digital distribution era though probably still a generation away. IGN wrote a great article on what it could mean to people who want the physical medium and collecting in general. I can't find it at the moment. Will update the post when I do!

[Ji-L87]

I understand it's practical and cost effective. That said, I don't like it.
There's three things to things to this:

1) I like my physical media - I like to receive an actual, physical product of something in exchange for my money. It might just be the way my brain is wired, and an old way of thinking (I'm still pretty young, honest!) but just getting a digital version of a game to store in my digital game library feels about 50% less "worth it" than an actual, physical copy. And the beefier the better - there's a reason why I'm willing to pay money for laserdiscs but only buy cheap DVDs.

2) Outta' control - Buying a game as a digital download usually means tying that game to a specific system. XBLA, PSN or Steam. Sure, you can't exactly shove your N64 games in the HuCard slot either, but that's not what I mean.

You don't have the data preserved on a disc, in your hands. It's listed in your account, but on their servers. Somewhere.
It might also be on your system's harddrive but a disc is probably better.

3) - I forget - This happens from time to time. When I look around my shelves, wondering what to play, I just tend to forget my XBLA games and that Steam copy of Orange Box a friend gave me.

Also, I like manuals. PDF manuals are a pain.

Actually, I used to download and pirate a whole bunch of games on PC when I was younger - there was a couple of reasons for that - but those games, they felt like "use and throw away"-games. They didn't feel important to me in any real way. The games I have on the shelves? Shit yeah, I like that stuff. Even the bad ones.

[Tatsujin]

A VERY CLEAR: Yes, I hate digital downloads of games

[esteban]

Ji-L87 identified a bunch of my grievances with a download-only world.

I must admit, if some of these problems were solved, the convenience would win me over...

FOR EXAMPLE: If I was guaranteed (hey, I can dream!) that purchasing a digital game (song, book, etc.) was essentially purchasing the RIGHT to use the item, regardless of platform, in perpetuity, then I'm in heaven. I would gladly do this.

THE PROBLEM: I can't see a viable solution via the market. The film/music/book/video game industry has no desire to make life convenient for me. We need government to endorse and enforce (I mean, really, truly, fairly enforce) a progressive policy where our ownership of digital copies can be "upgraded" (when new formats are released,I don't mind paying a small "upgrade" fee for this...I bought an SD version of "Harold and Maude"...years later, I should be able to pay a nominal fee for an HD version) or "transferred" to a different platform (no lock-in to specific devices).

CALL ME CRAZY, but I would love for digital copies to be granted the benefits of their physical analogues (reselling film/book) ...but, there's no reason to perpetuate the inherent problems of the physical media (obsolete technology rendering media useless...HD-DVD films, anyone?)

I am more than happy to PAY for fair, convenient, "permanent" ownership of digital content.

But I don't see capitalistic private corporations embracing this without a government mandate. And, as I said, part of that mandate is that there must be a universal "library" (maintained for the benefit of all, by the government, as a public resource) that is essentially a "back up copy" for all content.

Nothing is "out of print" in this system. Sure, you might be stuck with a digital transfer of a crappy VHS edition of an old film (a film that won't be given a new HD transfer because the film studio doesn't project any profit in such a venture), but at least you still have the right to view the SD digital copy purchased. And, should an HD transfer of the film ever be made, you would be eligible to obtain the HD version...perhaps with a nominal fee attached to give greedy capitalists an incentive to work on niche content).

Cr*p, I've written more than I've wanted to.

[Tatsujin]

Cr*p, I've written more than I've wanted to.

I thought that before reading it

[soop]

I've been through this ad nauseum on another forum, but I'll try and outline some of my concerns

3) - I forget - This happens from time to time. When I look around my shelves, wondering what to play, I just tend to forget my XBLA games and that Steam copy of Orange Box a friend gave me.

^ This is very true, but also the fact that you're not guaranteed control of what you buy.  Amazon have already shown that they can kill content remotely, and have indeed done that.  While this can happen, I'm not paying good money.  It happens that I get really cheap Microsoft points, and I'm ok with paying the equivelent of £1 for arcade games, but no way full price.

The recent court ruling (in Europe I think) means that consumers will get the right to resell digital content, which is important.  However, I'd expect to see some kind of limitation, or tax on this from the service.  If I want to lend or borrow games, it's currently only possible with physical media.

With digital content, currently Microsoft (at the least) can directly control prices within the marketplace, which means that they sell 2 year old games for a near release price of £30, when I can get a brand new copy at retail for £10.  For the price of waiting a few days and having full control, that's a bargain.

Then we have the concept of rarity, and collecting.  Now this maybe slightly contentious, because it's basically the same priciple as Storino's sealed game collecting - if all that's important is the game, why the hell should I care about packaging?  Well, I do.  I'm materialistic, and I like having stuff.  I love the ritual of cracking open the seal, carefully removing the game, then impatiently throwing the box over my shoulder and jamming the game as hard as possible into my system of choice, possibly damaging both.

[FiftyQuid]

I actually enjoy digital distribution.  For a $10 or even a $20 throw away game I'll fork out the cash, download it digitally, play it and then delete it.  I can always download it again through PSN if I really want to play it again.  I will NOT toss $30 or $60 at a digital game.  I want the physical media when the cost is that high.  My reasoning?  Simple, there is no guarantee the server will be up next year, let alone tomorrow.  No server, no game.  

My opinion on this carries over to 'online only' games as well.  I'll never buy them.  Servers don't exist forever.  Until the cloud is a true cloud where everything is available all the time, I'll stick to my physical copy that I can play even if Sony is hacked again, or my internet goes down.  There is something to be said about simplicity.

[RegalSin]

Like any moron, I need money. Umky. I have my dreams on my table ( and trapped broken Hard disk, drive ), and if male gamete penetrates the female ova, it is game over for my wallet. I have tons of family members, which mean tons of nephews and nieces who has deadbeat daddies, who can't even zip up their pants, or close their legs. So when I spend money on myself it feels bad.

Selling download product is good for those morons, who thinks the latest and greatest, thou shall not own products that will rust and mold, and ideas like that. I am not one of those people right now.

When I am Spider-man and I am living in my apartment with Marie-Jane , maybe then, but not right now.

[hizaygizirlz]

I understand it's practical and cost effective. That said, I don't like it.
There's three things to things to this:

1) I like my physical media - I like to receive an actual, physical product of something in exchange for my money. It might just be the way my brain is wired, and an old way of thinking (I'm still pretty young, honest!) but just getting a digital version of a game to store in my digital game library feels about 50% less "worth it" than an actual, physical copy. And the beefier the better - there's a reason why I'm willing to pay money for laserdiscs but only buy cheap DVDs.

2) Outta' control - Buying a game as a digital download usually means tying that game to a specific system. XBLA, PSN or Steam. Sure, you can't exactly shove your N64 games in the HuCard slot either, but that's not what I mean.

You don't have the data preserved on a disc, in your hands. It's listed in your account, but on their servers. Somewhere.
It might also be on your system's harddrive but a disc is probably better.

3) - I forget - This happens from time to time. When I look around my shelves, wondering what to play, I just tend to forget my XBLA games and that Steam copy of Orange Box a friend gave me.

Also, I like manuals. PDF manuals are a pain.

Actually, I used to download and pirate a whole bunch of games on PC when I was younger - there was a couple of reasons for that - but those games, they felt like "use and throw away"-games. They didn't feel important to me in any real way. The games I have on the shelves? Shit yeah, I like that stuff. Even the bad ones.

I'm in the same boat as everyone else.  I want a physical copy to do with what I please as well as a manual.  (sell, trade, borrow, stare at the case).

Point 3 from above is a great one too.  When you are on the fence about what to play you sometimes forget about the DL part of your collection.

I hate the fact that many current EA games from the store don't come w/ a manual that can't be saving them as much money for as many people as they are pissing off.

I wouldn't DL a $60 retail relase when I could just get a physical copy from Amazon or the store, but in the case of some great games that wouldn't happen w/out digital distribution I will pay for those no problem.  (Braid, Orcs Must Die, etc).  I know you can buy Braid from the store now, but thats probably only b/c of how popular it became as a download.

[kazekirifx]

Since one of the choices is "Yes, but I will still buy them from time to time", I'm assuming by "digital distribution" you mean illegal downloads...

[Tatsujin]

Soon we can print out our physical copies with a 3D-printer 

[storino03]

Since one of the choices is "Yes, but I will still buy them from time to time", I'm assuming by "digital distribution" you mean illegal downloads...

Digital Distribution means DL-only games, the shift of consoles to the digital era, etc.

[kazekirifx]

It's kind of a moot discussion, since usually when I buy digital downloads it's because I don't have a choice. Many games are only available as downloads. However, when I do have a choice, I personally like to buy the disc version since I have always been a collector.

If digital distribution ever becomes the only method of game distribution (and I believe that it will, maybe not in the upcoming generation of consoles, but eventually) I will continue to buy the downloads, but game collecting for non-retro systems will be effectively dead then.

[lwizardl]

I avoid digital only downloads like the plague. I am okay with game patches to fixed the broken shit the developers couldn't fix before they pressed the disc. But when it comes to the games them selves nope never gonna buy them.

I have heard that sony had removed a psn game from systems that could be used to hack the systems before the jailbreak tool was released. Not sure if this was true or not but, just the fact that it can be done stops me from buying into it. And I will admit right now that the instant that when all new consoles go digital only will be the day I stop buying current gen game systems and games and be 100% retro.

[KnightWarrior]

I hate digital downloads