Opinions/thoughts on downloadable games?

[desocietas]

I've had the same mindset when it comes to either music or video games... I just prefer the physical item, including the art, packaging, inserts.  Downloading games is definitely convenient and makes a lot of financial sense for smaller developers, but if I have the choice between downloading or buying a packaged game, I definitely go for the packaged game.

But then again... It's been over two weeks, and I'm still waiting on Best Buy to send me the Live Arcade Trio with Limbo, 'Splosion Man, and Trials HD...

[scott]

When it comes to music, I HAVE to have a physical copy, IF it's a band I love. Now I have downloaded a bunch of music on iTunes and a couple bands I have their full disco. But, for the most part, I prefer the actual copy.

Games, I'll buy the physical game every time, unless, the cost is ridiculously different. For example, I bought a TG16 game on Wii. Because of price. I don't own a Tubro-Grafix 16 and would need to buy one just to play it, plus the cost of the game.

[desocietas]

I also refuse to buy used games if they don't at least have the box (with original cover) and manual.  The display case of used cart-only DS and Game Boy titles at GameStop makes me so sad.

[scott]

Ya if I am buying a used game that was in a jewel or dvd case, you best have your booklets/ artwork. Or I will pass it up, unless it's part of a bundled lot of games.

[atariboy]

I almost never buy downloadable games, I have to have a physical copy of all games, I am not liking the whole idea of downloading games. If the game comes out with a case and disc I will buy that over a download game. Same with my music I have to have the actual CD. Just my 2 cents.

[madmax]

I will buy Console games and not download them. I don't like things like the PSN. I also only emulate games which I own. Right now i am going through FFII on my phone. It's convenient because I am on the bus and metro system for 1.5-2 hours per day.

I also buy music from artists I like. i usually don't actually listen to the album but after buying the physical album i will download it (not on itunes...)

As for PC games, I don't actually have a cd/dvd drive on my computer. Last one scratched a brand new game to heck. Since then i just go through steam for PC games. For some reason I don't feel like PC games have that collectors feel to them.

[scott]

One interesting thing about digital games: They are always in MINT condition, yet hold no value. ha

[foxhack]

GreenManGaming gives you a trade-in value for any game you buy from them. Yes, really. I got a game for free, and it's worth 0.50 in credit. :p

Now, I won't deny that having physical games is good, but some of us simply cannot afford physical copies for whatever reason... Lack of space, we live in remote areas, our postal workers are thieves, etc. I have a very large physical collection, and a very large digital collection. I don't value games by their monetary value, but by the fact that I bought them and have them for myself.

Funnily enough, I have a very large physical music collection. I won't buy a digital album unless it's the only way it was made available (like Thomas Dolby's Amerikana), but whenever I get a pirated album and find a physical copy, I buy it for my collection. Which again, I value because of what the games mean to me, not by their price.

I have a lot of incomplete PC games. Most of them I don't want to get "complete". Disc and manual or disc only is fine with me... and if I find a full copy, well, I'll buy it to replace it.

[monochrome]

While I prefer a physical copy.. space is at a premium right now.  And money is definitely a factor.  I purchased a few Turbografx games and even a couple NES games on Wii's Virtual Console service because the prices were significantly cheaper than purchasing hardware and/or cartridges.

I would be more apt to purchase more downloadable games if todays hardware weren't so unreliable.  Well, the Wii is pretty solid reliability-wise, but I still don't trust anything that heats up significantly when run for awhile, or anything that has firmware updates (this pretty much covers all modern electronics.. ha!).  

I just don't like that vulnerability -- having lots of 0's and 1's stored on a modern "Made-in-China-by-some-underpaid-person" product.  If my Dreamcast breaks or gets zapped in a freak electrical incident, I just track down another Dreamcast.  I'm not out a large amount of $$ or games.

tl;dr: I'm paranoid, but I'll dip my toes in the water.

[desocietas]

I didn't know about GreenManGaming... I'll have to take a better look at the site soon.  I've been less interested in having physical versions of PC games, as the packaging is usually nothing more than just the box and the disc (manual is often on-disk or online).  I will occasionally buy PC games as a physical item when there might be an incentive to do so (the ferret pet option on Torchlight, for example).  I've been pretty happy with Steam, so far, and I appreciate that they have sales pretty regularly.

But yeah, I'm pretty resistant to the turn towards downloading games through eshops.  I'm not keen on Sony's move to make all their portable titles download-only...  I guess it goes with the trend of gaming apps on iPhones and such.

@monochrome, I agree with you about the vulnerability fears... I hate that the Wii's eshop is tied to the console.  If anything happens to the system, you're out of luck.  All those games you've purchased are gone, and you'll need to repurchase.  I'm glad they seem to be addressing that issue with the 3DS eshop purchases, but they claim that it might be limited still.

[foxhack]

I really don't endorse Green Man Gaming - while their prices are really good, they use SecuROM up the wazoo with all their games. And you really don't get more than a buck when you trade in anything.

[desocietas]

I really don't endorse Green Man Gaming - while their prices are really good, they use SecuROM up the wazoo with all their games. And you really don't get more than a buck when you trade in anything.

Good to know - I'm pretty happy with Steam as it is, so I didn't see myself going over to GMG anytime soon.

[scott]

I have a lot of incomplete PC games. Most of them I don't want to get "complete". Disc and manual or disc only is fine with me... and if I find a full copy, well, I'll buy it to replace it.

I also have a ton of old PC games, but I don't really care about having anything complete. Even though I LOVE PC gaming, PC games don't really hold much value to me personally.. . my PC collection is also the most disorganized pile of cd/dvd cases you'd ever see. Since PC games lack personal value, I've recently jumped on the Steam bandwagon again and have made most of my more recent PC purchases through them.

There's just something about PC games that doesn't feel the same to me as old console games do....

[madmax]

I think the thing with PC games is that you don't need the Cds to play most of the time. So you just leave them in a stack once it's installed and never touch it again. That's kind of why they don't need organization either, you don't need to use them. Most games you can just download them and use the CD key inside of the box/cd case.

If you don't use or need them, I guess we lose interest. With console gaming you need to take care of your games so that you can find them and they still work. (Although Emulators and stores on consoles made a huge dent in retro console games.)

[desocietas]

Perhaps with PC games, there's no draw of finding an old one being sold second-hand by someone.  The physical components of a PC game are almost a one-off thing, as @madmax has said: once you install it and use the CD key, the item has no worth any more - no one else will be able to use it for the most part.  I suppose, in actuality, the disc itself really has no worth - it's the CD key that's of any use to us.

I wonder if we'd feel different if our PC games could only be played on limited models of computers...  It's definitely different to play a NES game on the original NES versus an emulator or a port.  Is there more of a "collectible" quality to the old Apple II version of "Oregon Trail" since most people don't have Apple IIs anymore?  I'm a little young to remember much about my Apple II... they didn't have their variation of "CD keys," did they?