Gamers! How ya feel about.....

LissaK1981
LissaK1981 Posts: 219 Member
The talk about games going digital only? Not being able to resell your used discs when you have played the hell out of them, or waiting patiently to buy that game used instead of dropping 60$ on it. I heard Xbox may be going to online only where you won't be able to play games on it locally. I for one think all these changes suck! Wanted to know what you guys have heard.

Replies

  • I'm not a big fan of going all-digital (even though I don't own any new(er) consoles). I don't always have the best internet access, either because it goes down or because I'm at my dad's place, where there's dial-up. So there's no accessing digital games, unless they are saved onto the actual machine. And I don't enjoy pulling out $60 for a game (I usually wait 6-12 months or mark it somewhere and wait for prices to drop or for textbooks to get sold back).

    Not quite the same, but Sony has hinted too at going to a one-disc, one machine method. :/ Definitely not feeling that one either. I know a lot of people who do buy used, and if they have to pay full price for a game, they end up not buying it.
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    I am adamantly against the idea of having to download all of the games. Internet access can be lost for a myriad of reasons. If my service provider tells me that I have an outage in my area I can still play on my discs. If the next generation of consoles doesn't have a local option I doubt I will ever buy it. Does anyone recall this error message?

    "Your download of (insert game here) can't be completed at this time. Please try again later."
  • GeekyGirlLyn
    GeekyGirlLyn Posts: 238 Member
    So not into the idea of downloads only. No matter how fast your connection speed they can take forever to download. They can have multiple mistakes, as mentioned by others, and not download properly. I like playing anytime, and I like being able to take my games with me and possibly play on other consoles. If Im visiting a friend and want to show them some game, like Mass Effect, and they dont have it....what then. Nope, not a happy camper at all.
  • darkguardian419
    darkguardian419 Posts: 1,302 Member
    While I see the business reasons for doing something akin to this, which is mostly keeping production costs down while keeping selling costs up... I think it's a horrible idea.

    First and foremost is hackers. If I spend money on a game, and my account gets hacked (for whatever reason) I have a good chance of losing whatever games I had on that account. Yes, there are precautions that could be taken, but the typical person can not defend against a skilled hacker.

    Secondly, as Soldier put it... not everyone has access to the internet. For me personally, I know my ISP is s***. I would become beyond frustrated if I could only play online. This is one of the reasons (other than ****ty gameplay) That I have already stopped playing Sim City.

    My third reason, while certainly not applicable to 99% of the world, is because of my job. I work on a submarine. We obviously don't have internet access out to sea. Video games, movies, etc keep us (relatively) sane. Switching to all digital would seriously hinder any sort of gameplay.

    With all of that said, having digital copies available, without having to log on to a server (Sim City... f*** you EA) would not be the end of the world, but still a serious PITA in certain circumstances. I'd much rather have a hard copy (with a digital copy... CDs wear out) over anything else.
  • ahviendha
    ahviendha Posts: 1,291 Member
    hell no! as a longterm wow player/raider i have felt the pain when my internet lags or goes out. i can't imagine having all my games dependent on my ISP.

    even steam i'm sort of iffy about, i really enjoy having a hard copy game in my hands and display on my bookshelf.
  • synthomarsh
    synthomarsh Posts: 189 Member
    I like buying a game and bringing it with me to a friends house. Not to mention like you guys said about buying pre-used games, I never really sell any games back I either hold them down or give them to friends but either way I would be pissed if I bought a new game and wanted to bring it to my friends to play but o wait I can't unless I bring my whole plateform.... dumb
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
    I bought a whole bunch of games on my Wii. Then my Wii broke. If it weren't for being able to put them on SD and then be able to use the same information on my WiiU, I'd have been completely out of luck with those downloads.

    It depends on how the digital works and the restrictions they put upon the games. =/
  • 777twist
    777twist Posts: 75 Member
    If the costs of the games came down, I probably wouldn't mind it. But there would have to be some things in place before I get fully on board.

    1. Ability to re-download games at any point. Meaning, we own the game for at least the duration of the system.
    2. To that end, the games should be compatible with 1 system backwards and 1 system forward.
    3. Ability to download a game to a friend's box while I'm logged in as a guest. I get that I can only be logged into one system at a time.
    4. Have to be able to play games offline. I think it would suck to limit the games to my "home" system for offline play, but if that's what it takes, I will take it.
    5. The systems have to better use bandwidth... I don't know if Xbox users have the same issues I have on my PS3, but I have 75/35 connection, but whenever I test on the PS3, I only get like 25/10 at best.

    Just so everyone knows... it's a little different, but Adobe has just shifted to an All Cloud model where you can't buy their software on disks (well, you can for awhile, but it will end). People aren't liking this either, but it looks like this is where everything is going. So instead of us just saying NO, NO, NO... it may be better for us to help them construct the new online only system so it works for us and them.

    BTW, I just read recently that the Xbox will NOT be online only. So you won't need a fulltime internet connection for it.
  • Ragarianok
    Ragarianok Posts: 23
    The idea of only being able to *LEASE* a game is a truly terrible thing. It's understandable that companies are trying to prevent piracy, but they are also destroying the days where you could lend a friend a game. You know... to try it out to see if they want to buy it as well. And then there's whole "always on-line" thing. I understand this is also an anti-piracy measure, but it doesn't make any sense when applied to single-player games.
  • lacroyx
    lacroyx Posts: 5,754 Member
    I am against it. Though I live in a area where internet is pretty accessible, I have plenty of friends that don't. It would suck for them. Plus, majority of my games are used. I rarely buy new anymore.
  • dsmpunk
    dsmpunk Posts: 262 Member
    Its not the digital only that we should all be worried about, its the always on XBOX Live DRM that is the issue. Going all digital is GOING to happen. When is the last time you guys bought a CD or even a DVD?

    The online DRM crap will be a nightmare if they go with it. Look how AWESOME the new Sim City turned out! Thats just one game. Imagine everything being dependent upon not only your ISP and your networking hardware, but also Microsoft's network and their DRM site. It's absolute BS and I will not buy a system that requires this draconian approach to price control and IP rights.

    >: |

    Grrrr...
  • When is the last time you guys bought a CD or even a DVD?

    2 weeks ago.
  • SadKitty27
    SadKitty27 Posts: 416 Member
    I have multiple concerns about it.

    First off (and I know this is kind of weird,) but if I like something enough I want the option to have a tangible copy. Additionally, I really really like that new video game smell.

    I won't lie, I would miss that new game smell lol.

    Second, it would demolish the used game market. Personally, I don't really play a lot of new games these days in terms of console games (I favor PC.)

    However, I look back fondly of being able to go to the used game store and find copies of classic games to revisit. It kind of makes me sad to think that the newer generation of gamer won't be able to have that cool experience of going on a hunt to find an old rare game from their past (I know I've traveled to many a flee market and garage sale to find certain titles back in the day.)

    Oh, and then there is that little issue of preservation. You see, if you have the title in hand it's not going anywhere (granted it doesn't get stolen, and you take very good care of it.)

    What happens if you lose net connectivity, or something happens and your digital copy becomes unavailable years later and you can't get access to it?
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    DRM is horrid in the end tbh. If it was a 1 time every month or 2-3 weeks I wouldn't care but always online just not works. Now if you can play games offline and they don't cost $60 a shot kinda like how most games on steam work then ya no problem. The problem will always be someone wants their hand in the cookie jar and ruin it for everyone *Cough* EA & Activision *Cough*
  • bristarn90
    bristarn90 Posts: 13
    I really hope that the new xbox is not digital only. I love being able to play used games/older games whenever I want too. Plus, does that mean Gamestop would go out of business? I hope not.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,467 Member
    I mostly buy digital games these days, and I have to say, I love just being able to start up the game without having to find the discs and faff around with them, particularly taking them in and out during the game (I don't know if that happens so much these days). On top of that, the discs can be easily damaged if you have children and pets. Don't ask me how. I've gone through 3 copies of some of my favourite games, due to disc damage. There's also the problem of losing the discs, not that that tends to happen. I've also had problems with pre-ordering discs and having them delivered late.

    So, I've found that digital copies are much more convenient. I buy from gog.com every now and then and can't really see the drawbacks. The games are DRM-free, you can easily download them again if your computer breaks down. The only problem I have with those games is not having the physical stuff that I would get if I'd bought them. I do like manuals, maps and little figurines.

    I would still prefer to have the choice, though.

    And if games are digital, they SHOULD be cheaper. You're not having to pay for boxes, discs, distribution, etc. Older games should be cheaper. You should also "own" the game, and be able to play it offline.
  • d0gma
    d0gma Posts: 3,966 Member
    I'm a collector. This will not work for me. I only have 3 digital games and they are Mario Kart 7, which came pre-installed on my 3DS XL that I got for Christmas, Super Mario 3D Land, which was free if you registered an XL and Luigi's Mansion in April, and Super Mario 64 on Wii, because I had to spend my Nintendo Club coins before they expired.

    Reselling isn't an issue for me, if I like a game enough to buy it, I keep it. I used to rent games from Blockbuster for 2-3 weeks because I wanted to beat it, but didn't like it enough to own it.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    If the costs of the games came down, I probably wouldn't mind it. But there would have to be some things in place before I get fully on board.

    1. Ability to re-download games at any point. Meaning, we own the game for at least the duration of the system.
    2. To that end, the games should be compatible with 1 system backwards and 1 system forward.
    3. Ability to download a game to a friend's box while I'm logged in as a guest. I get that I can only be logged into one system at a time.
    4. Have to be able to play games offline. I think it would suck to limit the games to my "home" system for offline play, but if that's what it takes, I will take it.
    5. The systems have to better use bandwidth... I don't know if Xbox users have the same issues I have on my PS3, but I have 75/35 connection, but whenever I test on the PS3, I only get like 25/10 at best.

    Just so everyone knows... it's a little different, but Adobe has just shifted to an All Cloud model where you can't buy their software on disks (well, you can for awhile, but it will end). People aren't liking this either, but it looks like this is where everything is going. So instead of us just saying NO, NO, NO... it may be better for us to help them construct the new online only system so it works for us and them.

    BTW, I just read recently that the Xbox will NOT be online only. So you won't need a fulltime internet connection for it.

    Totally agree with this.

    I have been playing Defiance lately, which requires a connection to play. I enjoy it and have not had any problems connecting, but I like that it's a choice you can make when you purchase. the girl at Gamestop made sure to tell me before I bought it that it needed a connection to run.
  • dsmpunk
    dsmpunk Posts: 262 Member
    When is the last time you guys bought a CD or even a DVD?

    2 weeks ago.

    Maybe its just me then. I hate physical media.

    Im not sure how to even insert a CD into my MP3 playing/GPS/HRM watch.
  • soldier4242
    soldier4242 Posts: 1,368 Member
    When is the last time you guys bought a CD or even a DVD?

    2 weeks ago.

    Maybe its just me then. I hate physical media.

    Im not sure how to even insert a CD into my MP3 playing/GPS/HRM watch.

    Digital information is always on a physical media.
  • _Ben
    _Ben Posts: 1,608 Member
    I use steam, so pretty much ive been digital only for a long time. Last solid disc i bought was probably WoW. Actually I bought L4D, but I only used the CD key, had steam install the rest
  • Maybe i'm just old school, but when i purchase something i want it to have a tangible presence.

    Buy music, want CD
    Buy Movie, want DVD
    Buy game, want disc (regardless of platform)

    What happens when you want to re-visit whatever it is you purchased, but you can no longer gain access to it because wherever you downloaded it from decided it had to be removed to make room for the new stuff. That's the part i don't like. Relying too much on someone else to preserve your purchase is BS to me IMHO.
  • kyricus
    kyricus Posts: 69 Member
    The trouble I have with the all digital route is you never really "own" the product you paid for. You can't loan it to someone, you can't move it around, you can't do anything with it.

    It's really bad with the big programs now. Photoshop just went lease only. You have to pay a monthly fee! You never own the product! and you have to have an internet connection. Microsoft is going the same way with Office. You can't buy a copy, only rent it and have to have an online connection.

    I understand the need to combat piracy, but this is just greed pure and simple.
  • ryry_
    ryry_ Posts: 4,966 Member
    I don't have a problem with purchasing games digitally, but I am ardently against persistant online required to access offline content. Digital games means smaller costs on logistics which means you can squeeze in more on game production. It is also much more convenient to purchase digitally.

    I just bought HOTS digitally with no problems. My main concerns regarding all digital is...

    1. Storage Capacity. Right now on my ps3, I have to routinely erase game data for games I no longer play to make room for new games. That is just the additional game data that is downloaded, not the entire game. How storage would you need to house all games like that? New system means more power and more graphics and more data, its probably the biggest issue.

    2. Replacement. If I get the yellow light of death, is there a means to get my games back again? I think with the way p network all ready functions it will easily be a yes.

    3. Download speed. When the updates to firmware first come out, they take forever. How do you account for this on release days. I am in favor of being able to download and install games pre release and having a mechanism that doesn't allow access until the live date.

    Overall, i think it could work, but I think we're still one iteration too early in it actually happening.