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Venture Beat: Ditch Disks, Embrase Downloads


pacman000

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https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/21/consoles-need-to-ditch-discs-and-embrace-digital-downloads/

 

Got the positives right, but forgot the negatives. Says Apple solved them, but I disagree. I run out of room on my phone constantly. I usually turn data off when playing, but a lot of games need it on to load their next level pack. I have limited data; constant downloads are expensive. And the games are too cheap to support most developers without turning them into some form of gambling.

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I saw that article in my news feed this morning and read it too. I get where the author is coming from, wanting to simplify their life and eliminate clutter, but like many here I'm just too fond of physical media to want to jump on the digital bandwagon. I like the convenience of getting my music, TV shows, and movies digitally but video games are something different and special for me; and I appreciate them like works of art. Sure, you can go online and see digital pictures of wonderful paintings and still appreciate them, but actually owning one and getting to admire the details of the piece in person with your own eyes has a certain intangible value that can't be captured through a picture on a screen.

 

I'm the same way with cartridges and discs. The game is still fun whether you play it digitally or off physical media, but with a physical copy you can also appreciate the substance of the thing. Admiring the label and case artwork, leafing through the instruction manual, and holding it in your hands. Physical media gives games form and shape, and an enduring quality that ensures you'll be able to enjoy them for the rest of your days. I like that sort of thing.

Edited by Jin
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Dear Venture Beat, go f*ck yourself. Signed -me

 

Seriously though, he's a fool. I see where he's coming from but that's just not that wise with the current model out there for digital. You don't own anything, you rent (buy time) and then it's gone. If you're one who doesn't care if you can just use and be done with it fine, that works. But if you don't like paying the same(near same) price as physical and having no way to first right of sale to get your next it's a kick in the balls. Taking away the option to have physical media maybe great for games industry types as now they can monopolize the entire market and charge whatever they like, bother with doing no sales or tiny ones, whatever, as the competition is gone. Right now because of physical and the current steam model you have forced sales and middlement (green man gaming, fanatical, etc) that do limited bigger deal vouchers but that's it. It's a big control issue from what you are allowed to do with your items your paycheck goes into, but also what the industry could do to anyone on a whim with pricing and availability if the physical dries up. It's a bad sign. When it comes to MP3s and other stuff you can get videos in many formats and people can compete, but when you're on a Sony or a MS system you have none of that, it works on there, they control the walled garden, and that's it.

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Also, the author makes a mistake. Online distribution's not free; it just moves a variable cost, the cost of each disk, to a fixed cost, the cost of renting servers.

 

If a game fails & it's on a disk or cart you can still sell it off slowly over time & eventually make your money back. If an online game fails you can't do that; your only option is to shut it down.

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