Is Physical Soon to be dead?

If/when physical dies out on console, that's me done with them.

I'm not against digital, pc is all digital now, but there is competition. I can buy from mutliple stores, I can buy physical (code in a box), so prices are better. Sony already stopped selling game codes, I have no interest in digital only console if PSN will be the only place to buy, prices are a joke and I doubt it will be any better once physical is gone.
 
I always buy physical media when I have the option. I'll only buy digital if it's hugely cheaper or no physical version exists. Honestly though I think physical media is the only thing keeping some of these companies honest with their pricing/policies in their digital stores. If physical didn't exist these stores would become literal monopolies in the way that Google's Play Store and Apple's App store are.

There's definitely a noticeable move in recent years by companies to downplay/downgrade physical releases by tying them to in-box codes for features/online/etc and delaying the release of Physical copies months after the digital release.
 
Last edited:
There is certainly a push but as we saw with Alan Wake 2 it didn’t get anywhere near what they wanted so there now doing a physical release

Now that could be due to the game perhaps as it won’t be forever one.

I think some games of went for digital only release would do fine but it would be the usual annual releases that I only see coping with a full digital release e.g fifa, cods etc
 
Mark1989 said:
it would be the usual annual releases that I only see coping with a full digital release e.g fifa, cods etc
Click to expand...

That's true. I wouldn't be bothered so much buying annual update live service type games like FIFA, COD, Overwatch, Diablo,etc digitally as a physical copy of them is useless without the servers for the game being running. The only advantage at that point is the ability to resell the game if you don't like it or grow bored of it.
 
silvagti said:
I always buy physical media when I have the option. I'll only buy digital if it's hugely cheaper or no physical version exists. Honestly though I think physical media is the only thing keeping some of these companies honest with their pricing/policies in their digital stores. If physical didn't exist these stores would become literal monopolies in the way that Google's Play Store and Apple's App store are.

There's definitely a noticeable move in recent years by companies to downplay/downgrade physical releases by tying them to in-box codes for features/online/etc and delaying the release of Physical copies months after the digital release.
Click to expand...

Just saw this now with MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection. Came out on Thursday digitally but no physical release till November. Even then, Europe only seems to be getting the physical on PS4 only. While Japan and US gets both PS4 and Switch.
 
Yeah the writing is on the wall isn't it.

As others have said, with PC it's not so bad, you know Steam is never going anywhere barring WW3.
With consoles, just look at the PS3/Vita/3DS - yes they're old hat but realistically how much would it cost to keep a bunch of servers online, and they still got dumped? To subsequently re-sell you the same games or charge a subscription free for streaming them with lag...
Now given that PS4 era onwards consoles are just x86 PCs at heart and subsequently pretty much completely backwards compatible, I don't think the PS/Xbox store are at anywhere near the same risk of being mothballed in future...but you're still fundamentally at the mercy of their beancounters.

The best result we can hope for is going to be Sony/MS keeping up releasing external disc drives and third-party distributors like Limited Run releasing physical versions for those who want them.
 
Paracelsus said:
As others have said, with PC it's not so bad, you know Steam is never going anywhere barring WW3.
Click to expand...
Only caveat I would flag is things can change. Hopefully they never do but we know Microsoft looking into buying Valve (god forbid) and at some point the founders will want to retire and move on. Valve wouldn't be anywhere near as strong as they are of there was a change in ownership.
 
I am happy to be part of an ecosystem like PSN or GP whilst the cost is still relatively low. Digital sales are on the whole decent but the price on new releases is worrying and the only thing we can change there is to not buy into it. I am done with physical so it’s up to me to decide how much I want something day one or whether I am prepared to wait. More and more I just say to hell with it, buy. Oh well.
 
Last edited:
malachi said:
Just saw this now with MARVEL vs. CAPCOM Fighting Collection. Came out on Thursday digitally but no physical release till November. Even then, Europe only seems to be getting the physical on PS4 only. While Japan and US gets both PS4 and Switch.
Click to expand...

That’s specially the game I was referring to with the delay! Apparently the switch “physical “ release is just a download code in the box so be sure to buy the ps4 version if you want an actual copy of the game!

Feels like a cheap attempt to get fans to buy the game digitally and physically! :(
 
Last edited:
Yep physical will be consigned to history the same as other entertainment mediums.

I’ve been digital only for a good many years now and it works for me personally. I accept physical has had a place but it’s essentially obsolete now and there’s very little reason for it to continue. Catering for it is a diminishing return, remembering corporations are entitled to protect their intellectual property rights and modern technology now means they can more readily enforce the laws that have applied to games since day dot.

That being said, I feel that there are some notes of caution though, principally relating to improved consumer rights and more robust anti-monopoly laws. Similarly intellectual property laws can over reach a bit so some sense checks there would be a good idea.

Ultimately companies want to keep taking your money and understand there is a balance to be made between price and content.

Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. If the collective market decides a service is unreasonable, it won’t be supported by sales. Gamers will only be pushed so far before finding alternatives.
 
I have a number of friends who will sit at home and fancy a new game - they'll happily pay for the digital version even if it is more than the physical copy because it scratches that impulse itch. I'm not saying that's a common thing, I don't know because I have a very small sample size, but the impulse purchase itch is a thing for many and a digital store front feeds it immediately.
 
BubbySoup said:
I have a number of friends who will sit at home and fancy a new game - they'll happily pay for the digital version even if it is more than the physical copy because it scratches that impulse itch. I'm not saying that's a common thing, I don't know because I have a very small sample size, but the impulse purchase itch is a thing for many and a digital store front feeds it immediately.
Click to expand...
I do get that impulse itch on the stores, but for anything over a tenner it's not worth the scratch :D
 
BubbySoup said:
I have a number of friends who will sit at home and fancy a new game - they'll happily pay for the digital version even if it is more than the physical copy because it scratches that impulse itch. I'm not saying that's a common thing, I don't know because I have a very small sample size, but the impulse purchase itch is a thing for many and a digital store front feeds it immediately.
Click to expand...
It's happened to me before. Usually in the early hours when my resistance is low :D

I'm sure somewhere Sony have stats showing many late night impulse purchases on the playstation store!


rp2000
 
I think with the size of many games hitting over 100GB these days and with BluRays having a maximum capacity of 100GB, the death of physical media is basically set in stone. Unless of course a new format with higher capacity is in development which looks really unlikely with the way things are going.

Even now only the PS5 supports 100GB BluRays with Xbox Series games limited to 50GB capacity discs, which either means shipping games on multiple discs and incurring higher manufacturing costs or only having half the game on disc and requiring the rest to be downloaded.
 
Sad times tbh.

I prefer physical media when it comes to games, feels like you've bought something, one reason why I insisted my boy had a series x, as the ability of downloading games gives him no sense of recieving something, he'll download something play it for 10 minutes (with game pass, or if there is free games), decide he's bored and then downloads something else, I don't believe it's healthy.

Then there's the live service games which you pay for, then pay for upgrades internally if the game, and then the company shuts the server, game lost, money lost months/time out into it. I cant see how this is acceptable,

Amazon have done / do similar in regards to people buy the digital version of a film, then Amazon stop offering that on their site and then it disappears out of your library, surely this cannot be right?

I'm surprised these things havnt been legally challenged,

perma bans from ea on their origin store is similar, people have had their accounts hacked, the hacker has got the account banned and ea customer service refuses to listen and people have lost money and the time they put into whatever game. Surprised there hasn't been any legal challenges, there appears to be enough people out there it's happened to for a class action lawsuit.

Anyway I digress, I think digital only is both good and bad, and imo there needs to be some fundamental changes to protect the consumer a bit more.
 
We were discussing this exact thing at work yesterday. We wondered if they went digital only if it's then classed as a monopoly and would be forced to open the consoles up more. EU is pretty big on these things, the other issue is CEX would go bust if they went digital only :p .
 
theone8181 said:
We were discussing this exact thing at work yesterday. We wondered if they went digital only if it's then classed as a monopoly and would be forced to open the consoles up more. EU is pretty big on these things, the other issue is CEX would go bust if they went digital only :p .
Click to expand...

I can see the EU forcing companies to allow alternative stores like they did to Apple for the iPhone.

Good opportunity for Gabe Newell there. Steam returning to Sony again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom