Poll: Physical Media (Boxed Product) Vs Digital Download

[Gimpymoo]

My head tells me Digital Download, well STEAM as I love it yet my heart allways goes for the boxed product, I like to see the collection on my shelf Sad I know.

I have even gone to the extent of purchasing Trackmania TWICE, once on Disc and the other via digital download for convenience.

Just wondered what other peoples thoughts/preferences were.

If a mod could please make into a Poll:

1. Boxed Product
2. Digital Download

I know its not as straight cut as that but would be interesting to see the results.

EDIT:

Would you guys mind posting your ages too. I am just interested to see if there is a link or not, i.e us old gits refusing to give up our boxes -

Boxed for me.. although I love STEAM and have many games.

I am 30 years old.

 

[grudas]

i have only 2 game boxes all other games are bought from steam so id say i prefer digital downloads

 

[VaderDSL]

I'm sick of lugging around boxes of games when I move, so digital for me, that way all I need to keep is one hard drive with backups of the game on rather than a large carboard box stuffed with redundant dvd cases and boxes.

26 here, will always choose digital over boxed if prices are the same and both are available at the same time.

 

[uv]

I've preordered a boxed copy of Burnout, but only as it's not on Steam..

Every game I've bought in the past ever was via Steam.

 

[Gimpymoo]

Would you guys mind posting your ages too. I am just interested to see if there is a link or not, i.e us old gits refusing to give up our boxes -

Boxed for me.. although I love STEAM and have many games.

I am 30 years old.

 

[Daegan]

I'd buy digital every time if it wasn't for a) some games not being available that way and/or b) it being more expensive than boxed editions even though it's a cheaper delivery method, basically because there isn't enough competition.

As it is I end up buying boxed, opening them just for the CD key and never touching the media.

(I'm 31)

 

[veggiemanuk]

37 here

Boxed all the way, only bought 2 games via download - Savage and HL2 Episode 1. I felt dirty doing it.

28+ Years worth of boxed games here and I still own them all, from the Phillips console we had and the Atari 2600 through Spectrum 48K, Atari ST, Amiga and now PC. Not forgetting N64, CameCube, Xbox and Wii. Then theres the other stuff bought from car boot sales, to many to list.

All told I must own something in the region of 5,000 Boxed games.

 

[Egon]

Was always box for me, but I've recently seen the light. The fact the Steam is now in UK prices and a bit more competitive helps a lot.

Age: 29

 

[FrenchTart]

27.

Digital copies every time. If I have to buy the physical media (and this applies to music too) I'll usually make an image/rip of it and use that. The physical media gets put somewhere out of the way shortly after.

edit: My spectrum is still stored happily at my dad's house but I'm far happier to use an emulator for this and any old consoles I own. It's far more convenient and less prone to problems with loading/etc.

 

[Marky]

If all games were available on Steam (Every game on the planet) - And they were priced competitively to current games - I wouldn't buy boxed games, I'd just grab them off of Steam. However, many games on Steam can be expensive in comparison to it's boxed other.
I'm 18.

 

[platypus]

I prefer boxed, given how crap my internet connection is.

Having said that, in an ideal broadband world, it'd be digital everytime.

 

[Hudzy]

I used to really like the boxes. Now I find I can't really be arsed. I'll go for Steam even if it's a couple of quid more. I'm 22.

 

[rsatd]

Prefer digital download, planning to "rip" all my bought film dvd's as well, boxes take up too much space

 

[Xenoxide]

It depends largely (I'm 23, by the way).

I've found that if it's a Games for Windows title I prefer to buy a boxed copy, as they look rather nice next to all my Xbox 360 games.

If it's not, I'd prefer to get it from Steam.

(It's a bonus if the Games for Windows game allows me to enter the CD key into Steam so I don't have to use the CD again. )

 

[Tripnologist]

I'm 29.

By all accounts, I should prefer digital but I don't.
If I own a physical copy of a game, I'm far more likely to put the time in to finish the game whereas with digital, sometimes I just can't be bothered with it.

Most of my games consist of the cd's/dvd and serial key insert placed in my cd binder. I just toss the packaging after a while.

 

[Witor]

Owing to my 1024/512 adsl, i'd go with boxed by necessity.

30 yrs old btw

 

[orderoftheflame]

Prefer digital by far. Only thing that makes me buy physical media is collectors editions.

 

[Pyroblaze]

31 here and much prefer having the boxes. Downloading after buying a game is fine, having to download them all again after reformats etc is a pain. Can't beat having the box for a quick few minute install.

 

[uv]

31 here and much prefer having the boxes. Downloading after buying a game is fine, having to download them all again after reformats etc is a pain. Can't beat having the box for a quick few minute install.

I keep my Steam directory on a different drive to my Windows install..

a two second install after reformat beats your few minute install

 

[Sinny]

Boxed all the time unless it's a valve game or you get more with with purchase from digital download (achievments, bonus, beta).