3 ms·

Yeah but back then they actually had to make expensive physical hardware. CDs are cheaper, and it's incredibly absurd that the download product, which has no p

Yeah but back then they actually had to make expensive physical hardware. CDs are cheaper, and it's incredibly absurd that the download product, which has no production or shipping costs, is the same as the physical.

robjan 6y ago
Think at this stage we're just paying for the IP, regardless of the distribution medium which is just absorbed into the price point. There's also probably an incentive to not undercut in-store sales which would expedite the demise of the game store.
andrewzah 6y ago
Why does it have to be cheaper just because it's not physical? That's how the majority of people get games now. Not only would getting a physical disk be a hassle compared to downloading, but I don't have a drive to put it in...
- echelon 6y ago
  Downloads for consoles always felt like risky propositions. They're DRMed. Once the console is no longer sold or supported, there's no store for you to connect to to validate or re-download your purchase. I don't feel comfortable with them living on an encrypted and unsupported hard disk partition. Do you anticipate playing your games again in 15 years? I like that I can play all of my old N64, Gamecube, and PS2 games on their original media.
- mcphage 6y ago
  I considered switching to mostly digital games for my Switch. Then I bought a Switch Lite for my daughter, and Nintendo's poor handling of digital titles when you own multiple consoles made me wish I had bought all of my titles physically. What we had to settle with: my daughter's Switch is the "primary console", and she can play any of the games I purchased digitally as her user, on her console. My Switch is the "secondary console", so I can only play my digital titles (a) as my own user, so my younger children have to play as my user rather than their own, AND (b) when I am connected to the internet, so I can't play digital titles in a car or on a plane. If I had gone with purely physical titles, I would have neither of those restrictions— and yeah, I do resent paying the same price for digital copies which are less useful.

robjan 6y ago

Think at this stage we're just paying for the IP, regardless of the distribution medium which is just absorbed into the price point. There's also probably an incentive to not undercut in-store sales which would expedite the demise of the game store.

andrewzah 6y ago

Why does it have to be cheaper just because it's not physical? That's how the majority of people get games now. Not only would getting a physical disk be a hassle compared to downloading, but I don't have a drive to put it in...

echelon 6y ago
Downloads for consoles always felt like risky propositions. They're DRMed. Once the console is no longer sold or supported, there's no store for you to connect to to validate or re-download your purchase. I don't feel comfortable with them living on an encrypted and unsupported hard disk partition. Do you anticipate playing your games again in 15 years? I like that I can play all of my old N64, Gamecube, and PS2 games on their original media.
mcphage 6y ago
I considered switching to mostly digital games for my Switch. Then I bought a Switch Lite for my daughter, and Nintendo's poor handling of digital titles when you own multiple consoles made me wish I had bought all of my titles physically. What we had to settle with: my daughter's Switch is the "primary console", and she can play any of the games I purchased digitally as her user, on her console. My Switch is the "secondary console", so I can only play my digital titles (a) as my own user, so my younger children have to play as my user rather than their own, AND (b) when I am connected to the internet, so I can't play digital titles in a car or on a plane. If I had gone with purely physical titles, I would have neither of those restrictions— and yeah, I do resent paying the same price for digital copies which are less useful.