VIDEO Do you download games or buy discs?

This year Microsoft started the "Deals with Gold" promotion program to try and convince Xbox gamers that Xbox Live Gold memberships were still relevant and worth their dime. So every couple weeks, you see indie games available for free download or big studio games available at considerable discounts for download (some games are posted at 50-85% discounts currently).

That said, now more than ever, I've been downloading games via Xbox Live. I had a friend over today and we tried the demo of NHL 2015. We liked it so much that I decided to impulse-buy it on Live.

My Xbox One's storage space is now 90% full.

I'm wondering if anyone else has found themselves caught up in the convenience of downloadable games (only to later deal with the inconvenience of limited storage space), or do most people still go out and buy physical copies of their games.

The only thing I miss about physical discs is their potential trade-in value. The only game that I currently play that's on disc is Assassin's Creed Unity, and sometimes I don't even bother because of the inconvenience of digging through the shelf for it (omg, I've become a person from Wall-E...).

 

Depends on the game, I find. Though most of my recent purchases are GOG downloads.

 

Given Nintendo's refusal to connect digital purchases with an account rather than a console, I tend to stick to physical copies. Plus I can actually sell the game afterward if I decide I hate it. (Looking at you, Wind Waker HD.)

 

It depends on which is cheaper. Physical copies are obviously better for selling off when I'm done with them, but regrettably the convenience of digital has got the better of my business sense many a time.

As for my hard drive space, I'm still on PS3, and I ran out of space long ago since I became a Plus member. It also pains me to see that I've made many impulsive purchases that I'm never going to play, just because they were discounted. I'm looking at you, Crysis!

 

Disk whenever possible, though given the rise of Steam, disks are becoming meaningless for PC, which irritates me a lot.

 

I download these days, mainly due to space saving. But also because it's harder to find game stores these days & Steam is right there with better deals.

I only buy hard copies of Star Wars games, as I will do with Battlefront

 

Why do you prefer digital? Is it the convenience?

I myself have been going the digital route for movies. Xbox usually gets new movies a month or so before their bluray release dates, and at cheaper prices. However, there is no such time and financial benefits to digital downloads via Xbox Live (not unless you wait 6-12 months for big blockbuster games to get their prices slashed).

 

I prefer physical copies as my internet connection is too slow for digital. Nearly all my digital games have been Games with Gold ones or things like Minecraft as I got a huge discount on the Xbox One. Also, you get some GotY editions that have all the DLC in one handy package at a reduced cost, you don't get that with digital. Some, like the Fallout games, have the DLC on a disk too so buying them used is a good way to get it all for a lot less. Sometimes I don't have a choice though, and games are digital only.

 

I'm more likely to buy a disc to save on HD space, but I'll obviously download smaller titles and indie games. I'm looking forward to playing Rogue Legacy on my PS4 later this week.

 

90% digital. I'm on PC. Even if I were to buy disc for recent games they all use Steam so it's pointless. I do buy older games on disk once in a while to collect and I buy from GOG cause even though it's digital, it's DRM free

 

I personally buy only digitally except for used games, otherwise I am usually buying steam on Games on Demand or Steam.

 

I've always been a fan of physical copies because as a gamer I was raised on the idea of "owning" the game. I predict that in the next ten years, as the internet becomes more streaming based and less about downloading, that as physical retail is diminished that gaming will in fact be more about having a license or a subscription to play a game of choice rather than actually owning a copy. In other words, you access the game you pay for rather than installing it or downloading it and uninstalling it at your will. This is why I'm a fan of physical copies, because it gives you that option. Digital distribution is fast moving more toward the licensing/streaming approach I spoke of.

 

Sure if you completely ignore the fact that, with the exception of really big companies like EA and Ubisoft, more and more PC developers are favoring a DRM-free approach which streaming is wholly incompatible with. Streaming based consoles (Which I'd consider a second matter entirely) will not be the norm until the internet in the United States isn't total ass.

 

Usually buy the disc

 

There are a lot of games I have no interest in replaying, or that I find are too short for me to justify the price. Not objectively, mind you. But for me personally. For those reasons, I would highly welcome a streaming plan along the lines of Netflix and Spotify, where for a monthly fee you have access to a vast library to play at will. I realise that is not entirely feasible at present, though. But I assume it will become the norm at some point.

 

Yes but how long is that approach sustainable for? It's great that there are a large number of development studios doing it and I support many independent developers, but there was also a time where my local EB Games sold second hand PC games. They've completely stopped this since most of the titles sold require Steam Activation, even if you are able to run the game independent of Steam after unlocking. To me it's a sign of things to come when it comes to the control that the industry will want to have over gaming. Of course, I sincerely hope I'm wrong but movie and music industry is heading this way so it's hard to see how future distribution of gaming will not.

 

ITT console gamers discover Steam.

 

OnLive tried a few years back. Obviously it didn't work.

 

I buy most of my games during Steam sales. I have bought the discs in the past, and don't mind doing so, but it's been cheaper to buy keys recently because of the exchange rate. However that's no longer an advantage.

Consoles have always been discs, I only have a 40gb HD in my PS3. Never bothered to replace it.

 

I didn't realize this. Thank you! Guess the games I have downloaded are console-replaceable anyway (Mario Kart etc). I was having some regrets of buying a physical copy of Pikmin 3 but not anymore.


Overall I prefer the convenience of downloading. I might consider a physical copy for Kingdom Hearts 3 to have it alongside 1 & 2 ala what I did with Pikmin 3.

 

i do both, but if the price is not bad, i prefer discs. then if something happens you can easily reinstall. if you lose your pc or at least have the hard drive go out it is still there

 

Agreed. If my HDDs die on me It wouldn't take all that long to reinstall from a disk, but with the size of games these days it could take several hours or even days to install some of them.

 

Xbox One requires that disc games be installed anyway. I don't understand why (I figured it must be some leftover requirements from their old and unpopular DRM policy).