Disc-Based Games Will Be Around Forever

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I have to agree with this guy, even though digital downloads are great, disc-based games aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Disc-based games will be around forever," he says. “The market has seen physical music sales down 50% from its peak and physical movie sales down 60% from its peak, but even in a doomsday scenario, disc-based games will be around for a long time.
 
Replace 'disc' with 'physical media' and this article becomes much more accurate imo
 
Kalabalana said:
Replace 'disc' with 'physical media' and this article becomes much more accurate imo
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Good point. There's just something about possessing tangible items that's lost on digital media.
I know that for myself, when it comes to music I prefer own CDs over digital media. I can't stand not having cover art and lyric sheets. For video I prefer physical media containing all the extras, which tend to be omitted from their digital counterparts.
For games, steam/origin/etc. make sense since it's organized and you don't have to keep track of discs, but it's also a form of DRM that while not obnoxious, is still DRM.
 
I'd rather not have to deal with disc stuff. I mean, sure its okay and everything, but it just means that computers have to waste space inside of them with slow, noisy drives that are used like almost never. Ooooor I have to keep some dumb USB optical drive around. Oooor I have to do something painfully annoying that wastes a buncha my time to turn it into an ISO file that I can mount virtually. No matter like how you do it, its just silly. I'm totally okay with just having like a big installer file thing I download and click-y-click on to use. If I wanna put it on a disc, then I can, but if I don't then there's no need to have like a dumb optical drive.
 
I like the option, but for movies I tend to buy blurays (if i need to see it more than once) but for music and games I get digital because I don't like having to find a disc or due to negligence, leave it laying around and it gets scratched or stepped on.
 
Kalabalana said:
Replace 'disc' with 'physical media' and this article becomes much more accurate imo
Click to expand...

I agree. I think optical disc itself is close to it's physical limits, at least without involving any new tech that are too complex and will drive up the media cost when compared to other storage media such as flash storage.
 
I really do not want anything that requires a disc to install, if I need a flash drive fine, but please keep your CDs, DVD,s Blueray argh
 
When was the last time anyone here purchased a PC game on physical media?
 
I haven't seen or used any physical media for games, movies OR music in years now.

None of my computer builds for the last 5 years have even had optical drives. (I do keep a portable USB drive around, just in case though)

For all intents and purposes, as far as I am concerned, physical media might as well no longer exist.
 
I don't know about that, look at the lagging CD and DVD/Bluray markets as an example. I stopped buying music and movies on disc a while ago. What games really need is a more robust system for backing them up. My music, I have plenty of copies of so I'm secure that I won't lose it. I'd like to feel the same way about my games collection. If Steam disappeared tomorrow I'd like to be able to just pull my games off my backup drive. Once that happens I won't care about game media either.
 
For quality I always get physical media. I buy blu rays and audio cds . Not that I really buy much music any more. Only time I listen to it , is in the gym streaming. If they could have better audio over streaming for movies I might convert more. But having a detected theater for movies I don't want to watch crapy compressed video with low quality audio. I think physical media will be around until every one has at least 100 ti 300 Meg Internet in there home where everything can be streamed in full quality, instantly.
 
For games, I go digital for the most part. Even with some cool physical goodies via Kickstarter (Wasteland 2 for example), I was playing the game for months before I got my physical good. Yay digital! I can see physical media being around forever for consoles tho. I just do. PCs? Pretty much only as "collectors" editions and what not.

Movies? Haven't bought one since my kids were little. I rarely watch a movie more than once so streaming works perfectly for me.
 
Exavior said:
When was the last time anyone here purchased a PC game on physical media?
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About a month ago, bought Dying Light. I hoped to save a lot on the download time though it still needed over 6GB downloaded (so saved about 1/2 over a 100% download which at my speeds translates to about 6 hours saved). It didn't hurt that the cost was 1/2 what the Steam Price was and Amazon got it to me in two days.
 
I mostly buy console games in physical form. I can resell them, loan them to friends, or most often, I mail them to my sister, so her kids have different games to play.

For PC, physical or digital, Whichever ends up easier. Sometimes I'm at the store and the physical copy is there and I just pick it up. Either way, all of them get tied into some online services and I never have to use that physical copy ever again. I did order Fallout 4 Pipboy Edition...cause Pipboy.

For movies, music, etc. I buy the physical. I just rip them both and toss the discs on the shell. With blurays, I always search for the one that has a digital online copy. Again, so my sister has access to the online version and can watch it at home.
 
I still buy physical media (mostly for movies) and the occasional game (in Collector's Editions) ... however, when there was a reliable and stable digital repository I much prefer that to physical ... I will often Netflix shows I have on disc for the convenience of not switching discs ... I enjoy the convenience of digital games with auto patching, no disc swapping, and no wear or degradation (or losing discs) ... Although physical may never disappear (just as physical music in both analog and digital hasn't), it should become a smaller and smaller specialized niche product
 
kbrickley said:
I still buy physical media (mostly for movies) and the occasional game (in Collector's Editions) ... however, when there was a reliable and stable digital repository I much prefer that to physical ... I will often Netflix shows I have on disc for the convenience of not switching discs ... I enjoy the convenience of digital games with auto patching, no disc swapping, and no wear or degradation (or losing discs) ... Although physical may never disappear (just as physical music in both analog and digital hasn't), it should become a smaller and smaller specialized niche product
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I rip all my movies. One time, then put away the disc. Haven't had to disc swap for many years.
 
Considering AAA titles are already creeping into 50GB territory and a lot of people still have either really poor internet speeds, bandwidth caps, or both. Games are only going to get bigger and until at least bandwidth caps are addressed physical media will be around for quite a while
 
Exavior said:
When was the last time anyone here purchased a PC game on physical media?
Click to expand...
Fallout 4 is coming for me in physical format next month. Most recent for me excluding preorders was The Witcher 3.
 
Kalabalana said:
Replace 'disc' with 'physical media' and this article becomes much more accurate imo
Click to expand...

Agreed. And on the music front, I never buy digital music (unless Amazon gives me a credit and there's a song I want). I'm a bit more open to digital games, because for me Games aren't something I tend to replay 5 years later, while a good album gets replayed for decades. Movies I don't do digital, because at this point, disks are significantly better quality.
 
Who cares as long as you can remove the DRM so you don't have to connect to an online server in order to play your damn game. Talking about digital v. physical media is meaningless when store copies are just an installer where you still have to connect to Steam.
 
Armenius said:
Fallout 4 is coming for me in physical format next month. Most recent for me excluding preorders was The Witcher 3.
Click to expand...

Have to say that you are probably rare if you are buying all your pc games still on disc

Zarathustra[H];1041886163 said:
I think Half Life 1 in 1998 was the last time for me.
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Everything else on steam?

nilepez said:
GTA IV? I'll probably buy GTA V on physical media, but if Steam has it at a deep discount, I'd go that way.
Click to expand...

So have you not purchased any games between GTA IV and whenever you decide to purchase GTA V? Or have they all been digital download? Which is kind of what I was trying to hit at. Most people just buy things on steam. To be honest, I normally don't even see many if any PC games for sell at stores, there are digital download cards and that is about it.
 
Haven't bought a CD for PC games in a long time (probably Guild Wars 1 + Expansions). I do buy games for consoles on physical media though.
 
Exavior said:
Everything else on steam?
Click to expand...

Mostly steam. Some GOG, or direct downloads for titles I got as gifts with video cards (most of which I have owned for years and never played, like Just Cuse 2, Hawx 2, Dead Space and Dirt3)

I was in a pretty intense International Baccalaureate high school program in 1998, so while I bought HL1 I didn't have much time to finish it until after I graduated.

Then, in college starting in 1999, I played some older Quake2 deathmatch games until I discovered Counter-Strike which became 90% of my gaming throughout college. I also played some other games, but they were all HL1 mods, so I didn't ahve to worry about buying any more games until CS-Source/HL2 came out, and those I bought on steam.

The rest is history. Everything since has been on steam GOG or the rare direct downloads above.
 
Exavior said:
When was the last time anyone here purchased a PC game on physical media?
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Valve Orange Box. Then entered the Key into Steam. Never took the media outta the box. I imagine that physical media will survive longer for consoles than for the PC.

FWIW: I'm certain that Paul Raines wants to keep Disc/physical media alive forever. I've stood in line behind the meth heads @ Gamestop selling back a week-old title for $20 that will hit the shelf @ $40-$50 before the end of the day. I buy gift cards and my kids buy a lot of stuff there. While the exchange rate on used games sickens me, they do have a rather generous and hassle free guarantee on the used games and hardware they sell.
 
timberwolf said:
Valve Orange Box. Then entered the Key into Steam. Never took the media outta the box. I imagine that physical media will survive longer for consoles than for the PC.

FWIW: I'm certain that Paul Raines wants to keep Disc/physical media alive forever. I've stood in line behind the meth heads @ Gamestop selling back a week-old title for $20 that will hit the shelf @ $40-$50 before the end of the day. I buy gift cards and my kids buy a lot of stuff there. While the exchange rate on used games sickens me, they do have a rather generous and hassle free guarantee on the used games and hardware they sell.
Click to expand...

Also wanted to add:
It is also refreshing to see a brick and mortar taking steps to keep up with the times and remain viable rather than letting it die a slow stagnant death.

Wait until they figure out how to buy back and resell digital downloads.
 
Exavior said:
When was the last time anyone here purchased a PC game on physical media?
Click to expand...

I buy most games at retail because it's about 40% or sometimes even 50% of Steam's price. not a hard choice here
 
Exavior said:
So have you not purchased any games between GTA IV and whenever you decide to purchase GTA V? Or have they all been digital download? Which is kind of what I was trying to hit at. Most people just buy things on steam. To be honest, I normally don't even see many if any PC games for sell at stores, there are digital download cards and that is about it.
Click to expand...

Mostly digital when they're dirt cheap on Steam. I've been in a non-gaming mode for most of the past 5 years. If I was, buying a new release, I'd get a physical copy. I've still got copies of games going back to Ultima (ziplock and all). The nice thing about a physical game is you can always sell it when you're done. In fact, I think my copy of WC II was bought second hand (and I still have that too).

However, once a game drops to 5 or 10 bucks, I'll just get it from steam.
 
Exavior said:
Have to say that you are probably rare if you are buying all your pc games still on disc.
Click to expand...
Well, I only do it for that sexy swag. The Witcher 3 Collector's Edition was worth every penny.
 
i just like physical media. probably because i grew up primarily with consoles.

i still have my HL1, UT99, and rainbow 6 boxes and discs.

plus cartridges, in all theyre varying sizes, shapes, and color, are just cool.
 
Zarathustra[H];1041886484 said:
Where do they even sell PC games in retail these days?
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I miss browsing the aisle in best buy, looking at the fancy boxes with screenshots and descriptions, deciding what game looks fun to buy. Ill never have that again :(

Now the best they do is a small box with a redeem code inside.

I'm slowly creeping into the "git off mah lawn" crowd....
 
I miss getting a huge manual with my PC games. Now you're lucky if you get a pamphlet with anything more than teaching you how to enter a disk and safety warnings. I loved the World Circuit and F1GP2 manuals that each gave a breakdown of every track and gave expert advice on driving and setting up your car.
 
Armenius said:
I miss getting a huge manual with my PC games. Now you're lucky if you get a pamphlet with anything more than teaching you how to enter a disk and safety warnings. I loved the World Circuit and F1GP2 manuals that each gave a breakdown of every track and gave expert advice on driving and setting up your car.
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Falcon 4.0........Man I love that game, and THAT was a manual lol
 
Reminds me of having to pull up the manual in order to answer questions, to prove you hadnt pirated the game :p

(Distributing scans of the manual was much more difficult in the early to mid 90's :p )
 
I buy DVDs and Blu-Rays for movies and television seasons, I buy games via digital download from GOG (my all time favorite digital download game platform), Steam, and Origin, and I prefer to buy music that I can instantly download vs. CDs, though I do make an exception for albums remastered by Rock Candy Records, as they often contain bonus tracks, expanded CD booklet artwork, and a new ~3,000 word essay by legendary metal journalists. Also, out of print CDs that aren't available on Amazon's Digital Music store I will track down and buy if they're from artists that I like.
 
Zarathustra[H];1041886649 said:
Reminds me of having to pull up the manual in order to answer questions, to prove you hadnt pirated the game :p

(Distributing scans of the manual was much more difficult in the early to mid 90's :p )
Click to expand...

Back when I was using a Commodore Amiga 1000 and was chronically broke, I would rent games for 3 days at a time from a local software business, then copy the floppies and photocopy the manuals so that I could continue playing them after the game was returned. Since then I have frequently purchased those same games when they became available on more modern platforms and operating systems.
 
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