How long until physical copies of new games just aren't worth it anymore?

[Angst]

I'm a collector of physical video games. I love them. I love the box art, that new game smell, the older titles have manuals and artbooks with them etc etc. Its also nice to know I have my collection right there on the shelf, no need for internet connectivity and they all just immediately play.

But a few games this gen don't work well with that mindset.
One example is that the initial copies of the spyro and crash remaster make you download the rest of the game before you can play, rendering the physical copies basically useless. Some switch games are also not playable unless you download the remainder. How much longer until that becomes the norm? Right now, sure you might not get the things like the day 1 patch on the disk, but the vast majority of games are perfectly playable out of the box without updates.

How much longer do you think we have until physical games becomes... pointless?

 

[Indelible]

When it is just a download code in a box, the reason physical PC games are so pointless.

 

[Cess007]

As someone who resells his physical games, exchange or lend them. The answer is never.

 

[FrostweaveBandage]

People still buy vinyls of current albums. Physical editions will have a place, even if it's niche only.

 

[Dylan]

For me it's been for a few years now. Haven't purchased a physical game since the PS3. I don't want any more physical crap in my home than I need.

 

[Deleted member 426]

I actually quite like the idea of a code in a case, I'm surprised so many people are against it. You get some of the benefits of having a games collection, and all the benefits of a digital game. The one major major drawback is reselling games, but I'd assumed that wasn't a problem for games collectors.

Anyway to answer your question. Probably never. There are advantages to physical for publishers too.

 

[Deleted member 9486]

I'm not a collector and rarely replay things. So the only reason I buy physical is so I can eBay games when I'm done and recoup some cost.

So for me it will be not with it when either the market for used physical games dries up and it's hard to sell or enough of what I want is on Gamepass type services that I'm just mostly done buying games period.

That happened years ago for me with music and Spotify and movies and streaming video services. I realized I was almost never utilizing my cds/dvds/Blu-ray's so I threw them in binders and recycled the cases and inserts (outside of 20 or so favorite movies) and quit buying them.

 

[Bigwombat]

Never for me. The deals are too good after awhile that I hope it doesn't end. I don't buy as many physical games as I used to but I'll continue as long as they sell them

 

[Deleted member 9486]

I'm not a collector and rarely replay things. So the only reason I buy physical is so I can eBay games when I'm done and recoup some cost.

So for me it will be not with it when either the market for used physical games dries up and it's hard to sell or enough of what I want is on Gamepass type services that I'm just mostly done buying games period.

That happened years ago for me with music and Spotify and movies and streaming video services. I realized I was almost never utilizing my cds/dvds/Blu-ray's so I threw them in binders and recycled the cases and inserts (outside of 20 or so favorite movies) and quit buying.

I'm not a minimalist or anything. Just frugal and don't see the point in spending money on things I'm not using or displaying clutter that's not being used.

 

[softtack]

Save the turtles.

 

[jaymzi]

When I can sell my digital copies to someone else.

Until then I will keep buying physical.

 

[RadzPrower]

I quit buying physical as a general rule with the 3DS. I own only 8 physical Switch games and those were largely the product of gifting. I also only own two PS4 discs...the two games I got with my original purchase as a bundle deal.

 

[Xando]

Between long ass installs and cheap third party keys the answer is now

 

[Scarlet Spider]

When I can sell my digital copies to someone else.

Click to shrink...

This is where I'm at.

 

[Tohsaka]

If it's just a code in a box, or forces you to download part of the actual game (not just day one patches), it's not worth it.

 

[MP!]

they havent been worth t for years now...
besides usually finding the phisical versions on sale for cheaper...

 

[HighspeedRefleX]

Even if you don't want to sell anything-there are important benefits with using physical copies to the point you can save time and money. To answer your question hopefully not for a long time. Downloads are practical mostly for other reasons.

 

[Cipher Peon]

Never for me.

The disk could literally have nothing on it but a download and it would still be worth it. As long as there's a disk/cart and not a downloadable code in the box, it will always be worth it.

 

[Angst]

Between long ass installs and cheap third party keys the answer is now

Click to shrink...

I wonder if SSD's will significantly decrease install times?

 

[LetalisAmare]

When digital games are at least 15 quid cheaper at launch.

 

[Xando]

I wonder if SSD's will significantly decrease install times?

Click to shrink...

They'll probably reduce it but copying 150GB still takes time

 

[Rob2K19]

Physical till I die.

 

[Dominic Decoco]

 

[Deleted member 55311]

Ummm... Never? Even if the entire game isn't on the cart/disk like it should be you still have a physical "key" for the game. I still find myself trading in games I don't like or that I don't see myself playing more than once. I would be screwed if I bought digital.

 

[Deleted member 10629]

They aren't worth anything for me anymore :D especially discs

 

[Black Chamber]

Not ever.

I love perusing my physical collection of games and the excitement of getting a collector's edition with the actual, physical game inside of it as well as all the amazing accoutrement that accompanies it is second to none.

Physical media needs to stay.

 

[ghibli99]

I'm not much of a collector anymore, but as long as you can still sell and trade them, they'll always be relevant to me, no matter how much they've been patched. Selling is how I fund all of my current game purchases. If they ever introduced serials/keys to physical console games, then I might go digital only because then there's just no point apart from having the physical goods.

 

[Jamesac68]

For many people, physical games have no value right now. For me, I buy everything physical if possible. Small-press publishers are going to keep physical alive as long as people keep buying, and there's no sign that it's going to stop. Console manufacturers will have to make a digital-only machine in order to end the sale of physical games, even if the physical market is only a tiny blip in sales.

 

[Andalusia]

As multiple others have said, as long as a 2nd hand market exists for games I'll always buy physical unless the digital price is insanely cheap (which it rarely is)

 

[mgrimble2]

As long as I can resell the physcial copies, they will have value. I can't afford to buy and play every single game there is so there is a need of a secondary market.

If that ever goes away, well then I guess it's all digital and waiting for crazy sales 6 month to a year after release.

 

[Alucardx23]

I'm a collector of physical video games. I love them. I love the box art, that new game smell, the older titles have manuals and artbooks with them etc etc. Its also nice to know I have my collection right there on the shelf, no need for internet connectivity and they all just immediately play.

But a few games this gen don't work well with that mindset.
One example is that the initial copies of the spyro and crash remaster make you download the rest of the game before you can play, rendering the physical copies basically useless. Some switch games are also not playable unless you download the remainder. How much longer until that becomes the norm? Right now, sure you might not get the things like the day 1 patch on the disk, but the vast majority of games are perfectly playable out of the box without updates.

How much longer do you think we have until physical games becomes... pointless?

Click to shrink...

For what I have seen, digital is eating the physical market at around 6% every year. See how indie games justify not releasing on physical because of the risk, as physical sales slow down you will see the same for AA and finally AAA games. It is difficult to know an exact time or digital sales % for when this will happen, but it will definitely happen.

 

[RoadDogg]

Ever since we got my son his own switch, physical games have become useless. We can buy a digital copy and both play it at the same time on both systems. If our daughter wants a system in a couple years we will be screwed though and physical will be better. Or the market can come around and offer family plans for digital games.

 

[Alucardx23]

People still buy vinyls of current albums. Physical editions will have a place, even if it's niche only.

Click to shrink...

Do you care about the % of new music that is not released on vinyl? Or what % of the music that is being consumed is on any type of physical media?

 

[Bjones]

For me about 5 years ago.

 

[Coolduderedux]

They will always exist and be important until the following exists, imo:

- You can sell / trade / rent digital games
- Nintendo adopts digital backwards compatibility

 

[mantis23]

Physical games will always have value as long as store delisting is a thing. If you wanted to play the Godzilla game on PS4 right now there is no longer a digital option available to you. The game has been removed from digital storefronts and the only way for a newcomer to play it is to buy a physical copy for vastly inflated prices. Last i checked a used copy of Godzilla was selling for $125+

 

[Hobbun]

As someone who collects physical games (i.e. doesn't resell) and has always preferred physical over digital, it's still almost becoming that way now.

Sure, I have the game in the case, but that's it now. No manual any longer. If you didn't have games that required day one patches, or even patches after they released, then I would still argue for physical. But popping in a physical game after 10-15 years, where you no longer have access to download the most current updates and patches, having the physical game doesn't do you a lot of good.

That said, I still buy physical over digital, but I have bought digital more often than I used to, which was never (unless it was the only option).

 

[Panther2103]

It really depends. I collect physical games but the only time I have felt like a purchase has been not worth it is if the game isn't physically there. If I buy something and it comes with a download code.

The only time I could see myself buying digital is if they decided to make digital cost less than physical, but even then I might still shell out more for a physical copy.

 

[Grue]

Click to shrink...

Someone who likes their Pennyworth

 

[Clowns]

from my cold dead hands

 

[LilScooby77]

As long as Comcast rules America with its shitty practices physical will always have a place.

 

[ZeroCoin]

Unless something drastically changes with the way account systems, purchased games, and family units are handled in the near future, physical is always going to be better. It's already annoying having to deal with the occasional minecraft pack, but I'm dreading what is going to happen when my kids are old enough to have their own switch lite and what that is going to mean for me when it comes to managing digital games and DLC.

 

[MulderYuffie]

Hopefully for a long time I give it another console generation at least.

 

[Deleted member 23212]

Physical copies of newer games? Until there is no longer a demand for them. For older games I don't know, I worry about how long they'll go until they stop working, and then if that happens to games I own they'll become essentially worthless.

 

[Firima]

Considering the fact that games which ship on optical media are installing to internal memory and the disc just serves as a useless physical DRM platter, I'm gonna say that ship has already sailed. Switch is a different story, however.

 

[Tali'Zorah]

When digital games actually start getting price cuts like physical ones do. Beyond liking having a physical collection this is the main reason I buy almost everything physically. For example, if I wanted to buy Judgment today my choices are either to buy a physical copy for around £20 off Amazon, or pay £50 for the digital version on the PS store. Why would I ever pay 150% more for a digital copy? Until that is changed there's absolutely 0 reason for me to even consider moving towards digital games.

 

[Link_enfant]

I personally hate the idea of playing unpatched games now that patches a thing. Feels like something's missing and the game isn't as polished/complete as it could.
Of course that doesn't concern older games when patches weren't a thing.

I wonder how many people feel that way.

 

[Deleted member 721]

Whats sucks about digital is that you cant trade or sell the game, and speaking as a non-rich third wold citizen where games are expensive, thats an important thing so you can play more games and to not get broke

 

[FakePlasticTree]

When it stops being cheaper, and my internet is reliable

 

[RF Switch]

2013 for me