How would you prefer to consume games going forward?

[oni-link]

Question is the title really. How would you prefer to consume games going forward, and why?

You can select multiple options in the poll, so if you would prefer to use several options select the ones you would use

I think I'd prefer physical media and digital downloads, though I'm generally spending more on digital downloads, and I expect that will increase as times goes on

I don't have any interest in a subscription model or a streaming service at present

What about you, Era?

 

[mindsale]

If gaming goes digital or streaming only I stop gaming.

 

[PenultimateFantasy]

id prefer didigtal downloads if the actual ownership wasnrt weird

i do physucal mostly at the moment but only as its significantly cheaper

 

[oni-link]

If gaming goes digital or streaming only I stop gaming.

Click to shrink...

Do you not use digital downloads at all?

I could live with an all digital future, but not an all streaming future

 

[stinkyguy666]

digestible games that you can eat

but seriously I think physical media is important and needs to stick around, but I also like digital games. I usually get physical copies of longer games that I really like and have digital versions of games that I like to play in short bursts, like Smash Bros. or something

 

[Lant_War]

I'm not interested in streaming right now, at least not until I can test it myself.

 

[Toumari]

In this order of priority:

Physical > Digital > Subscription > Streaming.

 

[Deleted member 2254]

Digital, mainly, I want to be able to play even if my connection is absent or wonky. However, subscriptions like Game Pass are a gamechanger for me, as they allow me to keep up with most of the new games at a minimal price. So I'd like that to be the future: with a sub or two be able to get just about all the games I need. But while I'm excited about the streaming future, I want it to remain an option for now, not a necessity: continuing the game on my mobile while I'm not at my home Xbox is intriguing, but I don't see myself substituing the real thing just yet.

 

[SuikerBrood]

I don't do physical games anymore. So when I want to play a game I'd go for digital downloads, a subscription service and possibly a streaming service.

When God of War arrives on PS Now, I'll play that for sure on PC.

 

[Deleted member 42]

Subs or Physical

 

[Deleted member 46493]

Digital. I buy like 5 games a year so the physical savings I'd get through second hand buying and then maybe selling are minimal.

 

[mindsale]

Do you not use digital downloads at all?

I could live with an all digital future, but not an all streaming future

Click to shrink...

I do use digital downloads, but with each method beyond "physical media" your ownership of a product becomes less and less tangible. It became a digital license for as long as it's hosted. Then a stream that you don't even own the file size to. Then just an arbitrary span of time that your subscription lasts.

 

[plié]

Streaming and subs are the future.

Less plastic waste is good for the environment, and i dont care about ownership.

 

[notme2020]

Sticking with physical and digital gaming and im not ready for a game pass service.

 

[Kokonaute]

A mix between physical and digital (but I like physical more). I'm not against subscriptions too. But no streaming for me, my internet is too bad.

 

[The Praiseworthy]

Physically.

If gaming goes digital or streaming only I stop gaming.

Click to shrink...

Same.

I want to own my games physically... to have control over the stuff I bought with my hard earned money to lend them or trade them or sell them.

 

[Dark1x]

Physical for me. Only buy digital when there's no choice and will hold off if a physical version is rumored.

 

[LonestarZues]

Digital > Subscription > Streaming > Physical

 

[Hucast]

Voting digital downloads after telltale games fiasco. Uhuh

 

[Matush]

Physical > Digital > Subscription > Streaming

 

[monmagman]

I'll take physical until it's not a thing anymore.....then I'll go digital.....if eventually everything goes streaming I'll have to do that,but I guess by then it will be a pretty good experience anyway.

 

[Wulfram]

I don't really care. I'll happily mix everything to get the most value for money.

In practice I'm unlikely to go for year long subscriptions, but using month long subscriptions as a sort of rental service can work.

 

[CrazyAndy]

This gen I'm still physical. Next-gen will be fully digital.

 

[Deleted member 15136]

Ever since going PC I've been doing digital, but I do miss having the physical games like I did with consoles.

 

[MonadL]

Digital > Subscription > Streaming > Physical

I have absolutely no desire to have a huge physical gaming collection anymore. I'd also kill for a Netflix style services. Play what I want then cancel at the end of the month like I do with most streaming services.

 

[StrangeRoboMemory]

Mixture of physical and digital -- 90% physical for console (only have a Switch) and, obviously, 100% digital for PC. Not interested in subscription or streaming services.

 

[Clive]

There is something special about having my absolute favorite games on disc so I'd like the option to stay. The only thing I don't care for is streaming subs. I do not want to risk a massive lag spike at the most epic moment in the greatest game ever to ruin the experience but if it can help gaming reach more people without hurting the other options in the poll then I'm all for it existing. I just won't use it myself.

So, I plan to use physical, digital and non-streaming services if they exist in the future.

 

[jroc74]

I voted for all since, well, I like options.

Streaming is last on my list tho, digital at the top.

Note sure if some realize, but remote play is streaming. With it being free right now, I have to vote for that.

 

[entremet]

I prefer digital. I don't want tons of subscriptions. And physical is LOL to me. Not hating on those who prefer it. It's just not my thing anymore.

 

[oni-link]

Voting digital downloads after telltale games fiasco. Uhuh

Click to shrink...

Well people who still have the games installed/downloaded can still use them right?

You could lose a disc, or it could break or scratch, or the servers could go down meaning your disc just contains the un-patched version with no DLC, whereas people who have the game downloaded and installed will still have the DLC and patches

There are pros and cons to both, though I do see your point. It's just that there is more nuance to the situation as opposed to it being black and white

 

[AudioEppa]

Either Digital, Subscription or Streaming.

Physical, can fuck off. Done with that shit last gen.

 

[Vipu]

Digital and sub services.
Digital for the normal gaming and subs for some short cheap bursts of lots of different games.

 

[Nameless]

Digital. Subscription services are great for a month or two here & there, but Digital is so cheap that I can't justify funnelling money into subs as a primary method of gaming. Not counting my main purchases, I'd rather put that $100-$240 per year towards sales.

 

[Bede-x]

If we can somehow find a way to ensure enough consumer protection and a means to preserve the works of the industry, I wouldn't have a problem with digital downloads. The problems come when we've given all control away to large corporations that don't give a shit about anything but profit. That will end up hurting us in the long run.

The streaming future is not something I'm interested in personally. The experience hasn't proven good enough and I'm not willing to give up all control with the art I love. It's fine as an addition to existing ways of aquiring games, but an all streaming future would be a nightmare scenario.

 

[ShinUltramanJ]

What's the difference between a subscription service and a streaming service?

They're both the same thing, to me.

 

[Haubergeon]

I get physical whenever possible, and digital whenever it's something that's online-online anyway, or if it's dramatically cheaper.

The "digital is better for the environment, be a responsible consumer!" thing is just a shitty line to me and reminds me of the Adam Ruins Everything clip where he points out how the earliest anti-littering ad blitzes were all actually corporate propaganda to move the responsibility of keeping the environment clean onto average consumers who could just shame themselves into thinking protecting the environment is their own individual responsibility rather than the responsibility of, you know, the megacorporations that mass-produce garbage. I'm not going to be shamed into giving away all of my ownership rights and forced to give publishers on average more money for the games I buy just because in the span of my entire life I've accumulated a single shelf of plastic. The actual amount there compared to anything else is miniscule - especially if I think about how many bottles of water I consumed just as a child.

 

[honest_ry]

With a nice chianti.

 

[DevilMayGuy]

I goddamn love subscription services. Origin Access Premiere is one of the best deals in gaming, as someone who buys at least 2 EA games a year. I'm in for GamePass once MS starts actually supporting it on PC, and if Ubisoft ever decided to make one as well I would be all in, as someone who buys every assassin's Creed, far cry, and ghost recon game. I'd be paying far less with four or five services than I already do on games. They also give me ample opportunity to try out shorter games I would never buy, like Unravel 1&2, Limbo, and many others, along with "just okay" games like Darksiders 3.

 

[Gakidou]

Yeah digital downloads, I'm happy to go all digital in the future but there's a few reasons i still buy physical now. One of the issues is just hard drive space on consoles. I still expect to pay less for digital games and I think that's fair. Lending games to my family is also kind of a selling point, outside of PC games its hard to just log in somewhere and access your own games.

I also want that assurance that games don't just become un-redownloadable because i very much tend to let games sit on the backlog for some time and expect to be able to go back to them after many years. I never was the sort to trade in old games because I really DO go back to them. I'm playing Empire Earth Gold right now.

Another thing, if storefronts are listening: if you want me to buy your digital games a lot more, HAVE A GIFTING SYSTEM!! I absolutely do buy and receive games through exchanging birthday and christmas presents with friends & family a lot. That probably makes up over 50% of my game purchases in recent years.

 

[Bugalugs214]

A mixture of all, I'll always go for whatevers cheapest, so mainly physical.
Also subs like Gamepass are just so much value so they probably have me for life there.

 

[PrimeBeef]

Unless streaming becomes the only game in town, even then, I may give it up, I stick with the other three.

 

[CrazyAndy]

What's the difference between a subscription service and a streaming service?

They're both the same thing, to me.

Click to shrink...

Subscription services let you download the game?

 

[Apathy]

With some fava beans and a nice chianti....

But joking aside I like a mix of physical and digital purchases

 

[Kneefoil]

Physical + Digital

I don't like having to be subscribed to several subscription services, which I would undoubtedly have to if physical and digital went away. I can also sometimes go months without buying new games, but I keep playing own I already own, so I might have to keep paying for a subscription even if I didn't want new games, because I want to play a game that's part of that service.

Cloud gaming is not yet very appealing to me. Latency issues, and lack of any real ownership of games would suck.

 

[Ganzlinger]

Digital downloads because of the purchase convenience. And the game would be installed in my PC, so I could still mod it. Google Stadia and streaming platforms would make modding impossible.

 

[jroc74]

What's the difference between a subscription service and a streaming service?

They're both the same thing, to me.

Click to shrink...

I look at Game Pass, EAAccess, PSNow.

Game Pass, EAAccess is a sub for digital, PSNow a sub for streaming, digital.

 

[Bede-x]

What's the difference between a subscription service and a streaming service?

They're both the same thing, to me.

Click to shrink...

A subscription service is about the way you pay for the content. A streaming service is about the delievery of the content. They can overlap and often do, but don't have to. At Humble you can subscribe to the Humble Monthly that'll allow you to download DRM free games, you could download and put on a disc and have until the day you die. A streaming service will allow you to stream an image of the game you're playing, but it's not available locally at your location. Only the video stream of it.

 

[Euler007]

If gaming goes digital or streaming only I stop gaming.

Click to shrink...

It's already digital, just bits on your plastic platter.

 

[Transistor]

I prefer physical and digital downloads, but I can live with streaming and subscription if that's what it takes

 

[Deleted member 17207]

Digital downloads all the way, but I'm pretty interested in seeing where streaming technology goes.

That being said, if it DOES work, I'm pretty apprehensive about how it might change the industry...