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Pssh soilent brad Send a noteboard - 08/07/2010 08:02:31 AM
People like the rights associated with files-on-disc, not the physical material they'e printed on. Digital downloads are typically rife with DRM hassle, and you often have to jump through all kinds of hoops to install on another machine, whether it's one of yours, or one of your friends'. Discs, historically, have not had that issue. You've always been able to take your disc to your friend's house, install it there (without re-downloading or applying for new licenses) and start playing.

Yes, exactly. Spore had a bunch of problems because of their DRM like that.

Obviously, this is the superior experience. However, this isn't to say that getting your bits on plastic (rather than by wire) is superior. Clicking a button anytime, anywhere, and immediately getting the game is vastly preferable to ordering online and waiting for shipping, or driving to a store. I understand that it takes a while to fully download a game on a standard US broadband connection, and that it's faster to go to a store to get the game (if the store is open), but that's just a technological hurdle. The faster broadband connections (Uverse, FiOS, etc) would download most games faster than you could get to the store, and connections will get faster in the future.

I agree that it's easier. Immediately getting the game is preferable to going to the store. But at the same time, you doing get the excitement of opening the box, reading through the manual, and finally putting the game in. See, I like my bits of plastic and paper ;)

ANYway, I agree that, for the moment, discs are better in most cases. The rights management is typically easier (though it's growing more complicated with online machine registration), portability is easier for the non-techie, acquisition is often faster, etc. This will all change, though. All of these problems are solvable with forseeable technology, whereas the problem of instant access to something physical is not.

Yes, the DRM on discs is getting pretty insane (AC2, C&C4). I didn't realize that they were losing that much on pirating of games. I mean... I download a lot, but never games.

Discs are better, but not because they're discs. Net accessibility will reign in the near future.

True.

Heh, this argument's starting to remind me of one I had with my boss back in my video store days. He was absolutely positive that online multiplayer on consoles was a fad that was going to die out in a year :P
soilent brad is PEOPLE!

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Most console gamers still prefer discs over downloads - 05/07/2010 04:58:40 AM 960 Views
For consoles, I definitely prefer discs. I can take it to a friend's house, not fill up my harddrive - 05/07/2010 05:45:22 AM 482 Views
Oh, yes. Steam is awesome - 08/07/2010 07:39:39 AM 591 Views
I prefer discs for consoles, but downloads for my PC. - 05/07/2010 06:20:47 AM 475 Views
Makes sense - 08/07/2010 07:42:42 AM 561 Views
Yeah I definitely prefer a disc - 05/07/2010 10:45:50 AM 495 Views
- 08/07/2010 07:45:02 AM 524 Views
I concur that I would never pay $59.99 for a game download. - 05/07/2010 03:08:29 PM 536 Views
*nod* - 08/07/2010 07:48:01 AM 561 Views
Discs for sure. I don't see them EVER going away. - 05/07/2010 09:40:15 PM 559 Views
I'm the same way - 08/07/2010 07:51:32 AM 558 Views
Unsurprising. Console games are supposed to be portable. *NM* - 06/07/2010 12:58:30 AM 234 Views
I like downloads, but I'm an extremely casual gamer - 06/07/2010 01:16:23 AM 545 Views
I never said gamers don't prefer discs. I just said it's not the plastic that they like. - 06/07/2010 01:50:08 AM 534 Views
my biggest problem with net-accessibility... - 06/07/2010 02:20:18 AM 478 Views
Hm. - 06/07/2010 04:26:37 PM 452 Views
really? when I was using steam for a short bit... - 06/07/2010 04:29:06 PM 522 Views
It does, but you can switch it off. - 06/07/2010 11:58:19 PM 506 Views
hmm, I didn't see that. Thanks *NM* - 07/07/2010 01:58:36 AM 231 Views
Re: Hm. - 08/07/2010 07:36:16 AM 586 Views
Pssh - 08/07/2010 08:02:31 AM 476 Views
Physical copies all the way. - 06/07/2010 11:07:55 AM 480 Views

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