The movement from physically to digitally sourced games has been a topic since the PS3 and 360 era of consoles. Broadband truly became mainstream in the largest video game markets and access to fast downloads was seen as normal. Over the last two generations, we've moved from multiple aisles dedicated to gaming to single aisles comprised half of hardware and half of what few games are available in most major store chains. It's been a slow and steady creep towards what many have said was the inevitable.
With the Switch 2 putting codes in physical copies instead of actual game files, we're, once again, inching closer and closer to a potential future of digital-only games.
Not to say that, for many gamers, physical hasn't been a concern at all. Steam is fully digital, most games sold on consoles are digital, and mobile, the strongest gaming market still, is entirely digital. However, the demand for physical games is still desired. Not just of importance to those who prefer physical games, but also quite important to gamers in certain countries that don't have access to high-speed internet and tend to be a generation behind the rest of the world. Regardless of those demands or needs, the industry seems to find that the best thing to do is to continue to focus on the capabilities of the large markets that have embraced digital distribution over physical.
What are your thoughts on the continuation of this change in the industry? Are you happy with digital games? Do you feel that those without high-speed internet deserve consideration or that the larger and more profitable markets of the industry should decide what is best?
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IO Interactive is doing their own showcase this Friday and have revealed what is in store.
It may be interesting.
I am curious about their decision to do their own show.
The latest TMNT game aims to replicate the series' history of brawling in a turn-based way. It succeeds well in some areas, but is still in its shell in others.
I would say gaming industry and gaming as a whole is on it’s last legs. Awful and pathetic times. At least good games still come out.
No
It seems like the console hardware makers are trying their best to push us into a digital only future.
I do not think it is on it's last legs as yet since there is a demand for physical games but time will tell.
I get digital games 90% of the time now.
I play on PS5, so anytime I pick up a game, my bro can play at the same time.
It sucks not being able to physically own it, but frankly, there's way too many games that I play that having less games that take up physical space is a win for me.
The only time I condition that entices me to get physical are Collector's Editions, and those don't even come with physical games anymore.
I'm not too hurt not having physical games anymore, because at the rate that we're consuming games, it's a good thing.
I've got a digital library of 1000+ PS games, I'd hate to have 1000 discs lying around. I don't think EBGames even has that many games in their store. lol
And I don't ever hear PC gamers complain that they've gone all digital since Steam came out. When was the last time anyone has bought a physical PC game? Mine were the WoW expansions, and not even the recent ones.
I do wish they change how digital licensing work though, as I'd like to own said digital games.
But, it's not like that'll change any time soon.
with games getting large are we going to see 200GB disc on the next PlayStation/xbox etc? or will we switch back to cards as they can hold more data and can be around 500MB-1GBPS transfer rate if none of them happen most likely be digital future
as for me i went part digital with PlayStation 3 and full digital with PlayStation 4/5 + Nintendo 3ds/switch
having pre-load and playing most at midnight i do like a lot on both PlayStation and Nintendo its also good to have a watch list to see when they go on digital sale
also disc and digital games are now the same size in GB's on most disc/card