Digital versions of games against physical

In the distant 90s, people could not even imagine that in the future, in addition to the game library, there would be digital. With the growth of progress, we have become available to digital distribution services, which suggest at a minimum of actions to purchase the necessary product. However, those who wish “Take” Acquired, a huge amount. So what is better, digital copies or physical? Let’s figure it out.

A little story

The ancestor of digital distribution stores can be safely calledSteam. To this service, no matter how difficult it is to guess, people at first treated skeptical. There were several reasons for. First, the initial version, to put it mildly, lagal. The developer had to make a lot of effort so that their brainchild would work stably. Secondly, the Internet speed in those days forced to wait for the game for several hours, not to mention the fact that the computer still needed time to install. And finally, thirdly, people simply did not understand why a digital store was needed, to which (at that time) There was no confidence. The game could be bought in retail and it forever remained the property of the buyer, while the digital analogue, in view of its doubtful popularity, could bent at any time.

This is what the first version of Steam looked like

But time passed, the Internet speed grew, Steam was masterfully polished by developers, adding new and convenient functions. A number of analogues from third -party companies appeared (PSN, Origin and.T.D.). If earlier I didn’t have to think about it, and in view of the convenience of acquiring a physical copy it was easier, now the choice was not so unambiguous.

When Steam’s success was obvious, EA and Ubisoft were hastened. No one wants to pay a commission for selling your games when you can make your own store with Blackjack and EA Access

Convenience of digital distribution services https://noverificationcasinos.co.uk/poker-sites-without-verification

In fact, digital copies are much more convenient than physical. Boxes, in large quantities, take up a lot of space, while a digital copy lies in the library and does not bother anyone. In addition, the search for a game purchased in a digital distribution store takes much less time than the search for the necessary among physical copies (provided that the library consists of at least 20 games).

The pluses of digital versions do not end there. From an economic point of view “number” is an order of magnitude more profitable. For example, Steam brought their frenzied popularity discounts. Winter sales, special thematic discounts, weekend discounts and many others. An undoubted advantage is the return of funds that have recently adopted more and more services. The buyer has a choice – to purchase a digital version with an impressive discount and the ability to return the money or spend your time going to the store and buy the same game, but more expensive. The developer also receives its benefit. He does not have to spend money on the production of physical copies, and if from the shelves of the box of the box, after a certain time, they disappear, then they live in digital form a lot longer. Although the same Steam has its own sales commission, there are other analogues, its own developers’ services.

So, to play World of Warcraft is time, but do us do Half-Life 3, no!

Also, the heyday of digital distribution has become a real gift of fate for the developers. This type of distribution allows you not to look for the publisher to promote his game, but to let them out onto the counting store. Although Steam is literally teeming, various qualities, indie projects, the emergence of digital distribution services, the industry has benefited. I wouldn’t see the light without them Limbo, Braid, Papers, Please, to the Moon and many other standards of indie. By the way, other digital sites do not allow themselves to have such an extensive list of indie games, in view of the extensive availability of low-quality projects.

Boxing copies are not lagging behind

Nevertheless, many players remained adherents of boxed copies, as they say. About half of the sales falls precisely for “physics”. There are several reasons for. Most games at the start are the same, both in retail stores and in digital. In a place to purchase, for example, a game for PS4 in PS Store and play it alone, you can buy a disk and share it with a friend. In addition, many like to just collect games. Filled shelves with disks do not always look bad.

There is nothing to play 🙁

Although the current digital sites work mainly stably, the fact that if the servers suddenly fall, the Internet will turn off, it will be impossible to download the already purchased game. Not to mention the fact that even if the servers work, so far, not everyone has a good / stable Internet. In the place of immediately installing the product, you have to wait first until the game is loaded (although by installing the game from the disk, usually you immediately have to wait for uploading updates from the network).

Lizard Squad at one time put servers to various digital distribution stores. Including PSN, Battle.Net, Xbox Live. Now there are no threats on their part, but who knows when new “lizards” appear

So what is better?

On the one hand, we have very convenient services that allow without leaving home, without fear that everything will be bought in the store, to purchase the desired. On the other, acquiring a physical copy, we feel more confident. Which of this is better? This is a subjective matter, but one cannot deny the fact that digital distribution services, every year, are becoming more and more convenient. Discounts and many different bonuses leave far behind boxing versions far behind. Only now there is always a chance that your account will be hacked, information about the credit card can receive scammers, the whole library can be lost in a moment, giving your password not in those hands.
Still, we slowly but surely approach the rejection of physical carriers, in favor of the convenience of digital stores. There are too many advantages and opportunities to offer us this type of distribution, while “physics” does not offer anything new.