Dead Space 2 is coming out soon and I was wondering which system to get it on then after settling on pc I wondered if I should pick it up in store or just download it off steam? DLC is steadily grabbing more of the market share from discs (one of the reasons why Viacom is selling Harmonix according to GI) but which is the better option for the time being and where does cloud computing fit in all this?
Physical copy pros:
-Tangible, the feeling of actually owning what you paid for remember you don’t truly own DLC
-Isn’t vulnerable to online issues
-Regardless of what happens to your file you can always start a new one
-Physical copies usually have some sort of content like an art book you can’t get digitally
-Can be sold
cons:
-Arguably more vulnerable “mom! watch your st…FUCK!”
-More costly for the developer and publisher
-Limited supply
Digital download pros:
-Easy access no waiting in line at 12AM
-Arguably unlimited supply “fuck my file…oh wait I can reinstall it”
-Cheaper or at least should be
-Takes up less space
Cons:
-A corrupted file, server issues, etc can fuckup your $50
-Bullshit DRM remember what happened with AC2 RC I leave it to you for the writeup on this point:rofl:
-Arguably limited like EA offering timed downloads
You’ll never really own a game unless you own the disk.
I cant do digital downloads unless the game is just that way (ie, PSN and xbox live exclusive games). If it comes on disk, I’m getting the disk.
There are pros and cons for both, but I feel safer having a disk. Hard drives can fail, but that pristine condition disk sitting in my closet for 10 years is still going to work great when I pop it in.
If the music and movie industries are any indication, the video game industry will be moving strongly toward digital distribution as a supplemental delivery mode (already has via PSN and Xbox Live, but to a lesser degree when compared to itunes and Netflix HD Streaming), then eventually, as the primary delivery mode.
If Worst Buy is any idication, then the music industry is going the way of digital in a major way.
Games, due to sheer size, are, as BlackMage notes, going to require larger hardrives, for such to be tenable.
I would also posit faster standard internet would be rather strongly desirable, given the size of games.
But it isn’t a BAD idea, so long as it’s like Steam - where we have infinite DL access.
Not to mention the fact that the hardware costs for the larger (and faster?) hard drives would be mitigated by the lack of need for a disk playing/reading apparatus… which is, let’s face facts, one of the primary things that tend to wear out or break the easiest in any given machine.
I said it in a recent topic (Don’t remember which one_ that I am personally not down with DL only for my games and movies an ish. It doesn’t bother me with music for some reason but for my games and movies i like physical copies and worry about things like the recent development with Sega and Outrun 2 on XBLA and PSN.
You don’t own the game with digital download, you only own the license to play it. Honestly, though, I prefer digital download because I don’t have to worry about losing the game or risk it getting scratched. I don’t know how long the license to play it lasts, but I hope it’s forever, or at least 10-20 years.
There’s some nostalgic comfort about having software on a tangible disc, but when I look at all the outdated software I have sitting in disc form around my computer, I’ll gladly take any PC title as downloadable.
it also looks cooler to have a stack of video game cases infront of your ps3. When your girl brings her heathen child over, you can just show him what games he can play without even turning on the system.
Once you’ve got the data it’s moot. You can do what you want to if you’re smart enough. Luckily for us all there is a fair amount of smart people out there who can plop a digital file onto physical media. Even if it’s streamed, you can emulate the feed server.
What scares me more than any digital download is completely losing dedicated servers. Once the official servers go POOF! it’s emulate or die. Problem is, even if you emulate it there’s bound to be no more than a fraction of the original player base left.
I’ve always thought cartridges and disks to be inconvenient. Running something right off of my computer or console is the way to go if you ask me. Which you did.
