Most Gamers Still Prefer Retail Over Digital

[mattttherman3]

Well if the store bought game is the same price, then I will go to the store, because I will get the box, and having a giant game collection on a screen is nice, but not nearly as impressive as filling out a wall or a room.

 

[MindBullets]

With games bought on a disk you don't have to wait for ages while it downloads, during which time you have significantly less bandwidth avaliable.

Other than that, I have no real reason to buy retail anymore.

 

[ChaosTheory3133]

I prefer the digital since my home connection is broadband and if I can get away with not leaving the house. Unfortunately not enough variety in the digital copy download to make it even worth the trouble of downloading.

 

[ultimateownage]

I buy certain games on steam, valve games and small games, you wouldn't buy peggle in the stores would you? If you did you would have to put the cd in every time you play it. I would never buy crysis on steam regardless of the price, they just seem better on cd to me. I like steam because it doesn't require any manufacturing of materials for the case and stuff it can be allot cheaper, but it isn't has cheap on steam any more because of the damn recession, I would never buy a game on steam if it is the same price has in store, then your paying for the box you don't get.

 

[PhoenixFlame]

-and it's gonna stay that way until people get better internet.

Or rather, restrictions on bandwidth are either stepped up to higher levels.

The main obstacle I see to digital delivery taking off is the fact that internet providers have instituted data transfer limits and chokepoints in terms of connection speed. With these in place, I'm wary to really take advantage of any kind of service on a regular basis simply because of bandwidth limitations.

There's also the issue of ownership. If I have a physical copy, I know I have a copy, but if I have a digital copy and I lose it somehow, getting it back inevitably means re-downloading or tons of bureaucratic hoops.

I think digital download has a while.

 

[Beacon]

I don't mind downloading games online. I buy all of my PC games online and I'm hoping that one day I can buy my 360 games online. But...I'm looking for a price decrease. Since I'm not getting a case, not getting a manuel, not helping pay the clerks salary at Gamestop, not paying for the gas it took to deliver the games, not taken part of the delivery process at all, and not helping to pay the rent of the store, and all that other stuff...I shouldn't have to pay the full $60.

I'd need to be able to download it again incase something happens to my hard drive.

And, this maybe pushing it, but since we pay for Xbox live maybe an extra discount of first-party games for the xbox =D

 

[Gormers1]

After Steam changed from dollars to euros, while keeping the same price "number" (i.e if a game went for 20dollars it would cost 20 euros, which is much more expensive), I stopped buying from it. Also, they added taxes 25% taxes even though Norway does not enforce taxes on products bought and downloaded over the web. So games are like twice as expensive now, more expensive than games in stores...

 

[Singing Gremlin]

I love steam. But there's always the risk that your games are only accessible through a service you can't control. Steam won't last forever, and that's what bothers me.

Logically, of course, by the time Steam goes down my games won't even work on modern computers and even if they do I could pick them up for pennies. It doesn't bother me hugely but given the choice I'll get me a hard copy.

 

[Andy Chalk]

I've learned to tolerate Steam (although I still think, and will always think, that the requirement of a broadband net connection to play a strictly single-player game is inexcusable) but I'm one of the 58 percent who's never purchased a digital copy of a game. Hopefully it will stay that way for a long time. As an example, I've been looking for a boxed copy of World of Goo for weeks now; I could easily grab the digital release and be playing the full game tonight, but the box, the disc and everything else are worth the extra effort of tracking it down.

Not to mention, as others already have, that the digital version is actually more expensive for me: The boxed release is 20 bucks CDN while the digital version is (I think) the same price in US funds - which translates to almost 30 hoserbucks. Not that I'm looking to rip anybody off - 30 dollars for World of Goo is still pretty reasonable - but getting a sexy box to sit on my shelf and paying less for it? I can't say no to that.

 

[Nivag the Owl]

I still prefer to buy my games in the box mainly because downloading anything over 1GB is completely unreasonable for me.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Congratulations. Your masterful manipulation of numbers has proven to all beyond any shadow of a doubt that you desperately need to find a girlfriend.

 

[MrHappy255]

The big issue with me is I still like a hard copy and yes I know you can mirror a dvd but you know what, I just like the pretty boxes and disc art.

 

[darrinwright]

Maybe I'm just a bit old-fashioned, but if gaming ever goes strictly digital distribution, it'll be the day I hang up my controller, so to speak.

1) Lose that digital copy and you may not get it back.
2) Hard copy, officially made by the company = you can play on more than one system. With DRM, digital copies may not get that luxury.
3) Like others said, boxes and discs are pretty. In a manly way.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

I don't know about you but I prefer actually owning the game. I see buying something digital as having something lent. If I bought a game off steam, and Valve decided they didn't like me, I'd loose that game forever.

Call me paranoid, thats just the way I feel about it.

 

[Vladamir69]

if you download the game you will never be able to return it for a new game. that is some important money saving you could be doing instead of buying it online.