Poll: So pc gamers . Do you still buy your pc games at retail stores?
- Thread starter krazykidd
- Start date
Sometimes, it depends on how expensive it is compared to digital. I mostly buy digital now because the prices often aren?t even close unless it's a big budget AAA title that has only just been released and I don't often buy new releases. Hell its cheaper to get games sent to me than to buy them in store.
For example
Portal 2 retail: $100 NZD
Portal 2 steam: $37 NZD
Metro 2033 retail: $90 NZD
Metro 2033 steam or D2D: $24 NZD
There really is no contest. I prefer having a physical copy but not enough to pay that much more.
For example
Portal 2 retail: $100 NZD
Portal 2 steam: $37 NZD
Metro 2033 retail: $90 NZD
Metro 2033 steam or D2D: $24 NZD
There really is no contest. I prefer having a physical copy but not enough to pay that much more.
Most often I will use Steam but if it's a game I'm really anticipating and really, really want I'll still buy a physical copy, possibly even a collector's edition like I did with Deus Ex Human Revolution (which in retrospect wasn't really all that worth it).
Nope, honestly if you have a credit card there is absolutely no point to go to a retail store for a PC game, hell a lot of games that require you to install steam have very little data on the actual disk, it ends up being a small pre install that prompts you to register on steam and then steam downloads the game from their servers. So why bother having a disk?
I don´t buy PC games in stores. It´s cheaper to buy the game over internet stores and you get the games sent home to you 
It really depends on the game, I'm really looking forward to picking up a boxed copy of Diablo III because at least in my previous experience they've always done great manuals with their games that flesh out the worlds of their games and so on.
On the other hand I love the deals you can get on Steam sometimes and I'll pick up older games on there for dirt cheap and I don't mind dropping a few bucks now and then on some of the cool little indie games they have. Beat Hazard and Super Meat Boy are a couple of my favorite casual games.
The last PC game I purchased at retail was another copy of C&C Generals to replace the discs that I lost a while back, it was only $4.99 plus tax.
On the other hand I love the deals you can get on Steam sometimes and I'll pick up older games on there for dirt cheap and I don't mind dropping a few bucks now and then on some of the cool little indie games they have. Beat Hazard and Super Meat Boy are a couple of my favorite casual games.
The last PC game I purchased at retail was another copy of C&C Generals to replace the discs that I lost a while back, it was only $4.99 plus tax.
One day I went to buy a PC game after having played the demo. I searched Futureshop, Bestbuy and EB games(At EB I also saw another lost PC gamer looking for the PC section only to be directed to a single small shelf at the back of the store. We looked at each other with dismay and I said it's like they want us to "download" PC games). None of the stores had heard of the game I wanted. I went home disappointed until I thought I'll see if I can buy it online.
The first item on the google search was Steam selling the game at a reasonable price. Until that day my thoughts about Steam were mostly negative, however I figured what the hell as I already had it installed for another game and I really wanted the game I was looking for. The purchase was painless and I was playing the within 45 minutes of buying it.
Since that day I decided to buy all my PC games online. The convenience and lack of disc swapping is what keeps me going back to digital distributors. Retailers gave up on PC, the only games they have are the Triple A games. Also with all the Steam sales I've been able to play a wider variety of games than I normally would have paying full price. When I go to shell out $50 - $60 on game I really have to consider if it's worth it.
If you have highspeed Internet there is very little reason to buy a boxed copy of a game unless you like that collectors edition garbage($150 for Skyrim collector edition! That cheap dragon and art book are not worth 90 bucks.)
The first item on the google search was Steam selling the game at a reasonable price. Until that day my thoughts about Steam were mostly negative, however I figured what the hell as I already had it installed for another game and I really wanted the game I was looking for. The purchase was painless and I was playing the within 45 minutes of buying it.
Since that day I decided to buy all my PC games online. The convenience and lack of disc swapping is what keeps me going back to digital distributors. Retailers gave up on PC, the only games they have are the Triple A games. Also with all the Steam sales I've been able to play a wider variety of games than I normally would have paying full price. When I go to shell out $50 - $60 on game I really have to consider if it's worth it.
If you have highspeed Internet there is very little reason to buy a boxed copy of a game unless you like that collectors edition garbage($150 for Skyrim collector edition! That cheap dragon and art book are not worth 90 bucks.)
Both. Which is my point. You can't point to Origin and go "OMGWTF EVIL TOS" (which they even changed by the way, not that anybody knows that, because gaming sites won't report it), and not say the same for Steam's.rayen020 said:
Hell Steam's even has a liability clause that says if Steam fucks up your computer, you can't fault them.
Sometimes, usually only when I'm buying games that are a bit older in the 2 for £10 section, got crysis and batman arkham asylum last time I did that!
Otherwise, it's generally cheaper to either get it off steam during one of their many sales, or order from amazon or something.
Otherwise, it's generally cheaper to either get it off steam during one of their many sales, or order from amazon or something.
I consider anything that sends me a hardcopy to be "retail"; actually going into a store is far too much effort. I check GAME, Amazon, Play etc every now and then to see if they have better deals but after postage it generally isn't worth it. Haven't bought a game in a fair few months anyways though (excluding gears 3) although I did get that Tau DLC for DoW2: Retri .... try selling me that in a box >.>
There are no stores that sell games here, we had a video store but it closed like a decade ago
As with practically every specialized item, i order it posted to me
As with practically every specialized item, i order it posted to me
When I buy in retail, I usually order them from a big Dutch shopwebsite. They have almost everything, atleast they got more than the retail shops in the local shopping centres.
However, I'm rather clingy to my coins, and I tend not to buy much at all. Except during the Steam Sales - killer deals as a game for 3-7 euro? Won't get cheaper than that.
I do prefer having a box though. A physical product feels more right to me than a datafile on a computer, even if the box only has the code with which I can DL the game.
However, I'm rather clingy to my coins, and I tend not to buy much at all. Except during the Steam Sales - killer deals as a game for 3-7 euro? Won't get cheaper than that.
I do prefer having a box though. A physical product feels more right to me than a datafile on a computer, even if the box only has the code with which I can DL the game.
Yes, as someone living in Australia (Game cost 90$ over here).
There is no point in buying AAA release digitally unless they use American pricing (almost never happened).
If I'm paying the same amount of money anyway, I don't mind walking 10 minutes to the mall to get an actual physical copy. And as an added bonus I don't have to wait hours for my game to download.
However, for impulse buys i migrated to digital exclusively.
There is no point in buying AAA release digitally unless they use American pricing (almost never happened).
If I'm paying the same amount of money anyway, I don't mind walking 10 minutes to the mall to get an actual physical copy. And as an added bonus I don't have to wait hours for my game to download.
However, for impulse buys i migrated to digital exclusively.