| 4 MAY 2007 at 7:36pm |
SusanGuild Master
Posts : 5485
Joined: 13 OCT 2002
Location: 0
Status : Offline | I get the appeal of DD, but I still like the boxes, even if they take up room. I'm currently searching for a book that's out of print and only available digitally. It's half the cost of the original book. But guess what? Give me the physical book!
I want to be able to pop in a CD/DVD and have a colorful game box to sit with my other boxes. Nor do I want to mess with having to make a backup of the game myself on a plain-looking generic burnable CD that looks like the other generic CDs that came with it.
I miss my Bubba: 1986 - 2006.
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| 4 MAY 2007 at 7:46pm |
RecklessJourneyman
Posts : 962
Joined: 14 NOV 2002
Status : Online | I just don't buy anything that's delivered in digital format only. Also, the price almost never reflects the fact that there's several middle 'men' removed from the money chain and the obvious lack of physical packaging. Being a stubborn person I'm willing to miss the item in question!
I would add that supporting an Indie developer is a different matter however...
[url=http://leisuresuitlarry.dyndns.org/]Leisure Suit Larry Archive Site[/url]&&[url=http://www.adamhearn.co.uk]Hearn Garage[/url]
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| 4 MAY 2007 at 8:37pm |
Jenny100Guild Master
Posts : 3510
Joined: 12 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | You should probably distinguish between downloaded games that have limitations on where and when you can install and those that don't.
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| 4 MAY 2007 at 8:46pm |
The WolfboySorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 304
Joined: 16 FEB 2006
Status : Online | I have no interest in digital delivery games.
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| 4 MAY 2007 at 10:05pm |
KsandraSchattenjger
Posts : 2459
Joined: 2 APR 2003
Status : Online | I can see the appeal of digital delivery, both to developers and to (some) players, but I'm not a fan of it myself. For small, free games it's fine, but I'm not prepared to spend six-and-a-half hours downloading something the size of your average CD game. In that amount of time I could simply have gone down to the local shops, bought a copy and have been playing it for several hours already. I'm not a fan of the episodic model either - I like my games in one big block, not bite-sized chunks.
I guess I might be more keen in future if I get a faster Internet connection, but only if developers ditch annoying and intrusive copy-protection methods such as online activation. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem very likely.
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| 4 MAY 2007 at 10:24pm |
AndromusGuild Master
Posts : 5538
Joined: 6 NOV 2002
Status : Offline | What Susan said. I want a physical copy of the game that I can install or uninstall when I want without having to deal with limited activations, or remembering where I saved the activation key, or any of the other potential hassles that downloaded games have.
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| 4 MAY 2007 at 11:28pm |
| Deleted User | I think it's safer the traditional method of CD or DVD
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| 4 MAY 2007 at 11:44pm |
MissBSchattenjger
Posts : 2217
Joined: 15 OCT 2002
Status : Online | I love it in most situations. I especially love that I can rent a movie from Amazon.com, download it to my Tivo, and be watching it within minutes. C'mon.....that ROCKS!!
If I like it, I'll buy a used copy for half the price at the video store.
The games I've downloaded so far, I've had zero problem with. As long as I get a registration key, I'm good. That way, if I have a hard drive crash (like I did last week), I can re-download and enter the key with no problem.
My anti-virus--or rather, what used to be my anti-virus--is another story. After I replaced my hard drive, the link I was given originally had expired. Okay, that's fine. But it took several nasty e-mails for me to get them to let me re-download the program. I still had 10 months left on a year subscription and I got so aggrevated, I just went and bought a physical copy of another anti-virus. I'll do my research next time and make sure it's not a problem before I purchase online.
My name is Bethany and I'm the daughter of Gamergal/Michelle.
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 2:58am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Okay, so tell me. How can you sell your used copy of a downloaded game? You can't can you. Not that I ever have sold a game but I've bought several 2nd hand games from ebay.
I don't trust the connection not to screw up or drop out either. So I'm in the same camp as Susan and Ksandra and Andromous. And definitely in the same 'I like pretty boxes' category as Mark.
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 3:14am |
AndromusGuild Master
Posts : 5538
Joined: 6 NOV 2002
Status : Offline | Another good point. Thinking of the classic games I've only been able to find on eBay: Obsidian, The Neverhood, etc. Completely unobtainable after a company goes out of business if they were downloads. (Not that I think downloads are going to supplant CD's/DVD's anytime soon. But it's a scary scenario nonetheless.)
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 3:58am |
InlandAZGuild Master
Posts : 5586
Joined: 4 MAY 2007
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Michelle (4 MAY 2007 11:44pm)
I love it in most situations. I especially love that I can rent a movie from Amazon.com, download it to my Tivo, and be watching it within minutes. C'mon.....that ROCKS!!
If I like it, I'll buy a used copy for half the price at the video store.
The games I've downloaded so far, I've had zero problem with. As long as I get a registration key, I'm good. That way, if I have a hard drive crash (like I did last week), I can re-download and enter the key with no problem.
My anti-virus--or rather, what used to be my anti-virus--is another story. After I replaced my hard drive, the link I was given originally had expired. Okay, that's fine. But it took several nasty e-mails for me to get them to let me re-download the program. I still had 10 months left on a year subscription and I got so aggrevated, I just went and bought a physical copy of another anti-virus. I'll do my research next time and make sure it's not a problem before I purchase online.
So long as the registration server remains active you're probably going to be okay. Unfortunately, I've got a $200.00 rock that the Supreme Court decided was unfair. So needless to say - Once bitten, twice shy 8-)
I avoid all downloads that require activation keys (validated by a server) like the plague.
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 6:09am |
Lurker01Private Detective
Posts : 411
Joined: 23 JUN 2004
Location: US
Status : Offline | I'm wary of downloading online games. I might do it if I want the game enough, but I haven't really done it to date except for freeware demos. Having said this, if Digital Delivery is well implemented, it be an excellent system. It just strikes me that online paymetn via uncertain means, plus increased security risks (pressed CD's or DVD's are unlikely to contain a virus) makes me rather unwilling to buy entire games via this method.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." Albert Einstein
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 7:47am |
AyaGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7277
Joined: 16 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | DEATH TO DIGITAL DELIVERY [smiley=furious.gif] [smiley=furious.gif] [smiley=furious.gif]
that is my opinion
ok, for freeware games and indie developers that can't afford anything else i'm ok with it... but i refuse to pay to get a product that has no difference than a pirate version (and sometimes includes a stupid copy protection that will torment me for the rest of my life on top of that)
digital delivery? no thanx [smiley=furious.gif]
(as a rental method it's great yeah, but that's because when you rent smth, you just want to watch/play it and give it back... you don't own it)
You have gotten the attention of the mysterious lady. She turns to face you. Her face is devoid of any flesh. You are frozen with horror as she begins ripping your body into a bloody mess.
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 8:08am |
qriousPrivate Detective
Posts : 524
Joined: 8 AUG 2003
Status : Offline | Death to digital delivery + EPISODES i would say
[b][size=19][url]www.adventureadvocate.gr[/url][/size][/b]&&[b][size=10]The biggest adventure source in Greece[/size][/b]
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 12:44pm |
kuddlesPrivate Detective
Posts : 702
Joined: 22 OCT 2004
Status : Online | Digital Delivery forever! In my opinion, it's the best thing that's ever happened to games. It's easy, it's fast, I never have to worry about all the horrible packaging that just wastes space and eventually goes to landfills, I don't have to worry about losing the CD or it getting scratched, etc. If I buy a game and it's available at a download service, then that is how I'm going to get it every single time.
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 1:17pm |
qriousPrivate Detective
Posts : 524
Joined: 8 AUG 2003
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By kuddles (5 MAY 2007 12:43pm)
Digital Delivery forever! In my opinion, it's the best thing that's ever happened to games. It's easy, it's fast, I never have to worry about all the horrible packaging that just wastes space and eventually goes to landfills, I don't have to worry about losing the CD or it getting scratched, etc. If I buy a game and it's available at a download service, then that is how I'm going to get it every single time.
Maybe someone has to show you how to use torrents then...
[b][size=19][url]www.adventureadvocate.gr[/url][/size][/b]&&[b][size=10]The biggest adventure source in Greece[/size][/b]
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| 5 MAY 2007 at 3:52pm |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2539
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | Several mainstream titles are moving to episodic release, FunCom announced chapters released on line for follow up story for Dreamfall: The Longest Jounrey (2), Cyan has just announced Episodes for Myst On Line URU, the finally realized on line incarnation of URU, with the game running Live all the time and one week "focus" times of active storyline in Episode form. So some games will or are available ONLY as donwloads or on line content......and many are available that way.
As for exclusive download versions of existing or new titles, I do NOT want to see that as the exclusive format, just as I refuse to ever think that digital versions of books are a solution to publishing print, for many reasons, not the least being that flicker fusion technology, the basis of current CRT screens, and all motion film tech alters the path to the complete mind process of incoming analog and digital material. I mantain my own research library of games and software files on both hard copy and intend to continue that. I can see the advantages for distribution and security for digital download and that was a major factor in FunCom's decision to release future Dreamfall material that way, BUT i choose for many reasons to continue to mantain physical published library of games.
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| 6 MAY 2007 at 7:49am |
AyaGrand Inquisitor
Posts : 7277
Joined: 16 OCT 2002
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By kuddles (5 MAY 2007 12:43pm)
Digital Delivery forever! In my opinion, it's the best thing that's ever happened to games. It's easy, it's fast, I never have to worry about all the horrible packaging that just wastes space and eventually goes to landfills, I don't have to worry about losing the CD or it getting scratched, etc. If I buy a game and it's available at a download service, then that is how I'm going to get it every single time.
MY boxes will never end up in landfills and i don't consider them a waste of space... as for losing/damaging the cd, that's why i use image files and cracks... that way each disk in only used ONCE, and then is neatly put back to its place... actually, if you keep a dload on the hard drive, the probability of it getting damaged or lost is higher (accidental delete, hd failure etc) and if you put it on cdr the whole argument is lost!
i do see your point though and i understand that for ppl who don't care about boxes etc and just want to play a game and then throw it away, this is very convenient... so i guess i would be ok with digital delivery, as long as it stays an ALTERNATIVE. SECONDARY method, and never becomes an exclusive method of buying games
so, to rephrase: DEATH TO DIGITAL DELIVERY [smiley=furious.gif] [smiley=furious.gif] [smiley=furious.gif], UNLESS IT STAYS AN ALTERNATIVE, SECONDARY METHOD
You have gotten the attention of the mysterious lady. She turns to face you. Her face is devoid of any flesh. You are frozen with horror as she begins ripping your body into a bloody mess.
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| 6 MAY 2007 at 8:34am |
CarolineJA+ Overseer
Posts : 16540
Joined: 28 JAN 2007
Location: AU
Status : Offline | Hey....
Now that the Myst saga is over and arguments about Myst and Myst-like games will obviously have to die.... we suddenly get a whole new trivial subject to fight to the death over. [smiley=jumping.gif]
Do you or do you not like pretty boxes. Digital versus hard copy..... yay.... draw up the lines someone. We've got an issue to squabble over, something to do when there's nothing else to do.
Only this time, Aya and SirDave will be in the same camp. [smiley=scared.gif]
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| 6 MAY 2007 at 11:11am |
| Deleted User | Gee... conservative crowd!
The very first game I bought online years ago (1999?) was the downloadable Collection of Infocom text adventures. In case people are wondering, yeah that was a legal download at Activision's site. 8-) I was so excited I would be able to play all those classics again! My most recent download was a Nancy Drew adventure, which I got with a discount and would never have bought otherwise.
I want boxes if I love the game or in some cases if the box is beautiful. Unfortunately, many games, especially the current ones, are mediocre at best and I will never play them again. That means Buy, Play, Sell. Which is what I did with Syberia 1 and 2, Runaway 1 and 2, and many others. If I could have downloaded those games, I probably would have.
The last downloadable episode of S&M Season One coming up... I'm already sorry it's over, it was such a nice treat to look forward to every month. And I will get the boxed version.
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| 6 MAY 2007 at 12:08pm |
alkis21Schattenjger
Posts : 2112
Joined: 23 OCT 2002
Location: GR
Status : Offline | I voted for "I prefer boxes", but that doesn't mean I would never purchase a downloadable game (I have already done so occasionally).
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| 7 MAY 2007 at 9:13am |
Lucien21Guild Master
Posts : 4876
Joined: 9 JUL 2003
Location: 0
Status : Offline | Digital Delivery is fine wth me.
Dear Diary, My teenage angst bullsh*t now has a bodycount.
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| 7 MAY 2007 at 9:25am |
KarstenSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 347
Joined: 23 SEP 2006
Location: DK
Status : Offline | I have done both. And I like both methods of distributing games. However, the studio or the developers can go out of business. Many more things than that can happen. I'm glad that I've bought Still Life and Post Mortem, and that I have them in boxes, since Microids studio is no more...
I thought about downloading Jade Empire, but when I sawe the beautiful metal case in which the Jade Empire disc was released, I knew, I had to get this beautiful crafted metal case. I also try to buy limited or collection's editions of games. And they usually come in big boxes that are crafted beautifully as well being really well made.
Sometime in the future, maybe, I can see digittal distribution taking over for the boxes, but not today.
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| 7 MAY 2007 at 11:23pm |
LampeftIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 9
Joined: 1 JUN 2003
Status : Online | Pretty much old-school here. I love the boxes, the manuals, the physical media. I'm so "old" I can remember the day when games came with terrific, thick manuals (SimAnt, anyone?) and other neat goodies (the original, boxed Sam and Max games, various InfoCom games). These days you usually get something the size of a pamphlet at the most. The tree-hugger in me thinks this is good because less resources are used. The geek in me pines for the days of the nice manuals and artsy boxes. Loved those triangular Tomb Raider boxes.
But, getting back on track here, I generally like having the physical CD (or floppies {hey, I said I was old } or DVDs). I would not count out someday downloading a game, particularly if it's very hard to find and it's not diseased with stuff like StarForce copy protection nightmares. But, overall, I think I'll always prefer the boxed games and the physical media. It's why I'm holding out on buying the new Sam and Max game(s).
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