Board 8 > Random thoughts: The Switch is the first system to make me value digital games.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Before the switch, I would always choose physical when I had a choice. I purchased plenty of digital exclusive games, but physical always won when I had the choice.

With the Switch though, I really enjoy having the ability to play Smash Bros anytime I have the urge and no matter where I am. Its lead to me purchasing more digital games unless the physical version has a nice steelbook or something.

Have any of you had a change of heart on digital gaming as the future, or have your thoughts remained consistent?

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I was already pro-digital with the 3DS, but I've taken it further on the Switch. I still buy most third party games as physical though, because stores tend to offer the big sales faster than the eShop (or so I've noticed anyway).

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The value of digital games is definitely most immediately noticeable with handhelds, yeah. Having to cart around a cartridge holder has always seemed to rather defeat the point of portability when ever since the 3DS you could very easily just have your entire library stored on an SD card.

I've been of the opinion that digital is the future for quite a long time though. It's just way too convenient on the consumer end and on the industry side publishers would love any excuse to annihilate the used games market, so it feels bound to happen eventually.

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I still just prefer physical copies for the most part. Reselling and just the...I don't know. I like boxarts (even though plenty are very bland) and I just like the physical aspect of it I guess? I'll buy digital if I can't get my hands on a physical copy (or the physical copy is silly expensive) or if it's a game I know I'll play for a long time (like FIFA, because I generally buy one every four years) to avoid wear-and-tear on the disc.

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I don't mind buying digital if I find a good deal but I prefer physical if all else is equal. I don't use my Switch as a handheld very often anyway, so changing out cartridges isn't an issue for me.

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Almost exactly same as OP. Always did physical, but Switch's abilities made me favor digital.

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I still vastly prefer physical when it comes to Nintendo. Nintendo is BETTER about digital game rights than they used to be but they still give you the runaround a little bit - I'm kind of pissed because I had to buy a Switch Lite because there were no non-Lites available for sale due to the pandemic, but you can't just like, have two Switches, with all your games on each one, you have to have it so that one of them needs to connect to the internet every time you want to play your games. Carts remove this problem (unless it's Animal Crossing of course). Besides that, you also can't resell digital games, and the storage space on the Switch is still just not viable enough to keep an extensive library on, and for all of this, the consumer sees none of the reduction in cost of manufacturing. Physical games just have better value - if Nintendo would drop the price of their games by even a couple of bucks I might see things differently, because really otherwise I would be in favor of digital games, there is no reason to waste so much plastic and paper.

The all-digital PS5 is tempting (since it'll be a lower price). My main concerns are:

1. I won't be able to play my physical PS4 games on it (don't have many of these, but still)
2. I won't be able to borrow games from friends/the library (haven't done this very often with the PS4, but I have a few times).

I dunno, it's a tough choice.

Paratroopa1 posted...

for all of this, the consumer sees none of the reduction in cost of manufacturing

Isn't that what Coins are? You get a 5% credit for every game you buy. Should probably be 10%, but it's the "couple of bucks" you mention.
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I wish coins didn't expire though!

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