How console game purchasing should be

[the game]

Ok, so we're pass the days where we have to have physical media to play console games now. Now you have the choice either the physical media or the digital download. Personally I think physical copies should come with a digital download code as well. That way you have the physical media and you can install it digitally as well. The code should be one time use to prevent people from passing it around.

[Tech614]

lol what, so basically you want the original Xbox One method?

You do realize it was one of the major reasons for their PR disaster and bomba sales compared to PS4 right?

Unless you're silly enough to think a company is going to give a a DD copy for FREE along with you being able to resale their physical version LMAO.

[zealo]

Microsoft wanted this, its already a thing in full effect for PC gamers.

Unfortunately, console gamers revolted because that would effectively kill the second hand market. I don't think they're done trying to introduce that, but unless both manufacturers are on board with the plan, its not going to happen. Microsoft got burned badly by it even if their console has improved vastly on the software side.

[Blueobelisk]

Pretty sure Microsoft just wanted any game ever to be one time use. Idk if they would let you redownload it later if you lost the disc.

That's a fine method but it's really limiting. Maybe it could be an option but that just complcates things. God knows retailers are already dumb at telling games apart or actually keeping them in reserve.

[Imperialsniper]

One issue with going Digital Download only is storage space and it shouldn't happen until consoles have 3+ TB of non-add on storage at a minimum.

[Tech614]

One issue with going Digital Download only is storage space and it shouldn't happen until consoles have 3+ TB of non-add on storage at a minimum.

There are many problems with DD only on consoles. This is not one of them. All games fully install on Xbox One or PS4 regardless of physical or digital. This is on the users end to upgrade their storage if they want "everything" always installed even games they beat and will likely never play again.

[Gandrake]

well idk about all of that but im really tired of having to download all of these non content patches and waiting to install games; it's really ridiculous

my N64 still works after 20 years and i don't have to be connected to the internet to play Zelda

[Edge-]

well idk about all of that but im really tired of having to download all of these non content patches and waiting to install games; it's really ridiculous

my N64 still works after 20 years and i don't have to be connected to the internet to play Zelda

Those games are also wildly less complex than modern games, meaning there are fewer potential things to go wrong.

I don't know about you, but I like knowing that a game I'm playing can be patched to improve performance or fix bugs that arise.

[Tech614]

Those games are also wildly less complex than modern games, meaning there are fewer potential things to go wrong.

I don't know about you, but I like knowing that a game I'm playing can be patched to improve performance or fix bugs that arise.

It's also not like games didn't come out bugged back then. Hell I still remember WWF No Mercy on the n64 had a bug that would flat out delete your save. You had to send your cartridge to THQ for them to fix it for you. I'll take a patch any day over that.

Nintendo still to this day has great QA and very few patches outside of adding content to games. Bad example of anything bug wise, games did release buggy as shit back in the 90s and most where never fixed.

[paralleluniverse]

Ok, so we're pass the days where we have to have physical media to play console games now. Now you have the choice either the physical media or the digital download. Personally I think physical copies should come with a digital download code as well. That way you have the physical media and you can install it digitally as well. The code should be one time use to prevent people from passing it around.

Actually, no, physical media should ONLY include the download code.

You open the box, and oh look, there's nothing there except a piece of paper. No discs. Fuck discs.

[slime]

do I still have to blow in it to make it work?

[Tech614]

Actually, no, physical media should ONLY include the download code.

You open the box, and oh look, there's nothing there except a piece of paper. No discs. Fuck discs.

Is that you Peter Moore? Still butt hurt people are resaling your games but nothing you can do about it because Sony screwed up your hopes and dreams?

[Keile]

Is that you Peter Moore? Still butt hurt people are resaling your games but nothing you can do about it because Sony screwed up your hopes and dreams?

The worst part of that whole fiasco was the Angry Joe interview where the MS rep said they can't magically flip a switch to change their DRM.

Then like 2 weeks later they magically flipped a switch to change their DRM.


I prefer having a physical disc when possible, but sometimes I still download them. I have a crap connection in my room since it is so far from our Wifi so discs are still my best option since they let me skip the download and just install using physical media.

[Edge-]

The worst part of that whole fiasco was the Angry Joe interview where the MS rep said they can't magically flip a switch to change their DRM.

Then like 2 weeks later they magically flipped a switch to change their DRM.

Major Nelson (Larry Hryb) was the dude, he's a pretty cool guy. FYI with that interview in particular, it was something he apparently did in between scheduled interviews (he's at the level where his interviews are all scheduled weeks/months in advance) and he could have easily cut it short with Joe's questions but didn't.

As to "flipping a switch", it was not that simple. It was part of the day one patch for Xbox One and required more than just "a switch". It was done, in response to the massive backlash from consumers, but it's not like some guy went in and changed one line of code. As Larry said though, he's not an engineer, so he couldn't speak directly to the specifics of the matter. He was being entirely honest, it was just an unpopular opinion that he was defending.

[Tech614]

Major Nelson (Larry Hryb) was the dude, he's a pretty cool guy. FYI with that interview in particular, it was something he apparently did in between scheduled interviews (he's at the level where his interviews are all scheduled weeks/months in advance) and he could have easily cut it short with Joe's questions but didn't.

As to "flipping a switch", it was not that simple. It was part of the day one patch for Xbox One and required more than just "a switch". It was done, in response to the massive backlash from consumers, but it's not like some guy went in and changed one line of code. As Larry said though, he's not an engineer, so he couldn't speak directly to the specifics of the matter. He was being entirely honest, it was just an unpopular opinion that he was defending.

New Xbox Ones to this day still require an update before they will work offline.

This is just MS being too cheap and lazy to update them during manufacturing(new PS4s by comparison come with much more recent versions already loaded).