Today I Learned: Macbooks Don't Have Disc Drives.

[Jester Joe]

This kinda ignores the fact that most games moved from being on the disc to installing to the computer anyway from the disc, so why stop there?

[Gib Lover]

This kinda ignores the fact that most games moved from being on the disc to installing to the computer anyway from the disc, so why stop there?

OP also made this thread under the assumption that macbooks and surfaces are used for gaming, because he directly compared consoles to them.

[zephid]

I don't buy digitally for my consoles..
Discs have more value to trade/sell.
Digital copies are worth zero

I don't buy games just to sell them later.

[Gib Lover]

I don't buy games just to sell them later.

Of course you don't, that is just a happy addition to physical media when you are done with it.
It's why MTG is a more "valuable" pastime physically than MTGO

[Cosmic Janitor]

I have about 160 games on steam, and i know perfectly well i don't own a single one of them, that includes the 1600 random items i have aswell.
This move to go fully digital is cancerous, and there are way too many negative things about it for me to ever consider it a good thing, what if i'm one day without internet?

As someone who was without internet for 2 times in the last 3 years, both times over a week (construction worker don't care about cables ..) I can tell you it sucks ..

Also steams offline mode is rubbish. Half the games don't even support it and if you can't log into steam in the first place you can do jack shit..

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This kinda ignores the fact that most games moved from being on the disc to installing to the computer anyway from the disc, so why stop there?

Because broadband is still nowhere near standard..

[Jester Joe]

OP also made this thread under the assumption that macbooks and surfaces are used for gaming, because he directly compared consoles to them.

Surface is definitely not something I'd go to for gaming, that I would definitely agree with.

Because broadband is still nowhere near standard..

Seems to be irrelevant to the companies. In fact, last I checked, most "physical games" for PC don't even have the disc with the full installation on it, you need to connect to the internet, it just has the basic install launcher.

I mean, Left 4 Dead 2 had just a steam code in it. Not much of a "Physical" copy.

[unholytestament]

I mean, Left 4 Dead 2 had just a steam code in it. Not much of a "Physical" copy.

That has to be the worst example to use. A Valve game that is multiplayer focused?

[chazus]

All of my CD's and installers that need a physical format just come on flash drives now.

[Jester Joe]

That has to be the worst example to use. A Valve game that is multiplayer focused?

It does have a single player option you know.

Pretty sure every single Valve game is just Steam codes now, even Portal 2. And it was just that, an example, disliking the example doesn't change the point.

[Tech614]

It does have a single player option you know.

Pretty sure every single Valve game is just Steam codes now, even Portal 2. And it was just that, an example, disliking the example doesn't change the point.

Valve isn't a good example because they are trying to push their platform.

Pretty sure Rockstar/Bethesda/EA/Ubisoft physical PC games still come with install discs. So it's not like this is a wide spread practice, there are more PC games simply not released physically then there are ones released with just a download code in the box.

[unholytestament]

It does have a single player option you know.

And if you're going to tell us that matters in any way shape or form for this kind of game I will be but one voice among the chorus laughing at you.

Pretty sure every single Valve game is just Steam codes now, even Portal 2.

Yeah. Think there's a reason for that?

You are aware who runs Steam, right?

And it was just that, an example, disliking the example doesn't change the point.

Not even close to what I said.

It is an example of a game that is published by the company that runs the distribution service. Of course it, and all other games published by the same company, are only made available via Steam codes.

THAT IS WHY IT IS A BAD EXAMPLE.

[Ciddy]

All of my CD's and installers that need a physical format just come on flash drives now.

There's also this. More often than not, I just use a different machine with a drive and copy the contents of the CD/DVD to a USB stick in a pinch. Either that, or just network share the other machine's optical drive.

[Zeta333]

The difference is mac dropped the disc drives so thier laptops could be fether light, becuase all the poor starbucks hipsters apparantly were to weak to carry a normal weighted laptop. While gaming laptops dropped the disc drive becuase thats space that can go into better cooling, more cpu gpu ram power and better management internally for all of that.

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There's also this. More often than not, I just use a different machine with a drive and copy the contents of the CD/DVD to a USB stick in a pinch. Either that, or just network share the other machine's optical drive.

shame if ur using one of those macbooks that have one fucking usb slot.

[Jester Joe]

Valve isn't a good example because they are trying to push their platform.

Pretty sure Rockstar/Bethesda/EA/Ubisoft physical PC games still come with install discs. So it's not like this is a wide spread practice, there are more PC games simply not released physically then there are ones released with just a download code in the box.

Of course they are, but there are other companies that stick their games up on steam that do similar, are there not?
I'd also post to Blizzard doing the same. Pretty much, companies that stick heavily to PC seem to be following the pattern.

And if you're going to tell us that matters in any way shape or form for this kind of game I will be but one voice among the chorus laughing at you.

Do you often enjoy laughing at the truth?

Yeah. Think there's a reason for that?

You are aware who runs Steam, right?

Pretty sure I've never said I wasn't. Hence why I continued with the rest of the Valve games.

Not even close to what I said.

It is an example of a game that is published by the company that runs the distribution service. Of course it, and all other games published by the same company, are only made available via Steam codes.

THAT IS WHY IT IS A BAD EXAMPLE.

Yet again, it still doesn't change the fact that other companies have followed suit. Have all of them? No. But a good amount have. Either way, I'm not sure what your issue is about this, but it really doesn't matter either way, since it doesn't change my original point.

[Poppincaps]

What game was removed from steam that you didn't have the option of downloading a drm free version?

Order of War: Challenge

[kail]

Is this supposed to be a jab at consoles or a discussion of the disc being phased out?

PCs still have disc drives, those devices you mentioned have other reasons for not including one. It's going to eventually go away at some point, and consoles have been trying to promote that as well. I wouldn't be surprised if by next gen or two, neither console will have a disc drive.

[stellvia]

Complaining about Valve taking a 30% cut (I believe its variable, indie titles they take less of a cut) is rather unfounded criticism. For a retail release, both the Distributor AND the Retailer take ~30% cuts, with the Publisher getting the remaining portion. These days, I believe that is around $20-25. I used to work at a CompUSA when the pricepoint on games was $50, and our unit cost from the distributor on new titles was $33, for comparison. Which falls in line with the 30% numbers. So with Valve negotiating directly with publishers, they theoretically get a lot bigger portion of the sale than with retail. No idea how things work though for digital sales on the publisher site that then provide a steam key.

Then you have to consider other things like what DRM they would be putting on the discs nowadays and how that stuff always seemed to cause issues running games. If you ever lost your disc/had it stolen/whatnot you were SoL, whereas you can always download the game from Steam again. The DRM of Steam, if you want to call it that, is fairly transparent and I've never heard anyone claim issues of them trying to snoop deeply into systems etc. with VAC. Or you have stuff like TA:Kingdoms did matchmaking through their Boneyard.net service which disappeared when the developer went belly up.

People have raised some valid concerns about Steam, but at the end of the day, the market has spoken honestly—something like 90-95% of PC games these days are bought digitally. The majority of consumers have decided that the convenience of digital and having their entire catalog at their fingertips at any time (assuming internet) was worth the tradeoffs of not having a physical copy. And presumably, it was a better option for publishers as well, as they could sidestep the DRM bogeyman and have access to a central place with a huge number of consumer eyeballs on it.

[unholytestament]

Do you often enjoy laughing at the truth?

Are you honestly saying anyone cares about L4D single player?

Pretty sure I've never said I wasn't. Hence why I continued with the rest of the Valve games.

Not even close to what I said.

Hence why it was a question. Seeing as how you seem to be dancing around the issue that Valve runs Steam so of course their games come as Steam codes, I had to check if there was a valid reason for this (ignorance) or if you were just grabbing at straws to defend your poor choice of examples.

Yet again, it still doesn't change the fact that other companies have followed suit. Have all of them? No. But a good amount have. Either way, I'm not sure what your issue is about this, but it really doesn't matter either way, since it doesn't change my original point.

It doesn't have to change your original point for it to be stupid. If you want to show other companies following suit you use a game from those other companies.

[Jester Joe]

Are you honestly saying anyone cares about L4D single player?

Hence why it was a question. Seeing as how you seem to be dancing around the issue that Valve runs Steam so of course their games come as Steam codes, I had to check if there was a valid reason for this (ignorance) or if you were just grabbing at straws to defend your poor choice of examples.

It doesn't have to change your original point for it to be stupid. If you want to show other companies following suit you use a game from those other companies.

Uh, yeah? Are you honestly implying you know every single person who plays the game and what they enjoy it for? Personally I've played it for the single player part alone.

What about you, are you going to address why you switched from "it's a multiplayer based game" to "well it's a valve game after all". And even then, TF2 came with a installation disc, so no, it's not just a "steam is valves that's why", it's obviously a trend of them going away from disc.

Also, you're ignoring completely my point about Blizzard doing the same, even before the battle.net launcher. Basically, you're not interested in discussing anything, you're just interested in trying to attack another person without much reason, so I'm done here.

[Zeta333]

Are you honestly saying anyone cares about L4D single player?

The last valve game i got that had discs was half life 2 and i didnt use any of them. Besides l4d is a terrible game.

Watching movies while travelling on a train for example and the fact that you may have a collection of 100...1000 DvDs and also old games that you sometimes like to fire up? And there are areas with fickle internet connections. Those are not "real" reasons?

Rip them or DL them, really who buys dvds anymore and carts them around with thier laptop?