buying games you don't own

[emosun]

Call me old fashioned (you definitely will) but I've never really wanted to or have bought a digital copy of a game. Anybody else sorta in the same boat? I'm not talking about physical media but rather games that are not a standalone product that can be backed up locally.

My reasoning continued: 

I never liked the idea that you'd pay money for something that you didn't actually own. Steam for example didn't really interest me. That I could in theory buy a game , not receive reusable installation media , and the game would only work provided I use this 3rd party software that required several circumstances to be satisfied in order for the game to even run. Not to mention a very long Terms of service agreement that of course favors steam. Essentially , your steam library/account can be deleted at any point with no option for a refund and no legal path to persue to fix the issue. 

I recall seeing a video a while ago of someone attempting to purchase a game on steam several times , steam servers were essentially running so bad that he had to purchase the game twice. It never showed up in his account , but steam still charged his card anyway. When he attempted to get a refund he wasn't able to. So he had to call his credit card company to get steam to refund him. 

That pretty much made me see just how bad not owning what you purchase can really be. 

[RumSwift]

Like, I can see where you're coming from about not physically owning the game after paying for it, it's a fair enough argument. 

 

Although, I do like being able to go around other people houses, log into my steam and have my entire collection available without having to carry anything with me. Same goes with PlayStation games. Also I share my PS4 account with someone I live with (My PS4 is his primary one, vise versa), so if a new game comes out we both want, only one of us has to buy it and we both get access, meaning PS4 games are half price for us, technically. 

 

It's all down to personal preference really  

[You_are_a_cunt]

I have 1000+ games in my library, sooooo, yeah.

I like physical media, but I'm not against CDNs like Steam or GOG.

If I find a physical copy of a game I already have and the price is insignificant, I'll go ahead and buy it. I often burn my DRM free games to disk just so I have access to it if I don't feel like waiting for it to download (not really an issue, actually) or in case the internet is down (or I go on vacation. I always plop a few disks into my backpack just in case)

[ProjectBox153]

I've never wanted to buy a digital game. I like the feeling of having a physical copy in my stack of discs and having an actual case for it. Plus I don't really use Steam much, and I feel more compelled to buy a physical copy rather than a digital copy. Also, can you fix the theme for Day users?

[emosun]

2 minutes ago, Jamiec1130 said:

Also, can you fix the theme for Day users?

?

[ProjectBox153]

1 minute ago, emosun said:

?

The majority of your text is a light grey, not black. Not to mention that I can't see grey very well to begin with. 

[Cotroneo]

I find it weird that so many people are fine with just owning digital copies of every game they have. Well, obviously you're kind of forced into it with computer games now, which I totally understand; imagine having your Steam library in those giant PC game cases. However, I do remember super well how excited I was when I was at Best Buy with my mom, and saw Morrowind, and begged her to buy it for me. She normally wouldn't buy me games, toys, etc, unless it was my Birthday or Christmas, but I kept telling her about how fun it was and how I played it at my friend's house. I also remember when I got Battlefield 2 and CS Source (One that came with HL 2 and Day of Defeat: Source).
I had no idea that generic, store-bought office computers wouldn't have been able to run Battlefield 2 — before BF2, I had only ever played Morrowind, CS 1.6 and Source. This all led to my mom getting me a GT 6800.

Anyway,
Sorry about all that nostalgia talk, but I guess my point is is that there's a definite attachment to when you own something physical; it could have been me just being 12, but today I buy physical copies of games for another, more logical reason:
 

The only game series that I must physically own are the Pokemon games for GB, GBA, DS, 3DS, and the Metal Gear games, NES, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4. Although, for the consoles, I obviously couldn't have owned digital copies. The reason for the PS4 and 3DS not having digital copies is because digital copies won't be redownloadable in the future.

Unless it's on PC, the only real walls that you'll hit when wanting to play an old digital game is the compatibility with old OS, but even then it can still usually be dealt with. But for a game like Rockband or Guitar Hero, you can no longer buy any of the DLC songs off of the Playstation Store for PS3.

Oh, and you can also resell games that are physical.

TL;DR 
I prefer physical copies because it provides nostalgia, preserves them when they become inaccessible via digital copy, and I can resell them.

[Blebekblebek]

Sometimes I still don't understand why people have this mindset, and then give excuse for being old(school), I'm old.

I've been through these era with pc gaming.

 

And I don't miss any of it.

 

You never own a game, even in the old days, consumers only have right to play it, or whatever EULA they've given to read on, consumers never own it. Digital or physical  form it doesn't matter.

 

The principle is the same thing as you buy an OS, or Software.

 

Moving on to the next ramble, which pretty much non-sense, you reading too much conspiracy theory, I'm not even sure you know what your talking about.

 

Backup steam library is easy as just copy and paste, it doesn't even require any 3rd party software, reinstall steam, and relocate to backup folder/drive.

 

Quote

the game would only work provided I use this 3rd party software that required several circumstances to be satisfied in order for the game to even run

News flash you can run steam offline, and yes no internet required as long you already installed the game first.

 

- Multiple buying?

This is the most ridiculous and painfully hard to believe, You never bought game on steam did you, at this point it's also hard to believe if you ever use steam.

There are 3 step when you buy a game, the last step steam provide an option, is it the game want to be put in library, or a gift pack.

If that person already had the game then the only option is gift pack which automatically goes into the inventory.

 

Even let just say everything you said is true, the refund system is always available with no question asked as long it's 14 days with 2h playtime. I just did it.

 

 

and pretty much everything basically works the same even for Origins, Uplay, and GoG

If your thread is about Digital vs Physical copies then stick to it. don't bring up anything you knew nothing about.

 

And btw, you also still can buy some physical copies pc games from amazon (Stock varies)

[Dash Lambda]

Just buying a physical copy over buying it online I find kind'a pointless, as once it's on your machine it doesn't matter where it's from.

Though I do agree that I'd rather buy it in a way that isn't inherently tied to some account or external service -Problem is that usually that's not your choice.

 

I'm fine with Steam because it's extremely convenient, it's not overbearing about authentication (there are even games that don't use it at all), and I trust that Valve's level of corporate evil is among the lowest in the game industry (though they don't always think everything through, of course).

 

Honestly, I don't have any idea how we can do any better -Software is completely unlike any physical thing you buy, because it's just a design. It's a set of information that can be indefinitely duplicated with no effort -If you could buy, say, a 1080ti, then just press a button to magically copy it as many times as you want, I'm sure you could understand why Nvidia wouldn't want you doing that.

 

It's ridiculous when companies keep people from playing games they've bought, but when they go that far it has nothing to do with buying it physically or digitally.

[Mooshi]

The only nightmare I've faced with digital distributions is dealing with that scumbag company G2A and waiting 6 GD months to get a refund for a bum key--and that was with the extra protection add-on.

 

Steam is pretty stable most of the time I use it and with offline mode, you're not locked out of your entire library. Even when using physical media, that doesn't guarantee you'll always get to enjoy it as intended.

 

Case in point, for those into the Pokemon series who have sunk many hours building the best team, you get the finger if your game is 2 generations old and you wanna battle online with someone due to server shut downs.

 

Games get old, servers get retired. It doesn't matter if your game is digital or an actual copy. Unless you have the privilege of having friends coming over to game on the couche locally or a lan party (both hard to do if you're a working adult and living with your significant other), you're not going to enjoy multiplayer forever.

 

My general view is to enjoy games for what they are when you can. 

[Mira Yurizaki]

Technically you don't own the game anyway. What you paid for was a license to use it. :3

 

Anyway, on the PC side of things to me it doesn't really matter for AAA titles today anyway. They all ship with some shoddy DRM and godforbid require online activation or at least need to phone home. So that physical copy of Gears of War for PC I have? Useless, since it uses GFWL as the DRM platform and Microsoft recommends not installing it anymore (and something about the activation servers went dead anyway). Sure I could crack it or whatever, but then I have to trust a shady hacker who may not be altruistic about what they do. Most of the cracks I've managed to perpetuate in backups during my less noble years all come back from a malware scanner claiming there's a trojan in them.

 

I don't really care about having the box either, it takes up space. Games increasingly stopped shipping with manuals so I don't have anything to read while I take a dump look forward to other than the game disk itself. And once I download it, if I don't feel like downloading it again, I stuff it in an external hard drive. There, I now have my technically physical copy of the game.

 

The only reason why I would like physical copies is to avoid having to wait a day or two downloading them, thanks to my technically-not-broadband-anymore internet speed.

 

EDIT: Another thing with some PC games is even if you have a disk, if it uses Steam, Origin, or whatnot, you're not playing the game until it redownloads what could be an ass-load of updates because the original copy was from the RTM release. Whereas if you get a digital download from the store, it's very likely going to be up-to-date when you get it again.

[Mooshi]

7 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

Technically you don't own the game anyway. What you paid for was a license to use it. :3

They all ship with some shoddy DRM and godforbid require online activation or at least need to phone home. So that physical copy of Gears of War for PC I have? Useless,

This tbh

 

Since we're talking licences, it's no different than having a physical copy of Windows 10 and trying to install it on multiple PCs expecting activations to magically work each install off the same disc.

 

 

[Alariel]

You're definitely not alone. While I do use steam and stuff, some things (the important stuff) I prefer to have a physical copy. Sometimes that might mean that I buy something twice, if I got the digital copy first, but I'm fine with that.

[IKnight]

I have a problem with exchanging money for no physical service/item. Something about it just feels fundamentally wrong for me. 

But that's the world we're forced into today, so ya just gotta suck it up and stick by the rules of capitalism. 

[Not_Sean]

I Grew up getting games in boxes and Loved it, I'm keep to find some boxed games on ebay even if its just the boxes for my bookshelves, BUT honestly I find steam way way to convent to not use. it keeps my games up to date, installs all the extra bits I need to run them and its got a trade, voice and friend system in one. 

 

If this was 10 years ago, Yeah not a steam fan but lets be honest they have more than proved themselves trust worthy. 

 

The idea now of me having to drive out to a store, park, buy a game, drive home, FIT A CD DRIVE, install it  to my pc laughable.

 

SteamFTW:Boxes for Nostalgia 

[IKnight]

Also thought i'd add:

What now pissed me off are all the extra DLCs that you can buy. They cost so much more on top of the original game, which just feels wrong. Like, I've bought your damn game and now you charge me even more?

[Tsuki]

i have several hundred games in my steam library.

There isnt space in my house to put that, if it was all physical media.

 

i also wouldnt have all the games that i do have, if they all had to be on disks.  stuff like humble bundle would not exist.

 

that and i dont have a disk drive so... physical media is out.

[Drak3]

My entire thing is that data management is a HUGE bitch on consoles.

On a PC, you can easily copy/paste onto an external, or drop in another HDD/SSD if you've got an available SATA port and someplace to stick the damn thing.

 

Consoles, discs and carts much preferred for the most part. PC, download and a backup.

[Zusafek]

I myself prefer to have the physical copy.  I'm old school though.  Even when Mass Effect Andromeda came out it was only available as Digital.  I did purchase it though and created my own disks for the game itself.  Even went far enough to take the logo and put it on the disk.  But I do also understand Digital.  It is actually a cheaper medium as they do not need to make physical copies of the game.  Thus saving the creators money.  I don't have a huge steam library or any massive digital libraries.  Most of my games are still on disks or in the event of an old system.....floppy disks and tapes....

[emosun]

i like how nobody actually read my first post.

I forgot when you post things here people just read the title and respond from there.

[EPENEX]

I refuse to spend money on things that have DRM attatched to it. I especially refuse to buy something from a company with as crap of costumer service as Steam.

[sevablue]

i'm quite comfortable. i can understand why people will act like that, but i feel that they are generally safer when attached to an account if you will. you'll never lose it.