Where we’re going we don’t need discs
Michael Love
March 26, 2008
They say the future is digital. I don’t know who they are but I wonder if they have a point.
Until maybe two years ago, I never dreamt I’d play a game that could have it’s life extended through the likes of extra maps or missions being made available via download. Now I can’t imagine playing a game without that, at least on the 360. And I’ve recently become aware of entire games being made with this means of distribution in mind – Tomb Raider Anniversary being the first example of this, to my knowledge. This is a development I’m wary of for a few reasons.
First, I hear of games in traditional disc format being shipped with bugs and glitches or simply deliberately incomplete – updates are patches, some DLC is a means of unlocking content that already exists within the game such as Beautiful Katamari as Kirsten mentioned in her last blog. This could all take place even with digitally distributed games.
Second, there’s the fact that you simply don’t own the game you’re playing – no manual, no added goodies, nada. It’s comparable to the division in the music industry when it comes to consumers. Will you be a purist seeking out vinyl LPs or will you store music on your PC? I can imagine a gamer – a tech savvy, tech hungry person – choosing the latter option. Maybe. I can see the benefit of that – no scratched discs!
 Third, the matter of space. I hear of games taking up huge amounts of it plus, with the advances in all aspects of a game, free space will be at a premium. When you also consider that you can now download films and TV shows on top of that… So, even with the strong possibility of more space being available in the future, there is zero gain.
Me, I like having the disc, the manual, all of that. It’s mine to trade or to keep as I wish. I needn’t worry about having the space to keep it or being forced to delete it for a new game.
They say the future is digital but they also say the future is orange. I say the future is not set.
March 26th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Everyone is saying this about digital downloads, but it’ll be some years yet.
With my current internet deal if I were to download the equivalent of a 9gb DVD game disc, it would take me almost a day and immediately obliterate my monthly cap in one fell swoop; not exactly ideal.
I *could* see this happening, but our internet connections need to get a WHOLE lot better than this first…
March 28th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Isnt the no-disk sort of thing already happening in some ways? Take the Tomb Raider Annaversary DLC and also the upcoming Samurai Warriors 2 Xtreme Legends DLC.
Well… actually they are more expansion packs than anything but the point is still valid. :)
March 28th, 2008 at 9:34 am
I mentioned Tomb Raider Anniversary… but that is not purely a no-disc game. You can go into shops and buy it either. There’s a choice
March 28th, 2008 at 8:18 pm
I also like to physically have a game, even though the quality of manuals has deteriorated over the years, bar some Wii games. Much like I don’t download much music cause I like to have the actual CD, box etc.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Oh yes XD So you did say that. Blame hangovers and trying to read things :P
I like to have a game myself rather than be it some download. The only problem comes when your hoarding games and cant seem to get rid of any (My Ps2 games amount is just passing the 100 mark… eek)