If you're a game collector, how do you feel about digital games?

[dexterlablab1]

Ever since the existence of video games, many of us have spent time and money collecting. Building our vast libraries of games. Mostly to show how many games we've played.

But collecting of that nature can't continue as games go more digital. So as a collector, can you willingly support digital gaming?

 

[NewDCD]

I'm not exactly a collector, so I am a very big advocade for digital distribution.

The reasoning for it is simple: games tend to be cheaper. Thus, I can build a greater library of games for my personal pleasure, rather than for display purposes. In my country, games are extremely expensive: PS3 games run for $83 USD a pop. So, I could buy a new copy of Borderlands for $83...or I could go on Steam, wait for a sale, and buy the GOTY with all the DLC for $5 for my PC. While I can understand why collectors would prefer a physical copy, I simply cannot afford it. Thus, digital distribution is basically a savior for me.

However, not all is sunshine and rainbows: digital distributed games basically hand you a "license" to play the game, rather than full ownership of the game itself. Still, I feel the MUCH lower price tag justifies this compromise, and I know there is one company I can trust not to screw me over with this, and its name is Valve. And everything I get through digital distribution is either bought through Steam or activated through it, so...

 

[dexterlablab1]

I wouldn't be to sure about "justifying" the compromise.

Have you really sat down and read the TOS agreements with stuff like Steam and Origin?

 

[NewDCD]

Steam's TOS are fair enough. Origin's, on the other hand....their TOS basically says "yeah, we might take a peek into your Hard Drive for marketing reasons, because we're an evil corporation like that. By the way, your baby's pictures belong to us now. We're going to use them instead of the stock picture we clumsily photoshopped to show Tali's face in Mass Effect 3."

At least Valve respects my privacy. And Steam bans are only for people who cheat in online games. Not for posting things the company doesn't want to hear in forums. And even when they ban you, you can still access your single-player games. That's not the case with Origin.

 

[Epicfied]

I'm not a huge game collector. I do enjoy having the hard-copy though.
I haven't bought any digital copies but I do plan on buying Guild Wars 2...
which will be a digital copy since I'll be pre-ordering online.
At least digital copies are easier to replace. You don't have to worry about scratching the disk, etc.

 

[OmarFW]

Is my Steam game library not a game collection?

I don't see the difference between collecting games and simply owning a lot of them, so I don't see how a digital library is any different.

 

[Epicfied]

Is my Steam game library not a game collection?

I don't see the difference between collecting games and simply owning a lot of them, so I don't see how a digital library is any different.

I see your point. I rarely mess with my Steam. It's also different in have a physical copy and a digital in my opinion.
It's the same way with books. I'd usually rather the hard-copy even if the digital copy is available.

 

[Creaky]

I'm not really a collector of games, once I've played through them and achieved everything I wanted I tend to trade them in.

 

[Diablo2]

I still have many games from 10-15 years ago that i simply refuse to get rid of. These include Diablo, Diablo II, and even Decent for DOS.
However, im not opposed to a digital collection either, as it's definitely a convenience in this digital era.

 

[tajnz]

I am yet to purchase a digital copy of a game and would rather just buy a hard copy. I've been gaming since I was a young child and there is nostalgia in finally getting my hands on a new game sealed inside it's case. :mrgreen: Of course the sale of digital downloads is going to skyrocket as it seems most people just want cheaper games and the ease of being able to download a new game without having to order it or go out to a brick and mortar store. For people who want to show off their collections perhaps others could view a virtual catalog of games you've brought?

 

[QuirkyJessi]

I'm not a collector at all. I suppose I still have some old Nintendo and Atari games, but I haven't had any attachment to any console games since. I really don't care one bit about having physical copies of PC games. They just get scratched and ruined anyway. I'd rather have the digital copies instead.

 

[QuatreHiead]

[font="Arial""]I don't know, since I am not much of a gamer (video game illiterate really) I don't have much of a respect for the idea of digital games. I would prefer the hard copy. However, it is mostly because I am indeed one of those people who just buy everything that has Johnny Depp's face on it, forget the fact that it is a video game version of him and the Pirates of the Caribbean game may have been terrible and pointless. I still collect it all. Now by no means is this actually what I do. Unfortunately, I am cursed with lacking ability to play video games (hence illiterate), however that doesn't stop me from loving a lot of the series complex stories and plot lines. As such, I tend to try the games for a minute, but due to time constraints that my lack of capabilities cause I give up in the interests of continuing to live in reality (gotta pay the bills). However, the ones I really, really enjoy I love to keep my hard copy to admire and stroke occasionally. Hell, I don't even own half the systems in my home for the games I own as a collector, but I still keep the games and stare lovingly at the cover recalling all the wonderful memories. [/font]

[font="Arial""]So for me, the idea of digital games is preposterous. [/font]

[font="Arial""]Not to mention I've never really liked that irking idea of having a "license" to something. I would much rather shell out my hard earned money on something I really want. A part of me hopes they don't go fully digital. I think it is appropriate however for that far more casual gamer or not at all in any sense collector gamer to have access to electronic versions where a temporary license to enjoy the gameplay is plenty enough. But for those like myself that don't feel they are collecting unless there is something physical to hold and sleep with at night, the hard copies are a must I feel. As silly as that all sounds, but collecting can be a highly emotional thing, probably mostly psychological. As such, a part of me feels like I'm not really collecting unless I go the extra mile to purchase the CD, DVD, or game disc. If that somehow makes sense?[/font][font="Arial""][/font]

 

[NewDCD]

[font=Arial"]I don't know, since I am not much of a gamer (video game illiterate really) I don't have much of a respect for the idea of digital games. I would prefer the hard copy. However, it is mostly because I am indeed one of those people who just buy everything that has Johnny Depp's face on it, forget the fact that it is a video game version of him and the Pirates of the Caribbean game may have been terrible and pointless. I still collect it all. Now by no means is this actually what I do. Unfortunately, I am cursed with lacking ability to play video games (hence illiterate), however that doesn't stop me from loving a lot of the series complex stories and plot lines. As such, I tend to try the games for a minute, but due to time constraints that my lack of capabilities cause I give up in the interests of continuing to live in reality (gotta pay the bills). However, the ones I really, really enjoy I love to keep my hard copy to admire and stroke occasionally. Hell, I don't even own half the systems in my home for the games I own as a collector, but I still keep the games and stare lovingly at the cover recalling all the wonderful memories. [/font]

[font=Arial"]So for me, the idea of digital games is preposterous. [/font]

[font=Arial"]Not to mention I've never really liked that irking idea of having a "license" to something. I would much rather shell out my hard earned money on something I really want. A part of me hopes they don't go fully digital. I think it is appropriate however for that far more casual gamer or not at all in any sense collector gamer to have access to electronic versions where a temporary license to enjoy the gameplay is plenty enough. But for those like myself that don't feel they are collecting unless there is something physical to hold and sleep with at night, the hard copies are a must I feel. As silly as that all sounds, but collecting can be a highly emotional thing, probably mostly psychological. As such, a part of me feels like I'm not really collecting unless I go the extra mile to purchase the CD, DVD, or game disc. If that somehow makes sense?[/font]

It makes sense, but it's difficult to have an opinion about it if you don't really play many video games...they're very expensive. $60 for a new release is a pretty steep price, and a digital copy has many benefits, such as pretty nuch never breaking down, and often reduced costs. So yeah, it's difficult to say. I can see why some would prefer to keep physical copies of their items, though.

 

[Sugarhill]

I would prefer to still have the opportunity to go into a store for the game that I want and then having the chance to browse around and see something that I didn't know I wanted. I come from the record store generation, so since that has been essentially taken away, I'd like to keep the walk down the games aisle still alive. But, if that has come to pass, then I'll just go with the flow. Perhaps, I'll end up running out of room and it will all work out in the end.

 

[ACSAPA]

I'm a collector. I like the boxes, I like the manuals, I like the limited edition action figures and artbooks.

If video games go completely digital, I guess that will give me a chance to go back and collect all the older games I don't have in my collection, because I won't be buying that many digital games. I have some digital games that I bought from XBox Live only because they were arcade games and no physical box or disc exists for them. Downloading is convenient but I don't want it to be my only choice.