this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2025
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[–] Flatfire@lemmy.ca 92 points 4 days ago (7 children)

It's been interesting, watching the lag here. This feeling was felt by many who played games on PC 15 years ago when DVDs were starting to become less common and games were expanding in size. I distinctly remember buying a game I was excited for only to learn now I had to spend part of my data cap on downloading it. What had even been the point of buying the boxed copy?

[–] Matty_r@programming.dev 22 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I remember hiring games, and reading the manual inside the case on the drive home. Just feels like everything is lacking soul now in the name of convenience.

[–] sleen@lemmy.zip 8 points 4 days ago (2 children)

It's not about convenience. It is about control, and manipulation. There is only one thing important and it is money.

Corpos, are trying their hardest to cut corners on every opportunity. It was promised that digital games where to be cheaper than the physical alternative - but alas that promise was broken when all that did was tie the customer down into a literal monopoly.

In my experience, some indie games still have that "charm". So it's not about convenience, it's caring about your customers.

[–] rumschlumpel@feddit.org 10 points 4 days ago

Steam did pretty much fulfill the promise of cheap digital games. Though we're definitely fucked once they (or the game publishers) decide to fuck up their ecosystem or just not do the really big discounts anymore.

[–] Natanael 0 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Some publishers have mentioned that the cards available are too slow for their games (the internal storage is much faster).

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 7 points 4 days ago (2 children)

That's a crap excuse. Load the data into ram on startup or local storage on install.

[–] smh@slrpnk.net 5 points 4 days ago

Exactly. Cards can't be slower than an Internet connection.

[–] Natanael 0 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Installing from the card would still be slow though 🤷

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 3 points 4 days ago

It would likely be faster than downloading it from the Internet.

[–] AtariDump@lemmy.world 7 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I remember hiring games…

What games did you hire? I wonder how good link would be at gardening. I know I’d take Mario as a plumber. Samus as an exterminator?

[–] skulblaka@sh.itjust.works 5 points 4 days ago

Samus as an exterminator?

I prefer my home free of missile damage thanks

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Samus who won't kill the baby bug, thus creating a bigger problem.

[–] Someonelol@lemmy.dbzer0.com 13 points 4 days ago (1 children)

To me it's because a physical copy means ownership and control of what you bought and paid for. You can display it, make a backup, lend it to a friend, play it without a mandatory internet connection, or sell it later. Sure I didn't avoid buying digital only games on PC but I specifically sought out physical console copies of certain games because it meant I could recover some of my expense if it turned out it wasn't what I wanted.

[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 6 points 4 days ago

Well that’s just not true, you can buy a physical game that is still subject to DRM and have it tied to an account so other people can’t play it.

[–] Hawk@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Resale. You can easily sell these again, which is not possible with a fully digital copy.

[–] Flatfire@lemmy.ca 2 points 3 days ago

Hardly. If the only thing in the box is a code, then it ends up tied to an account. I know that's not the case with the Switch, but it wasn't what I had really directed the sentiment towards

[–] GhostedIC@sh.itjust.works 14 points 4 days ago

Skyrim for me. At least I got the physical map! But it was kind of plasticky. Made me miss, say, the cloth map that came with Never winter Nights.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 6 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

What had even been the point of buying the boxed copy?

Some have historically come with art books or figurines or other tchotchkes. But less and less, as the focus has been on digital delivery.

[–] Flatfire@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Oh sure, that was more of an echo of the feeling of being tricked than anything else. Those are usually special/collectors editions anyways, and there's reasons beyond needing/wanting the data that you'd buy that.

[–] usrtrv@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 days ago

Not really, way back when the default was cool maps and such. Not just "special edition".

[–] Bongles@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 days ago

If this follows that, we'll just stop buying/selling all physical games.

[–] bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago

Im like this with movies and music, but not games.

Although I will not buy ea games or shit with drm