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This means you can’t pass the game around to your friends or sell it afterwards, which completely ruins the purpose of physical media imo. I mostly play PC these days so this doesn’t affect me, but it’s a disappointing direction for console games. At least they could’ve used an empty disc that has proof of ownership.
EDIT: Bethesda has confirmed that only the PC version won’t include a disc. Physical versions of Xbox will include a disc. Whew.
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Physical media is dying a slow and painful death. Sad to see really. I’d say to make a fuss, but most people don’t seem to care.
Honestly, No disc + always online DRM is making me turn to piracy more and more. I want to be able to buy a game and just have a permanent offline copy of it. is that really too much to ask?
Physical media is dying a slow and painful death.
Depends on the medium really.
The Criterion Collection is still kicking so its selected works are still getting highly curated physical releases. Vinyl records are growing in popularity for those enthusiasts.
It’s video games that have the biggest issue, and it’s saddening because they are the most in need of preservation due to patching, updates, licenses, DRM, etc.
Wish the big three would come together for some type of preservation goal at the very least.
Wish the big three would come together for some type of preservation goal at the very least.
It’s sad, but I doubt this will happen if it isn’t profitable in some ways. We need an external organization to do this, as it happens with the preservation of every other media (at least I think)
Not just vinyl but CDs and cassettes are coming back too. Crazy.
You’re going to run into video game preservation issues with or without physical media. I’ve been playing through the GBA/DS catalog and some of the games are selling at prohibitively high prices. Not that I needed a lot of nudging to find another way to play the games…
Playing on original hardware has its charms but emulation is often a better experience anyway. I have an N64 sitting in the closet collecting dust because a) it’s a PAL console (sigh), b) the analog stick is shot and c) my TV doesn’t support SCART. I know I could get an NTSC console, buy replacement gears for the stick, buy a RetroTink to get HDMI support, etc. At some point it’s just too much of a hassle for nostalgia’s sake.
Yep, I’ve had similar experiences with handhelds even for games that I own. I could play Metroid Fusion on my SP and get cramps in both of my hands trying to hold it.
Or I could just find a way to run it on the DSi.
I am not really worried about the discs or DRM as those will eventually get cracked. It is the multiplayer games without user hosted dedicated services that bother me.
It does suck. I buy used games for a fraction of the price new/digital usually is, but there has been a few times over the last few years where the game has no physical edition and it annoys the hell out of me. I’d go full digital if it meant I actually own the media I am purchasing and didn’t have bullshit online requirements. Oh well, back to more piracy.
Today? Yes. It really is. 🏴☠️
What’s the purpose of a physical version if there is no disk included? This is nonsense!
They are trying to appeal to collectors but also want to squash selling or trading your game. MS has been trying to do this for 10 years.
From the business side Pretty much just being able to give it as a gift. Also make it more discoverable to people who aren’t able to buy it online for whatever reason.
From the personal side No damn idea
To make useless plastic cases to help the environment, of course.
This should be illegal.
Why? Not trying to argue, just genuinely curious.
If they’re calling it a physical copy it should be a physical copy of the game data. Having a case to hold a code is a ridiculous slap in the face. And a waste of plastic
Unless (and I’m not saying it’s the case here) they make sure took indicate it’s only the code and include swag like physical maps, a game booklet, or limited edition collectables with it. Then I could see it.
Otherwise it’s just misleading advertising
You can resell a disk, not a code that is one time use.
Or maybe it should be possible to resell a code.
The reason they would never do this (unless the console maker and game publisher take a huge cut) is because buying a code vs buying a new digital game is the same thing. So why would someone buy a game directly from Xbox’s storefront, rather than buy a “used” code which ends up being the same thing to the user. Plus the codes would have to be sold on some sort of verified marketplace by Xbox, or whomever, or it would be a disaster of people getting scammed and bad PR. I just don’t see a world where it works.
Probably need some way to track who owns the code in a robust way. I will not say what technology might come to mind.
The word you’re looking for is “database”
Yes, a database would work. Some people would say blockchain which is usually not needed.
Why would you need that? You don’t have that with physical copies either.
The physical copy already has a tangible form which probably has copy protection built in. If a code would be transferred instead of copied, it would be necessary to know who owns it.
You would have to deactivate the game in the store before you got the code out. That deactivation would also delete the game files to clean up everything.
Maybe you made a copy somewhere else, but you’d now have to crack the DRM on most games.
Only if the game doesn’t have DRM it relies on you honoring the agreement.
A similar situation would be processing refunds, where GOG allows refunds up to 30 days after purchase, even if you downloaded and launched the game.
We shouldn’t have to rent everything. If you want free market economics (which corporations claim) then don’t hold the market captive. You cannot have it both ways.
We don’t own media anymore
I never thought I’d write something like this but by pirating it and downloading it on our hard drives, we come closest to what we used to know as ‘own’
this is why i dont spend money on games anymore. the network of pirates will always be stronger than steam’s network of business men.
Idk, feels more comfy if the Games just work on the Steam Deck or Linux PC without needing to tinker.
i find developers/publishers are most likely to sacrifice your comfort first and foremost, and many of the games ive pirated have run worse for me or my friends when run legally. but i must admit i enjoyed the process of tinkering with windows on my steam deck, and the piracy workflow for steamOS is seamful.
Have a look at Bottles, it’s on Flathub.
It’s more a combo of “Gabe doesn’t care” and “Steam makes it really easy to add pirated games to your list”
That’s the main reason I pirate games. I sent this picture to some of my friends and they all replied with “yeah, they’re right, physical copies are a waste of resources”
Mmmmmm my torrents say otherwise. Can’t stop me! Shit like this is why I torrent unless you’ve got tapes or wax for me.
(This message was brought to you bt Piracy.)
Buy only from gog.
Pirate -> burn to disc
Congrats, you own a physical copy.
True, that’s why I only buy at rent price.
They never intended us to. There were lawsuits against vcr manufacturers and push back every time there was a way to keep a copy of any media. They never wanted anyone to own it, just to consume it.
Some will never experience the wonder of intensively reading the manual of a game on the way home from a store. Discs are becoming as rare as Manuals now.
most people rarely read the directions (and it shows), but I recall loving reading the manuals to my Nintendo64 games
Remember the little note section at the end of some manuals to scribble your tips and codes?
Or cool nonstandard boxes. But retail hated them so now we get easily stackable standardized game cases and we better be happy about it or else.
apparently they deleted this right after, but its a sign of some bullshit either way
Well, isn’t that exactly where Microsoft wanted to go in the first place all those years back when Sony made fun of them in E3?
Yep, this is the same shit they were trying to pull with the Xbox and Sony out a bunch of commercials of them handing their games to each other to let their friends borrow the game.
This is dumb.
deleted by creator
Since the 360 we’ve had install discs for sizes above Disc 1.
Branded usb sticks would be really cool way to deliver games
I recently got a ps3 from a friend and have been buying cheap games and having a blast, this will be impossible with the newest consoles
The fact the tweet this information came from has since been deleted could mean it’s false info. We’ll see if Godd Howard clarifies in the coming days.
Perhaps they meant it will contain the disc AND a code? But either way it’s hopefully a mistake
I hope so, but part of me thinks they deleted it to try and curb the backlash as pre-order sales are really high.
Yeah I wouldn’t be surprised honestly. I’m just huffing copium until official confirmation. It doesn’t affect me anyway as I’m on PC but it’s a huge disservice to the console players if there isn’t a 1.0 build on a disc they can own forever.
Even if it includes a physical disk, it will most probably only have the launcher or a downloader on it.
I can’t say I’m surprised but its a testament of the slowly dying state of physical media
I think they have already done this back in the days of Fallout 76
FYI: The Xbox version will still contain a physical disc. It is just the PC versions which will not.
Not that you should preorder in the first place, but before someone cancels their Xbox preorder over the news, figured some clarification would help.
The only reason they didn’t go down the path of serialized discs was the digital market being on the horizon. They were always going to nuke the second hand market.
When I was just a lad looking for my true vocation
My father said "Now son, this choice deserves deliberation
Though you could be a doctor or perhaps a financier
My boy, why not consider a more challenging career?" ☠️
![[EDIT: CONFIRMED FALSE] Starfield physical edition won't include physical discs.](https://szmer.info/pictrs/image/5238cee4-2855-4ae1-9e0b-3631d3bbc1cb.png){kind=link}