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.
To be fair, indie games don’t get hounded for that because they more often than not don’t have the big ass budget most AAA studios do to spend on stuff like physical copies and such. Dunno, I’d love to have all my games physically, but I’m also not gonna look at a small dev team or lone indie dev and expect them to be able to pony up for anything other than say, a limited number of physical copies of thier games…but then, what do I know, it could be dirt cheap to do so (but I doubt it).
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.
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.
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.
A lot of games haven’t been released on disks anymore, it’s a real shame really.
I understand that games have gotten bigger, but they could always ship with a really cheap’O USB stick for the people who really want a true physical copy.
I honestly don’t get the obsession with physical media. That’s a thing of the past, my PC doesn’t even have a drive anymore.
The only benefit I see is a reduced download size, but with day one patches sometimes being 40+ GB that’s also not always the case.
It’s not like you own the game, just because you have a physical copy of it. Once the licensing servers are shut down that disk becomes a paper weight, and that is if it doesn’t require a constant connection to begin with.
On the other side you could argue that it’s better for the environment if we finally get rid of all disks. Is it a huge impact compared to everything else? Probably not, but it is a step in the right direction.
I honestly don’t get the obsession with physical media
Pretty straightfoward. And understanable IMO.
If I have a physical disk of something, I can put it in a compatable system and play/watch it regardless of whether my internet is out or just shitty in general, even years down the line (as far as I’m aware, the devs/company have yet to be able to register/tie disks to devices, and they’re not gonna break into my place and take my media away. So while I don’t own the thing, my copy is my copy to do with as I please so long as I’m not passing it around for others to download). It’s also not tied to any account, so my use of the thing doesn’t hang on whether i have a Steam account or a Netflix account or whathaveyou. There’s also media preservation, and just the fact that some people like to have something tangible that they can say “this is mine”.
Discrot and failing hardware is a problem…but personally, as long as I have a receipt or proof of purchase for it, I’m not gonna lose sleep over getting it from alternative sources if i can’t rip the data off the thing myself. It’s simple: the company gets my money, they give me a copy of the software, and that’s it. What they do with that cash is not my business and what I do with that copy (unless I’m either illegally distributing it or reverse engineering it for my own profit) is not thiers.
Selling the game after you’re done is the biggest one I heard. If you’re playing a single player game that you don’t expect to want to do another run of, you can recoup some of the money. Similarly, some people prefer to buy somebody’s copy for 80% of the price they would pay on the digital version.
I mean, sure, but the discussion isn’t only about PCs, the question in the screenshot was about the series X. You can find pre-owned discs for consoles sold on gamestop, for example.
I don’t think that’s been possible for years, has it? Games had activation codes since long before downloading games became the norm, and I thought that meant you couldn’t resell them?
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.
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.
I’m really curious who the target audience for this is. I guess if you have gift cards for Gamestop, although huh, this kind of turns them into a key reseller with extra steps.
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.
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.
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It’s funny how this is never an issue when people are buying their latest favorite indie game that’s only available to download.
To be fair, indie games don’t get hounded for that because they more often than not don’t have the big ass budget most AAA studios do to spend on stuff like physical copies and such. Dunno, I’d love to have all my games physically, but I’m also not gonna look at a small dev team or lone indie dev and expect them to be able to pony up for anything other than say, a limited number of physical copies of thier games…but then, what do I know, it could be dirt cheap to do so (but I doubt it).
Are they released as a “physical release” without the game actually being physically there?
Because it’s commonly understood that they simply don’t have the resources to do so.
How many of our favorite indie games are massive file sizes with draconian DRM?
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 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.
Even if it includes a physical disk, it will most probably only have the launcher or a downloader on it.
Perhaps they meant it will contain the disc AND a code? But either way it’s hopefully a mistake
Did the same with Diablo 4 as far as I know. Companies are getting horribly greedy the past few years
What’s the purpose of a physical version if there is no disk included? This is nonsense!
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
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.
To make useless plastic cases to help the environment, of course.
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.
I think they have already done this back in the days of Fallout 76
A lot of games haven’t been released on disks anymore, it’s a real shame really.
I understand that games have gotten bigger, but they could always ship with a really cheap’O USB stick for the people who really want a true physical copy.
Since the 360 we’ve had install discs for sizes above Disc 1.
I honestly don’t get the obsession with physical media. That’s a thing of the past, my PC doesn’t even have a drive anymore.
The only benefit I see is a reduced download size, but with day one patches sometimes being 40+ GB that’s also not always the case.
It’s not like you own the game, just because you have a physical copy of it. Once the licensing servers are shut down that disk becomes a paper weight, and that is if it doesn’t require a constant connection to begin with.
On the other side you could argue that it’s better for the environment if we finally get rid of all disks. Is it a huge impact compared to everything else? Probably not, but it is a step in the right direction.
Pretty straightfoward. And understanable IMO.
If I have a physical disk of something, I can put it in a compatable system and play/watch it regardless of whether my internet is out or just shitty in general, even years down the line (as far as I’m aware, the devs/company have yet to be able to register/tie disks to devices, and they’re not gonna break into my place and take my media away. So while I don’t own the thing, my copy is my copy to do with as I please so long as I’m not passing it around for others to download). It’s also not tied to any account, so my use of the thing doesn’t hang on whether i have a Steam account or a Netflix account or whathaveyou. There’s also media preservation, and just the fact that some people like to have something tangible that they can say “this is mine”.
Discrot and failing hardware is a problem…but personally, as long as I have a receipt or proof of purchase for it, I’m not gonna lose sleep over getting it from alternative sources if i can’t rip the data off the thing myself. It’s simple: the company gets my money, they give me a copy of the software, and that’s it. What they do with that cash is not my business and what I do with that copy (unless I’m either illegally distributing it or reverse engineering it for my own profit) is not thiers.
Selling the game after you’re done is the biggest one I heard. If you’re playing a single player game that you don’t expect to want to do another run of, you can recoup some of the money. Similarly, some people prefer to buy somebody’s copy for 80% of the price they would pay on the digital version.
But just you then just buy a worthless piece of plastic nowadays, because the license key was already added to Steam, GoG or whatever?
I mean, sure, but the discussion isn’t only about PCs, the question in the screenshot was about the series X. You can find pre-owned discs for consoles sold on gamestop, for example.
Ah, I get it now. I was so locked into PC gaming that I wasn’t aware we are talking consoles.
Yeah, the argument gets a lot better on consoles, but I guess physical console games are a dying breed as well.
I don’t think that’s been possible for years, has it? Games had activation codes since long before downloading games became the norm, and I thought that meant you couldn’t resell them?
Sure it is, just Google “pre-owned games” and you’ll probably have hits from whatever the main game supplier js in your country (GameStop, GAME etc.).
Ooh are you talking about console games? Because it’s not the same for PC games.
Ah, hadn’t realised you were on about PC gaming.
Physical editions for PC gaming for me died a long time ago as I pretty much exclusively use Steam.
Consoles however I always try and get physical where possible.
You haven’t walked into a Gamestop in the last couple years?
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.
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
Apparently, they’re saying this only applies to the collector’s edition and not the standard edition.
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.
I’m really curious who the target audience for this is. I guess if you have gift cards for Gamestop, although huh, this kind of turns them into a key reseller with extra steps.
This is really what NFTs were/are for. reselling digital content
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.
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”
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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-sale_doctrine
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.