Gaming digital copies of games suck

[purplesludge]

http://pspupdates.qj.net/Shin-Megami-Tense...g/49/aid/133633

Both the retail and digital copies of Persona is tagged for an MSRP of US$ 39.99.

Why are they both the same cost? The digital one should be much cheaper because no umd, case, or manual.

Why buy a digital copy if the umd is a better bargain?

This is one of the reasons I bought loco roco on umd instead of from psn.

No one wants to buy digital copies of a game for the same price as the physical copy when they can choose to buy a digital copy or physical copy.

Unless they plan to produce so few umds that people have to buy a digital copy of the game or make games digital only having both formats is stupid.

No one is going to buy a $250 psp go if they have to pay $39.99 for every game.

 

[Joe88]

its the same thing with DLC content on systems and games

its the exact same price as the disk as it is from the online store

I would rather have a hard copy of something like that rather then digital
if I was actually buying it that is

 

[CrimsoniteX]

Although I agree with you to a point, don't forget that they need to cover server and bandwidth costs, employees to maintain PSN, et cetera. Honestly the UMD, case, and manual probably costs $5 - $7 at most. They outsource these to companies and they are mass produced.

Personally I don't mind paying five extra bucks if it will save me from driving to the store, and I get a copy of the game I don't need to lug around with me.

 

[Law]

Why buy it digital when the launch retail game comes in a special box with the soundtrack?

If it was being released like that over here I'd probably have pre-ordered it.

 

[Da-Bomb1]

I dunno, I prefer digitally distributed stuff for some reason. I don't really like having to go all the way out to the store and buying it...and I don't really trust the DRM methods some games use. My Crysis DVD randomly decided it wasn't legit one day and I was forced to download a pirated version. Kinda bugged me, seeing as how I bought the game and everything.

 

[clegion]

meh same like my demigod dvd which says to itself insert the correct cd to the cd rom yada yada and after i unistall it it stops working....., i prefer hard copy due to no method of paying online

 

[DarkWay]

as far as I know the PSP Go doesn't have a umd drive so it would be pointless buying a UMD copy if you can't play it.........

so the hardcopy is for the old schoolers with PSP 1000/2000/3000's whilst the digital download is aimed more at the PSP Go'ers and people who generally don't care about the box and extras.

on another topic when is Shin Megami Tensei: Persona coming out?

or is it out and I've just been too slow to notice.

 

[Law]

on another topic when is Shin Megami Tensei: Persona coming out?

or is it out and I've just been too slow to notice.

September sometime. Probably mid month, can't be bothered to go and look it up.

 

[Shardnax]

A digital copy I have to pay for is ridiculous, if I'm downloading it, it had better be free. Unless you have some fantastic connection it'd probably be faster to drive to the store to get the game.

 

[godsakes]

while i think digital copies are the future and hard copies will become kinda like limited edition collectables... my main problem with digital copies - at least in the case of steam/360 etc is there's no way to resell the game on (or even give it away to a friend).

once they implement a ownership transfer system or just let you have multiple copies - only then will i think it's fair (compared to hard copies) and even then i would want the digital versions to be cheaper

 

[thedicemaster]

i can tell you that in some cases a digital copy is worth more than a physical copy.

example: beats.
it comes on UMD as the "PSN power pack" together with 2 other games, but the UMD is much slower and often freezes when trying to start a game.

would you rather have a game that takes 3 times to start or one that starts straight away but is 100% digital?

 

[godsakes]

i can tell you that in some cases a digital copy is worth more than a physical copy.

example: beats.
it comes on UMD as the "PSN power pack" together with 2 other games, but the UMD is much slower and often freezes when trying to start a game.

would you rather have a game that takes 3 times to start or one that starts straight away but is 100% digital?

i don't think anyone argues about the potential benefits of digital

i far prefer having all my DS games on 1 flash cart then on dozens of carts - but the fact i can get them for free makes the choice something of a no brainer

but if i had to pay for the digital downloads, it would have a few implications (we'll assume prices are the same for digital and hard copies). I would have far less games probably at most 4 at one point on any one platform - as such there would be fewer benefits in portabililty (less to carry) and resale value become more important as you would want to part-exchange the games you no longer play for other ones.

 

[Law]

but if i had to pay for the digital downloads, it would have a few implications (we'll assume prices are the same for digital and hard copies). I would have far less games probably at most 4 at one point on any one platform - as such there would be fewer benefits in portabililty (less to carry) and resale value become more important as you would want to part-exchange the games you no longer play for other ones.

That's the whole point of this thread. Op is butthurt that he has to pay the same for the digital download of the regular game than he would have to pay for a special edition box that contains 2 soundtrack CDs.

 

[godsakes]

That's the whole point of this thread. Op is butthurt that he has to pay the same for the digital download of the regular game than he would have to pay for a special edition box that contains 2 soundtrack CDs.

i don't disagree we're simply trapped in a situation where the publishers don't want to piss off their traditional distributors (retailers). in time there's little doubt in my mind digital distribution will be cheaper than the hard copies - in fact i question whether game retailers will be around within another 2 console generations

 

[emupaul]

moot topic. very flame worthy indeed.

IMHO... Digital > Physical

at least you have the option to flash or record it back to physical medium if you had the ability and you can pretty much permanently own a digital copy of it forever and ever until you die, lose the backup, or crappy medium you recorded on fails to function properly.

tell this to copyright nazi's and they would have you killed.... No way do they want you to forever own a copy of their works. Especially without the DRM.

and if you are that deeply concerned about using a inferior digital copy then just buy the original physical copy, its cooler and much more legal that way anyway.

In the case of psp go then thats your own damn fault for buying into DRM only handheld, lets hope some loaders gets to that thing quick.

Sure it sucks now but that's your opinion and in every-way entitled to it but wait until the hardware catches back up to the software and the developers get wiser...

Digital only copies well...you just sacrifice a little bit of ownrship and eat the cost.

But as if any of this blabber matters since we fukin die one day and leave it all behind, just like the copy will probably become dust and the hardware some cockroaches new nest.

At least we have more options with the digital only material.

 

[ZAFDeltaForce]

Everything has a boon and a bane.

Pick your poison, gentlemen.

 

[deathfisaro]

I don't get it.

Japanese version of Patapon 2 had what's equivalent to US$10~13 price difference between downloadable and UMD version (no extras such as OSTs).

I think that much price difference can satisfy buyers of both versions.

Not sure what's behind a different pricing strategy.

 

[clegion]

so people who didn't know how to rate the ost and don't need them could just bought the download and also well it's to justify download is cheaper

 

[VmprHntrD]

I see lots of things here, most seem to not appreciate digital distro for full size intended games, and I'm right there with you. I'm ok with a $10 or less title, rarely $15 too depending what it is and the intent as it's designed there for that.

Where I get really fucked off is when they pull dirty shit like Patapon 2 in the NA region as a download, everyone else gets a real keeper copy that'll work for the life of your PSP. What made it worse was the insulting deal at retail. At store you get the box like anywhere else, but no UMD just a damn slip of paper, and it still was $20 for a oversized piece of confetti, and online it's the same damn cost. Fuck that. Had it been $15 at download, and $20 at retail I could get that, but it's just greed and trying to force feed a format and I won't be a party to it. I don't care about the game quoted in the start of this topic, but I did want that "Badman" game, and it's not getting bought either now.

 

[xist]

Add to the above the rate at which digital distro games get price reductions compared to physical media sitting on the shop floor. Soon enough the price divide between DD and UMD games will be gaping.