All digital future, your opinions on that?

With GTA 6 announcing they're not going physical, and the PS6 going full digital after removing 7.6 billion dollars worth of movies from people without any refunds due to licensing issues, what are your opinions on an all Digital future? I'm sure you can see where I stand simply by how I worded this but I am curious as to what your opinions on and why

Xyphien said:

With GTA 6 announcing they're not going physical, and the PS6 going full digital after removing 7.6 billion dollars worth of movies from people without any refunds due to licensing issues, what are your opinions on an all Digital future? I'm sure you can see where I stand simply by how I worded this but I am curious as to what your opinions on and why

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I’m not completely against digital, because the convenience is hard to argue with, but I definitely don’t want physical games to disappear completely.

For me the biggest issue is ownership. If I buy a physical game, I can keep it, lend it to someone, sell it or pick it up again years later. With digital, you’re basically trusting that the platform, servers and licences will still be there in the future.

I think digital will probably become the norm, but I’d much rather we kept the choice. Going 100% digital feels like we’re paying the same money for less control over what we’ve actually bought.

Ownership is really the key issue here. Digital certainly offers convenience and instant access, but the lack of a physical copy means you’re completely reliant on the platform and their policies. I like the idea of hybrid options where you can have the best of both worlds. Physical games give a sense of permanence and the joy of collecting, while digital is flexible for quick access and portability.

The point about ownership is crucial. Even with the convenience of digital, the risk of losing access due to platform shutdowns or licensing changes feels like a real concern. Hybrid options sound ideal but might be tricky for companies to manage. I've found that physical copies help me hold onto games longer, especially for classics I revisit or want to lend. Do other members feel the same about collecting versus convenience?