What does subscription based (digital only) content mean for the future of entertainment?

[Kamikaze Revy]

1st we all know Nintendo isn’t the company that does digital/online right.

Second it clearly gives you a chance to download all your titles and keep them before the shop closes

This is the same as if a physical shop closes. Can’t shop there anymore.

What’s your issue here?

If I had a physical copy it wouldn't matter how many stores closed, or if the console failed later, or the hard drive crashed, I would still be able to play the game.
There's value in the perception of ownership of physical media.
There's nothing we can do to stop or slow down the shift to a digital focused world...so really this boils down to moot points...it's just a shame is all.
Moving forward doesn't always mean that the "soul/spirit/art" in media will be improved.
I mean, you're in your 30's right? Do you feel that the games today have more "soul" than the games we had growing up?
The graphics, and overall technology is better than ever, and can definitely make for a fun experience, but back when games didn't have those things to their advantage, the games had more soul. (And I'm not sure how to expound on that further...it's hard to describe, but I think older generation gamers will at least understand what I'm TRYING to say).

 

[MeachTheMonster]

If I had a physical copy it wouldn't matter how many stores closed, or if the console failed later, or the hard drive crashed, I would still be able to play the game.

Obviously maintenance is important either way. You have to take care of your digital library same as physical. You scratch/lose your discs you can’t play anymore either.

There's value in the perception of ownership of physical media.

This ain’t what we are talking about

There's nothing we can do to stop or slow down the shift to a digital focused world...so really this boils down to moot points...

True

it's just a shame is all.

Moving forward doesn't always mean that the "soul/spirit/art" in media will be improved.
I mean, you're in your 30's right? Do you feel that the games today have more "soul" than the games we had growing up?
The graphics, and overall technology is better than ever, and can definitely make for a fun experience, but back when games didn't have those things to their advantage, the games had more soul. (And I'm not sure how to expound on that further...it's hard to describe, but I think older generation gamers will at least understand what I'm TRYING to say).

Not even sure what this has to do with the WII shop closing, but I agree games had to be more inventive in the past. Couldn’t rely on graphics and story to get by. But you like graphics and story games so.... you should be happy...no?

 

[Kamikaze Revy]

Obviously maintenance is important either way. You have to take care of your digital library same as physical. You scratch/lose your discs you can’t play anymore either.


This ain’t what we are talking about

True

Not even sure what this has to do with the WII shop closing, but I agree games had to be more inventive in the past. Couldn’t rely on graphics and story to get by. But you like graphics and story games so.... you should be happy...no?

Man shut up

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Man shut up

 

[Kamikaze Revy]

My local Walmarts and Best Buys have each reduced their entire gaming products to half of a single aisle.
I'm expecting at some point in 2025 / 2026 at the latest for video games to be completely taken off of the floor.
I often wonder what will be the last "big game" offered on disc and how collectible will it be.
There was a bit of a price surge on ebay not long ago for sealed copies of the FF7 reboot for ps5.

MS announced an all digital series x and they've been actively pushing cloud gaming for some time.

This thread is solely about digital vs physical but it's interesting overall to see how quickly things are changing.
Just think of how many iterations content delivery has gone through in just the last 30 years.

 

[winb83]

My local Walmarts and Best Buys have each reduced their entire gaming products to half of a single aisle.
I'm expecting at some point in 2025 / 2026 at the latest for video games to be completely taken off of the floor.
I often wonder what will be the last "big game" offered on disc and how collectible will it be.
There was a bit of a price surge on ebay not long ago for sealed copies of the FF7 reboot for ps5.

MS announced an all digital series x and they've been actively pushing cloud gaming for some time.

This thread is solely about digital vs physical but it's interesting overall to see how quickly things are changing.
Just think of how many iterations content delivery has gone through in just the last 30 years.

I don't see why they should bother sticking games in stores anyway. They can ship physical games if necessary or people can do in-store pick up from one of their hubs to a store.

 

[Deltron]

My local Walmarts and Best Buys have each reduced their entire gaming products to half of a single aisle.
I'm expecting at some point in 2025 / 2026 at the latest for video games to be completely taken off of the floor.
I often wonder what will be the last "big game" offered on disc and how collectible will it be.
There was a bit of a price surge on ebay not long ago for sealed copies of the FF7 reboot for ps5.

MS announced an all digital series x and they've been actively pushing cloud gaming for some time.

This thread is solely about digital vs physical but it's interesting overall to see how quickly things are changing.
Just think of how many iterations content delivery has gone through in just the last 30 years.

one thing good about hard headed nintendo is they value physical (at least for now, anyway).

I think I remember reading that Switch 2 will definitely be physical based.

 

[Mowgli]

Means you wait till the Gen is over and order all the games in a bundle from Amazon on a 20tb drive.

When We're about to die they'll drop a retro classics and have every playstation 1 - 8 game on a single quantum hard drive.

Today's licensing model should put zero fear in your heart

 

[Kamikaze Revy]

Means you wait till the Gen is over and order all the games in a bundle from Amazon on a 20tb drive.

When We're about to die they'll drop a retro classics and have every playstation 1 - 8 game on a single quantum hard drive.

Today's licensing model should put zero fear in your heart

They not licensing anyone to do because it'll be on a $30/month subscription.
(Wait until these geniuses realize gamers would pay $60/month to stream games because "hey, when you think about it, it's just the cost of a single game a month to play 1,000's of games".)

 

[Atsym Sknyfs]

They not licensing anyone to do because it'll be on a $30/month subscription.
(Wait until these geniuses realize gamers would pay $60/month to stream games because "hey, when you think about it, it's just the cost of a single game a month to play 1,000's of games".)

That was what PS Now was and the new PS+ tiers. Only problem is it's not always brand new games but It's coming.

 

[Mowgli]

They not licensing anyone to do because it'll be on a $30/month subscription.
(Wait until these geniuses realize gamers would pay $60/month to stream games because "hey, when you think about it, it's just the cost of a single game a month to play 1,000's of games".)

They can't stop the black market brother