I already have more games than I could ever finish in a lifetime — in 10 lifetimes — and they’re all digital, in big folders full of files. If I had those thousands of games in physical form I’d need a library in my house full of shelves to store them all, yet digitally I can carry them all around in my pocket!
Exactly. I absolutely agree with OP that robbing people of the choice to own physical media sucks…
But when not paired with shitty-ass DRM, digital format media can be an absolute boon for games preservation. Easy to backup, takes up barely any physical space, and doesn’t require physical hardware to play it that will become increasingly sparce and expensive over time.
If the industry doesn’t want to provide legal pathways towards games preservation, then it looks like the pirates are going to start wearing archavist hats too.
This is the correct take. The option should be there for everyone. Lots of folks here are with you, where the practicality of DRM-free digital format media is more important. To people like me, collecting physical media is a hobby itself. I probably spend more time shopping for records and equipment than listening to them, for example, though of course I do listen to them as well. I used to be the same with games, which is why I have a ton of OG Xbox and 360 discs, and for movies I have a bunch of blu-rays and DVDs. Yeah, it’s hard to find space for it all but that challenge is part of the fun, at least for me. Plus it can work as interior decor too. And I know I’m not alone, CD sales are the highest they’ve been in over 20 years, and I’m sure other formats are similar. But again, having the choice for DRM-free digital is also important. Taking away our choice is bad for us all.
I already have more games than I could ever finish in a lifetime — in 10 lifetimes — and they’re all digital, in big folders full of files. If I had those thousands of games in physical form I’d need a library in my house full of shelves to store them all, yet digitally I can carry them all around in my pocket!
Exactly. I absolutely agree with OP that robbing people of the choice to own physical media sucks…
But when not paired with shitty-ass DRM, digital format media can be an absolute boon for games preservation. Easy to backup, takes up barely any physical space, and doesn’t require physical hardware to play it that will become increasingly sparce and expensive over time.
If the industry doesn’t want to provide legal pathways towards games preservation, then it looks like the pirates are going to start wearing archavist hats too.
This is the correct take. The option should be there for everyone. Lots of folks here are with you, where the practicality of DRM-free digital format media is more important. To people like me, collecting physical media is a hobby itself. I probably spend more time shopping for records and equipment than listening to them, for example, though of course I do listen to them as well. I used to be the same with games, which is why I have a ton of OG Xbox and 360 discs, and for movies I have a bunch of blu-rays and DVDs. Yeah, it’s hard to find space for it all but that challenge is part of the fun, at least for me. Plus it can work as interior decor too. And I know I’m not alone, CD sales are the highest they’ve been in over 20 years, and I’m sure other formats are similar. But again, having the choice for DRM-free digital is also important. Taking away our choice is bad for us all.