Topic: Embracing the Digital Future on the 3DS

[Evan_B]

I own two "retail" digital games: New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Fire Emblem: Awakening, mostly because their Streetpass potential is high and easily accessible when I don't have to switch cartridges.

I try to keep my 3DS in relatively good shape, and I back up my purchases on my external hard drive... but that still doesn't mean my purchases will be tracked. I worry about that, but I'm also confident in my ability to transfer all that material from my 3DS to my NEXT Nintendo handheld. So, if I continue to play safely, I won't have to worry about all these digital woes.

I don't know, I like the security of physical copies but the convenience of digital. I really wish Nintendo would make some damn accounts, though.

[Pixelated Pixies]

I'm not full digital, though, or else I would have rebought Star Fox 64 3D for $40 on the eShop instead of $20 used at GameStop.

Buying Star Fox 64 for $40 has nothing to do with going full digital. It has everything to do with going full reta...wait is that word cool to say?

[Mop it up]

I can see why digital games work for a handheld since it's designed for travel, but when I leave home I don't want to play games. Therefore, digital has nothing to offer me, and physical copies will always be far better for my needs.

What I find odd is how this article takes a preference and presents it as being the best for everyone. The real future we should be supporting is one with options, both physical and digital must coexist in order to give everyone what they want.

[pokepal148]

I can see why digital games work for a handheld since it's designed for travel, but when I leave home I don't want to play games. Therefore, digital has nothing to offer me, and physical copies will always be far better for my needs.

What I find odd is how this article takes a preference and presents it as being the best for everyone. The real future we should be supporting is one with options, both physical and digital must coexist in order to give everyone what they want.

were going to get shoved to one area, it's inevitable, but we can put it off

[Fjurbanski]

were going to get shoved to one area, it's inevitable, but we can put it off

People keep saying that, but I wonder how true it's going to be. Digital is getting big, but even with things like music you can still buy CDs and even vinyls. If anything was gonna go away forever you'd think it would be records like that. But the collectors are a large enough market to keep it going.


I really don't think we're going to see physical completely disappear like people keep saying we will.

[Ian Sane]

Digital will be the future simply because the kids of today know nothing else so the concerns us old-timers have don't matter to them.

I imagine the convenience of having all of your games available at all times is really nice.  Realistically that's what my computer has offered me since most software is installed and doesn't need to use any physical media afterwards.  I think what I really would like is the ability to install my games so I have all of them with me but I have the security of a physical copy as well.

As the industry moves towards all-digital, remote off-switches and you buying a "service" or "license" instead of the product itself will take over.  That will do all sorts of damage to the archiving of classic games and we'll probably lose some permanently before that becomes a widespread concern.  The nicest thing about physical media is that Nintendo can't take a game away from me and they can never truly remove a game from the market place since a used copy can be found.  Digital Nintendo refuses to awknowledge Earthbound's existence.  If physical SNES cartridges didn't exist that game would have effectively disappeared.

[pokepal148]

Digital Nintendo refuses to awknowledge Earthbound's existence.  If physical SNES cartridges didn't exist that game would have effectively disappeared.

the VC in Japan says hello...

[NWR_insanolord]

Nothing's going to disappear. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, piracy will ensure playable copies of pretty much every game will live on. It'll be the same as it is now, where there's no legitimate way to play a lot of things, but if you really want to play them there will be ways.

[NWR_Neal]

What I find odd is how this article takes a preference and presents it as being the best for everyone. The real future we should be supporting is one with options, both physical and digital must coexist in order to give everyone what they want.

To be fair, this is a personal blog post I wrote on the site. It's not meant to be cold, hard fact; it's meant to be how I feel about the subject, which, while people can totally disagree, is how I feel about it. And I was staunchly on the other side a year ago.

[pokepal148]

What I find odd is how this article takes a preference and presents it as being the best for everyone. The real future we should be supporting is one with options, both physical and digital must coexist in order to give everyone what they want.

To be fair, this is a personal blog post I wrote on the site. It's not meant to be cold, hard fact; it's meant to be how I feel about the subject, which, while people can totally disagree, is how I feel about it. And I was staunchly on the other side a year ago.

undecisive hypocrite.

[Oblivion]

Maybe you should have my custom title instead.

[oohhboy]

While I have gone Digital on PC/Mac with Steam, I am a very long way from that on the 3DS for one very simple reason. Price. It's not remotely competitive with me shipping a game from the otherside of a planet. I can get the game 30% less than their retail digital price with the option to on sell, why the hell would I pay full price? I value that $30 more than the slight inconvenience and the time waiting for it to arrive in the mail. That isn't even dealing with the absolute lack of releases here. The digital future is not global.

[roykoopa64]

I haven't bought a single retail title digitally yet on either 3DS or Wii U.

On Wii U it's mostly because I always find a good deal on retail games and find it hard to justify full price on the eShop. It's no inconvenience to get up off the couch and switch discs, so that aspect isn't a factor.

If a new Wii U game releases that I would have bought at full price at retail anyway, perhaps then I will just go the digital route.

On 3DS, I think what's stopped me from going digital is the fact I like to share my games with my wife who also has a 3DS. However, I've been finding that I'm not really doing this anyway on a regular basis, and if she wants to play, she can just use my system. Since 3DS games are harder to find at discount prices (especially published by Nintendo), I'll likely be buying more 3DS games digitally going forward.

[pokepal148]

Maybe you should have my custom title instead.

idk, something like 'oft misunderstood' fits me better...