Topic: How Digital Delivery Can Save the Pack Rat

[Rize]

It's complicated... I've been suffering from this problem for a few years now.  The best way to cope is stop buying games.  In the few cases where you truly want to play the game, you'll go buy it even though you stopped buying games.

Remind me again why we have a staff writer who doesn't play video games?

I'm no longer a staff writer; I'm a contributing writer!  That means I used be a staff writer but no longer have the time to write (or play) regularly.  Anyway, my prior statements were slight exaggerations.  I still play games, just not nearly as many as I used to.

[Mario]

What about the distant future?  What if your Wii *does* break?   I still play NES games on the original carts.  If a game I like breaks, I can buy it on eBay for a relatively low amount.  What will you do if you want to play a treasured WiiWare title 25 years from now?  Try to buy a Wii on eBay that has the game downloaded on it? 

There will be no planet at all in 25 years at this rate, digital distribution saves the environment.

[Morari]

It's complicated... I've been suffering from this problem for a few years now.  The best way to cope is stop buying games.  In the few cases where you truly want to play the game, you'll go buy it even though you stopped buying games.

Remind me again why we have a staff writer who doesn't play video games?

I'm no longer a staff writer; I'm a contributing writer!  That means I used be a staff writer but no longer have the time to write (or play) regularly.  Anyway, my prior statements were slight exaggerations.  I still play games, just not nearly as many as I used to.

The title above your avatar says differently...

[SkiDragon]

I've never liked the concept of paying for a company to modulate an electric field down a cable for me, and I can pretty confidently say that I have never had to. I would much prefer physical copies of games, that I can trade or sell or keep indefinitely. I am sure game publishers (and music publisher, and movie studios) would rather sell me a modulated electric field, but if they want my money they will have to give me a physical copy.

[Rize]

skidragon, if you live long enough you will no longer be playing games if that's how you feel.  I totally agree... except it doesn't matter.  eventually you won't even own computers and consoles.  computing power itself will be handled off site and only the images will be streamed to everyone.  and the internet will be probably be much more heavily regulated in the distant future.  the only thing you will need is interface devices (monitors, mice, keyboards, game controllers in todays terms...).  in short, enjoy the freedom we have now, because I don't think it's going to last.

[KDR_11k]

Invest in the future: Buy a tank.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

CAT TANK

[Pale]

You don't play the disc, you play the electronics... how is that really any different in the grand scheme of things?  The solid state memory in the Wii itself is just as durable (if not more so) than a disc.

[animecyberrat]

I think the fear is if they decided to terminate the license and the games on your flash memory aren't playable anymore.

[NWR_insanolord]

They'd have to make major changes to the firmware to do that. As long as you have a copy of the game on your internal memory, an SD card, or some other future thing that comes around you'll be able to play it on your Wii.

[Kairon]

Ownership is an illusion and all things are temporal. You can't take any of your VC downloads with you when you die. It's fun to buy up all these things and build a collection (heaven knows I have), but in the end you have to make sure you're enjoying the now instead of continually betting on a future that may never happen, or may play out differently than what you expect.

As such, I embrace digital downloads of games as long as I can store them on my end and do not require the internet to play them, giving me freedom to play them whenever I want in the now. Limited time play opportunities and having to be online to play games should be reserved for special experiences and MMOs only.

[animecyberrat]

didn't expect you to go get philosophical on us.