When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

[Eagle101]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

Steam has an okay library for games so does D2D Direct 2 Drive. I am just afraid of dnld limit and speed. As well as Alex's point of making a back up on a disk.

[[GCA]Tim270]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

Yea, im not big with it at all, what if i dont like the game after a day? im pretty sure i wont get a refund.

[KillerStickMan]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

Being able to preload a game is a great feature, but say they used steam and prereleased the game in stores so you could go buy it and install it before it came out, but the developers would still be able to use steam to not let you play the game before they wanted you to.

[imported_Whiskey]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

A big positive for digital download in the future is the capability for better security/anti-piracy protection. Companies could use sophisticated algorithms for generating install keys, matching them up to a variety of things (IP address, hardware profile, user account password, etc) which then have to be authenticated each time a user plays online, making it very difficult for people to crack it, and protecting users who bought their key legitimately.

It also has the potential for greater anti-cheating measures (having to log in online to play a game, and possibly scanning your game directory for hax...possibly even having an encrypted file that needs to be updated/downloaded each time you log in to play and is erased each time you quit) as well as automatically updating/patching games which would help keep an online community together.

Again, they do have to do some work regarding compatibility though, as a lot of the issues I've seen on different game forums have to do with digital versions - mostly conflicts with other programs or patches that are late/don't work. The upside or future potential is huge...it's just a matter of getting to that point with reliability, IMO.

[Flt. Sgt. Powderhound]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

One thing to bear in mind is that all digital distribution is likely to create a monopoly situation for particular titles which is bad for consumers.

[Shawn Zipay]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

Yea, im not big with it at all, what if i dont like the game after a day? im pretty sure i wont get a refund.

You'd be very hard pressed to get a refund on a PC game you bought in a B&M store either. At least in the US that's typically the case.

[=98=]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

You won't get a refund on a PC game if you've installed it either.

[MrKLM]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

that i see is also a big downfall of the pc gaming market you can't trade/sell/rent pc games easily like you can console.

[Kradath]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

You won't get a refund on a PC game if you've installed it either.

God bless germany, we have better protection regarding customer support, anything technical HAS to be refund if we want, open or not opend.

[DeejayKnight]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

I'm quite content with digital distribution. I currently don't have the fastest net, but with things like pre-loading and just setting things to download over night, I'm fine with it. Steam has really spoiled me in this regard.

I'm happy downloading games as long as they let us backup the content on a disk of our own so we don't have to re-download multiple times. Steam lets you do this with their games.

You must move with the times, not resist them.

You both have excellent points.

To be honest, I have few problems with a PC platform such as Steam. They do allow backups of your content, which is a major deal for me. I wrote the piece on the basis of home consoles, though.

Since none of the current consoles have a burner (nor would I expect any future consoles to release with them), the problem would be getting a Steam-like solution that would work for consoles such as the 360 or PS3.

Again, valid points though.

Question: Does Steam allow you to play the titles you've purchased if you're not connected to the internet? It's been awhile since I've played around with Steam (on a laptop unworthy of gaming ).

that i see is also a big downfall of the pc gaming market you can't trade/sell/rent pc games easily like you can console.

Which would be one of my problems with digital distribution on consoles: No trading/selling/renting...

A big positive for digital download in the future is the capability for better security/anti-piracy protection. Companies could use sophisticated algorithms for generating install keys, matching them up to a variety of things (IP address, hardware profile, user account password, etc) which then have to be authenticated each time a user plays online, making it very difficult for people to crack it, and protecting users who bought their key legitimately.

It also has the potential for greater anti-cheating measures (having to log in online to play a game, and possibly scanning your game directory for hax...possibly even having an encrypted file that needs to be updated/downloaded each time you log in to play and is erased each time you quit) as well as automatically updating/patching games which would help keep an online community together.

Again, they do have to do some work regarding compatibility though, as a lot of the issues I've seen on different game forums have to do with digital versions - mostly conflicts with other programs or patches that are late/don't work. The upside or future potential is huge...it's just a matter of getting to that point with reliability, IMO.

Fantastic points as well. Some of your arguments for digital distribution are exactly what I don't want to see with home consoles. I'm not a fan of games that have to authenticate online for me to play them, which is one of the problems with Xbox Live if you haven't transferred your licenses to the new console.

That's something I'll have to deal with on Xbox Live Arcade here in a day when I get a new Elite that will replace my former 360 that I had to send in twice for repair - and would've had to send again. Microsoft has a page for this now, but before the website, it was a difficult task.

[Eagle101]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

that i see is also a big downfall of the pc gaming market you can't trade/sell/rent pc games easily like you can console.

Seconded, in the console area, dealing with the discs are a lot easier than PC. I have had my fair shares of trade ins, rents here in the UK.

[Shawn Zipay]

Re: When Gaming Goes Download Only, My Gaming Days Are Done

that i see is also a big downfall of the pc gaming market you can't trade/sell/rent pc games easily like you can console.

That has a lot to do with piracy issues and measures taken to stop that. That's really not an issue just with digital distribution, that's just an issue with anti-piracy in general. A measure that's gone back to even the days of the Commador 64, so that's really nothing new.

God bless germany, we have better protection regarding customer support, anything technical HAS to be refund if we want, open or not opend.

That's actually a fairly bad idea then for Germany. I can't imagine how many people buy a game, steal the key, and then return the game. That's the very reason why we don't allow that in the US if the box has been opened.

Question: Does Steam allow you to play the titles you've purchased if you're not connected to the internet? It's been awhile since I've played around with Steam (on a laptop unworthy of gaming ).

Yes, some updates have added better Offline support for Steam. The other day I lost my connection and started up Steam without realizing it and after a tick it asked if I wanted to start up in Offline mode without issue.