Leak Reveals Gamestop Is Basically Shutting Down

[hunter_alien]

Cerebralbore101 said:

vivster said:

I can do a lot more with a digital copy I bought from steam than a physical copy I bought for PS4. Digital isn't the issue, DRM is. I think it's kinda ridiculous how physical discs are somehow lauded as gaming Jesus while they're full with DRM and already are just as tightly controlled as their digital counterparts.

The protest shouldn't be against digital but against closed platforms.

So, because I can't play a PS4 game on an XB1 that's DRM? If only GoG got as many games as Steam. Sadly, most publishers want to make their own store, or put their games on the EGS where there's always online DRM that bricks the game as soon as the servers go down. 

hunter_alien said:

True, but the issue is that pretty much most digital platforms are DRM systems, to begin with. GoG is a model I fully embrace, but let's be honest, it's one that most publishers will not pursue, so it will always be a niche player in the industry.

Physical with DRM is absolutely an issue, and lately, they became downright cumbersome to use, but I think when most people say physical they refer to the old pre-7th generation distribution models. I think the Switch cartridges are still (mostly) there, but it's only a matter of time until they will go the way of the Dodo.

Still, gaming (as an industry) will get through this, and there will always be an opportunity in it that some will try to exploit, so who knows, maybe one day we will get the best of both worlds

What's the difference between pre-7th gen distribution models and today's distribution models? Most disks still come with 100% of the game on it. Sure there are day one patches, but in my experience those don't really change much about the game. Of course there are those certain types of games that are constantly being updated, and changed ala GaaS games. But I don't play those, and those games have always been like that even in 2004. They've just become more numerous and popular in the last few years. 

Day one patch, activation patch, on-disc dlc, installation disc that barely has some data on it, and probably other reasons that I am forgetting right now. The thing is, the "complete" physical game is starting to become less prelevant by the day. That is something that wasnt really a case in 2004 when you bought 99% of games for your GC/PS2/Xbox or even PC, and all the content was there, instantly playable.