I didn't intend to but I've pretty much gone all digital this gen. Its so convenient to buy a game on my phone while I'm out, set it to download, and have it be installed and ready to go by the time I get home.

Steam has competition in the way that iTunes has competition lol

And it has very little to do with appeasing shops. It's simply that publishers don't want to devalue all the product they have sitting on shelves by lowering the prices of their digital counterparts. They wanna sellthrough as many of those physical copies at the best price they can, or else printing all those discs was a huge loss. The PC market doesn't have that problem, because....well the physical market is dead lol. So no, it will not turn out to be quite different

Publishers like the higher margins on digital, and there's still the platform holder cut to keep console prices higher.

I doubt they are worried about devalueing their product on the shelves, they could simply print less, and see higher returns overall. They don't want to undervalue their digital prices, since digital is slowly taking over anyway. Let it run its natural course. Publishers have long since wanted to raise the prices, yet shops want to stick to the $60 price tag. Adding digital for the same price is effectively raising the average game price, win win.

Anyway Civ 6 on Steam is full price here (CAD 80), as well as Dishonered 2, COD: Infinite warfare, Watch dogs 2, Steep. So I guess you're right, it won't be different!

 This thread has shown me that there is a core group of console gamers that seriously collect and play. A "Physical Games Master Race" if you will. 

On the side of physical, always. It's much more enjoyable being able to feel the game in your hands. Back when games came with manuals, that was even better.

Cloudman said: On the side of physical, always. It's much more enjoyable being able to feel the game in your hands. Back when games came with manuals, that was even better.

It's even more enjoyable holding a controller or mouse in your hand while playing a game instead of a cheap plastic case or a few sheets of paper.

Physical because i can sell my games.

Otherwhise I would prefer digital because i hate swapping disc :D

I will be physical till the day I die... or it becomes so unpopular I want to follow the trend as well.

Digital makes impulse buys way too easy.

I used to have to go to the mall, take my wife shopping, ditch her for a second and run to Gamestop, and buy a game. Then, I had to sneak the game to the car, and then sneak it into the house without her noticing.

Now, I just push a couple of buttons. In a way, I miss the thrill of outsmarting her. Technology has made it too easy.

So much trouble?

You could just have ordered the retail games at Amazon just as fast as buying digital games. Add something for your wife to the order... or just send the games to a friend who "lends" you the games if you need the outsmart kick.