I have already covered why we should appreciate and purchase physical games. It seems though, that my worst fear has been realised. I really thought we had more time but as the title says, the digital future has crept up on all of us, showing it’s ugly non-physical form, the ethereal scourge that will spell the end of future proof game archiving.
EASY MONEY
The reason behind the ever-increasing prevalence of digital games and media? Convenience and money. It costs less for companies to release games, since they don’t have to deal with boxes and printing physical media and allows the consumer to access their games with ease, removing the need to switch discs or cartridges.
NOT HELPING
The fact that all games nowadays require additional downloads doesn’t help either. If you’ve recently bought an Xbox One or PS4 game, you will notice that the game actually installs in its entirety on your console, most times downloading a huge chunk of extra data. The disc is only used as an anti-piracy measure to verify your copy. So you essentially paid to make your life more difficult. How does that make you feel?
RUNNING ON STEAM
Despite a multitude of QOL issues and a whole bunch of weird games, Steam is still the best way to access what makes PC gaming so awesome. But at any given time, your favourite game can be removed from the platform. If you didn’t purchase it, there would be no way to (legally) play it anymore. Just look what happened to Alan Wake. This can happen on any digital platform. I don’t want to bet whether I have access to my favourite games on the financial stability of a company, service or the Internet itself.
SWITCH TO PHYSICAL
The Nintendo Switch also has a media problem. Cartridges are great, they can offer a variety of storage capacities and quick loading times. The problem is, they currently cost a lot to manufacture. So you get companies like Bethesda or Capcom opting for a smaller capacity cartridge and having the game ship with a mandatory download. They do this not only to save money but to avoid dumping the cost onto the consumer. In the end though, physical media still suffers and the digital future rears its ugly face.
Pictured: the all-digital future
IS THIS THE END?
Is there really no escape from this monster? Well, you’re not reading this on a newspaper so I’m guessing yeah….we’re f***ed.
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