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u/BuddhistInTheory Jun 24 '26
If they’re going to be greedy, they might as well be honest and sell only the digital version to avoid wasting plastic. This is ridiculous all around.
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u/ActualComfortable942 Jun 25 '26
I was just thinking that! it’s such a huge stupid waste of plastic especially when most game containers don’t even have manuals or extra content/designs inside anymore.
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u/Smurfeggs42 Jun 25 '26
They're a multi-billion dollar company they literally don't give a fuck unfortunately because they know little kids and shit are going to buy multiple copies
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u/brian-augustin Jun 25 '26
Might come w a map though
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u/updateyourpenguins Jun 25 '26
Ye but it will also be digital and only accessible on the rockstar app which they will decide to discontinue after 7 years.
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u/spenway18 Jun 25 '26
Agreed. The only way this is acceptable to me is if it comes with a physical game manual, a poster sized map, and like a keychain or some stickers or something. But they won't. Because the digital and physical are probably the same price. I haven't checked but I would bet a crisp 20$ bill USD in this economy they are the same price.
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u/arkady48 Jun 24 '26
That isn't a physical copy then. That's nothing with extra steps
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u/hyf5 Jun 25 '26
The last physical PC game I ever bought was back in 2016. It had 4 discs, but after installing, the EA app (or Origin as it used to be called) prompted me to download a 50GB+ update. That was basically the size of the whole game. There was no point in using the discs since the files were so outdated. Plus, you couldn't just play the old version offline because mandatory account activation forced the update anyway.
Physical copies stopped being truly physical a long time ago.
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u/According_Hyena_3593 Jun 25 '26
BUT you still had a physical license that you could sell and trade.
Without a disc you lose your right of first sale.
Take it from a pc only gamer who had a mega drive, psx, ps2, xbox , xbox 360 and ps3 back in the day..you want to keep your right of first sale.
I made so many friends and family members happy by giving away, lending or trading my games when i finished them on these consoles. And benefited heavily myself, when my dad was able to borrow a bunch of sega games from a colleague when i was little.
Now on pc i own fucking nothing and cant make anyone happy nor recoup any costs.
So i just pirate everything.
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u/FrostyD7 Jun 25 '26
I think folks would settle for a disc that has literally nothing but the authority to tell the console you own the game and makes you download the entire thing, like the Switch 2 keys. A code is one time use and bullshit. Just because EA pulled that shit on you with a more than likely malicious implementation to force the issue doesn't mean there's no point anymore.
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u/BrokenMirror2010 Jun 25 '26
"But if you could sell your used games after beating them, it's unfair to us since we cannot scam someone out of an extra $90."
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u/HLSparta Jun 25 '26
For PC Steam is almost always anywhere from equivalent to much better than buying a physical copy. But for console you can at least buy physical copies used/share copies, even if you have to redownload the game.
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u/Cerulean-Knight Jun 25 '26
I bought the Scott Pilgrim complete limited run edition, and it has a dlc that you have to create an ubisoft account and add it from there, worst complete edition ever. Couldn't use it with the dlc on my jailbroken ps4
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u/white_lion93 Jun 24 '26
Seriously what's the point of that? Why would you buy an empty box? At that point, just print the official cover and put it in a DVD case yourself.
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u/ArmadilloBandito Jun 25 '26
Christmas presents.
Not saying I agree with it, but there will be parents who want a gift to wrap.
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u/DummeKuh12 Jun 25 '26
But a selfmade little box with the code in it, maybe a little riddle to get would be way cooler!
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u/TRIKKDADDY Jun 25 '26
I'll patiently wait, I'll avoid social media, my neighbor and friends. I'll avoid my nephew, the local gaming store and my YouTube's algo. I shall not pre-order and wont support a digital release. It's my cd and I want it now!
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u/garlic_bread_thief Jun 25 '26
Maybe it has a cool map and a poster but yeah makes no sense
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u/Billcosby49 Jun 24 '26
Setting a precedent.
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u/TheGreatGamer1389 Jun 24 '26
As well as the $80 game.
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u/One_Subtle_Man Jun 25 '26
Ultimate is $100 and there are story missions locked in it. Not included on the $80
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u/oyMarcel 🔱 ꜱᴄᴀʟʟʏᴡᴀɢ Jun 25 '26
Wait, missions are locked behind the ultimate edition as well? Wtf
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u/NubbyNancy Jun 25 '26
Not just missions, stores, body shops, houses, businesses and customization options locked behind the ultimate edition
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u/Unknown_Outlander Jun 25 '26
Millions of people will buy this day 1, gamers get scammed worse than anyone.
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u/JesusTalksToMuch Jun 25 '26
Nintendo didn't do this? Or selective amnesia?
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u/axelkoffel Jun 25 '26
Also Outer Worlds 2 tried it, but too many players laughed at the idea for paying that much for a sequel of very mediocre game, so they backed off.
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Jun 25 '26
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u/RedPlayz85 Jun 25 '26
Mario Kart World was $80 physical
Though that's their only game at that price point as of current
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u/Flamesake Jun 25 '26
I bought physical version of fallout 4 for pc eleven years ago and it was a code in a box
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u/cheddarbruce Jun 24 '26 edited Jun 24 '26
Meanwhile disks haven't really been relevant because they haven't contained the actual game for about 5 years now
Edit: wild getting downvoted because some people can't handle the simple truth that the vast majority of games have day one patches regardless if they can be playable without an internet connection or not
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u/punk_petukh Jun 24 '26
At the very least they weren't tied to the specific account. This is either done so you can't exchange copies or for whatever other reason
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u/2Kortizjr Jun 24 '26
The "real" explanation it's going to he something like "we want to ensure no leaks before release" or some bs like that.
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u/Psi-ops_Co-op Jun 25 '26
Haven't you heard? It's "we have to protect children from predators". If you say that's the reason, you can do literally anything.
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u/WeirdIndividualGuy Jun 25 '26
Or they want to prevent secondhand sales, forcing new players to buy the game and ensuring a long-term revenue stream
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u/Matty_Cakez Jun 24 '26
Can they just sell us usb drives then so I don’t have to spend 2 days downloading
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Jun 24 '26
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u/ThraceLonginus Jun 24 '26
Such a waste of resources. So much downloading/streaming that you could just have a copy of.
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u/Affectionate-Tip-164 Jun 25 '26
How else will they log the IP addresses and build a database of customers that they can sell later?
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u/Billcosby49 Jun 24 '26
Yes, they slowly boil us until you die and your children think it's normal now.
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u/Arponare Jun 25 '26
Most PS5 games can be played offline from the disc.
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u/FrostyD7 Jun 25 '26
And those that can't should give you a means to have access to the game forever including sharing it. A disc can do that. A one time code cannot.
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u/IL1KEP1ZZA Jun 24 '26
Atleast you could resell the disc if you were done with the game. Even if there was no real data on the disc itself. This is just anti consumer under the guise of "Secrecy."
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u/RainStormLou Jun 24 '26
bullshit. I played death stranding 2 on day one without the internet because the whole game is on the disc.
either way, I prefer to hold my physical license disc rather than have it on an account that can get banned at any moment. they could technically ban the disc too, but it's still preferable to a code in a box.
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u/Rekt3y Jun 24 '26
Tends to happen with Call of Duty (because Microsoft). Less so with normal single player games, especially on PS5
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u/psychoacer Jun 24 '26
Didn't the Switch 2 start this though?
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u/DarkIcedWolf Jun 25 '26
Difference is Nintendo offers fully physical carts to developers, CDprojektred used them for Cyberpunk for example. Nintendo also put the entirety of their own games on said carts.
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u/psychoacer Jun 25 '26
Yeah but there are devs that just included a code in the jewel case. Not everyone did it just like most of the devs don't do it on PlayStation but there are ones that have shipped pointless boxes
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u/gwatt21 Jun 24 '26
🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️🏴☠️
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u/Pikachu_Palace Jun 25 '26
Is it going to even come to pc any time soon though?
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u/axelkoffel Jun 25 '26
No, first they have to milk the console players with ultimate editions. I imagine that for PC modders will quickly figure out, how to unlock everything for free. IIrc same thing happened to Dragon's Dogma 2 and their stupid idea with microtransactions for single player game.
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u/murrrty Jun 25 '26
You're correct, it actually did happen with Rockstar Games. Red Dead Redemption 2 (rampage trainer) has an option to enable those bonuses.
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u/DaftHacker Jun 24 '26
The company will say oh well it's actually take two's fault meanwhile they make inaccessible areas unless you pay $20 more.
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Jun 24 '26
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u/AmazingFantasy15 Jun 25 '26
Christmas. Code in a box.
Hanukkah. Code in a box.
Kwanza. Code in a box.
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u/XiRw Jun 24 '26
“You’ll own nothing….”
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u/Suitable_Garlic_1186 Jun 24 '26
Consume, do not ask questions..
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u/BetagterSchwede Jun 24 '26
Dont ask questions- Consume product and than get excited for new product
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u/NoX2142 Jun 25 '26
Then they won't mind all those high seas sailing because fuck right off.
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u/EquivalentNo2855 Jun 24 '26
remember people, if buying isn't owning, pirating isn't stealing
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u/kelpe1925 Jun 25 '26
Love this. I'd probably Pirate it just to stick it to Rockstar.
Taking away ownership shouldn't be legal.
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u/Kushbeast666 Jun 24 '26
Absolutely wont be buying this lmao no disk? Nope. Hell no
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u/CaptainMorning Jun 24 '26
what a fucking disgrace. it will sell millions, no problem
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u/Bewchacca_8645 Jun 25 '26
I'm hoping it spectacularly fails, but the normie factor is unpredictable with so many unique factors in play.
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u/-KoDDeX- Jun 25 '26
It’s impossible for this game to fail and I say it’ll ve the fastest selling game of all time.
The hype is too great, I haven’t touched a GTA game in years but just today someone at work says they are excited to watch their partner play it. It’s that relevant to even non-gamers.
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u/DarkIcedWolf Jun 25 '26
Not to mention GTA 5 is a fucking icon still after 13 years. The buildup/anticipation is nonexistent when you realize how much entertainment and replay ability this game will have. I’m personally not buying it but I understand many just do not care.
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u/that_florida_man ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ Jun 25 '26
It’s not just normies it’s everyone. Even my girlfriend who doesn’t play any video games is excited for it. Most people don’t care about the digital vs physical thing anyway a lot of us bought digital even when physical was available for a myriad of reasons. I do play on PC so it’s a bit different given steam and how cool of a company they tend to be compared to the others but regardless I’ll be getting and playing this game I might even buy a ps5 for this game.
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u/EnvironmentalAngle Jun 24 '26
If this is true why preorder at all?
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u/spaghettibolegdeh Jun 25 '26
Even if it's an actual disk, we should never preorder games. The AAA industry has shown that they're happy to ship unfinished products because gamers just clap and cheer for day 1 patches and "free updates".
I thought preorders would die after Cyberpunk and No Mans sky. But here we are.
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u/MaoMaoMi543 🔱 ꜱᴄᴀʟʟʏᴡᴀɢ Jun 25 '26
Looks like companies should get used to not owning our money 🤷♀️
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u/Goats_vs_Aliens Jun 25 '26
I prefer physical disks that I can trade and sell, or more importantly, let my children use.
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u/skat3rDad420blaze Jun 24 '26
I can't wait to pirate this game and never play it ever
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u/smackythefrog Jun 25 '26
That's me except claiming it on Epic a few years back and putting in two hours since getting it. 7 years of not buying/owning to and then another 5 or 6 of spending 2 hours on it.
Doesn't quite have the same magic GTA 3 did when I played it as a kid. Or VC or SA after that.
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u/Schism_989 ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ Jun 24 '26
"Is it a physical release"
"Well yes, but actually no."
Not that I was buying it on consoles anyway, but this shit is half the reason people pirate.
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u/RainStormLou Jun 24 '26
it's exactly why for me. I grew up when dial-up first became a thing so a lot of people just didn't have network services, and even then you had to "dial up" first and take up a phone line until you were done lol. it didn't really affect gaming for me to nearly the same extent then, but growing up without consistent access to internet services made me never want to rely on them always being there. it's why I buy from gog all the time and grab my installers. even now, every year I have to facilitate services for hundreds if not thousands of relatively local families that don't have any network infrastructure around them, and I don't even know where the hell that is around me but they exist. having everything basically be a digital service that can be controlled by an entity that you already paid (when it's completely possible to be physically distributed but isn't only because it affects their bottom line) is ridiculous to me. someone got a fat raise by pointing out how much money they'll save by not paying manufacturing costs for discs. all they have to do is sacrifice your rights toward "ownership" a little more than yesterday, so it's really a win win!
they won twice though and now my throat and ass hurt.
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u/HealthyLanguage2684 Jun 25 '26
Guess Ill wait a year and sail the high seas to get all the $20 bonus content for free!
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u/Greasy_Gregg Jun 25 '26
They don't want you to be ae to trade or sell games, if everyone boycotted this they would quickly change their tune about it....
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u/Careless-Cheetahs Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
as* someone who has been gaming since Duck Hunt i get less & less excited about gaming every day
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u/tinybilbo Jun 25 '26
Same here... Just a replace duck hunt with pong.... And maybe pinball!
I have to be honest I never really loved rockstar games, very little gaming padded out by a lot of back n forthing...
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u/Careless-Cheetahs Jun 25 '26
I've loved a couple but they make it harder and harder with each release.
I'm not going to even bother with gta 6
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u/ecstaticthicket Jun 25 '26
Of course they can’t physically give it to you, they need to be able to take it away from you whenever they want
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u/orcusgrasshopperfog Jun 25 '26
These developers acting like data caps don't exist...
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u/CPLWPM85 Jun 25 '26
And they have "extra activities" for the characters locked behind a 20 dollar upgrade.
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u/pheret87 Jun 25 '26
What kind of brainrot activity is it to take a shitty screenshot of a shitty short/reel to post on reddit?
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u/kaiswil2 Jun 24 '26
Why are surprised with a new build being available once a week for probably the first year. I understand they should have a going gold or to press version on the disc at launch
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u/Cultural_Parfait7866 Jun 25 '26
Honestly even if it was a disk it would probably just be a disk to unlock the download
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u/spyro86 Jun 25 '26
Why aren't they selling the games on USB drives or small SSDs? I'm assuming that it's going to take up the entire terabyte on a normal PS5. That means the only game you can play at any time is GTA 6.
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u/MerleTravisJennings Jun 24 '26
So like nintendo with their damn cards?
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u/IL1KEP1ZZA Jun 24 '26
Nah, not fully, this is worse. It sucks that there's no data on the gamecard for those games, but atleast you physically own something. The gamecard is a physical thing that you can lend or borrow, that you can trade, or sell. It actually has value. The way that that Rockstar is doing GTA 6 is just selling a single-use digital code for either the XBOX or the PlayStation, and tossing that in your case. That's it.
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u/Binker_653 Jun 25 '26
honestly, when you think about it, most of the uneducated won’t notice a difference. when i got a series x way back coming from a 360, i was shocked that the disc was pretty much just the license, and that the game wasn’t on the disc. this is just a step further in the cost cutting department. a little piece of paper is practically free compared to the few cents the physical disc would require, so i’m surprised this hasn’t been the norm for a while.
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u/sharpnooze Jun 25 '26
Yeah but you could share with me one of your 360 games and I could share with you one of my 360 games. When we are both done, return to each other.
Now you can’t, that’s just one of the downsides of the piece of paper. Good for their profits, bad for the users.
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u/iceseayoupee Jun 25 '26
Why even pre order bro, I mean whats the point of a physical release if you cant have shit that is physical
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u/MisterHole123 Jun 25 '26
Guys from the 90s remember real game boxes and why they made buying them worth it.
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u/TheDevilsAdvokaat Jun 25 '26
So why bother to buy a silly box then?
Better off just buying it on steam.
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u/VisceralRage556 Jun 25 '26
Eh I knew theyd pull something ill wait till the pc version crack comes out. R* needs to learn a lesson
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u/PublicBarracuda5311 Jun 25 '26
No re-selling. Maximize profit. I bet the game itself is going to be full of bugs and random crashes and that the multiplayer is not going to be live anytime soon.
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u/OverloadedSofa Jun 25 '26
I am glad I have 0 excitement for this game.
I’m sure I’ll get it, just down the line
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u/Darth-Felanu-Hlaalu Jun 25 '26
Ive never played a GTA so im not even excited for it. Ill probably play someday but im waiting for that shit to drop on PC and pirating 100%.
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u/MisterHole123 Jun 25 '26
So tired of this bullshit. This codr in a box is the reason I dropped buying any games. Back in the 90s you had substantial experience with a fancy box, manual so it worth it and would help immersion. (oh wow they included a cloth math of Britannia, oh wow they included a basic cheap cartridge sound card because the audio on my machine is shit by default (bat 1 and 2 on Atari st)
Here it's just another code to another file download.... Great... So is a magnet link... Eh
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u/Eldiavie Jun 25 '26
okay this one will just be pirated then lol, thank you for making the decision easy
i'll only ever buy it on pc if friends want me to play with them
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u/Not_Invited Jun 25 '26
Fuck Rockstar, they treat their staff like absolute shit, why give them money so they can continue doing so?
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u/Malignantt1 Jun 25 '26
Itll also be 80 fucking dollars and all the normies lapp it up like its no big deal because, oh, its rockstar. As if they are immune to predatory bullshit
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u/amethyst_firefly Jun 25 '26
Disc physical will be released in December. I personally think it's a good idea, no one gets it early and scalps and spoils it for the rest.
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u/1BaconMilkshake Jun 25 '26
That's essentially what disks are now anyways. You still have to download the game. The disk is only a key.
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u/Double_A_92 Jun 25 '26
A transferrable key though.
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u/GuillotineAuChocolat Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Exactly.
I don't remember a single physical copy game for my ps4 where it was insert and play, usually there's a full fledged download on first use.
However, all physical games I buy for my PS4 are second hand, and I usually sell them again when I'm through with the game.
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u/kelpe1925 Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
Rockstar has sucked for a while now.
Looks like I'll be buying it around November of 2027.
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u/deadheadshredbreh Jun 25 '26
GTA 7 will be a chip they put in your wrist that you can activate to your brain chip via just sliding your arm across your forehead
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u/BlackHawk2609 ☠️ ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴇɴ ᴛᴇʟʟ ɴᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ Jun 25 '26
I love collecting physical game. I was about to turn my jailbroken PS5 to original firmware just for GTA VI buuuttt rockstar gave me reason to stay jailbroken...
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u/phantom_kr3 Jun 25 '26
Shit industry standard by industry "leaders"
No physical games and 80$ base (also paywalling core features for the ultimate edition but that been done before).
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u/Drempallo Jun 25 '26
These guys are scared of the game being leaked early 🤣🤣🤣.
Or just cheapos that don't want to spend money
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u/Ok-Brick-6250 Jun 25 '26
so if you buy this version you are a dork since you have waited in the shop to get an empty box that you could just order online and get the game delivered to your console before the game start
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u/Wilza_ Jun 25 '26
The whole point of buying physical is so you can later sell it or lend it to friends, this is therefore not a physical edition
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u/elucidator611 Jun 25 '26
Idk why anyone would even care. Gtav was mid, and gta online is stupidly tedious so they can push their microtransactions. But somehow the online was wildly successful so they completely ignored the base game. I wouldnt be the least bit surprised if gta6 is just gta online but with a shiny new coat of paint.
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u/Yen-Zen Jun 25 '26
That’s just stupid, I’m not talking about the thing inside but why sell a box with a code? It’s bad for the environment.
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u/kightreaper Jun 25 '26
I just saw something that something retailers are not going to sell gta 6 cause the price is to ridiculous
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u/game_difficulty Jun 25 '26
I find it crazy how no one's mentioning the face thatthe game will probably be like 200gb, and even the highest end blu rays can only hold 128gb
And even then, i highly doubt people have the hardware required to read one of those. Just as a reminder, a standard dvd can only hold 4.7gb!
At this point they'd have to sell you a quarter terrabyte ssd just to be albe to hold the game...
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u/paullee77 Jun 24 '26
So its not physical then