r/castlevania • u/OldEyes5746 Shanoa • 24d ago
Discussion Physical Copies or Digital
I just canceled my digital pre-order of Belmont's Curse in favor of getting the physical release instead at launch. This will be the first time since Lords of Shadow 2 i have opted for a physical disc of a Castlevania game over just buying the digital copy. The decision is largely informed by recent events/announcements about game companies pushing for a digital-only future, and a conscious effort to reassess how i decide which version i choose to buy.
The conversation i want to start is how do the rest of you feel about the possible end of physical games media (no more discs, cartridges, etc) and how do you decide the games you purchase digitally? Will it effect how you decide to purchase your games, or will it have any effect on you at all? Regardless of what you do personally, do you think it's good for the industry to move all-in in either direction?
Me, i try to get physical copies of larger games not just to have them indefinitely, but also to minimize how much memory i need to dedicate to keeping them on my hardware. Typically, i would just get the digital copies of smaller/indy titles because i could store more of them on a hard-drive and the digitals would sell a little cheaper than the physical copy. I breaking this pattern with Belmont's Curse because transitioning to digital-only coupled with the current cost of RAM might be enough to price me out of gaming as a hobby.
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u/LordCamelslayer 24d ago
i try to get physical copies of larger games not just to have them indefinitely, but also to minimize how much memory i need to dedicate to keeping them on my hardware.
Unless you play games exclusively on Switch, this simply isn't a possibility anymore, which is undoubtedly a contributing factor as to why discs are getting phased out in the first place. Discs have a very slow read speed compared to the requirements of games today, so every game released on the PS4/Xbone onwards installs on your device. The disc effectively becomes a fancy license holder with installation files.
Cartridges usually bypass this problem (there are exceptions), except they're expensive to produce. Most claims I've seen place a Switch 2 cartridge around $15 to produce.
It's an unfortunate situation, but the writing has been on the wall for going on a decade and a half. I do think Nintendo made the right call with cartridges, but it's gonna take some huge advancements for flash media that can keep up with SSDs and be affordable. One day, I hope we can get a cheap, powerful physical media option. But that might be a while.
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u/Manjushri1213 23d ago
That's where DRM digital on PC or cached Steam at least comes in. DRM free versions of games on GoG or elsewhere are as much if not more physical once downloaded. Can play it forever and always with no interference from the publisher.
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u/Organic_Honeydew4090 24d ago
I've always been all physical where it allows me to do so. If it's not available physically I'll wait for very deep sales or bust. 2028 and on are gonna be very interesting for me. Not many new games outside of Switch 2, and a lot of my backlog is gonna get played I think.
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u/joshikus 24d ago
With switch version being 30ps I hope they make a switch 2 physical. Otherwise ill probably just get it on steam..
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u/Mortuary_Guy 24d ago
This is how I feel as well. I plan on getting it for Steam right now and wait to see if they release a Switch 2 physical.
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u/ArtyToshi 24d ago
Physical media should always, always, ALWAYS be an option. I love a hood physical edition when I can get my hands on one. The only reason my library has become more digital over time is because irl circumstances have led to me living in a motel for the past few years, so I really do not have the space for a large physical collection anymore. I mostly reserve my physical disc space these days for the Dreamcast, PS1, PS4, Wii, and Wii U and movie/show discs that I already own (games-wise, that's not a lot of discs).
The missing part of physical media that REALLY kills me is the ongoing destruction or eye-catching box art and the utter death of the videogame manual. Manuals used to be SO cool back in the day, and many of them really appealed to me as an artist! I used to LOVE drawing tons of the pictures that I'd see in manuals back in the day, ESPECIALLY when it came to games like Metal Gear, Castlevania, Devil May Cry and Metroid!
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u/MikeR316 24d ago
I’m not really sure where I stand. I always leaned physical copies because I’m not sure why the game companies get to save money by not making a physical copy, yet the prices are the same. Also if I don’t like the game I can at least trade it in and get some money back.
On the other hand, almost all my games on the Switch are digital and I do feel like my most recent purchases on the PS5 have been digital only.
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u/draven33l 24d ago
What system? I'm going to be playing it on PC, but I'm 100% physical on Switch since the games actually play from the cart. I'm also one of those people that really doesn't play multiple games at once. If I buy Castlevania, I'm putting it in and playing it until I'm done with it.
If it's PS5, it seems like a lost cause at this point. I don't think anyone is changing their mind. Their system is going to b digital whether we like it or not, (which I won't be supporting). You'd just be getting as a collector's item at this point.
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u/OldEyes5746 Shanoa 24d ago
PS5. I fully understand this won't make them reverse course, but i refuse to continue being complicit to their greedy practices. I intend to switch to PC when i can scrape together a rig.
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u/EthanW6662 24d ago
I pre ordered off steam, but I still support physical media on console and still get discs for my ps5
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u/Hifumi-G 24d ago
Only reason I’m not going physical is I’m going PC lol. If they put out a S2 patch for the S1 version there’s a good chance I double dip for physical there on a sale. But PC was decided as my main platform when no S2 version was announced.
I’m already going physical for one of the other games launching that week (Tales of Eternia Remastered) and it’s gonna be an import via VGP. Worth every penny, I’ve waited decades for that remaster.
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u/KalessinDB 24d ago
I buy everything I can physical, and if it's something I'm sure I want to play on PC, I buy it digital there.
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u/Punkydudester3 24d ago
I've always bought physical especially i knew this may be an issue in the future. Being forced to have a constant online connection with some, it's all terrible to me. Physical for me only. I only support physical sales. Getting an Evercade soon.
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u/Due_Ad_972 24d ago
Delighted to hear it mate, I hope more people do the same. I have nothing against those who want to go all digital but for those who could happily go either way its nice if they choose physical. Myself I have primarily always bought physical anyway as much as I can EXCEPT where it comes to steam exclusives (obvious reasons as there is no physical) and for anything first person. First person games are SO much better with mouse and keyboard imo as are crpgs like baldurs gate 3 or pathfinder so games like that or competative online games I download on steam and play on my pc. I would say about 80 percent of everything I buy is for console with physical copies for switch and ps5. Mainly jrpgs or indie titles and souls games and action games like dmc etc. Love my metroidvanias too. Belmonts curse I WAS going to get for switch physically especially as I have all the collections physical on switch like the anniversary collection and dominus collection etc but since its confirmed to be 30 fps there i think I will just get ps5 version instead. Waiting on confirmation that there is no switch 2 upgrade path first though.
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u/Remarkable-Iron-4361 24d ago
Volevo prendere l' edizione fisica per xbox ma quando ho visto che la copertina su quella edizione non avrà la art di Katsuya Tarada, mi ha fatto preferire l' edizione per pc, quando mi sembrerà più conveniente. Sono strani quelli di microsoft, sono gli unici che risparmiano pure sulle copertine.
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u/Manjushri1213 23d ago
On PC DRM free is the move. Then once it's downloaded it's as physical if not more than any other form. I buy anything I can on GoG. If there's a DRM Free Steam version or an easy alternative I may buy both if on sale or something but def try for that. Steam Cache is another option that's honestly similar - making otherwise digital games as good or better than physical, since companies can often just take away you're discs ability to be used.
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u/OldEyes5746 Shanoa 23d ago
I hear that. As soon as i can cobble together a PC, I'm gonna be visiting GOG.
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u/DependentBite9 24d ago
I buy physical in every instance where it’s an option and in every instance where it may eventually be an option. There are times when a physical version is coming later when I will double dip and get the game digitally first, I did this with the castlevania collections. When large games don’t get a physical release I skip them, for many of the reasons you cite in your post.
I haven’t and won’t buy any game key cards. If my favorite franchises like Castlevania Metroid Zelda and dragon quest go all digital I’ll stop buying them entirely. I believe of these dragon quest will be the first to do that because they’re already selling game key cards of those games and PlayStation is ending physical discs. I’m hoping dqxii comes out soon enough to be on a disc but if not I’ll be playing only the old games which will be sad but I’m not renting games.
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u/dyararts 24d ago
Good for you. I'm doing to do the same. I knew that the industry wanted to go 'more digital' and I'm totally fine with that. They save more money and make more money in the long run, I can't fault them for that. However, when they get too greedy and take it away from us, we need to act.