It's a good thing Microsoft now says its "adorably all digital" future plans are outdated

They suggested a potentially different path to Sony, and poorer game preservation as a result.

[Vits]

Honestly, I don't mind a digital-only device - I do play mostly on PC after all. I just think that one paired with Microsoft's way of handling expandable storage is a bad idea.

Like, just imagine how expensive that would get with 1TB costing around 150 USD and the current sizes for AAA titles.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Agreed, it wouldn't be so bad if you could drop any drive into it, personally I'd like some games to still have collectors editions (I miss that about PC gaming, you don't really see physical collector's editions any more).

[Cacabunga]

If all goes digital, you’ll pay for everything the price they want you to, and you won’t own anything!!!
I have over 700 games as freebies from PS+ since it was first revealed on PS3.. i just never bother to look in it i just feel like they aren’t there.. would have loved to have them physical

[Vits]

@FinalFantasyFanatic

Yes, the issue here is price.
As for collector editions, honestly, I have never been that much about collecting them. But I do miss the time when physical games had actually physical things other than the cartridge/disk.

@Cacabunga

That is another issue with consoles, as they all work as walled gardens the prices are dictated by a single entity. So the issue is not exactly that games are digital but rather the stronghold that the manufacturers have on the sales channels.

Now if you are blind to online content simply because it's digital. Then that is more of "you" issue and likely one that will give you a lot of headaches in the coming decade.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Guys, I was actually agreeing more about the hard drives/storage than a digital only console (I'll always grab the one with a physical disc drive as long as it's an option).

[northpaws]

Not that I agree on all digital future, but it is not like you are saving any spaces for buying physical disc, you still need the exact same space to install the game.

[Vits]

Oh definitely. But at least in my case, I like to have all my library backed up. Physical media does that by default but on a console like the Xbox Series you have a real issue if you plan on doing that with digital games.

[JackBNimble]

Vits

What do you mean when you say "I like to have all my library backed up?"

You can redownload digital games that you own the license as often as you like. What am I not understanding here?

The only advantage (imo) for physical is ability for resale, and for someone like me it's a non issue since I prefer not to sell my games. I have a very large library

[aaronaton]

I honestly don't understand when ppl buy digitally over physical on launch when the game is the same price.
With physical, you actually own the game, its not a prolonged rent. Plus with single player games costing over £60, its nice to know you can recuperate costs after completion.
Ppl that buy all digital are either lazy or not very savvy when it comes to expenses.

[ocelot07]

Many positives for digital. So for example EA Sports FC 24 is a game I put 200 plus hours in and will be playing off and on for a year until 25 releases. For me it was actually cheaper getting digital. Cheapest I could find on disc was £62. On PSN it was £65 I went to shopto.net and bought £65 worth of PSN credit for £58.

Another reason I buy a fair few games digitally is game sharing with my partner. She likes call of duty I also enjoy cod but get board of it right away. Again it's another £65 game that costs us £58. Since we are going half each it actually cost us £29 each. That's much better than paying £60+ for a disc copy each.

The likes of say Spiderman and god of war if it's single player only. I'll get on disc. As once I'm fully done with it. If my partner wants to play it she can. If not I can sell and get some money back for the next game.

[andy85]

People need to use thegamecollection more. They give £10 extra reward points on new games and are generally the cheapest place anyway. EA 24 is £59 so as I always use their site it's basically £10 extra off and with my cashback it would have been £45 for me. AC Mirage only cost me £25 from there.

[EvertonFC]

Exactly, i played and completed spiderman over a weekend, bought for £60 and sold at CEX for £48. ONLY cost me £12 for a AAA title. I will buy MP games but 20 hour SP games 1 weekend and cash back.

[Vits]

It depends a lot on what game and what region you were in. For example, where I live we don't really get all the games officially launched for PS5 in physical format. This means that we often have to buy the American or European versions of the game, but that comes with an annoyance because of how PSN deals with DLC. Another issue is the market up that those games that don't get an official release end up getting on physical.
For example, Koei Tecmo stuff tends to be between 10% to 20% more expensive on physical and if you buy it from an internet store (Amazon and the likes) you normally don't know which version of the game you will get.

That also basically murders the second-hand market. Because again as people pay extra for the physical version, they have a tendency to charge extra as well. So it's not uncommon to find second-hand games at a similar price as the digital versions, do they sell? Probably not, but that doesn't stop people from listing them.

However, there are obvious exceptions. Sony-published titles have a tendency to be a bit cheaper in physical media during launch. Spider-Man 2 for example can be pre-ordered on Amazon right now for 15% less than the digital version. So in summary it's all a big fat "it depends".

[Asplundh]

Game share, if you have someone to share with it can save a chunk of money.

[Vengeance1138]

Maybe open your eyes and look at the full picture instead of judging?
Physical is exactly that, physical. It takes up physical space, room. I've been collecting physical from PS1, PS2 to PS3 and with hundreds of games I simply don't have the physical space left to add more shelves nor would it make sense to being in an apartment.
Digital just makes alot more sense, buy 100s or thousands of games, have it take up 0 extra space physically. Couldn't care less about "owning" the game, I just want to play it and complete it.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I already put my PS1 collection in a tub and sealed it away for now, I was thinking of doing the same with some of my older consoles I don't regularly play (e.g. the PS2, Wii, N64, ect...).

[Vengeance1138]

Yeah I have all my PS1, PS2 and PS3 collection in a 2 huge tubs sealed away. Shelf space is for physical movies, as they are far superior to any modern streaming platform.

[EvertonFC]

I had all my music collection stolen (£1000s) when I worked overseas but it was all in like 6 big boxes. I ended up just downloading all my music collection off a torrent and put it all in about 3 memory sticks.
Best thing that ever happened my music collection getting stolen 🤣😂

[sci4me]

Since i split that cost by 2 (sharing with son) your premiss is wrong. I stand to save money instead of bying two copies.

[Shane Kim]

Nowadays, you dont own physical either. They can just write a piece of code and your disc reader won't read said game.

[mandf]

You can still install and play

[shinoff2183]

That's exaggerated though. While a few games have done that most don't. As someone who prefers physical I just look into it before I buy.

[EvertonFC]

"I honestly don't understand when ppl buy digitally over physical on launch"

I bought "bloodborne" twice and sold it used at CEX, eventually I bought bloodborne digital and have loved it ever since without the temptation of selling it.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

If they're the same price, I normally choose the physical, it's only when the digital version has a really good sale that I pick it instead. Or in the case of PC, digital is the only choice, but there's lots of store fronts and key sellers to choose from.

[shinoff2183]

I'm sorta like this. I'll buy digital on a good sale as long as it's under 20 bucks. If I like the game enough I still will usually find a physical version.

[FatalityX77]

Your paying 5 bux more for tax for physical. Also if your disc drive ceases to work, your gonna need it fixed and consoles don't last too long. So your dependent on other factors. Digital sales are much cheaper if you hold out. So it's a give and take. We never own the games as they are useless without a console which consoles cease production after 10 years. It's all temporary. One could argue physical owners pay more in the long run for plastic.

[shinoff2183]

I gotta pay tax on digital, my ps1 ps2 and ps3 still work. By the time one might break down. I'm sure in my lifetime I'd be able to manage to find one if needing replaced

[aaronaton]

Deluded.

[northpaws]

@aaronaton for me, digital is half the price because I use the family share function with my brother who live at a different household. I used to do 100% physical too.

[raWfodog]

“Ppl that buy all digital are either lazy or not very savvy when it comes to expenses.”

Highly unlikely that those are the only two reasons that people buy ‘all digital’.

[headshotfrosty]

You sound very short sighted and one dimensional with your perspective to not see any benefits of going digital. Oye vey.

Your statement on being lazy and not very savvy says much about your capacity for reality.

[aaronaton]

The reality of ownership.

[Armyofdarkness]

"Ppl that buy all digital are either lazy or not very savvy when it comes to expenses."

Such an ignorant statement. You are capable of understanding why people buy digital, stop being dumb. The rest of your post I agree with though.

[aaronaton]

I had to troll somewhere in the statement.

[babadivad]

You don't own the game even when you buy physical. A lot of games are unplayable until you download patches from the internet.

What benefit is there owning a physical copy of an online game?

[aaronaton]

Well BF2042 was a prime example of why you should buy physical, so you can sell it.

[babadivad]

@Aaronaton

You can get digital refunds

[Extermin8or3_]

This isn't what they said though.....

[crazyCoconuts]

Right. Taking a vague statement and reading meaning into it to create a narrative. No one but MS knows what their next box will look like. All we know is that there were plans for a mid-gen upgrade, Phil said they won't be doing a mid-gen upgrade, and confirmed that things have changed since the leaked plans were made. Who knows if the next console is all digital or not

[garos82]

count me out of any console going forward if they start acting "cute and adorable" with digital only nonsense

[Tacoboto]

Possibly the worst catch phrase *ever* come up for a console. I don't even know how something like that gets written down and not laughed out of the meeting room.

[Servbot41]

The same people that they named the third Xbox "Xbox One"

[-Foxtrot]

Amazing how many people shit on physical games

“I don’t care for it”

“I don’t have the space”

“I don’t like physical”

Well that’s nice but just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean others don’t want it

If you want an all digital future where companies have more control over the things you’ve bought fine but not all of us do.

[NotoriousWhiz]

Literally no one is saying physical shouldn't be an option for those who want it. People are saying that they prefer digital for various reasons.

[Asplundh]

Who's "shiting" on physical? You're making crap up and then arguing against said crap.

[-Foxtrot]

Have you seen a couple of comments here?

Have you seen the comments on twitter or Reddit?

If you had you wouldn’t be replying to be saying I’m “making up crap”

Soooo….

[Asplundh]

Here you have one guy saying he doesn't have the space in his apartment so he prefers digital, that's hardly shitting on physical.

And you can find people saying everything on the internet if you're looking for it, but “I don’t care for it” or “I don’t like physical” isn't something you see people say very offten.

[recoctimocassirnff]

In literally every article about digital discussion, you'll find fools saying something along the line of "a digital only future is inevitable, just bend over and take it already."

[babadivad]

It's called a strawman. Text book example.

[Hofstaderman]

But are they? Phil is very liberal with the truth and I'm being diplomatic stating it like this. Undiplomatically, he is a filthy liar akin to something that would be born from the breeding of a used car salesman and an insurance salesperson.

[wiz7191]

What has he lied about ?

[-Foxtrot]

You’re kidding right?

[isarai]

🤣😂

[Hofstaderman]

You must be joking 🤣

[maniacmayhem]

Well...what has he lied about? Is anyone going to answer the question?

[wiz7191]

@mania I’ve definitely been waiting for a answer 😂😂😂

[jznrpg]

I don’t care if people love digital good for you.

But there needs to be physical copies or I will stop buying games and just play my collection.

There are many reasons to keep physical around but it only benefits the consumer not the distributor.

MS is full of crap and they want you to have less control hence gamepass rental service as their main goal.

[wiz7191]

Yeah but you do have to realize just because something is good for the consumer , doesn’t mean it’s good for business and long term sustainability. I love physical media but at the same time I understand how that cost can skyrocket printing and distributing disk.

[-Foxtrot]

Can you boot lick multimillion dollar companies anymore…

[QuantumMechanic]

Printing a disc costs less than $1. Distribution and shelf-space for a disc costs a few more dollars. These associated costs can continue to be passed on to consumers.

[ziggyzinfirion]

How does creating physical media became bad for business and long term sustainability?? Buddy, physical media has been in production for 40+ years, not sure how you came up with that idea. The only reason this companies want all digital is to ensure they have full control on all products or services so they can get all full revenues and give you no other option and in the event they increase price, you have no choice but to pay up to continue getting that product and services because the other options are already gone.

[Cockney]

"Yeah but you do have to realize just because something is good for the consumer , doesn’t mean it’s good for business and long term sustainability" gamepass is apparently very good for the consumer, how does your little soundbite play out there

[S2Killinit]

I’ll avoid this MS mid-gen console like the plague.

[Christopher]

Why is anyone believing this one off statement of theirs? Microsoft is still going hard for digital only, let alone subscription primary.

[Barlos]

Yup. And while that is the future I won't be throwing money their way

[Barlos]

Yeah, there's nothing adorable about an all digital future for games.

[Futureshark]

Trouble nowadays is that day 1 patches are so big and important now is that it's almost like the physical disk is now just a 'key' that lets you use the installed software.
The actual code on the disc (especially after multiple patching or even almost game rewrites ala Cyberpunk) becomes old and irrelevant compared to the latest version.

So yes you own the 'key' to playing the game and a box to keep it in. For digital that key is electronic and you have no box (and no resale of said 'key' of course).

[franwex]

You’re correct. After last gen having the game on the disc is more of a key to access the content stored in the memory itself.

The only publisher on top of mind that reprints their games with the latest patches is Nintendo-where the media itself stores the game data, not the console.

Most PC players don’t seem to mind all digital-it’s mostly console players who seem discontent with it.

I for one like having the option of physical media, but I’m not enamored with it either as yes-I’m running out of actual physical room and cannot afford a mansion simply to store my old games.

[QuantumMechanic]

Phil did NOT mean that they are backtracking on their all-digital/streaming strategy. He simply meant that some of the plans/details of the hardware, accessories, or game releases have evolved since those slides were presented. Some SKUs may not even be released now.

[northpaws]

The sad truth is we rarely get a complete game in the disc nowaday, most games wouldn't work well if you don't download the day 1 patch, which more or less defeat the "preservation" purpose of physical.

[QuantumMechanic]

Only true for Xbox games... Most Playstation and Nintendo games have complete, if imperfect, playable versions on the media.

[Doomeduk]

Just I dunno do one with a drive and one ..you guessed it without but I will give them credit on how shrewdly no one cottoned on that they're creating a problem to sell you the solution no different to their SSD

[mjchitown]

yell need to stop it with this problem with all digital-only device. its only gamers crying about his but i bet money the ones crying the much probably haven't buy a disc game in a while . mostly downloads games.

[Knightofelemia]

I won't buy digital your account gets banned you're screwed and you lose everything. All I have to do is create a new account and put the disc in. Also the physical copies I find are cheaper then it's digital cousin even if Microsoft or Sony did a game sale the digital copy still isn't cheap enough bought KH 3 for $10 new at Best Buy on PSN it's still full price. And I like collecting the day everything goes digital is the day I just continue gaming on my SNES and Genesis.

[DarXyde]

Any company that goes into any generation with only a digital-only device deserves to be slapped down and chastised, especially when game preservation mechanisms are inadequate.

[BeHunted]

Sony and Microsoft should force people to go digital by making sure all physical discs only includes a key, not a disc.

[Barlos]

They can't "force" anyone into anything - gaming is a pastime, not a necessity.

The day the industry takes away my choice to buy a physical product is the day I choose to stop gaming - at least on modern systems.

[purple101]

What would be the benefit of this action? Any good / bad examples.

[Rhythmattic]

Cant wait to buy a game, download it... play it.. maybe a few play throughs, then might sell at a 2nd hand price the market places it at online on eBay , and transfer the Right to play to a new owner.....
Oh wait.......

[Notsofast]

I'll believe it is outdated plans when I see different Phil Spencer will say anything LOL

[CappyBlack]

People claim they own their games because of 'physical media'. They seem to often gloss over the fact many games out there actually require an update to run. Or the game was basically broken without a day one patch. These "only disc" gamers are kind of hilarious.
The system is all about digital at this point. You only have minimal leverage over that fact at this point. Am I happy about that. Not really. I still buy mostly digital, but so do most others. I'm just not inept enough to believe physical is where people make it out to be. It's a dying platform; and there's a bunch of games out, right now, that won't even play, despite you putting a disc in.