Should You Be Concerned About Buying Digital Only Games in 2019

In this video, we discuss the future of digital-only games vs physical games, and why you should usually go physical when presented with an option.

The inspiration for this video was none other than the Immortal John Hancock. Please take a moment and watch his original video, linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yw8ghwsHatw

If you haven't already, make sure you subscribe to John's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/swlovinist

You can't deny it, we're getting closer and closer to an era where physical games are going to be less common, and digital-only games are going to be the preferred method of media distribution. While digital-only games offer a level of convenience, they also come with risk. What risk you might say? How about the fact that you can only access them for a certain amount of time? How about the fact that you may never be able to re-download them in the future? How about the fact that you don't actually own them?

Before you start thinking that I'm some sort of archaic dinosaur, the sky is falling sort, I absolutely love the convenience that digital games provide. The fact that I can have dozens of games stored on an SD card on a portable device like the Nintendo Switch makes it super convenient, and I don't have to worry about losing physical games when I'm traveling. If I want to change from one game to the other all I have to do is go back to the menu, select my new title, and start playing. It allows me the opportunity to have variety without having to cart around a ton of games, pun intended.

There is a considerable risk with digital-only however. What happens when the digital store that you purchased your game from goes dark? What happens when the license holder loses their license for certain characters? What happens if your console breaks? The answer to just about all of these is that you don't have access to your paid content anymore. For example, if you wanted to go purchase Ducktales Remastered digitally, you can't anymore. While unclear if Capcom lost their license to the franchise, whether Disney wanted them to pull it off of digital distribution, whatever the case may be you can no longer purchase a digital version of Ducktales remastered on any storefront. And that's scary.

Purchasing games via a digital download basically means you're buying an enhanced rental. You have a license to use the game as long as you have it downloaded on your unit, and your unit continues to work. Games that you have that are working today will still work tomorrow, even if a digital store goes dark or a title is removed. However, there is no opportunity to purchase or redownload a title later on once a store goes dark if you need to.

Another factor that should steer you towards physical vs. digital-only is simply the cost. When you pay $60 for a physical game, you get the game, the case, sometimes a manual. When you pay the exact same price for a digital download, general you don't get extra content, you don't get a case, you don't get the physical game. Realistically, what is the incentive, besides portability, for you to spend the exact same amount of money yet not have a physical copy of the game?

I would like to see the video game industry follow the movie industry regarding this situation. I can go out and buy just about any Blu-ray and inside the case will be a code for digital download. Why can I not do this as well with a video game? My copy of Super Mario Odyssey should have come with the option for me to download a digital version, just like my copy of Avengers: Infinity War. It makes too much sense, which is probably why it won't happen.

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/17/107

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the factors to be considered shall include—

(1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
(2) the nature of the copyrighted work;
(3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
(4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)