Hey everyone!

I have had a lot of trouble adjusting to digital-only games for the past few years because of me growing up in Germany where buying video games physically has always been (and still is, to some extent) the norm.

Here's the thing though... I don't mind not having a box for the game in question; that's not my main problem with digital games. My problem is that most digital stores just have horrid interfaces and make the games look cheap even if you purchase them at full price. Steam is the prime example because of how ugly both the store and the library interface are. There is no fun in browsing through Steam's store and just picking out random games, because they are not organized and are basically just represented by the title of the game.

GoodOldGames, on the other hand, is on the right path in my opinion, and I was wondering if anyone else would agree with me on that. GoG is a much more colorful, beautiful store, and looking through the games offered on GoG is a treat because of how the cover art is displayed, and how neat it all looks. On top of that, GoG offers a customizable game-shelf that makes the games you own seem valuable, and I am always delighted to look through my own library to pick out the next game I want to play.

Okay, with all of that out of the way, what do you think has to change in the way digital distribution is handled for you to feel better about your digital purchases? How do you imagine the ideal future of digital distribution in general? Of course, I understand that the game itself is what really matters, but I assume I am not the only one who feels that their Steam library lacks the value that it should have considering the plethora of games on display there.

Personally, I imagine being given a beautiful, 3D game shelf, or even a game room that I can walk around in and re-arrange. Of course, there would be quick launch options that we'd resort to using most of the time, but... You know! Also, I just think the actual process of purchasing the game could be improved! I don't just want to see a 'Okay, you own the game now. Thanks'-message, I want to see the game box in 3D or something, and actually digitally open it in a way to access the manuals and stuff.

Sorry for being a little kid about this, I understand this is a non-issue, but... Yeah.
Let me know what you think!

I personally prefer having all kinds of Options to get games. Be it Digital and Physical. And Gamestop leaving Puerto Rico along with 7 Wal-Mart stores is certainly limiting my options.

And besides sometimes Amazon's prices for physical things are crazy expensive.

It sounds like you're looking for something similar to the giddy feeling you get when you return home from the store, open the box, and pull out and examine all of the goodies.

Yeah, I know what you mean. Would be fun to somehow replicate that with digital purchases.

You could go for a quick run, get back and pull out your own goodies. I'm sure some people on here do.

*points at Elmo

I honestly personally don't much give a crap. I miss manuals but these days games usually don't require them. Having a game that requires perusing of a manual now is simultaneously enjoyable and kind of annoying because I never think of it and by the time I do I'm in the game and that would be no problem with a physical manual but with it in digital form it's a bit more tedious.

as for the rest I don't care. in fact, it's nice not to deal with discrot and so on. if I've paid for it, and there's any trouble, I'll just pirate the shit out of it to get ti play it, especially if it's something I paid full price.

Digital is the future, whether we like it or not, for several reasons, not all of which of which are compatible with a single way of looking at the future. It's both good and bad from my point of view.

The days of owning physical copies of games and music are, practically speaking, all over bar the shouting.Soon there will be no paper books either ; we will all soon be reading books via Kindle-like devices. Whole forests of tress and various businessmen are rejoicing across the whole world ! Technology marches on, mercilessly converting and alienating people in its wake. It makes good economic sense and I suppose digital is the way forward because it IS far less wasteful and far more efficient, but it lacks soul somehow...

I appreciate both my GoG and my Steam account pages. I think they are both sufficiently attractive and functional. To be honest, though, it isn't that important. What matters is that, if Steam dies it takes your ability to play your games with it to its cybergrave ; if GoG dies, you still own and have access to your your games. I have accepted that digital is here to stay. For me it is more a question of principle : when I buy a COPY of a game or a piece of music, I OWN that COPY. I don't own the GAME, for sure, or the legal RIGHTS to the game, but I do OWN the COPY of the game.

Capitalism is just ripping the soul and the fun (not to mention the genuine creativity) out of everything, including the games industry. Legal this, legal that, it's PATHETIC. Half of the conversations on the main GoG forums are about legal rights issues / news. It's totally depressing and laughable.

Your party actually got me wondering as to the feasibility of using the steam api within a game to create a sort of 3d shelf you are describing- navigating a personally organised room. Maybe even your friends! Not possible yet with gog, but once that api is open, maybe?

I have no problems with digital purchases, I am much more interested in the product that the process I used to aquire it.

I definitely prefer digital on the PC side of things since I don't want or need that kind of clutter. I certainly would have no place for all of my 800-some GOG games if they all came in boxes. =P

mistermumbles is right on the money when he mentions not needing clutter. I don't need it either considering I'm a fairly mobile person. Lugging game CD/DVDs around takes precious space. Why lug physical media around when I can fit all that stuff on a USB hard drive that fits in my pocket? GOG has replaced about 2/3rds of my physical media game library and knowing I can take them anywhere or download them again at anytime is just awesome.

The one thing I do miss though is printed manuals for games that required them. I loved reading though thick flight sim manuals because I knew I was about to get into a complex game. Don't need manuals for today's overly simplified games and if you do need help, there's tons to forums to ask about whatever problems you may have. Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri's manual was like a novel, reading that was awesome. Sure I miss this but the pros of digital media far out weigh the cons.

On a semi-related note, sure technology changes and we really have only two choices, adapt or get left behind.. I grew up in the 90's so I saw the transition from walkmans to portable CD players and I hated portable CD players with a passion. They were bigger than a walkman, CD's were bigger than cassette tapes, CD's required more careful handling of cassette tapes, portable CD players required for batteries and died faster than a walkman. Portable CD players skipped and the later ones with an anti skip feature ate more battery juice when you used it. Portable CD players couldn't be clipped on a belt as conveniently as a walkman (your body or legs would push it around). Back then, I couldn't think of a practical reason to use a portable CD player over a walkman but portable CD players were more popular regardless and I was left behind as walkmans were getting phased out. That was until the more practical and sensible mp3 players came along........... :)

I like both digital and physical copies. But digital copies have some useful advantages. For example, I can access my GOG library everywhere. It only needs an internet connection. A digital library may be safer than physical library. Both need backup, but if you lost your digital backups, it's easier to get them.
Physical copies needs serious preservation.

If I buy a digital game today... all the difference between me and a pirate is...

1) The pirate didn't put a single dime on the copy while me (the buyer) did do, and...
2) If the company I'm dealing with is dickish enough to put ANY kind of DRM from Steamworks level (what many consider the lowest) and above, then the buyer deals with it and the pirate does not.

Heh, in the physical era, there used to be more differences that made a buyer stand out from a pirate. Well nowadays, it would be simply hard to tell whether I'm looking at a buyer's game or a pirate's game. Most companies nowadays are outright lazy or skimpy that they skip on even providing the discs needed to install the game with Steam's shitty DRM, even outright putting only Steam on the disc and telling you to go download the game that you just bought in a store.

Digital sure might be a boon for those who aren't close to reliable physical stores; but it SHOULDN'T be forced on everyone with its massive amounts of flaws. Unfortunately, the companies don't care... they make tons of cash that basically there should be a no better age for physical copies than now, but hey, they're the ones deciding, and we're moving right behind them like sheeple, and then we wonder what is wrong with gaming.

No offense against digital copy of games but I do love physical copies, the manual book, the smell of a new box, touchin the embossed cover artworks, my skin against the hard cardboard paper....ohh man... its like a trophy for me,,maybe im one of that old gamer dude.

I will keep buying physical copy but only on selected games as a collectible, it looks pretty awesome on my bookshelf.

And yes, if they have some sort of digital game shelf i would be ecstatic.

Another reason why I love physical copies. Can't wait to possess more of them and for games I care about.

What he said. I do see the attraction of collectors editions, but these days space is more valuable to me than owning a some useless physical stuff, however good it might look.