Digital vs physical media which do you prefer?

[trappedslider]

I know some go with Digital due to space issues, I prefer physical media.

So, the past few months have seen Best buy removing physical media from their stores and Sony has REMOVED content from BUYERS devices due to licensing “arrangements,”. Sony isn’t offering any compensation for titles you’ve already bought or a way to transfer those purchases to another store.

PlayStation keeps reminding us why digital ownership sucks

Time to buy physical games again?

www.theverge.com

Another Big Retailer Could Stop Selling Physical Games, According to Report

A new report claims that a major retailer could stop selling all physical media as soon as early next year, both in-store and online.

gamerant.com

 

[Thomas Shey]

I said "a mix", but what I really do is get digital media and then back it up to hard drives, so I'm kind of twixt and tween.

 

[jdrakeh]

A mix. If a hundred pages or so? Digital. If more than that? Physical. For quick reference at the table? Digital. For long, casual, reading? Physical. So a mix, I suppose.

 

[MGibster]

I like the idea of digital media, but I don't like the idea of not owning things I've purchased. And it's mainly because I don't trust that I'll be able to use what I purchase in perpetuity.

 

[Clint_L]

Digital, 100%. It's way less wasteful, better value, easier access, and eliminates storage problems.

 

[jdrakeh]

And it's mainly because I don't trust that I'll be able to use what I purchase in perpetuity.

If you store your digital files offline, this shouldn't be a concern (in addition to storing my purchased PDFs in two different cloud storage systems, I also have them backed up to two external HDDs and my local NAS).

 

[MGibster]

If you store your digital files offline, this shouldn't be a concern (in addition to storing my purchased PDFs in two different cloud storage systems, I also have them backed up to two external HDDs and my local NAS).

I'm not so worried about my PDFs as I am my games, movies, and music. If I still owned my Nintendo Entertainment Systerm, I could play the same copy of Super Mario Bros. 3 I purchased in 1990. I can still listen to my Wham! Make it Big album even though it turns 40 this year. I do realize that changing media might make the systems I play these things on obsolete. While I still own the Wham! album, I don't actually own a record player, and even if I did what's to say the record wouldn't be worn down by now? In truth, ownership and the ability to use what you purchase is always going to be limited in some way. The difference is that a lot of software companies want us to be comfortable with the idea that we don't own what we purchase we simply have a limited license to use it. And some companies are trying this nonsense with physical items like John Deere tractors.

But digital media has plenty of things going for it as @Clint_L points out. It's convenient, it's more environmentally sound, you won't clutter your house, etc., etc.

 

[jdrakeh]

I'm not so worried about my PDFs as I am my games, movies, and music.

I store music offline, too. It's relatively easy to do with music. You're right about games and movies, though. That stuff pretty much lives on cloud services without an option to download.

 

[trappedslider]

The difference is that a lot of software companies want us to be comfortable with the idea that we don't own what we purchase we simply have a limited license to use it. And some companies are trying this nonsense with physical items like John Deere tractors.

I store music offline, too. It's relatively easy to do with music. You're right about games and movies, though. That stuff pretty much lives on cloud services without an option to download.

Ubisoft Exec Says Players Should Feel "Comfortable" With Not Owning Games

Ubisoft stirs up controversy after its Director of Subscriptions suggests that gamers should be comfortable with not owning their games.

www.cbr.com

 

[Randomthoughts]

A mix. I read most digitally but get physical copies of ones I refer most like core books and a few adventures. I really like boxed sets that are worth it. Twilight 2000 and 5e come to mind.