Digital or Retail Purchases?

[Suke]

I sort of been thinking lately and I may start doing more digital download then retail downloads and here's why, as much I love the smell of fresh game box, I barely look at them much, but that's not the reason why I may go full digital, the only reason why I haven't done any digital retail yet is because I always trade in my games at Gamestop when I'm done playing with them, but lately, I sort of feel like I don't get the right value I deserve for the games I trade in. So what's the point trading in games that I might play again in the future if I barely get much back. Don't get me wrong, not all trade in are bad ones, and I don't plan to go fully digital, more like try it out while continuing to buy retail and see where it goes from there by experience. (The reason I place this topic in the 3DS section is because I still going to buy my Wii U games retail )

PS: GameStop in a nutshell, and no I don't react like this in store, lol XD
I'm not that much into Gamefly though.

[GeneticRepoMan]

I really love that commercial XD it's a really fitting reaction to some of Gamestop's shenanigans.

I'm mostly a physical retail guy. The only retail game I've purchased digitally was New Super Mario Bros. 2, and it was really nice going on to the eshop at the stroke of midnight and downloading it and boom! fifteen minutes later being able to play the game from the comfort of my living room.

NSMB2 is also a game that I go back to in random spurts to do coin rush (and the fact it has DLC gives me more reason to return)so I felt it was a stronger game to get into digitally.

Many games like Paper Mario or Professor Layton, I don't see myself returning to for quick bursts after I've beaten them (though Layton has daily puzzles. . .) so those games I opted for physical retail.

Had Mario Kart 7 released day 1 digitally I probably would have gotten that digitally. And when Animal Crossing comes out, that's definitely getting purchased digitally.

So yeah, if it's a game I know I'll be coming back to and probably won't sell I'll go with the digital aspect of it, but for others there's still a physical retail place in my heart for.

I don't want to see my physical games go anywhere anytime soon, although I would LOVE if more companies will adopt what Sony's doing with the cross play where if you buy the game for PS3 you can download it digitally on your PSVita for free. Would love to see games like Monster Hunter HD do that, and games to come with digital copies like movies do (there's a 3DS game coming out in Japan that does this right?)

[Reynard]

I will only buy digital if I am given no alternative. I never buy games with the end goal of trading them in, I like to keep what I've really enjoyed.

[Devil_Rising]

Retail. I have and always will prefer owning an actual copy of the game, with an actual case and cover art to hold and look at, and an actual booklet to flip through (though admittedly, most modern game booklets suck ass compared to classic ones). I don't mind digital downloads of smaller games that are exclusively digital. But given the choice, I would not really want to download a retail game.

[Dmolisher]

Retail. I never get rid of my games even if I didnt like them and even with Nintendo's Digital Deluxe Promotion (I know you're talking 3DS, but) I can still find better deals than 10% off.

[J0RdAnN]

While perhap next gen will be all digital I still prefer retail.

[CM30]

I've always preferred retail. Nothing against digital games and downloading and all that stuff, but I like to be able to play my games on any console I want, sell them to others when I'm fed up with them and generally do whatever the hell I want with them as my personal property. Not to mention they'll still work if say, Nintendo or Sony or Microsoft or whoever go bankrupt or close down.

[ddddd]

I really need to research how to make the eshop work over here. Besides demos, I am strictly a retail person mostly for that reason (not to mention the fact that Nintendo doesnt support my country, so I dont know how secure my downloads are)

[Mirr0rR3flection]

I'll always prefer retail unless one day digital games get the same rights as retail games. (Doubt it)

[YoshiRider123]

Full digital. I don't care for the benefits of retail.

[Sammet]

I was all for the retail stuff, getting your own copy, getting to sell it on etc... then I realised I'm too lazy to sell on my games and trading them in gets you peanuts over here so I've started going digital. I've got ZombiU/ME3 retail but NSMBU and Nintendo Land as digital (Mario Kart 7 digital on my 3DS) and it's convient to just tap on the icon and be playing instantly without having to swap discs (yeh I told you I was lazy!).

[Mako]

The only thing that is stopping me from going completely digital is that the prices are ridiculous. You can find great deals for retail games (Buy one get one 50% off at Toys R Us, Amazon always has deals, ect.) but when you look on the eShop they are always full priced even though Nintendo has to pay far less due to lack of shipping and actually selling the game directly instead of selling to retailers. They could still make great profits by selling digital games for $5 or even $10 less and I would be completely happy.

I don't really care about having the actual boxes and booklets. I think the convenience of having all your games in one place outweighs having to carry a bunch of games and switching them out. As it stands now, I will stick to retail though. I have already bought all my games this way this gen so I'm not going to do it half and half. Hopefully, by next gen, they will have their prices sorted out and have an actual account based system that isn't linked to only the console. If so, it will be digital only for me.

[GiriOni]

I'm a retail guy, nothing beats cracking open that case, fitting the game into the console, and reading the instruction booklet while the game boots up. Also got to love those bonuses that come with the games themselves, art books, music CD's etc.

[Zanreo]

In general I prefer retail for both, both to save space for the digital-only titles/apps (retail games tend to be HUGE...), and I just like having the boxes. However, on 3DS there are certain games where I think it's handy to get digital so I can just play them when I want... like Mario Kart, if someone asks me to play a few rounds I can just quickly find the game on my 3DS instead of going to find the cart. Also planning to download Animal Crossing when it comes out.

[Kama]

Definitely retail when possible. I only go for digital if it's the only option or if it's significantly cheaper.

[YoshiRider123]

The only thing that is stopping me from going completely digital is that the prices are ridiculous. You can find great deals for retail games (Buy one get one 50% off at Toys R Us, Amazon always has deals, ect.) but when you look on the eShop they are always full priced even though Nintendo has to pay far less due to lack of shipping and actually selling the game directly instead of selling to retailers.

How much money it costs Nintendo to produce and ship games normally has no bearing on the games' retail pricings. It's an irrelevant factor that can't be used to justify that the digital alternative should be cheaper.

[xshinox]

i only get digital if the retail does not exist for me to buy locally or online.

[Chromie]

As a PC gamer first and console second I love digital. Being able to have alot of games with me without physically carrying them around is great. Also being a PC gamer I never get to trade games regardless if its physical or not so trading isn't a problem for me besides I wanna keep my games!

Still buying a game for a console isn't like buying a game for PC meaning sales are no where near as frequent. Does Nintendo even have sales? I guess Steam has spoiled me.

[YoshiRider123]

Still buying a game for a console isn't like buying a game for PC meaning sales are no where near as frequent. Does Nintendo even have sales? I guess Steam has spoiled me.

They've never had sales for the retail games on the eShop, no.

[Chromie]

Still buying a game for a console isn't like buying a game for PC meaning sales are no where near as frequent. Does Nintendo even have sales? I guess Steam has spoiled me.

They've never had sales for the retail games on the eShop, no.

Well that is a shame.

[J0RdAnN]

they have had sales on VC games which at one time was a retail game....

[Blargh55]

i usually do digital for my 3ds but retail for my wii u

i like digital so i have multiple games on my 3ds to go anywhere and i dont have to switch out the card for another game and im to lazy to go to the store so its easier just to wait for the dowload to finish than to go to a stupid store lol who needs stores...

and most of my wii u games i just get on amazon anyway

[PaperLink64]

I'm sticking with retail on both 3DS and Wii U.

[changer1701]

I think physical retail is by far the better option. If digital purchases were noticeably cheaper it might be a different story, but I don't see the point in paying the same price for something that I won't have a physical copy of. Plus, I have more options with the physical copy...I can resell it, trade with a friend, give it away if I wanted. And really, it's not difficult to lug around a lot of 3DS cartridges (sans box), and you can keep games on disc in DVD folders.

[Furealz]

I don't see a lot of Full Digital people....but I am that person. After half my Wii library being unable to work, games stolen, game cards lost and left under couches miles away from home....these things caused gray hairs =.= Alas..when I heard of Full Digital, Jebus heard me calling for him