Retail vs. Steam

Generally, in which "format" do you prefer to buy your PC games?

 

Retail, I like to have the disk handy and im not much of an online player on the reare days I do pick up a game.

 

I like to have the disc too, but steam is just so handy and portable and I can carry it around with me wherever I go. As long as there's a computer with an internet connection, you can take your games with you through steam.

I really gotta say, steam turned out to be better than I thought it would be.

And now its on Mac too! So buying 1 game almost = 2 games for free (albiet the same game).

 

Depends on how fast my Internet is. Where I'm staying at right now my download speed is only 160kbs so retail helps a lot. Now when I stay at my parents house I have a 1mbs+ download so I don't mind downloading big files because it never takes that long.

 

I buy my games at retail. However, that doesn't mean I don't buy the DVDs for games available on Steam.

 

Digital distribution (steam or direct2drive). Given my life style I can't afford (or should say have the space) to move around my CD/DVD games.

 

I honestly do like Steam, as you are able to back up the files and burn them to a DVD or CD anyway if you want the physical copy. Also, Steam is guaranteed to work on (almost) any new computer. I guess Direct2Drive is okay, I just prefer the auto-patching of Steam games.

 

Retail. I like my games to work if my internet connection goes out and I don't set offline mode beforehand. I also like my games to work when the publisher no longer supports them, at least in single player.

 

Whichever is the cheapest.

 

I'm 100% digital distro these days.

Peaking at 1.8MB/s with my downloads helps.

 

personally, i generally end up buying my games through retail, but like a couple of others if there is a good special at steam ill end up going that route.

 

Retail by far. I like my boxes.

 

depending on game , i would say retail.. but in some special cases steam is better like BF BC2... but 99% of time , retail for me.

 

Steam all the way...Auto patching is awesome in my opinion! Digital copies are very easy to keep track of and you have the option of burning the game on a dvd/cd.

 

I usually prefer Steam because the Canadian retail prices fluctuate a lot (same as US, or $10 more). It is very rare that the exchange rate will make $60CAD less or equal to $50 US

 

I prefer retail to have the physical disks. But sometimes the drm on them is so bad that steam is the better option.

 

I use steam since here in Japan I can get American pricing on games vs the 100$+ for a new game, 80$+ for a game that is 2 years old or 50$ for games that are 5 years old or older

 

I used to live only by boxes...a long time ago, now its steam or nothing. I generally only buy on Steal Deals and save so much cash, add to that that I dont have to bother with CDs anymore, and well, many other reasons, mainly its hassle free and has every thing in one place, and keeps my shelves nice and empty.

 

retail please

 

digital.

i just brought myself to buy the star wars empire gold set at bestbuy, not realizing that they have to have the disc in to play. my m11x says no way. after hassling around the wrong places to make it work it gets released on steam a week later.

ill stick with downloading from now on.

 

Their is no doubt Digital Distribution is the future.

 

Digital. Much easier to keep track of.

 

steam without a doubt, since I tend to lose CD's alot

 

Retail only (either myself or through family).

2 reasons:
1. I pay in cash so no fear of credit card problems
2. Physical disks with the associated manuals and boxes are always worth collecting.

 

I'm mostly digital as well (steam). Very occasionally I will buy a retail box...perhaps because of the the preference for the game (for example, Starcraft 2).

 

I love Steam, but for me personally, staring at the box on my shelf gives me a good feeling, I have no idea why.

 

Retail.

I like having the box and the disc.

 

Having the box and disk makes me feel like I actually own something.

 

Digital distribution is the future, and a major convenience for anyone with a reasonably fast internet connection, I'll agree with you there. However, I prefer the model of Direct2Drive and others, where the game is distributed to you digitally, but the version you get is still the same as if you were to buy the disc. For instance, I bought BFBC2 through EA online when they were having their massive sale, and I was able to burn the files I downloaded to a DVD and install the retail version of the game with the CD key they provided me. None of this "you have to be connected to Steam to play in single player" shenanigans.

I back up all my DVDs onto external hard drives, so lost or damaged discs are not an issue for me (and the only CD that I have damaged beyond readability is Halo 1 from 2003, and I was smart enough to make a backup before it became totally unreadable so I can still install and play the game now).

 

Not everyone has a "reasonably fast internet connection" though. It's not just an issue of being wealthy enough; some countries just don't have the infrastructure. Assuming distributors still want to enter these untapped markets (eventually, when the average citizen starts having enough disposable income to game), they're going to have to keep the retail model a little while longer. At least until fast internet becomes ubiquitous.

 

i kill CDs, therefore i must have it in digital form.

 

With gaming computers like Acer 3820 and others that lack optical drive, it begins to make more sense to go DD.


I like when you can buy a retail box, and still code in your cd-key in steam... like with valve games. you get the box, but can just go full out on steam afterwards. Sure, you dont need the box, but sometimes its nice to have.

On the other hand, people havent been doing much with DVD covers and with making nice packing in years... I dont remember the last time I looked in a manual - Yet I will be sad if Manuels goes away. They should at least be replaced by something better... a little artbook.. a booket... a synopsis from the developers.. i dont know... anything.


When people bought records back in the day, half of the experience was having this great piece of art. the cover art was usually amazing and contained artistic pictures, and folders, sometimes for every song. Like you where meant to look at the pictures inside the record, or lyrics as you where listening to the song. I really liked that idea.

I wish we thought about that in the games industry. People need to get creative if they dont want retail again.

Make me some more special/limited/collector editions that matter to people, but still dont try and screw people over who just wants the base thing.

 

For those who like Steam, what happens in the event that Steam dies? What will happen to all of your games?

 

I prefer hard copies of games, but if it's easier to get off STEAM then I have no problems buying from them.

Also, doubtful Valve would go out of business. They're the only PC developer doing things right nowadays.

 

I had only ever bought discs. Best Buy, Wal-Mart, and Target eternally compete for my money.

1. Because I like being able to hold something in my hand
2. And I'm deploying where there will be no internet connection. No brainer.

Then I fell in love with Wolfenstein 2009 and wanted to play Return to Castle Wolfenstein. Steam was my only option for getting that game, and it actually was all pretty slick. So I guess I like them both.

Retail for new games.
Steam for games I can't get anywhere else.

 

Steam, the days of stores and game packaging is coming to an end.

 

You a fighter pilot?

 

I used to like retail boxes, mainly because I "owned" it and wasn't tied to an account or anything. I could resell my games whenever I wanted to. Now with all the DRM, limited activations, etc, it doesn't have the benefit it once did.

Steam is definitely convenient and they have some awesome deals. But if I didn't have a decent net connection it wouldn't be so attractive. And I don't like the idea of all your games tied to a single account that can be deactivated if Valve feels you inappropriately acquired a single game, or someone hacks your account, etc. You can lose literally thousands of dollars of games by one simple mishap or misuderstanding. Either way, I wish Valve would offer the option to backup your games to DVD and ship them to you, even if it cost like $1/GB or something like that. I have tons of games but don't have them all downloaded and installed at any given time.

 

class action lawsuit? lol

I like steam, great deals and its convenient . However u slice it downloading games/music/movies is the future... and personally I can't wait for places like Gamestop/Blockbuster/etc. to bite the dust

 

I've only bought games through retail & Impulse.

 

steam does have a backup feature that you can save them to disc, although i have never tried it so am not quite sure how it works

 

steam backup -> choose size of the backup to be broken into DVD-sized chunks, burn data DVD of backup files. can even do it per-game if you really want to.

 

Goes around 50/50 for me. My internet connection isn't all that fast for downloading large games and my university recently put a throttle on steam so i can't use their high speed connection anymore which is too bad, they just upped the bandwidth to 120 MB/s.

 

That's affirmative Ghost Rider

 

I'm sad to say you might be right. Best Buy still has a large selection of games but most places are hiding them further and further toward the back of the store.
Oh well.

 

Let me guess, A-10 Air Force?

 

I know that, and their backup system SUCKS! I meant for Valve to do the backups for you. I have tons of games, and don't have a lot of them downloaded. Would just like a backup of them all.

 

it's actually quiet simple, and * completely* functional. I would have had to download 100s of GB on a 384kb/s connection without it. So I can say firmly that needing a CD really isn't an issue for me.

you can burn the backup packages to disc with the backup feature as previously mentioned. Otherwise it's just like having a CD. except with the long download times. Which I agree, sucks, but that's the whole difference in media. I've used the backup feature to restore/backup dozens of games and it's worked flawlessly so far

 

Steam all the way!! Some Gamestops don't even sell PC games anymore, even if they did, they don't have new games.

 

the only place that has recent titles in my area anymore is best buy. Even they've tucked them neatly into a corner out of sight too.