If you have happened to buy at least one video games lately, you should have faced a bit complicated choice between purchasing a game in its digital form and its physical form. Needless to say, digital games have recently become extremely popular, however, many people are still more used to physical games. In order to decide which one is better, so as to allow you to make the best decision the next time you will be purchasing a new game, we have made this short analysis of pros and cons of the both forms of games available on the market today.
The price of the games
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the most crucial aspects of buying a game is its price. Many people use the criterion of a price as the final one before making a purchase.
In point of fact, the initial price for digital and physical games is the same. Do not assume physical games will be more expensive since they should also cover the price of their physical form. Almost always, the price after the release of the game is the same for the both of the versions.
Yet, with time, the prices for these products can differ a lot. On the one hand, the price of a physical game will be reduced quicker than the price for it digital alternative. especially, if you are going to buy a particular game when it has already been on the market for a couple of months, you are likely to find it for a lower price than its digital version.
On the other hand, digital stores are widely known for huge sales which are never available in the land-based shops. If you are particularly lucky, you might even come across games sold 80% cheaper than their initial price. Such a low price for a physical game is possible exclusively in the case of second-hand games.
Still, you should be aware of the fact, there is no guarantee the game you are willing to buy will be available for such a low price. There is no rule for the prices when it comes to digital stores.
Taking into consideration all of this information, we can claim there are pros and cons when it comes to the price of the both digital and physical games.
Selling second-hand games
There might be games you are ready to play without a stop or refer to them years after their release. There are also games which you are not planning to play again after finishing the campaign or the games you simply don’t like. In this case, it will be a great idea to get rid of them while earning some money.
Comparing the two forms of games, it should be admitted that physical games can be sold easier or you, as a consumer, will feel safer by purchasing a second-hand physical copy of a game.
With physical video games, everything is pretty obvious. You can just sell the game in any way which is more comfortable for you. Sometimes, it might even happen that your physical game can become an item of rare game collections and some game enthusiast might be looking for exactly this game for years. Of course, it might be possible years after the release.
The only issue of concern when it comes to second-hand physical games is not supporting the developers of these games. They will be able to benefit exclusively from the purchases of new copies of their games.
Some people are trying to sell and buy second-hand digital games. For instance, they are selling the details of their consoles or accounts. Unfortunately, it is not thus simple and usually turns out to be a problem. Dishonest sellers can block the access to the sold game by changing their account details immediately after selling the game or they can simply tell you a lie about owning particular game titles.
On top of that, there is still not proper regulation for this type of selling practice, so you will hardly get any support from the selling platforms in case of any problems. Undeniably, because of these facts, a better form of a game for selling or purchasing as a second-hand product is a physical one.
Sharing games with other people
Of course, sharing and swapping games with other people is a great idea. This can help you to save a lot of money and try playing different games.
Although you might still believe that sharing your cartridges or discs with friends is the simplest way to provide them with the opportunity of playing these games, it is actually not the case. Digital games can be shared in an even more convenient way.
All you need to do in order to allow another person to play your game, is giving him or her the logging information which gives the access to the game within a couple of seconds. Needless to say, this way is an easy way to share your games with people living in another part of the globe. Furthermore, it is possible to play the same digital game at the same time with a single account. On top of that, there are options for playing games together online, for instance, with the help of Xbox Gameshare or PlayStation Share play.
Undeniably, from this perspective, digital games are a way convenient for sharing than their physical copies.