Granted, the quality of internet connectivity varies dramatically from state to state, country to country, and currently it presents somewhat of a brick wall to those outside of areas with speedy connections. Fiber-optic broadband connections afforded to those in large cities are a far cry from the shockingly slow speeds that plague rural areas, but what about in years to come when the internet and connectivity speeds are increased as they inevitably will be? It’s surely going to be a different ball game in the future, and once those areas catch up – which, let’s face it probably isn’t going to be too far into the future – a stronger case for a totally digital video gaming ecosystem could be made.
Of course, all of these arguments are ignoring the simple fact that, as human beings, it’s in our very nature to hoard and keep hold of things, and that’s probably what this entire argument boils down to. Tangible objects just feel more special to us. Even if you’re lucky enough to benefit from fast internet speeds, and regardless of whether digital media offers more convenience and seems as though it’s the pragmatic, logical option, owning physical copies of your favorite video games is irresistible for many people. It is human nature.
For many, hoarding video games is rather like a book collection; a library of your most beloved classics that you’ll probably never play again, but it’s still comforting and pleasing to gaze at them once in a while. Ironically, you’d probably be more tempted to play them if they were constantly loaded and ready to go – as they are when stored on your HDD in digital form – but we love to collect material goods, however illogical that might be.
Yes, digital gaming is contingent on the internet and external factors occurring, but the digital future is inevitable. As painful as it might be for us to let go of our physical media, the digital future is likely to democratize games and make them cheaper; it’s a brighter future if you’re willing to embrace it. Make no mistake; publishers will pull the trigger on this future when time is right.
Perhaps, if you’re determined to continue buying games physically, the best solution might be to save that practice for your most anticipated and memorable gaming experiences and leave remasters, HD collections, multiplayer games and the less interesting games on the hdd. Start small and wean your way off the addiction to physical media because the digital future probably isn’t as far away as you might think.