Posted July 11, 2012
I used to but quit about five years ago. I didn't quit because I wanted to buy digitally though. I quit because a lot of retail games started to use shitty DRM and only contained a disc and five page manual in the box. A pretty much worthless box if you ask me. It was easier to just quit buying PC games than to research which games would actually be worth buying. I started buying strictly console games like I had done before '95 again. I started buying PC games again recently from GOG. GOG is like a stamp of quality for me so I don't have to research the DRM.
Digital is better for the developer but it is not always better for the consumer. There are more costs put on the consumer. Developers have tried to use digital as a way to enforce licensing with DRM instead of purchasing, even though they try to use the same nomenclature and presentation of a "sale" instead of a "license" in digital as they do in retail. It's possible that it's intentional to confuse customers.
Also, I've heard that the 70% royalty rate for a license and 30% royalty for a sale (my understanding is that the rate depends on whether it's a license or a sale, not whether it is physical or digital) is pretty close to true though I don't truly know, but from what I can tell, in PC AAA gaming, retail still kicks digital distributions ass (no, a peak usage stat for Skyrim on Steam does not mean that everyone who bought Skyrim bought it digitally from Steam or that they even like Steam, it's just running). I'd put money down that the 30% royalty rate for all sales in retail still adds up for more total income than most developers make with all their digital distribution sales (oops, better call it digital licenses). Of course it would be different for indie or niche games, but then they can sell directly from their own website for a 95% rate. If wanting to support the developer is the thing to do, that's the best way to do it.
Digital is better for the developer but it is not always better for the consumer. There are more costs put on the consumer. Developers have tried to use digital as a way to enforce licensing with DRM instead of purchasing, even though they try to use the same nomenclature and presentation of a "sale" instead of a "license" in digital as they do in retail. It's possible that it's intentional to confuse customers.
Also, I've heard that the 70% royalty rate for a license and 30% royalty for a sale (my understanding is that the rate depends on whether it's a license or a sale, not whether it is physical or digital) is pretty close to true though I don't truly know, but from what I can tell, in PC AAA gaming, retail still kicks digital distributions ass (no, a peak usage stat for Skyrim on Steam does not mean that everyone who bought Skyrim bought it digitally from Steam or that they even like Steam, it's just running). I'd put money down that the 30% royalty rate for all sales in retail still adds up for more total income than most developers make with all their digital distribution sales (oops, better call it digital licenses). Of course it would be different for indie or niche games, but then they can sell directly from their own website for a 95% rate. If wanting to support the developer is the thing to do, that's the best way to do it.
Post edited July 11, 2012 by KyleKatarn
