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GameStop CEO Says Disc Drives Should Be Required On Game Consoles

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MeisaMcCaffrey
I started buying digital since 2011. The only PS5 physical games I have are GT7 special edition, Demon's Souls and one more.
 
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8BiTw0LF

Consoomer
Can't wait to see GameStop crash and burn

Evil Villain GIF
 

Godot25

Banned
I have no doubts in my mind that next generation of consoles will be released as digital only machines with Blu-ray drive as an optional purchase add-on.
72% digital ratio is enough of reason to do it. And we still probably have 5 years left in this gen for people to shift to digital even more.
 

peronmls

Member
He says that because he won’t be able to sell used games in disc format. Only time a ceo speaks out is when money is involved. Lol
 

ArtHands

Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
Yay for ruining backwards compatibility and cheaper options.

Well that’s the bad part of sticking with consoles…you never know if Sony and co will support backward compatible and how long.

Sony axed PSVR2 backward compatibility with PSVR and players barely make any noise. PSVR library will eventually be unplayable when and if all PSVR hardware are unuseable
 

Punished Miku

Human Rights Subscription Service
Disc drives being required is likely not going to happen. But I could support passing laws requiring 1st party to allow more digital selling options so it's not just 1 store for games.
 

Sorcerer

Member
I'm glad he is happy about Apple and USB-C on the I-phone. Apparently, you will need a proprietary cable USB-C cable from Apple (MI) Certified for fast charging.
 

Unknown?

Member
Well that’s the bad part of sticking with consoles…you never know if Sony and co will support backward compatible and how long.

Sony axed PSVR2 backward compatibility with PSVR and players barely make any noise. PSVR library will eventually be unplayable when and if all PSVR hardware are unuseable
That's not the problem with getting rid of disc drives. If PS6 plays PS1-3 natively but is digital only, what's the point? 97% of all those games never came to digital storefronts.

The only benefit to PC with no discs is you can pirate old games because those digital storefronts still suffer the same licensing problems.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
They seem to make that 100% off their "new" game sales as well

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I stopped buying there because of this. Wanted a game, only copy left was an open box. They went to seal it with one of their clear stickers when I asked about the online pass code that game publishers used to include that allowed you to play online. The guy said they lost it and proceeded to ring it up as new. I insisted on a discount because I would have to buy the code but he wouldn't budge. So I left and went to Target to buy my game.
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Game disc would make sense if a full, patched game would be printed on it. But that's not the case. I have physical copy of Cyberpunk 2077 for Xbox. It's useless without newest patches.
It doesn’t matter. Games pass gold certification. Most games on ps5 are perfectly playable without patch with some exceptions. Ragnarok or ff16? You wouldn’t know you need a patch
 

MidGenRefresh

*Refreshes biennially
It doesn’t matter. Games pass gold certification. Most games on ps5 are perfectly playable without patch with some exceptions. Ragnarok or ff16? You wouldn’t know you need a patch

Funnily enough I would know because I purchased Ragnarok on release day on disc and I returned it after I was soft-locked on a loading section where you run around magical tree in circles. There was a bug in the game and the only to fix it way was to start a new save. So yeah, the game that's printed on disc is far from perfect.
 
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8BiTw0LF

Consoomer
Despite being on PC, I like GameStop. I buy my Steam cards from them, as they’re one of the few retailers that allow you to buy a gift card with a store gift card.
GameStop here in Denmark is a laughing stock - been for years and they're closing most of their shops these days, cause people buy their games cheaper elsewhere.
 

Fbh

Member
"Also everyone should be required to buy at least 3 Funk Pops a year"
- Ryan Cohen

Game disc would make sense if a full, patched game would be printed on it. But that's not the case. I have physical copy of Cyberpunk 2077 for Xbox. It's useless without newest patches.

While their use for game preservation is indeed diminished (and in some cases non existent). They still give you a higher degree of ownership over them as you can trade them, resell them, lend or gift them to someone else once you are done with them. Accessing them is also not tied to single account which can be hacked, lost and is tied to a fucking 4000 pages EULA

They are also the one thing keeping console makers from running a complete monopoly with their digital stores. Physical games give you more options from where to buy, are often cheaper than their digital counterparts(specially after launch), give you access to more sales and promotions (amazon was just running a buy 1 get 1 free sale recently), etc
 
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Mr.Phoenix

Member
Well that’s the bad part of sticking with consoles…you never know if Sony and co will support backward compatible and how long.

Sony axed PSVR2 backward compatibility with PSVR and players barely make any noise. PSVR library will eventually be unplayable when and if all PSVR hardware are unuseable
There is no real downside... everything becomes BC on PC eventually.
 

Bond007

Member
It may seem self serving- and it is.
But he is correct.

Only the gamers continue to allow things to be taxed, overpriced, removed, and we still keep paying premiums happily. I guess its just the demographics of the industry maybe.
We allow game ownership to be taken away and praise convenience of not changing a disc instead. Hurray
We allow paying for playing online. Cause when XBL launched, it was soooo worth it cause the quality. Now its nearly mandatory to get what was previously free. I already pay my internet bill, now i need to pay for access too?
Pay for collectors editions of unfinished games
Pay to play/win.

We keep losing more and more while also losing more of our hard earned money.
Maybe the kids don't care that enjoy this hobby and are more than happy to dump their allowances or birthday money. But the rest of us old heads- nah, i see our ownership continue to be stripped. I will buy physical games for as long as i can. I will own the game, trade if i need to, let others borrow, and have the game for as long as i deem- the owner- as necessary. That outweighs the convenience of having to get up and insert a disc or losing access altogether.
 
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skit_data

Member
Why stop there? PCs, phones, tablets, refrigerators and microwave ovens could also contribute to the net income of Gamepot
 
It's so depressing what GameStop turned into once Babbages and FuncoLand ceased to exist. I can't be bothered to step foot in a GameStop. Plastic crap everywhere, clerks trying to upsell you on everything. It's a truly miserable experience.

Disc Replay is the only game store I seek out now. Basically GameStop but all consoles regardless of year, DVDs, Blu rays, CDs, etc. Awesome store with fair prices. Midwest only though.
 
I love the idea of digital only because then you can only get your game from one source so you can’t shop around for sales and also, it’s amazing how they can take your game away whenever they want and there’s a possibility that the game will no longer be playable in the future.

I mean, I can pop in an old PS2 game in my PS2 and play it in 2023, but will your download still be available on your PS5 in 2033?

PS I also forgot that you can’t let your friend borrow a digital game. He’s gotta buy it too if he wants to play it.
 
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rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Funnily enough I would know because I purchased Ragnarok on release day on disc and I returned it after I was soft-locked on a loading section where you run around magical tree in circles. There was a bug in the game and the only to fix it way was to start a new save. So yeah, the game that's printed on disc is far from perfect.
It’s a bug
 

MidGenRefresh

*Refreshes biennially
It’s a bug

Yes. That was since patched. So why would I want to play unpatched disc version ever again and risk encountering the same bug? I loved the game but I just couldn't force myself to replay a couple of hours just to get to the same point in the story so I returned it. I will probably pick it up when it's on PC... when it's fully patched.
 

Codes 208

Member
He’s right but for the wrong reasons.

How else is gamestop gonna rip off rubes by buying their games for $16 and then pricing them for $5 less than full price?
 

rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Yes. That was since patched. So why would I want to play unpatched disc version ever again and risk encountering the same bug? I loved the game but I just couldn't force myself to replay a couple of hours just to get to the same point in the story so I returned it. I will probably pick it up when it's on PC... when it's fully patched.
There are many bugs. Many peoples have finished the game unpatched just fine.

Anyway, I don't see the connection to the therad here. Have you fuckig broken unpatched game, whatever.
It is still WAY beneficial to have any ownership over a game rather than 0.
-I can sell it, trade it
-I can play it off-line
-I can NOT PATCH it if I want
-I don't need to be worried about being hacked
-I don's need to be worried about being banned by a company for saying something "controversial".
-And discs are cheaper on release.
 

MidGenRefresh

*Refreshes biennially
There are many bugs. Many peoples have finished the game unpatched just fine.

Anyway, I don't see the connection to the therad here. Have you fuckig broken unpatched game, whatever.
It is still WAY beneficial to have any ownership over a game rather than 0.
-I can sell it, trade it
-I can play it off-line
-I can NOT PATCH it if I want
-I don't need to be worried about being hacked
-I don's need to be worried about being banned by a company for saying something "controversial".
-And discs are cheaper on release.

Good for you rofif, good that this option exists. It's not going to last, sadly. I much rather just download the game and play it. I like simplicity of it, don't care about 'owning' a plastic disc.
 

Lupin3

Targeting terrorists with a D-Pad
What is even the point of that tweet? That future consoles must have disc drives because people have invested in physical collections for current and/or earlier systems?
 

Dream-Knife

Banned
He is right because consoles have no set standard and they can be arbitrarily locked out of content.

That being said I bought some switch and ps4 games digitally. It does feel odd playing a console without physical games.
 
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Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Game discs are pointless since many games are too big for a disc.
Many as in the majority? That's not true: https://www.doesitplay.org/index. The relevant column that you should look at is "Download required".

Also, there's around 900 Nintendo Switch cart complete games that don't require any additional data to download.

This is not aimed at you, btw, but I find it odd how so many here on GAF and other gaming focused forums are so misinformed about the current state of physical media in gaming. I think that's just because they've read a few too many clickbait titles from the likes of IGN or other mainstream outlets.
 
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