Decline Physical Media/Brick & Mortar Stores

[Bad Sector]

I think you downgrade physical's advantages, but I must admit I can think of very few times having a portable hard drive full of games would be a useful thing to have.

Well, one obvious advantage -IMO- is that the hard drive is smaller than a game box and yet it fits thousands of games :-P

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

you know what sone say about boxes full of games….

OUYA

 

[Bad Sector]

you know what sone say about boxes full of games….

OUYA

I actually have an OUYA, IMO 90% of its failure was miscommunication from the company behind it and PR WTFs like this ad.

I did port Post Apocalyptic Petra to OUYA some time ago:

 

[KörangarTheMighty]

I wonder how much better physical media could have done these last few years if it had been in the correct packaging. Video games and movies should come in CD cases. They take up far less space when it's more difficult than ever to buy a house, are more functional, much cheaper and look better.

The shallower hub of a CD case makes it easier to remove the disc. Some Blu-ray cases have clingy spindles that force you to pull so hard that you worry the disc might crack.

I can't tell you how many times I received a movie and the disc had fallen out of its hub in transit or at the warehouse. If the disc does come out of a CD case, it won't slide and bang around as much as in a Blu-ray or DVD case, since it's so compact in there.

The backing insert of a CD case can't slide off to one side or poke out of the top or bottom of the transparent sleeve like in a Blu-ray or DVD case. It is trapped.

The transparent plastic won't loosen or warp so much over time because it is hard.

You can buy fifty standard CD cases for about thirty dollars, while the same money will only get you about 25 Blu-ray cases. With Ultra HD cases the cost goes way, way up.

The box shape (the hard edges) looks better on a shelf than the rounded spines of Blu-ray and DVD cases.

The Dreamcast and PS1 had it right. It's a shame the PS2 set us on the wrong path.

Jewel cases are awful. The plastic they're made from is brittle. The hinges snap easily, the faces crack and the plastic decays around the part that holds the disc in place so that the tabs often snap off rendering it impossible to hold the disc.
DVD got it absolutely right adopting the more durable plastic. The only downside of them is that there's too much vertical real-estate in the cases. Blueray corrected this, and cut down on the thickness to boot.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

So, I visited ole Walmart again…..

I guess it could be worse. I actually picked up jewel quest just because…. And I saw this on the disk…

Turns out it was to get all those files for free on the Legacy Games & iWin games sites. Elle’s cake Cafe was the free BONUS Game. Worth $10? Eh… prolly not. I think I wanted the match game with the big monkey god but that’s a whole different game.

Menu from running disc

Hoops to jump through to redeem the code on the disk gaining digital file library and bonus game. IWin also keeps track and offers free games but limited unless you subscribe monthly. This includes the missing Jewel Quest Mysteries 4 The Oracle of Ur

Seen on jewel quest wiki page.

So, all those games that match, ancient aliens, blah blah mostly match are of this site and you can redeem your disk with codes to likely get them into a digital library.

I ain’t getting sims 4. Bleh.

Not sure this bike trip to the library to use the internet was worth it tbh.
Ah! Now I recall that fucking monkey game!!!

Ancient Quest of Saqqarah​

Mobygames

No monkey magic for me…..

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

Wait… seems big fish has a first but discount so I can get Blue Monkey Magic Match game for $2.99. Now I have to wonder if it works offline.

 

[911 Jumper]

Decline of physical and the way most new games now require some kind of update to fix stuff are just a couple of reasons why this will be the last gen I participate in.

All this stuff is gonna be hell for future retro collectors.

 

[KeighnMcDeath]

I still want to check the Walmart just around Black Friday but I’ll likely miss it. On BF? Fuck no… stores will probably be smash & grabbed. After…. Prolly nothing.