Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Webster Jul 02, 2012 21:57:01	I have Neverwinter Nights 1 and both expansion packs, but I never picked up the premium modules. Nor did I ever get Neverwinter Nights 2. So I thought, since I picked up the D&D anthology with Baldur's Gate 1&2/Planescape/Temple of Elemental Evil/Icewind Dale set, I should pick up the Neverwinter Nights Complete. I went to a few stores, but they didn't have it. I ended up at Gamestop and they looked it up. Yes, they had it as a digital download. No thanks. I prefer physical media. I'll go into why in a bit. First, I know there are folks that like downloading stuff, from Steam and other services. But, I don't put my laptop online, so I have no way of getting no games on to the system. I was able to get a phyiscal copy as the Gamestop folks looked up and found one of their stores that did have a physical copy. I like to feel like I bought something. Having something to hold and show off is what makes ownership of the game real. Inside the physical copy is a map of Neverwinter printed on a very solid thick stock of paper. It's very nice and something I'd put up on the wall. Were the employees planning on handing me a map if I bought the digital download? What about missed advertising opportunities? There was also an ad for the Neverwinter facebook game. Another item inside the box were six "cd key" codes. Now, with the physical copy, I can use the codes, then put the codes back in box where I can find them again easily if I have to re-install or get a new computer. I'm sure the codes would have been printed on the sales slip. But who's going to save one of THOSE? I know for a fact that if my wife saw a sales slip laying around, she'd throw it out thinking "He won't return the game." And I miss physical intructions manuals. I don't mean the two page pamplet on how to install the game. I mean the manuals that were the size of a book. I still have my original NWN 1 manuals. The main one was a couple hundred pages thick. The manuals were something to read while the game is installing. Not to mention if something had to be looked up, you don't have to exit the game to open up the PDF, risking a game crash. They're fun to read years later. "How to Install IBM Dos version:" "System requirements: 50 mb Hard Disk space" 50! That HUGE! That takes up too much space!!! I had a few games that came with a cloth map. I doubt digital games would offer anything like that. And why are they trying to get rid of physical media? What happend to "You wouldn't download a car"? Okay, message received. Download bad. I will never download, just as you want. What? You can make money off downloads? Now downloads okay? Now I can't get games or music without downloads? I so want to get Torchlight 2 in a physical box, but I doubt that's going to ever happen.
#2 The_Silversword Jul 03, 2012 0:34:47	I hear ya man, my main thing is cds, yeah downloading mp3s is all fine and dandy and yeah it is kinda kool havin 50,000 songs or whatever in your playlist, but still, I like reading the liner notes, and the lyrics and stuff, yaknow?
#3 zombie_babies Jul 03, 2012 7:47:26	My wife has a Kindle - and loves it.  Me?  I have to order books and wait until they get to me so I need to plan ahead.  But ya know what?  I'll never get a Kindle.  Just not the same.
#4 Webster Jul 03, 2012 18:20:35	Exactly! Liner notes are awesome. And Kindle? Yeah, my wife has one and during a power outage we did a bit of reading. Her Kindle died and couldn't be re-charged. Meanwhile my FR novel was still readable. I'd miss browsing in a book store. Sure, you get "recommendations", but since when did those ever work? Say you buy a book on cooking. Suddenly you'll get tons of recommended cook books, but what if you want something else? In a book store, I could be looking at Eberron novels, but then see something on steampunk. Or vampires. Or something totally unrelated. And yeah, just because I bought a Ravenloft novel doesn't mean I want to be directed to Twilight. So it's a big pass for me until they get that sort of thing sorted out. Then there's movies. I checked my On Demand list, and I couldn't find what I was in the mood for. If there's a specific movie, we're not at the point where everything is available. Used Cars isn't exactly rare or obscure, but at least with a physical copy, I can watch it any time I want. Consider Star Wars. Unless you own the phyiscal copy of the original trilogy as it orignally was, you're stuck getting the most updated version. Don't assume for a moment that George Lucas would let you choose which version to watch. It's the current version or nothing.
#5 sfdragon Jul 03, 2012 18:22:55	I hate wotc's ebooks. I cant read them if I have no e reader.... and dont mention the b&n pc app that can read it, I spend to much time in front of my pc as it is, its not supposed to be good on the eyes anyway. yea I digital downloads too
#6 Mad_Jack Jul 03, 2012 18:44:26	Hell, I already hate the present, lol... Technology sucks.
#7 sfdragon Jul 03, 2012 19:31:53	Hell, I already hate the present, lol... Technology sucks.   its been sucking since ww2