The addiction is real.
For the longest time, I’ve been a physical media person when it comes to console games. Well, I must now confess that I have broken that habit thanks to Bloodborne. I had no intention of doing a digital download for this game, but excitement got the better of me. Curse you excitement…and streamers!
However, this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision. I have been teetering on the edge of digital downloads for console games for some time. I did my research to learn I’m not saving any space on my PS4 hard drive with physical disks. I never keep my game boxes, so it’s not like I’m trying to show off my game collection. Downloads have drastically reduced in size thanks to compression technologies getting better. I mean, Bloodborne requires 24 gigs of space, but only required a download size of 5 gigs. That’s a big savings when it comes to my stupid data cap that the cable company feels they need to impose on me.
Then there is my contributing source of ‘Stack of Shame’ titles: Steam. I have long questioned why I am fine with buying a game on Steam, but not on Xbox Live or PlayStation Network. Is it because I joined Steam way back when it first came out and I have just grown to accept it for my PC gaming needs? Meanwhile, I’ve always associated physical media with console games since starting out on the Atari 2600?
I admit that the fear that my most recent PSN purchase is now in the hands of Sony. At any point they can just send a signal to my PS4 and kill my new game. I can’t just load a disk in and play it whenever I want. Yet, at the same time, this is also true for my ComiXology library, Steam library, and Nook books. Yet, the fear that Sony can take away my toys is very real.
I should also note that I almost never loan out my games, therefore that is a non-factor for me. I also never trade my games in, so I don’t even think about trade-in values. I know I can “loan” Bloodborne to a friend with game sharing, if that is ever a thing I need/want to do. So the two big advantages I’ve read about with the whole digital vs physical debate is not even a thing for me.
Will I continue to buy my games on PSN? Probably not all the time. This is especially true for collector’s editions as I like all the books, soundtracks, statues, and toys that tend to come with those. Yes, I do feel dirty for this recent action. Yet I got a game I wanted and I never left my house. I mean, it’s cold outside. It’s scary out there. I have to deal with people. I’d have to change out of my pajamas, and who wants to do that? That all seems like so much work now. I’ll just wash away my fears by dying over and over and over and over again in Bloodborne!
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