Digital Vs Physical copy of a game. Why the same cost?!

[Frankierock]

Ok not sure if this is out there anywhere on here..but I couldn’t find it.

So this is something that bugs me most of the times.
I’m referring to the Digital Vs Physical game debate. Especially relevant now more than ever due to digital only next gen consoles.
So why is that new games come out at the same price both digitally and physically. Shouldn’t the digital copy be cheaper...less labor/cost involved in production of said game? And in some cases I’ve seen the digital copy selling for more than the physical copy..with no special add on’s ,same base game.
Example when stores like Amazon and Best Buy offer $10 off pre-orders of the physical copies. I get it’s a business tactic that gets you to purchase from them, but why don’t you see this the other way around?
And most of the times games on sale are more money too. Here are just 2 examples , this Black Friday Watch Dogs is on sale for $30, AC Valhalla is $47, both are physical copy prices..now the same games in digital format $41 for WDL and no sale price for AC. So again why buy digital?

Both Xbox and Sony have lower cost systems with no disc drives to “force” you into the digital only world. (you could choose to not go this route we know that) but clearly this is their attempt to move you towards that reality.
What I really hate about digital is we can’t sell or trade in games and recoup some $ if we don’t like the game...we can’t trade/borrow a game from a family member or friend. And we still pay full price for digital? For what? just to have it in minutes as opposed to going to a store and saving a half hour or two?( if you have fast internet speeds, could take longer to download then going to store depending on internet speeds)
Also let’s not forget that with digital we might not be able to go back to a game 20 years from now like some of us did with Nintendo/Sega games. (Possibly the server may no longer exist for a particular game..seen lots of games go down due to no player movement)
I understand there are times digital games are lower..but it’s far less often than the norm.

Would love to hear what you guys think.

[The General]

It’s why I sold my PS5 digital. I was lucky enough to get 2 PS5’s on the announcement day when retailers sold them ahead of time by surprise. I got one digital for me and a disc version for my son. I thought I wanted to go digital but I changed my mind. Once the craze is over I’ll buy the disc version.


I also agree that the digital version of games should be $10 to $15 cheaper.

[Frankierock]

Mods please move this to video game section..thanks

[built2shred]

I've read the production costs of making a game + shipping is around $4-$5 per game... so I guess they could sell the digital copies for $5 cheaper...

I think the biggest push for companies to go digital only is that people won't be able to sell used games on eBay.

[Augen]

My understanding is companies like Sony have an agreement with retail outlets not to undercut them on day one.

They can run promotions later, but keeps the peace. Of course Sony doesn't mind as if you spend $60 digital they get a bigger percentage of it and you cannot resell it.

The 2010s feel like the era of uneasy peace on this issue. The 2020s will likely see more and more people go digital like they did with PC games and retail outlets like Gamestop will go away. The PS5 having a disc less version is an indicator of where we are heading. I worry the PS6 in 2027 (or when ever) will be digital only and games will be $70.

There's no way I am spending as much on a download as I do on a disc I can easily share with friends. I'll likely be a couple years behind everyone else when they are on sale for cheap.

[Quicksilver]

When i buy ill be getting the disc version for sure

[AlexLothos]

This is insane. There's no way I would pay so much for a digital copy of any entertainment media that I can't copy to my personal hard drive and reupload or use in case anything goes down (hardware crash, licensing disputes, removal w/o a cause given, etc). You're pretty much leasing and hoping that it will be there when you want it.

For me and games, I stick to physical disc format.

[Agent23]

Because they can. People want everything RIGHT NOW, and when you can get a digital copy the day of release and not have to leave home, they purchase media in digital format.

I don’t agree with it, but that’s the reality of it.

[Quicksilver]

I think its the old school gamers that still like physical media, seems the younger generation is all about digital

whether its movies or games, no way in hell am I buying digitally, I like to have something for my money that wont disappear like a fart in the wind the second the company decides to remove it or change it. Thats especially true with movies and all the censoring the streaming companies are doing, Ill watch the movie as its intended thanks, not what you want to show, and I'd like to watch it smoothly without any potential internet issues, and i'd like to have it to watch when I want, not go to check on streaming and see its expired or removed. Digital sucks.

[Vracula]

Originally Posted by built2shred

I've read the production costs of making a game + shipping is around $4-$5 per game... so I guess they could sell the digital copies for $5 cheaper...

I think the biggest push for companies to go digital only is that people won't be able to sell used games on eBay.

Don't forget the brick and mortar expenses of stocking and delivering the game as well. So it really should be 5$ plus the profit a retailer makes? I don’t know but a 5$ difference is preety marginal.


I suspect it is some of the same reasons why studios still air their movies at cinemas.