Digital Game Downloads

Back in around 2004 I was sent a survey from Microsoft that asked a bunch of questions about what I would want out of online services and my game console. Specifically, they asked my thoughts on digital distribution of games; would you be willing to pay for a game and download it? No physical media? I promptly answered no and to this day, I would respond in the same way. The fact of the matter is, though, I have purchased games online. The Xbox Live Arcade hosts a variety of games that are quick and dirty, but highly polished and very enjoyable. You can't get these things in the store, although I would love to buy a copy of Braid and proudly display it on my shelf.

I fear digital distribution will pick up even moreso, moving beyond simple "arcade" games. You'll be able to plunk down $60 for a game and just download it. And then, it was true. You can go on Xbox or PSN and buy games for all sorts of dollar values. I'm not really sold on that: right now the price points are the same for what you would get if you bought it in store, and why wouldn't I want the physical media, with instruction book and a tangible aspect for me to hold onto? To that effect I will always buy the physical media, I'm just that sort of person.

All that being said, I signed up for Steam and GOG. I figured it was time to see what all the fuss was about, and the deals they have every so often are too good to pass up. My focus is always on older titles though, perhaps titles I've owned in the past and want to play again on a modern system. This is why the Virtual Console is so appealing. I could hook up my SNES or N64 to play A Link to the Past, but why not download the pixel-perfect emulation for a few dollars and avoid the hassle of obsolete cables and extra plugs? Turn on the Wii, launch the game and enjoy the wireless controller.

So when it comes to old PC games, things change a bit. You're still playing them on a computer, and your original media will work as long as you put the effort in of getting some decent software setup, like DOSBox. Or, you could download the game for less than $10 and be off to the races in matter of minutes. I'm not sure about you but I like the easy way out, and $10 is not anything to be concerned about anymore. I downloaded Raptor: Call of the Shadows from GOG.com (Good Old Games) and have been extremely impressed. It was inexpensive, the game is absolutely fantastic (I hope to have a post up that focuses on it entirely) and it just works. There's something to be said for the simplicity of it all. (I should also point out that GOG uses DOSBox for many of it's games, but it's pretty well transparent to the user).

I'm glad they can make these old titles available to us now, and in many cases, it's given us the opportunity to own these games legitimately. There's no question piracy was rampant "back then" and it was the only choice for us kids who didn't have jobs and whose parents couldn't afford every little titled we lusted after. But as we get older there's less of an excuse and there's a certain pride in paying for your warez. I was happy to invest some money into an old game I absolutely adored, and while it may be unlikely, I can always dream that the original developers and coders are getting a portion of my six dollars.