Download Only Games? Yay or nay?

[Disposable Hero]

Today someone brought this game to my attention:

http://wargame-ee.com/

Now, being of the Cold War loving ilk it sounds right up my street. However there appears to be a problem, as far as I can see the title is available by download only.

I have a fairly strict download limit on my account (10GB per month), as I usually only use the internet for browsing websites this is usually more than sufficient, however it may cause problems if I try to download a multi-gigabyte title like the above.

Personally I prefer to have a physical copy on an item in my hand but thats not an insurmountable problem. However as interesting as the above game looks unless they start burning copies to disk and selling them they will have lost at least one potential sale.

So, download only games, yay or nay?

[zombywoof]

Like it or not it's certainly where everything's headed, and not just games, I believe the latest Mac OS version (Lion) is download only.

[Eureka]

Yay.

Of course, I have no download limits, and tend to treat the kind of games I download as being mostly disposable anyway. And I like the fact that the kind of games I download generally let me download a free trial, which lets me check whether it will in fact play nice with my decrepit laptop.

At present, I mostly buy my games from BigFishGames, and I got them from Shockwave or Pogo before that--so I don't know that the kind of games I play are the sort you'd be interested in. I'm a pretty casual gamer, as such things go.

And zombywoof is right--everything's headed in the direction of downloadable content, which is great sometimes, and frustrating other times. Especially when deciding whether the effort of creating a new identity just to get at free member only content, or wishing there was a way to take a closer look at something before you pay the fee, so it feels like less of a crapshoot.

Aside from games, the main thing I download is knitting patterns. Which makes me weird, or at least a knitter.

[Max the Immortal]

Recent Penny Arcade strip.

[DigitalC]

Back when games came with interesting well done manuals and lots of goodies in the box i would have agreed with you, but now getting a physical copy is simply a waste of space and resources. That said a 10gig cap is a pretty serious roadblock to digital download gaming.

[Mekhazzio]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

Back when games came with interesting well done manuals and lots of goodies in the box i would have agreed with you, but now getting a physical copy is simply a waste of space and resources. That said a 10gig cap is a pretty serious roadblock to digital download gaming.

Yeah, for several years now, if a game even bothers to have a manual, you can expect it to be a PDF on the disc anyway. You're not losing anything by getting a download version, and it's the way everything's going, especially niche games like the one mentioned in this thread. Publishers & retail just take too large of a chunk out of income for it to be worth it to small-scale developers.

As for the game itself, I was favorably impressed by Wargame. It's real-time, but the pace of it is deliberate rather than frenzied, and it focuses much more on planning ahead than on micromanaging combat. I like it a lot more than its predecessor RUSE.

[Disposable Hero]

Yeah, I can see I'm fighting a losing battle on this one!

I'll wait until my usage account rolls over and download it at the start of next month because it does look really interesting.

Thanks everyone

[Miller]

Originally Posted by DigitalC

Back when games came with interesting well done manuals and lots of goodies in the box i would have agreed with you, but now getting a physical copy is simply a waste of space and resources. That said a 10gig cap is a pretty serious roadblock to digital download gaming.

I think the only PC game I've bought on physical media in the last two years was the kickstarter project for Wasteland II - and that was specifically because the tier I bought into gave you a cloth map along with the printed manual and DVD. Otherwise, everything's download these days.

[RandMcnally]

I love download games. I think I made a thread about it somewhere...

anywho, I like them because I hate having to keep a disk around. And if it's one of those annoying companies that make you put in a code to install the game, should you ever lose the code you're SoL.

ETA: This game sounds really fun.

[srzss05]

Originally Posted by RandMcnally

anywho, I like them because I hate having to keep a disk around. And if it's one of those annoying companies that make you put in a code to install the game, should you ever lose the code you're SoL.

But if you ever have to reformat, and somehow can't reconnect to the d/l server (either because they disappear or you lose your connection), you are also SoL. That's why everything I d/l gets copied to a DVD anyway.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by srzss05

But if you ever have to reformat, and somehow can't reconnect to the d/l server (either because they disappear or you lose your connection), you are also SoL. That's why everything I d/l gets copied to a DVD anyway.

This. Also, if you have to move to a new computer, and the company has gone belly up, you're SOL.

I very much prefer to have my discs, thankyouverymuchINDEED.

[Airk]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

This. Also, if you have to move to a new computer, and the company has gone belly up, you're SOL.

I very much prefer to have my discs, thankyouverymuchINDEED.

Do none of you people practice a robust backup solution? I mean seriously? What happens to all the actually IMPORTANT stuff on your PC that you CAN'T just redownload?

This always concerns me when I see people talking about "OMG, what will happen to my games if my hard drive dies?"

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by Airk

Do none of you people practice a robust backup solution? I mean seriously? What happens to all the actually IMPORTANT stuff on your PC that you CAN'T just redownload?

This always concerns me when I see people talking about "OMG, what will happen to my games if my hard drive dies?"

Most of the download sites only allow a very small number of downloads. If I get a particularly nasty virus, it might take more than one or two tries to get that sucker off my computer...and I might not notice a problem for a week or so.

Second, I was under the impression that most of these games can't be backed up, because of copyright issues and DRM issues. I'm not really technically savvy, so maybe there IS a way to back up copyrighted material despite anti-piracy measures.

I still prefer physical media. Of course, I long for the good old days of Infocom's feelies, too.

[Fake Tales of San Francisco]

I can't see Steam and GOG going 'belly up' any time soon, and by the time they do I imagine we'll be on new OS's anyway. None of my old game discs work any more, but downloads are tailored specifically to your OS and made compatible (to a certain extent). I keep all my games on an external hard drive as well as on my internal hard drive. Far less likely to be damaged unlike CD's and DVD's which get scratched easily.

I still buy physical copies though. I installed Skyrim once from the DVD, but now I don't even know where it is. Each time I've had re-installed it I've just downloaded it. I think all media should behave like this - when you go out and buy a movie you should also get a digital copy too (though I know sometimes you do). I watch all my movies on a computer hooked up to a TV anyway, and rip them for convenience. It'd be nice if distributors caught up with the technology.

[Lute Skywatcher]

Originally Posted by Disposable Hero

Today someone brought this game to my attention:

http://wargame-ee.com/

Now, being of the Cold War loving ilk it sounds right up my street. However there appears to be a problem, as far as I can see the title is available by download only.

Have you tried Bonanza?

[Nava]

Yay, but those which do not require a server to play by their very nature should not require an internet connection to play. That is, if it's single-player I should be able to download, install, and then play it in places with no internet access.

[Astral Rejection]

I think in a few years, nobody will have an issue with download only. For an enormous section of the market, download is your only choice; I'm talking about smartphone and tablet apps. And since I don't particularly worry about Apple or google going out of business (and because my iPad backs itself up to my computer every time I plug it in), I'll likely always have access to my apps even in a catastrophic device loss.

For an example more like your full-fledged PC game, I now buy a huge portion of my computer applications through Apple's Mac App store, and whenever there's a viable option for windows users similar to that, I'd expect huge chunks of the market to switch to pure download for everything.

[Justin_Bailey]

The game industry will never go download-only. The PC side surely will (and really, already has), but the entire industry never will.

[Tom Scud]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

The game industry will never go download-only. The PC side surely will (and really, already has), but the entire industry never will.

Indeed. Hard to download a copy of Settlers of Catan.

[Miller]

Originally Posted by Tom Scud

Indeed. Hard to download a copy of Settlers of Catan.

Not that hard, actually.

[Kinthalis]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

The game industry will never go download-only. The PC side surely will (and really, already has), but the entire industry never will.

This is a ridiculous assertion.

If you really believe gaming will always remain a mostly brick and mortar, you pay for a single game that you own, affair you are seriously out of touch with reality.

Gaming as a service, increasingly digital, and eventually living in the cloud is the future.

We can debate as to WHEN that future will hit, but it WILL happen.

10-15 years from now little Timmy won't be loading up a game on his xbox 8. He'll just hit the controller pad and his smart TV will load up Steam/Xbox Live/PSN store front and away he'll go.

On the way to school little Timmy will load up the same game on his phone and continue gaming there.

Even the old hard core gamers with dedicated gaming hardware (PC gamers only probably) will either be on the cloud, or have pure digital gaming libraries. There might even be monthly subscription type services where you pay a certain amount per month and you can play any game you want from their digital library.

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Kinthalis

This is a ridiculous assertion.

If you really believe gaming will always remain a mostly brick and mortar, you pay for a single game that you own, affair you are seriously out of touch with reality.

Many PS3 games run in the range of 20-30 GB of information. Do you really believe our current Internet capabilities can handle that kind of capacity on top of a growing desire for streaming video and a growing desire for Internet companies to implement bandwidth caps.

Cloud services like Gaikai or OnLive work as well as they do (and I've yet to read a report that states they're a comparable replacement for a disc-based/full download game) is because so few people are using them right now.

[Kinthalis]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

Many PS3 games run in the range of 20-30 GB of information. Do you really believe our current Internet capabilities can handle that kind of capacity on top of a growing desire for streaming video and a growing desire for Internet companies to implement bandwidth caps.

Cloud services like Gaikai or OnLive work as well as they do (and I've yet to read a report that states they're a comparable replacement for a disc-based/full download game) is because so few people are using them right now.

Ok, so you ARE shifting your position.

You agree that it WILL happen, just that it cannot happen NOW. That's true. I don't think the infrastructure is there yet. But it WILL be, sooner rather than later.

Saying this won't happen is like saying that we will always be buying music CD's back in 2003.

[lazybratsche]

Definite Yay. Steam, Good Old Games, and the Indie Bundles have drawn me in completely.

Yes, I give up some of the benefits of having a tangible copy. But all of those services give me a lot of conveniences in return.

Plus, digital distribution allows all of those insane sales. Those would never work with physical disks -- can you imagine Best Buy selling one of those "Hot New Game $20 Including Entire Publisher Backcatalog" deals? I think it would just be impossible to do that with physical stock. No store could hold a million copies of every obscure little indie title on the off chance that people might suddenly want it.

IMO, even though I've purchased a lot of games that I don't like or haven't even tried with all of those sales, I still come out ahead in terms of entertainment-per-dollar. If I spend $50 on a bunch of deeply discounted games, I'll almost certainly end up with something I love, and a few that I enjoy. With $60 new releases there's a substantial risk that I won't get my money's worth.

[Merneith]

I've been digital only for five or six years now. I buy from Steam, GoG, Bigfish, Gamer's Gate and Amazon. Oh, and Blizzard (Twelve More Hours!!!!) I also buy other software, for example, I recently bought Dreamweaver and Power Archiver, from Adobe & Conexware. You've probably never heard of Conexware, but they've been around for 11 years and they make great archiving software.

For all the concerns about it - it's just never been a problem.

Justin_Bailey - I'm pretty sure the console side is also going Download Only, too. Slower, maybe, since they don't have the big indie scene that the PC side does. But all the next gen consoles are going to have download options for their software. It's only a matter of time before they start goign download only, too. Microsoft, Nintendo & Sony would be just as happy to cut out Gamestop & Best Buy as Valve & Blizzard are.

[Justin_Bailey]

Originally Posted by Merneith

Justin_Bailey - I'm pretty sure the console side is also going Download Only, too. Slower, maybe, since they don't have the big indie scene that the PC side does. But all the next gen consoles are going to have download options for their software. It's only a matter of time before they start goign download only, too. Microsoft, Nintendo & Sony would be just as happy to cut out Gamestop & Best Buy as Valve & Blizzard are.

Someday, I'm sure it will. But the state of bandwidth availability in the US in 2012 (or 2017 or 2022) means that we're still very far away from that future. Games are getting bigger and bigger and there's no way that 5 million copies of the next Call of Duty will be able to be downloaded in one day without grinding the entire Internet to a halt.

[Kinthalis]

Originally Posted by Justin_Bailey

Someday, I'm sure it will. But the state of bandwidth availability in the US in 2012 (or 2017 or 2022) means that we're still very far away from that future. Games are getting bigger and bigger and there's no way that 5 million copies of the next Call of Duty will be able to be downloaded in one day without grinding the entire Internet to a halt.

Hmm I missed this post. Which kind of goes back from your original assertion.

[TBG]

oh HELL nay

I'll stop gaming all together before I pay for download only games.

[SenorBeef]

The next gen of consoles will heavily promote digital downloads simply because the profit margins are so much better. PC digital distribution is making a killing - game publishers get back 70% of the amount of the sale compared to retail which can be more like 25%. And the flexibility of digital distribution to run sales that extract the maximum amount of money at all possible price points has been wildly successful. There's no way Sony/MS/etc doesn't try to cash in on that action.

The next gen of consoles will have much better support for digital distribution and maybe they can get their heads out of their ass too and realize what pricing model works best to really get people to switch. Plus it could eliminate the problem of used sales in a way that's less obnoxious than simply banning them - keep people happy with cheap game prices and they won't care that they can't go to gamestop and sell their games for 1/10th the original purchase price. I've got 500 games on steam, and I don't care in the slightest that I can't sell any of them - because I probably paid as much as it would've cost me to get 20 console games. I'd rather have the extra 480 games than the option to get a few bucks from gamestop.

[XT]

Steam. That's really the only way I like to buy games these days. I made a concession wrt Diablo III, but generally I buy everything with Steam now (I have even re-purchased games from companies like Stardock on Steam just for the convenience of the service).

I'm not worried in the least that Steam is going to go away and I'll be stuck without some game 20 years from now because I can't see Steam going belly up and no one taking on the user base...and, frankly, I don't see a large possibility of Steam going out of business in any case unless they monumentally screw up in the future. I just wish every game I love was part of the Steam Workshop (I'd love it if my Total War games and Sins of a Solar Empire, for instance, were part of Steam Workshop).

I don't see the reason behind the obsession with physical media anymore. I mean, do people think there will be a zombie apocalypse or nuclear war and they will be stuck in a bunker, unable to re-download their games and pining away in a Free Cell or Solitaire end of the world wasteland (drinking radiated water and having to shoot biker chicks in real life )??

-XT

[srzss05]

Originally Posted by XT

I don't see the reason behind the obsession with physical media anymore. I mean, do people think there will be a zombie apocalypse or nuclear war and they will be stuck in a bunker, unable to re-download their games and pining away in a Free Cell or Solitaire end of the world wasteland (drinking radiated water and having to shoot biker chicks in real life )??

Not as drastic as that, but I'm not so secure as to believe that my internet connection will always be available. And someone else upthread mentioned that some single player games need to be connected to the servers to play, and that is ridiculous (especially if I want to play on a laptop in my bedroom, that is beyond wifi router range). It is because I have such a shitty internet connection that I copy everything to a DVD so I don't have to re-download it again (and my DVDs don't get scratched as I know how to treat them properly).

[XT]

With the exception of Diablo III, I don't have any games that require I be connected to the internet simply because I'm doing a digital download. The only games I've ever had that had such a requirement were MMOs, and that's because there is no single player game...and now Diablo III because Blizzard so decreed. All my Steam games that aren't MMOs, however, have offline play mode that works just fine if my internet connection is down or the Steam servers are offline.

-XT

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by srzss05

Not as drastic as that, but I'm not so secure as to believe that my internet connection will always be available. And someone else upthread mentioned that some single player games need to be connected to the servers to play, and that is ridiculous (especially if I want to play on a laptop in my bedroom, that is beyond wifi router range). It is because I have such a shitty internet connection that I copy everything to a DVD so I don't have to re-download it again (and my DVDs don't get scratched as I know how to treat them properly).

This is my experience. I've had internet service interruptions that last as long as two weeks, and yes, even the games that SAY that they can be played offline really, really want an internet connection.

[XT]

Out of curiosity, which games? I've never had any issue playing, say, Sins or one of the Total War games I enjoy when my internet is down. Or Fallout 3/NV.

-XT

[Airk]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

This is my experience. I've had internet service interruptions that last as long as two weeks, and yes, even the games that SAY that they can be played offline really, really want an internet connection.

The irony is that it makes NO DIFFERENCE to new games whether you buy them as digital downloads or not. If the company wants it to require an internet connection (Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, etc) then it requires an internet connection, even if you have the box on your shelf and the disc in your drive.

People need to stop conflating "Downloaded game" with "internet required copy protection" because there's not really any correlation between the two.

Note: Steam allows you to play in offline, but I've heard about people having significant issues, including stupid crap like "You need to be online, then SET yourself to offline mode, and THEN you can play games offline" so it's not exactly as easy as Kinthalis would have you believe sometimes. Of course, I've had experiences where Steam didn't start up right for whatever reason and the games still worked, so...

[srzss05]

I have no problem if you don't have to connect to play, as long as I can backup the download to re-install later if I wish. But just because you don't have to connect now doesn't mean it won't happen in the future, especially if download only become the norm.

[XT]

Steam allows you to play in off-line mode, you can re-install any time (you'd need your internet connection for that), or you can back up your games by just imaging the right directory (that's what I do) so if you have to blow your system away you simply have to restore the image. You could also just copy the directory and then copy it back to the new system, but that's more a pain in the ass for me.

Like I said, a lot of the things folks are worried about in this thread Steam already has addressed. If it weren't for Diablo III, I'd NEVER buy another game any other way. It's the perfect system for me. I can uninstall games that I don't want to play anymore, but they are still listed (in gray) in my Library...and if I want to play them in the future I merely have to re-download them (if I haven't imaged them previously, or copied the directory they are in). I can play offline if my internet is down. And I can buy new games (on sale a lot of the time) any time of day or night and have them down on my system in an hour or over night while I sleep if it's a huge game.

-XT

[Lynn Bodoni]

I was trying to play Civ III and Civ IV the last time. I couldn't get either game to play. I think I tried to play Portal, as well.

I have to admit that I didn't spend an awful lot of time on trying to get them to play before I said "bugger all this for a game of soldiers" and fired up my trusty old PS2 and immersed myself in Chrono Trigger.

[Kinthalis]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

I was trying to play Civ III and Civ IV the last time. I couldn't get either game to play. I think I tried to play Portal, as well.

I have to admit that I didn't spend an awful lot of time on trying to get them to play before I said "bugger all this for a game of soldiers" and fired up my trusty old PS2 and immersed myself in Chrono Trigger.

Seriously?

Clicking "Portal" on your Steam game list is too difficult for you??

Did you dedicate all of a nano-second, literally, to running these games, because that's the only way you could have possibly failed.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by Kinthalis

Seriously?

Clicking "Portal" on your Steam game list is too difficult for you??

Did you dedicate all of a nano-second, literally, to running these games, because that's the only way you could have possibly failed.

I did click Portal (and the Civs) on my game list. Didn't run. None of them. Since I'm not too thrilled with DL games anyway, I'm not really going to devote a lot of time to them if I have another way of playing games, but I did try for several minutes before grumbling and going off to my beloved PS2.

[Kinthalis]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

I did click Portal (and the Civs) on my game list. Didn't run. None of them. Since I'm not too thrilled with DL games anyway, I'm not really going to devote a lot of time to them if I have another way of playing games, but I did try for several minutes before grumbling and going off to my beloved PS2.

Do you honestly believe games just not working is something, ANYTHING like the common experience for a PC gamer?

If programs aren't starting on my PC, I figure there's something wrong with my PC. I don't immediately assume it's the evil magic gods who hate me.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by Kinthalis

Do you honestly believe games just not working is something, ANYTHING like the common experience for a PC gamer?

If programs aren't starting on my PC, I figure there's something wrong with my PC. I don't immediately assume it's the evil magic gods who hate me.

If other programs are working on my PC, I assume that I'm having a problem with whatever program it is...and if the only way to fix the program is to go online, then I assume that I CAN'T fix it until my connection is restored. So I wander into the gun room and fire up the trusty old PS2 (which doesn't require an internet connection and which never, ever lets me down). Trying to fix the unfixable will make me even grumpier, but playing Chrono Trigger will make me happier. Which one is the rational choice?

[Airk]

Originally Posted by Kinthalis

Do you honestly believe games just not working is something, ANYTHING like the common experience for a PC gamer?

Actually, yes, or it would be a lot more successful than it is. PC Gaming has proven, time and time again throughout the decades, to have a higher failure rate than the average person who just wants to play some games is willing to put up with.

Dedicated gamers have no problems, because they are willing to put in the time to figure out what is "wrong" with their computer. They keep their display adapter drivers up to date.

I recently bought a game on Steam that simply wouldn't start. Some forum searching indicated that it did not play nicenice with ZoneAlarm, even though every other game I have, Steam or otherwise, does. So everytime I want to play, I have to open Process Explorer, kill the offending process, and then quickly start the game before Zonealarm notices the process is dead and starts it back up. All it takes is one of these sorts of events to make the average gamer throw up their hands and say "screw this".

[XT]

Don't have Portal, but I've played the newest Civ in offline mode. I've never had an issue. The only problem I've ever encountered is the wait for Steam to time out while searching for it's connection to their server. Once it DOES time out, you simply log in using the offline mode, then play a game (it will give you a popup saying that you will be playing offline or something to that effect).

The thing is, I think Airk is right...people are confusing games that require online security checks with download only. Obviously, if a game requires those checks then it requires them, whether the game is downloaded or you have the CD for it. If it doesn't require those checks then it doesn't matter whether you purchase it download only or you have it on DvD. To me, having the media is a waste. It just sits around, collecting dust and usually getting scratched so I need to buy a new copy or get a new DvD anyway at some point (can't say how often this has happened...lots though). As opposed to buying it on Steam, downloading it, playing it...and if something happens to the game, simply downloading it again when I need or want it. I've gone back and bought games I had years ago again on Steam simply to have the thing in my library in case I want to play it again (I recently bought Sins on Steam because they are offering it there now, and this when I had it from Stardock already, which was download, merely because it puts all my games where I can more easily get at them...well, that and the hope that Steam will set up a Steam Workshop for Sins at some point).

-XT

[srzss05]

Originally Posted by XT

The thing is, I think Airk is right...people are confusing games that require online security checks with download only. Obviously, if a game requires those checks then it requires them, whether the game is downloaded or you have the CD for it. If it doesn't require those checks then it doesn't matter whether you purchase it download only or you have it on DvD. To me, having the media is a waste. It just sits around, collecting dust and usually getting scratched so I need to buy a new copy or get a new DvD anyway at some point (can't say how often this has happened...lots though).

I agree that it is the ultimate in stupidity of having online verification for a purchased disc (I'm mainly looking at you, EA), and in that case there is no difference. However, for reasons I stated above concerning my internet connection, I'd still rather have a backup physical disc than have to re-download it. All my discs are stored in jewel cases on a shelf so scratching/losing them isn't a problem (and many of them don't even need the disc in the drive to play once they are installed). Download only games are fine, as long as I can copy them to a DVD and don't need to connect to the internet to play them.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Grandpa Bodoni was a low level mafioso. I don't think that he ever killed anyone, though I'm not sure. He DID smack one guy on the head with a hammer, but that was personal, not business. Other than that, I don't recall any notorious blood feuds in the family.

I have over four feet of Playstation/PS2 games on my shelf right now. I apparently wore out one of my FFVIII discs (not surprising when you consider that I abused Angelo Search so much), and had to buy another copy. And I bought a used copy of FFX-II that I had to get resurfaced. Other than that, I've never had a problem with getting a console game to play.

[Jophiel]

I'm not implying that I've had a LOT of trouble with PS discs. But I can think of at least three games I had issues with and only two games with PC problems (one of which is livable-with).

[srzss05]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

Other than that, I've never had a problem with getting a console game to play.

I'm assuming you didn't have one of the earliest PS(1) consoles. I went through 2 of them before I got one that didn't scratch every disc placed inside of it.

[Lynn Bodoni]

Originally Posted by srzss05

I'm assuming you didn't have one of the earliest PS(1) consoles. I went through 2 of them before I got one that didn't scratch every disc placed inside of it.

No, I didn't get a PS1 right when they first came out. I never get the first release of ANY new console or device...because the first releases generally still have a few bugs in them.

[Fake Tales of San Francisco]

Originally Posted by Lynn Bodoni

I have over four feet of Playstation/PS2 games on my shelf right now. I apparently wore out one of my FFVIII discs (not surprising when you consider that I abused Angelo Search so much), and had to buy another copy. And I bought a used copy of FFX-II that I had to get resurfaced. Other than that, I've never had a problem with getting a console game to play.

You're comparing modern PC gaming with console gaming from the 90's and early 2000's? The PS3 and the Xbox 360 is what you want to compare it with. My PC is a thousand times more stable than my Xbox 360, and my PS3. If a game is out on all formats, I will always choose the PC, because I know it will work.

Really it's a matter of education (fighting ignorance?) regarding how PC's work and how to maintain them. But, if you can't really be bothered with that, that's fine too. That's why consoles are there. They're great, and easy to use for the average gamer.

Have fun with your old games. But if you want a modern gaming experience, you'll want to upgrade I think.

As an aside, what's the internet like in the USA? From what I gather from this thread in some places it can be quite dodgy. Here in the UK I get 30mbps and unlimited downloads (it's the cheapest plan my ISP provides), which is why downloading 20GB games isn't really a problem. In fact, it's quicker than walking into town and back to physically buy the game!