Topic: Do you prefer owning a physical copy or a digital download?

Physical for me. The whole experience of a game starts when you open the case for the first time. Taking of the plastic wrapping on a new game, the factory smell as you open the case, looking at the disk artwork and the instruction manual are things you lose with downloads. With a download you have don't get the same anticipation. You are just bored waiting for a game to download.

@Stevie: That's also a disadvantage of the Wii. If you break it, you can't get anything back.

Physical Copy, but I really don't mind.

Neither.

Theirs something nice about putting it on the shelf like a trophy... but... it's also nice about not haveing to leave my couch to get the game.

Does anyone else here SMELL their cases?

I smell my cases.

....they should make an air freshener called "New Game"

I smell em to, theirs nothing like it.

If you drop your WiiWare games on the ground and they break, Nintendo won't replace them.

....okay.

I prefer full retail games to be of a physical format. Video games is my biggest hobby and I like it to be shown. I do like my WiiWare and VC downloads the way they are. I think there is a place for both. I just think eventually that downloading will become the normal way to get games sometime in the future. I am just not sure when.

I used to really like getting a new SNES/N64 game in a nice tangible box, but since those days it doesn't matter if it's disc case or download for me.

I am kinda annoyed at the way some people are answering this. The question was "do you prefer physical or digital?" not "do you like emulation?" so I don't think "you can't play them with the intended controller" or "some games are hard to emulate" are issues..... sorry about that, it was just annoying the hell out of me.

nywho, I like to be able to own a physical copy but I also think that digital distribution has its own merits. There are virtually no distribution costs, games don't get discontinued (ideally), it can't be "sold out", it can be patched post-release and you don't have to go down to the shops or wait for shipping to get it. On the other hand there isn't as much freedom with digital copies. You can't take it to your friends house, you can't sell it when you are done with it etc...

Its not that digital distribution is inherently "less free" its just that the people at the top are scared of piracy. So they impose these superficial barriers that the legit user won't jump but the pirate will step over and laugh at. If they killed the barrier less people would feel the need to cross it.

...It wasn't very funny, was it?

considering I can't play any of my VC games with the intended controller, i think you're kinda out of line with that part of your comment. I know you can buy adapters now, but they're not official Nintendo products and I can see why people would be wary of using them. it's definitely an issue for N64 games in particular, because that c-stick just doesn't cut it compared to the actual buttons on the N64 controller... it would certainly make me reconsider replacing my N64 library should the VC progress to that point later on down the line. in this case, the physical copy may in fact trump the digital one.

Both are good in a way, I collect Sega Saturn as it has some great specific games / ports that are very unlikely to be properly emulated at any point. I also have a 60Hz Megadrive as the VC is worthless due to 50Hz ports. For SNES, PC Engine and Sega Arcades the VC download service is great as I can play Golden Axe arcade...
These aspects do matter as they directly affect how you play the game.
Its mainly a question of availability for me therefore, but I'm predominately a retro gamer.

A phisical game just feels right, but downloading is the future. With the PSP Go being the first system to only offer games you download, it seems that the times are changing.

I think the PSP Go is still too early though. But in 10 years we'll probably do not see many shelf games anymore if at all.

And then I'm not even speaking about movies, music, books etc.

Physical, it always feels great when I get to add a new game to my games shelves.

I'm cool with downloads, but I'm happy with disc as well. I have no strong feelings about it, though I would hope that if Nintendo continues they won't be so cheeky as to require people to buy a new license for an old game twice!

Can't say I really prefer one to the other to be honest, they have their pros and cons, disks can get scratched, carts battery saves eventually run out and downloads can't be traded or refunded.