Poll: *The Official PlayStation 5 (PS5) Thread*

Which PS5 Version will you likely buy?

  • Digital Only Version

    Votes: 170 16.1%
  • UHD Optical Version

    Votes: 659 62.3%
  • Unlikely to buy either

    Votes: 228 21.6%

  • Total voters
    1,057
Soldato
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Don't forget that 20% is calculated for all digital sales including phones and micro-transactions. If we were just talking console games then the physical sale percentage is much higher. A year or so ago it was thought to be around 40% digital but I've a feeling it's quite a bit higher than that now. It's a pain - and to a certain extent some guesswork - because not all companies publish their digital sales data.
 
Soldato
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The US is the only place I can think of retail discs and digital download are the same price. The reason why digital downloads have such a huge up take there.

If everything wasn't based around the US dollar then digital downloads would be cheaper for us.
 
Soldato
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Don't forget that 20% is calculated for all digital sales including phones and micro-transactions. If we were just talking console games then the physical sale percentage is much higher. A year or so ago it was thought to be around 40% digital but I've a feeling it's quite a bit higher than that now. It's a pain - and to a certain extent some guesswork - because not all companies publish their digital sales data.

I said 20% is for disc based sales. The latest data shows digital consumption accounts for around 80% of game sales.
 
Associate
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I've seen this 80% digital figure bandied about and I'm not convinced it is usable when looking at console video games...... I'm pretty certain a huge percentage of those digital sales are either on mobile phones or micro transactions. I'd like to see some data for actual console games, as I am certain the majority are still physical disc...... Or at least the split is far more even.
 
Soldato
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Yes publishers are greedy but those who enjoy the convenience of digital have been getting over charged for a long time so it's normalised. But its precisely because of the revenue from this charging model that disc based media can be sold cheaper even though its marginally more expensive to produce and distribute. Also, more parties take a cut and therefore less profit to the publisher / developer overall. Its basically been a loss leader mechanic to prevent the bricks and mortar retailers going to the wall and the bad press and complaints that would undoubtedly create.

Disc based media is only around 20% of the sales revenue for games these days. So absolutely the reduced pricing and trade in mechanic is being propped up by higher than ever before digital purchases (and pricing).

In addition the 2nd hand market retailers bolster their own profits via the trade in processs to stay in business. Its a calculated gamble to price new releases lower than rrp. They know they will take their cut time and time again from the resale process but the pubs/devs get nothing.

Do you think publishers would allow this to persist if they were not making their money on digital sales?

Or do you think they would have physical games DRM'd up to the eyeballs and go the single use route to protect their interests?

By the way, I am not saying digital game prices are high because of the disc based game market. Exactly the opposite - the disc based games market is cheaper (ie subsidised) because of the vast revenues created by digital sales and the fact bricks and mortar resellers can take a 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc bite of the cherry so can take the hit on new releases.

This is mostly conjecture and doesn't represent the reality of the industry or the market. Physical sales aren't being "propped up" by digital ones, publishers have literally been paying retailers to stock their games and promote them for years. How do you think Game gets exclusive versions of games time and time again despite being viewed by many as a failing business? They promise to sell a certain number, to promote the game instore and online, feature it on adverts etc. If anything, physical copies are subsidised by the (often significant) marketing budget, not by people buying their games via download instead.

There's also the fact that a physical copy has an intrinsic value attached whereas a digital one doesn't. Suppliers and retailers don't want stock taking up space and becoming a liability so they get discounted. Sometimes that's publisher-supported, sometimes it's just down to the retailer themselves to take the hit.

The US is the only place I can think of retail discs and digital download are the same price. The reason why digital downloads have such a huge up take there.

If everything wasn't based around the US dollar then digital downloads would be cheaper for us.

Pricing is region-specific, the digital download prices are based on localised RRPs. It just so happens that in the UK in particular, we benefit from the relationship that publishers and retailers have that means they're able to sell games below the RRP quite often.
 
Soldato
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This is mostly conjecture and doesn't represent the reality of the industry or the market. Physical sales aren't being "propped up" by digital ones, publishers have literally been paying retailers to stock their games and promote them for years. How do you think Game gets exclusive versions of games time and time again despite being viewed by many as a failing business? They promise to sell a certain number, to promote the game instore and online, feature it on adverts etc. If anything, physical copies are subsidised by the (often significant) marketing budget, not by people buying their games via download instead.

There's also the fact that a physical copy has an intrinsic value attached whereas a digital one doesn't. Suppliers and retailers don't want stock taking up space and becoming a liability so they get discounted. Sometimes that's publisher-supported, sometimes it's just down to the retailer themselves to take the hit.



Pricing is region-specific, the digital download prices are based on localised RRPs. It just so happens that in the UK in particular, we benefit from the relationship that publishers and retailers have that means they're able to sell games below the RRP quite often.
Be interesting to see is USA physical copies are the same as digital, I would have thought most countries sell digital at a higher cost.
 
Soldato
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We can argue all day and night about physical versus digital, but the probable truth is, physical will be a thing of the past by the time PS6 comes around, online passes, sales, rentals, streaming, subscriptions etc will be the only way to play.
 
Soldato
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To be fair if goes that way I'll simply abandon consoles and stick to PC. Not a hard choice nor would anything really be lost. If the pricing was sensible then that would be another matter.
 
Caporegime
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I think it's more likely that all games would be included in a digital subscription service. So you have the platform - your Xbox/PS5 which is akin to your smart TV. Then whereas now you can choose to subscribe to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, Apple TV+, etc. you'll be able to choose to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass, PS Now, Uplay+, EA Access, Rockstar Social Club, etc.

That's how physical games will go away but the publishers don't price themselves out of the market either with exorbitant digital prices.
 
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Soldato
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Hopefully Sony will make enough for the demand this time around.

I will be looking to pre-order the disc drive version for my son for Christmas. Where do you think will be the best place to place the order?
 
Soldato
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To be fair if goes that way I'll simply abandon consoles and stick to PC. Not a hard choice nor would anything really be lost. If the pricing was sensible then that would be another matter.
So you'll ditch consols because they will eventually go digital yet PC has been digital for years now?
 
Pet Northerner
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So you'll ditch consols because they will eventually go digital yet PC has been digital for years now?
I imagine people are out off from digital only consoles due to the significant cost difference on digital pc to console.

However with the model going to a Netflix for games (as we see with game pass) it'll become less of an issue for some.
 
Soldato
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So you'll ditch consols because they will eventually go digital yet PC has been digital for years now?

You ignored the part about price. I've not paid a console digital price for PC ever. Think the most I ever spent was £25.

I can get a superior version of AC Oddysey for £18 on PC, it's currently £54.99 on ps store.
If PC prices were that ridiculous I'd probably just be using sites I used in my teens when I couldn't afford to buy them.
 
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Soldato
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That's what'll stop me from going digital only, just picking a random recent game - Jedi: fallen order - £27.49 on steam, £59.99 on PSN, physical disc £28 after a 30 second google search.

That's ridiculous. Digital should be cheaper than physical seeing as you can't sell it on!
 
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