Games Industry recently teamed up with Interactive Software Federation of Europe (ISFE) and market research firm Ipsos Mori to conduct a survey to ask gamers across France, Germany, Spain, and the UK why they prefer to buy physical games over digital downloads. 3,090 physical game buyers were surveyed across the aforementioned countries, out of which only 7 percent cited internet speed as an issue.
32 percent of the respondents simply want to own a physical collection, and 18 percent said that they buy boxed games due to in-store discounts. 17 percent of buyers prefer buying physically as it allows them to carry the game to a different location to play, or lend to friends and family.
Only 12 percent of the respondents want to be able to sell their games. Another 10 percent said that they prefer boxed games as digital downloads occupy a lot of space on their hard drives.
Games Industry notes that retailers in the region often cite credit/debit card requirement as one of the reasons consumers avoid online purchases. However, the survey finds that only three percent of those surveyed purchase games in store due to lack of credit/debit cards. Additionally, only four percent of respondents were apprehensive about putting their personal information online.
In July 2018, a report by Piper Jaffray Companies claimed that video game distribution will be 100 percent digital by 2022. However, surveys continue to show that gamers prefer boxed games over digital downloads.
Do you prefer physical games or digital downloads? Let us know your reasons.
[Source: Games Industry]
best ps4 games still to come
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A Tantalizing Preview of What's to Come
Shall we?
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Days Gone
We begin with Sony Bend’s long-in-development PS4 exclusive, Days Gone. If one was to whittle Bend's apocalyptic actioner down to an elevator pitch, it'd be a cross between The Last of Us and Sons of Anarchy.
But to compare Days Gone to its genre contemporaries would only be a disservice to the intense survival experience that Sony Bend has crafted. You take up the role of Deacon St. John, a former outlaw who spends his days chasing the nearest horizon. The only problem is, Days Gone takes place in a world ravaged by some mysterious pandemic, one which has brought humanity to its knees and crowned "Freakers" as Earth’s new apex predator.
They come in all shapes and sizes, too, and Sony Bend’s day-night cycles allow the world of Days Gone to groan and change as though it were our own. Oh, and just like Dying Light, those "Freakers" are said to be much more aggressive come nightfall, which ought to crank up the tension.
If nothing else, as Days Gone marks Sony Bend’s first console game since Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow, we’re more than willing to get behind the wheel as Deacon St. John.
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Death Stranding
Far and away the most mysterious PS4 exclusive on this list, Death Stranding is practically in a league of its own when it comes to intrigue and mind-bending concepts. But this being Kojima, we’re quietly confident that there’s method behind the madness, particularly after the game’s most recent trailer revealed Norman Reedus’ character to be Sam Bridges, a porter caught up in some multi-dimensional (?) universe of invisible kaiju, ghost babies and cetacean strandings.
Hell, after three trailers, Death Stranding continues to boggle the mind, but with top-tier talent on board—namely Reedus, Guillermo Del Toro, Mads Mikkelsen, Léa Seydoux, and Lindsay Wagner—and an autonomous Kojima behind the wheel, we're absolutely along for the ride.
Even if you're not particularly fond of the dev's track record, or Death Stranding is yet to tickle your fancy with its surreal imagery and otherworldly themes, Hideo Kojima's PS4 debut warrants your curiosity, if not your attention.
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Dreams
It's been a long time coming—too long, perhaps—but Media Molecule's Dreams, a PS4 exclusive that was initially shown to the masses back in 2013, appears to be taking shape.
Such is the mystery surrounding Dreams that it's become difficult to pinpoint exactly what kind of gameplay we can expect from what is undoubtedly Media Molecule's most ambitious title since LittleBigPlanet.
It is, in essence, an interactive sandbox in which players can, ahem, dream up all sorts of weird and wonderful experiences to share with family and friends. If that sounds a little overwhelming, you'll be pleased to hear that Dreams also includes a Story Mode, but again, firm details remain under lock and key.
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Erica
Cut from the same cloth as Her Story, Flavourworks' Erica is billed as an edge-of-your-seat thriller capable of blurring the line between game and interactive movie.
It's a PlayLink exclusive, too, meaning users will be able to call upon their friends and family to help solve the mystery at hand.
Still no word of a release date for this one, but based on the premise alone—that being a live-action thriller with top-tier production values—Erica is a PS4 title we'll be keeping an eye on.
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Ghost of Tsushima
Sucker Punch is a long way from the neon streets of Seattle.
The inFamous dev has journeyed to 1274, where it hopes to retell the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Early gameplay footage has wowed the masses, and the attention to detail on display here is quite simply stunning.
Rendering intense samurai fights is one thing, but setting those duels against a Japanese sunset, with blood-red foliage rustling overhead, was enough to bring audiences to their feet during E3 2018.
Make no mistake, Ghost of Tsushima, with its vast open world and historical roots, has all the makings of a special, special PS4 exclusive.
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MediEvil
Following in the footsteps of Spyro and Crash Bandicoot, Sir Daniel Fortesque is headed to PS4 in the form of MediEvil Remastered (tentative title).
First unveiled at PSX 2017, the re-release promises a full overhaul of the cult classic from '98, and while Sony is yet to commit to an actual release date, there have been rumblings that Sir Daniel will grace PS4 in time for his 20th anniversary. Let the countdown begin!
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The Last of Us Part II
The Big One. 'Nuff said.
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Honorary Mention: Spider-Man
The only reason Spider-Man has slipped into the "honorary mention" is that Insomniac's open-world adventure is right around the corner. And what an adventure it's shaping up to be.
