The Daily Grind: Do you still rely on DVDs or direct download for your MMO fix?

DVD especially not all of us has the same bandwidth in downloading games. Just look at the size AoC has. So huge it would take days to download it running only on 1mb connection.

While I do tend to favor direct download as a rule, I will always go for the format which has the least annoying DRM scheme (when applicable).

The one reason I had to buy a physical copy - to get collector's editions - is pretty much a non-reason now since the age of truly awesome CEs has passed us by (with the notable recent exception of Fallout 3 - wish more companies would put effort like that into their CEs!).

I'm more of a download person, it's just easier, and I have a tendency to misplace my disc's. I know where the boxes are, just not the disc's.

But for some games, mostly CE's, I do like the boxes and the extra's in there. Just give the option that once you register you can download if you can't find your box (like WoW and a few others do).

BUT, what annoys the hell out of me, is that there are many games that cost the same box or download. I'm sorry, but downloaded games should cost less. No materials, no shipping, no stores, more profit, give us gamers a damn break and cut those prices on digital downloads. It's bullshit that they'd cost the same.

I prefer direct download. It's just much more convenient, especially when there is an option to pre-download. I love that.

My only gripe is that sometimes the downloadable client is several patches behind, requiring lenghty patching after a lengthy download. I don't understand that. Keep it up to date. It can't be that hard.

I always buy my dvd as I love to see my box for the same reasons others had already posted.

When I originally bought LOTRO I bought the box but then downloaded the client. When their expansion came out they actually offered the direct download version for *cheaper*, which I thought was awesome so I did that. They have a good downloading service too, with very fast transfer speeds for the big files.

I too also had the pre-order problems with WAR, so in the future I will be looking for direct download solutions more often for MMOs, especially after release when you avoid a lot of the patching from the DVD release version.. I still would rather buy physical copies of other games though.

Either/Or. If I am impatient or lazy I'll go for DD. Otherwise, it's nice to have DVDs sometimes.

My obsessive compulsive nature doesn't allow me to purchase practically anything unless it's on physical media. Some notable exceptions with Steam, but for the most part I still own about 75% of those games in physical form as well. Always purchase boxed copies of MMOs, and almost always the collectors editions. Especially with Warcraft, I even go so far as to make duplicates of the game dvds so I don't need to open the boxes again. I have a relatively fast internet connection but my time could be spent on so many better things than redownloading something I already own in disc form. That's a pet peeve of mine, downloading something I could have retrieved from a physical disc in a shorter period of time.

But again, that's just me. I also have absolutely no problem keeping track of all my game discs and keeping them in immaculate condition no matter how old they are. Even with my old original Baldur's Gate discs, you'd swear they were brand new if you saw them, and I used them a LOT.

If anything, I'm more inclined to settle on digital distribution on smaller, older, non online titles than MMOs.

DD (go Uverse!) unless there are in box extras that don't suck. I personally don't care if they provide discounts for a non-box version. Why? Packaging and shipping costs about $0.08 per unit. Bitching about that is seriously pathetic, guys.

Digital download if possible, but the distributors really need to give some sort of discount over the retail versions. If the price is the same i'd much rather have the DVD version to put onto my shelf.

I like having a physical copy of the game. Plus, I'm in an apartment complex and locked into a terrible internet provider. It takes hours and hours and hours to download a full game. Very annoying.

Totally depends on the service. For example, if I was buying the (upcoming) Aion, and didn't have the game already pre-ordered and downloaded for the beta's and the subsequent head start, I wouldn't want to wait a few hours (it took around 3 hours to download 7GB at 800kb/s) and that speed is never guaranteed, where as, I could spend 30 minutes to head across the street and buy the game, install it and be online granted some times you need to download the patch as well. Again, the final answer depends on the service, the game, and how early you want to get in the game.

I bought COH via direct download and I was completely happy with the service. I realized that once you do this enough you don't miss the box art or whatever physical aspect of your purchase because the instant gratification of buying via direct download.

However I do wish direct download services gave consumers some freebies like T-shirt or Poster of the game you purchased. It would go a long way in satisfying those who need something tangible.

For MMOs I'd rather download it since there is no resell value when I would want to sell it. Other games I want an physical disc so I can sell it when I am done with it.