Kyle Brady

Editor-in-Chief 

In the new digital age, the world of gaming has done a great job of adjusting and adhering to the new technological needs of the gaming community. The introduction to online multiplayer revolutionized the way games are played and led the industry into the next generation. The newest development of digital downloads allows users to purchase games on their console’s marketplace for instant downloading and play.

There are many different viewpoints about digital downloading and whether or not it should replace physical copies entirely.

For some players, digital downloads act as a new source of convenience for their gaming needs. Whether the nearest gaming store is miles away, or they have no means of transportation, digital downloads eliminate the travel aspect of gaming. This allows players to download from the comfort of their home while saving time by driving to purchase a physical copy.

Another positive facet of digital downloads is the immediacy of playing for people who have purchased it. Many games will offer a pre-order bonus of playing the game before the actual release date. Recently, the baseball game MLB: The Show 18 let players who pre-ordered the game a 4-day early access to get a head start.

Despite the benefits of convenience, there are some issues that still plague this recent development of gaming. Most notably, the download speed. Even if players can begin downloading their digital copy at midnight of the day the game is released, downloading from the marketplace can take significantly longer. Instead of being able to access the game’s files from a disc, the console must download the file from a marketplace that is being flooded with other players trying to download the same game. Those with weak or limited internet access, like a college dorm, can spend hours or even days waiting for their game to be ready to play.

There has been some input from fans who seem to not the trust the process of buying something that you cannot actually hold. If a problem with the game were to arise, many players think that not having the physical copy will allow for plausible deniability when dealing with companies like Sony and Microsoft. Even though a purchase online will be accredited to the user’s account, if anything serious were to go wrong with the system, some players feel like they will have spent the money and have no game to play.

Overall, the implementation of digital downloads has been met with praise and skepticism. Ultimately, it is up to the player to decide which method they prefer, but with technology improving every day, digital downloads may be the norm in video games.