It's all in the topic. I'm normally all digital, but I have a hard time stomaching $100 for a 32gb card. What's everyone else doing?

Never digital ........ well, unless it is ridiculously cheap. I hate digital. I want a retail copy for my library and something I actually own and can sell later if I choose.

physical..why? because is cheaper. The retailers can't keep the price up for too long and will eventually have sales and drop the prices, while Sony..... will take their sweet time before they slash the prices...

ex: playstation network games $40

Amazon $20

I'm not getting a Vita until the price for digital storage (memory cards) drops by about half. I've realized that the most prohibitive thing about handheld consoles for me has been lugging around some sort of pouch/pack full of my game cartridges or discs. I'm really exited at the prospect of having a Vita with a big memory card and being able to carry around all my games within the system itself.

So yeah, digital all the way.

Physical because I prefer actually owning my games

Digital, because I've run out of shelf space.

Digital because I want to buy games without any form of human contact. Now I don't even need to say hi to a courier!

i'd prefer digital as i can't loose a digital copy and its always with me. but i do think if you buy a physical copy you should get a digital copy as well, you may do, i dont know.

Likely physical for quite a lot of mine. To start with I only have the 8GB memory card so I don't want to run out of space. Secondly, I'm not prepared to pay £30-35 for most of the launch titles. It's unlikely that PSN will offer good discounts on these games, whereas highstreet shops and online retailers will be trying to get rid of games like Ridge Racer, Hot Shots Golf etc. in about 3-4weeks after launch I expect 50% price drops. So that's one of the main reasons I'll have a lot of games physically.

@theimmortalbum: If it's a game that I know I want to play everywhere I go, I'm gonna go digital.

It just so happens I have a specific strategy regarding this. I'm going digital for a select few games that I want to be available all the time, and so far just Lumines will be joining Tactics Ogre and Persona 1 on my 16GB card. I have Hot Shots Golf and Wipeout 2048 on the way from Amazon because they were cheap, and that's probably how I'll pick up more in the future

@Quemador: it's similar to the xbox Games on Demand. Physical games are almost always cheaper than the digital versions.

Initially the digital releases on the PSV will be cheaper, but I would still rather shell out the extra, what, four bucks for a physical game? Why not

@Quemador said:

physical..why? because is cheaper. The retailers can't keep the price up for too long and will eventually have sales and drop the prices, while Sony..... will take their sweet time before they slash the prices...

ex: playstation network games $40

Amazon $20

Actually, some Vita games are available for five dollars less on PSN. Uncharted Golden Abyss is a good example.

OP: Yeah. OK, I've had a CFW-enabled PSP for a while now, and I only have a UMD in there for the hell of it. With a CFW-enabled PSP, it is possible to rip all of the UMD's you own to your computer and put them on the memory card, which is what I do. Being able to pick from several different games on the go without having to lug them around or change them at all is one of the nicest things in the world. So, yes, I will be buying digital most of the time when I get a Vita. I will probably have at least one physical game, though, probably Uncharted because it's one of the largest, or something I plan on playing a whole lot. If I was willing to pay a little bit extra for the Xbox Live Games on Demand copies so that I won't have to keep up with discs and cases, then you can bet your bottom dollar that I will go digital as often as I can.

Note that I won't be going digital if there is more than $5 difference.

Also,

@isomeri said:

I'm not getting a Vita until the price for digital storage (memory cards) drops by about half. I've realized that the most prohibitive thing about handheld consoles for me has been lugging around some sort of pouch/pack full of my game cartridges or discs. I'm really exited at the prospect of having a Vita with a big memory card and being able to carry around all my games within the system itself.

So yeah, digital all the way.

I'm betting that Sandisk will have a cheaper alternative quite soon, or that Amazon will be selling those memory cards with $20 or more knocked off. I'll pay $60 or 70 for a 32 gigger, but not $100 unless one of those doesn't happen.

I'll probably do a mix. of digital and physical

I will probably do 50/50, I want Lumines and Hot Shots Golf digital because those are games I'll always come back to. While I'll get a game like Rayman physical when the price have droped a bit

Since I can't imagine companies discounting games ala Steam, I say physical. There's always gonna be a way to get games on the cheap.

@theimmortalbum: If it's a game that I know I want to play everywhere I go, I'm gonna go digital.

Persona 4. 

@Quemador said:

physical..why? because is cheaper. The retailers can't keep the price up for too long and will eventually have sales and drop the prices, while Sony..... will take their sweet time before they slash the prices...

ex: playstation network games $40

Amazon $20

Actually, some Vita games are available for five dollars less on PSN. Uncharted Golden Abyss is a good example.

OP: Yeah. OK, I've had a CFW-enabled PSP for a while now, and I only have a UMD in there for the hell of it. With a CFW-enabled PSP, it is possible to rip all of the UMD's you own to your computer and put them on the memory card, which is what I do. Being able to pick from several different games on the go without having to lug them around or change them at all is one of the nicest things in the world. So, yes, I will be buying digital most of the time when I get a Vita. I will probably have at least one physical game, though, probably Uncharted because it's one of the largest, or something I plan on playing a whole lot. If I was willing to pay a little bit extra for the Xbox Live Games on Demand copies so that I won't have to keep up with discs and cases, then you can bet your bottom dollar that I will go digital as often as I can.

Note that I won't be going digital if there is more than $5 difference.

Also,

@isomeri said:

I'm not getting a Vita until the price for digital storage (memory cards) drops by about half. I've realized that the most prohibitive thing about handheld consoles for me has been lugging around some sort of pouch/pack full of my game cartridges or discs. I'm really exited at the prospect of having a Vita with a big memory card and being able to carry around all my games within the system itself.

So yeah, digital all the way.

I'm betting that Sandisk will have a cheaper alternative quite soon, or that Amazon will be selling those memory cards with $20 or more knocked off. I'll pay $60 or 70 for a 32 gigger, but not $100 unless one of those doesn't happen.

Digital, without a doubt, for several reasons.

1) It's cheaper, it's a small difference, but it's there

2) Not every game I want to play comes out in my region, or sometimes I want to play a certain game in a certain language. Digital makes that a LOT easier than paying shipping to import a game.

3) Re-downloads. I move a lot, it's part of the job. Having to worry about a physical copy that I could lose during a movie (especially when the carts are so tiny) are problematic. With digital downloads, I can always delete and re-download a product later.

Really a no brainer, digital is just superior in every way, unless you have huge amounts of space and are a habitual collector that likes cases. Having long since converted all my music, movies, tv shows, and books to purely digital, it makes sense for my games to be the same way.

Physical, I dont trust Sony around credit cards anymore.

I really only buy digital if it's the only way to own something (Super Meat Boy, for example) or if it's a super-cheap sale on Steam. I just prefer owning physical stuff for collecting purposes, plus a fair bit of skepticism regarding the question of ownership when it comes to digital media (a la Steam).

For me it'll probably come down to the size of the game. Big games like Uncharted, I'll get on a physical copy, but smaller games I'll probably put on the memory card. However, if I can get a physical copy of a game far cheaper than the digital version then I'll go for the cheaper one no matter how small it is.

i prefer physical because you can always resell it in the future. As for digital it takes up too much space and you can fill your hard drive easily, which forces you to delete other games that you already spent money on.

Digital because why would I ever leave the house unless I have to?

Both. There are games I always want on me, like Lumines, and there are games I would like to have a box for display purposes, like Uncharted.

Asked me this a few years ago I would have said digital. Now I need to ration my money more, so ill be doing a mix of physical and digital. Games I buy digital will be games that have huge replay value for me that I wont want to sell. Physical games will be the ones that ill get rid of either when im done playing them or when the sequel comes out.

For example no launch game I want digital, although Touch My Katamari is close. If any of those games get sequels ill never return to the originals, or only have one play thru on them (like Uncharted). A good multiplayer game may be tempting on digital purchase, but I need that trade in option right now.

Digital. It's more efficient that way (don't need to carry boxes or cards around with me) and it's cheaper (no taxes on PSN + discount makes for cheaper than retail).

Physical. I just like the stuff in my collection; every game I own has a box, manual, and isn't greatest hits. I'm a bit anal about this kind of stuff.

I like to stay somewhat light and mobile, so it's all digital for me. I don't want to be lugging around a shitload of game cases and what not every time I move or something.

Soooo much misconception. Digital is NOT always cheaper. On just about every vita game, its actually more expensive. First, you have to have the hilariously overpriced proprietary cards. Oh I want to put music or a movie on my card, but it doesn't work on any multi-device readers. I'd have to always plug it up to the pc, and the vita is a pretty large machine, bigger than the psp for sure. Then on some games, you'll save a few dollars. On most, you don't save anything. BUT as soon as a game has been out for a few weeks, it'll be cheaper on amazon used than whats on the network, guaranteed.

Unless you are importing the system, can't get mail to your house, or if the game is more than half the price of it physically? You are giving your money away for NO good reason. Sure, if the system used sd/minisd/memory stick duo cards, and actually changed the prices of games daily, then there is no problem. But looking at xbla, and both the ps3/psp networks, that just doesn't happen. The vita network will be no steam, with its sales and whatnot. THAT is guaranteed.

When its more expensive, if your account got locked or if psn is down *which is fairly often these days* and can't redownload a game- then WHY would you buy a vita game digitally? If its a digital only game, sure. Otherwise...

Digital is the future , so I'm sticking with the future . I do enjoy owning a physical copy of a game , though .

I usually go digital. Only the prices in the swiss PS store are insane.

Dude those little boxes are awesome.

I like physical for consoles and digital for my PC. I hate swapping DVD's in my computer, so I have avoided that for years now. I don't mind changing discs on consoles for some reason. Plus, it's also pretty easy to buy used console games and then sell them if they're not ornamental enough. So, for the Vita, I'll probably stick with physical games unless they are dirt cheap for digital (we're talking $5).

A $100 proprietary memory card fits like 7 retail games. Unless they take the prices down to normal levels there is no point at all in buying a $100 card to fit 7 games on when you could get the 7 games used for $100.

@msavo: Uncharted is over 4 GB. I presumed that would be the standard for proper retail games.

I like physical copies buuuuuuuuuut...
 
having all my library available on the system itself sounds like a good idea too.

If its on launch Most properly digital, but either way doesn't really matter too much. If the price fell in line with retailers which it never will with digital(although the steam sales help with that massively on the Pc as least even with new games), id want to get it all digital, id much rather just have games installed or on the PSN whenever i feel like i wanna re install something, since i don't care about having games i don't play installed for no reason the memory card thing isn't really an issue much.

Plus i'm not someone to trade in and sell games although that's more due to me not having money issues and obviously many peoples circumstances are different. If it's a game that i missed out on though months down the line then i'd get it in a box to save the money unless im on some weird boredom impulse mood.

Can't have sex with a digital copy. Love (& this argument) is over.

For me it will be a bit of both, i still prefer a hard copy but i like the ease of use and travel with digital ones. The problems being the memory cards are a bit high in price so i won't be loading much digital games on the vita. But like my psp i will have a few digital buys and a good amount of hard copies.

@014 said:

I like physical for consoles and digital for my PC. I hate swapping DVD's in my computer, so I have avoided that for years now. I don't mind changing discs on consoles for some reason. Plus, it's also pretty easy to buy used console games and then sell them if they're not ornamental enough. So, for the Vita, I'll probably stick with physical games unless they are dirt cheap for digital (we're talking $5).

I have to go back on this because of new knowledge I got today. I knew you could store games on the PS3 and they didn't all have to fit on your Vita memory card, but I didn't know you could also store them on your computer. That makes space almost unlimited and changes the game for me. I may get some digital games after all.

Digital for games that I will play over and over and want easy, no-cart-swap access to. Physical for something I will only play through once or might want to sell. That simple.

I'll probably do a mix of the two, since I like the convenience of carrying multiple games on one system, though this will be the system that finally breaks me of my "physical media only" mindset. As dumb as it sounds, not having anything in those boxes besides the game makes it easier for me to go digital. I still like to buy CD's because of the liner notes, if that explains anything.

Edit: I'll probably be buying larger games physically though.

Digital.  It makes the most sense for a portable system.  However, I do admit that I find it a little soul-crushing that I'm already down to about 23GB of space left on my $100 32GB card.  Of course I can store stuff on my PS3 or PC, but I shouldn't have to do that for a long time after having spent a hundred bones on storage space.

Physical for precisely the same reason why I buy a DVD over Netflix. I want to own the thing, to have it in my hand so that it's mine forever.