2019-07-01_Official_Xbox_Magazine

Adam Yeah, this has happened a few
times where a game just ceases to
exist. I think if you look at other forms
of entertainment, such as films, the
commitment to keep them alive and
available is much better. I can pop into
a store and buy Metropolis – a film that
was made in 1927 – on Blu-ray and it’ll
play fine on today’s systems. You can’t
say the same support is out there for
old games.

Robert From my point of view, discs cut
down on download times. A day-one
patch of 30GB is pretty bad, but having
to download that on top of a 90GB
game file would do my nut in. Plus the
storage options on the console would
have to be addressed – you would
need a lot more hard drive space.

Robin It’s worth noting as well that not
everyone has good enough internet for
a console like this to work. If you live in
a rural area with poor service, or have
a plan that includes data caps, you’re
getting slowly excluded from gaming.

Chris So many games now are tied to
online content that all I’m doing half
the time is sticking a disc in so it can
read the licence. I’m fine with digital-
only, in fact it’s less effort to boot it up,
but having to buy terabytes of extra
hard drive space isn’t ideal.

Robin Yeah, for any misgivings I have, I
already do go digital for anything where
I have the option, and in terms of the
user experience, I prefer it to the old
days. The convenience factor is very
real. Not to mention the savings you
get in digital sales.

Chris If I were to play a lot of retro
games, proper old ones, I’d want them

on my phone, or a portable device with

a small screen, though that’s partly so

I can’t tell how badly they might have

aged! Digital files are surely better for

that than trying to find an old machine

that can still play my old discs,

cassettes, cartridges etc that might be

sitting getting dusty in my attic.

Adam Oh yeah, I don’t mean that we

need to keep the old formats as such.

I just want the assurance that a game

I play now can be played in 20 years’

time. I’m always going back to play

older games just out of nostalgia.

Drew It’s certainly a case of ‘when’

not ‘if’ when it comes to a digital-only

future. When we finally say goodbye

to physical media, it’ll be bittersweet

moment for old ’uns like us who

remember jamming a cartridge into a

SNES. That said, digital-only consoles

will be a hell of a lot more convenient.

I just don’t quite think we’re there yet

when it comes to online infrastructure,

so I’m clinging onto the old ways.

Robin One thing I will say about this

disc-less Xbox is: is there really

that much benefit? It doesn’t seem

significantly cheaper, and you

wouldn’t think the cost of an Xbox is in

its disc drive anyway. It seems like any

console might as well have a disc drive,

at least for now.

Chris Also, I use mine to play DVDs and

Blu-rays, so I’d miss that.

Robin It would also be the last nail

in the coffin for high street retailers

and second-hand shops. Without

the used game market, they will

either die or have to change into

something unrecognisable.

Drew It would be a lot more appetising

if the console launched with a more

extensive streaming service. Game

Pass is great but you’d want absolutely

everything on there.

Adam I would be fine with the concept

of an all-digital future provided that I

owned that digital copy and that it was

future-proof, but I just don’t see that

happening right now. Q

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HOT TOPIC INSIDER

“So many games

are tied to online

content that all

I’m doing half the

time is sticking a

disc in so it can

read the licence”

Chris Burke

Editor

Chris is all for the

convenience factor

of a digital-only Xbox.

OXM

PANEL

Rob Crossland

Art Editor

Big downloads has

put Rob off digital

games for now.

Robin Valentine

Contributor

Robin enjoys that he

can find a good deal

on digital stores.

Adam Bryant

Staff Writer

Our resident writer is

concerned about the

legacy of games.

Drew Sleep

Production Editor

Drew still likes gazing

upon his empire of

game boxes.

“No. I use my Xbox One

as my Blu-ray player. I

like to own physical

copies of my games in

order to display them.”

Sarah Langer

“With companies like

Steam and services like

Game Pass, the

physical game is a

dying medium.”

David Hodge

“No. I need the discs. In

the event of an internet

failure ,the discs will still

be playable offline.”

Allison C Dugas

“It’s a good idea, but at

£199, and more

expensive than a

standard Xbox One S, I

don’t see the point.”

Merlin Williams

“It’s not a viable choice

in my area. Internet

availability is spotty at

best on the eastern

shore of Virginia.”

Jeremy Patterson

“It’s a cool concept, but

I like to have the option

for both digital and

physical copies.

Sam Papalia

Agree with the above? Have

your own ideas? Tell us at

facebook.com/oxmuk

HOT TOPIC

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