Unlimited re downloads vs buying the physical copy

[MrsWargamer]

Just pondering here, but, now that we have the extremely generous pleasure of being able to re download our purchased digital downloads, I was wondering, if there was any genuine point to purchasing the physical copy?

I ask, as really, all you get out of a physical copy is a shiny disk (which can get scratched) and a box.

Being able to redownload a digital download basically means Slitherine gets to store my back ups when you think of it.

As it takes only a short span to download, the speed issue is hardly entirely relevant to a point.

[pipfromslitherine]

I think some people just enjoy a pretty printed box, sometimes a manual, seeing it on the shelf, that kind of thing.

Some may just like the heft of a box in their hands. Some may murmur "my precious" on occasion. But we don't judge.



Cheers

Pip

[Amaranthus]

With an iPad or similar e-reader that can handle colour PDFs, the physical manual concern is no longer a worry. DD is definitely the way to go for most titles, especially ones like war games that don't require a blu-ray full of dat files for graphics.

[Zephyr40k]

The 'unlimited downloads' option for electronic product purchases is an excellent idea, and is in line with the rest of the industry, from RPG Drive Through to Amazon's Kindle Direct. The only company that doesn't do that is Mongoose Games, the outfit that makes the "Force on Force" and "Ambush Alley" games. They have a policy of giving you 30 days to download your product, and once the 30 days expires, that's it, too bad. I've had discussions with them on their forums about how this 'caveat emptor' policy only serves to alienate their fanbase, but they are set in their ways.