New Poll: RA3 Uprising's Digital Download Debate

[Sonic 295]

One the of biggest subjects in the C&C Community right now is fact that Red Alert 3 Uprising is only going to be released as a "Digital Download" next month. And at this time there is no indication from EA if there are plans for a retail release. So with that in mind, I've come up with the very simple subject for our new poll. Red Alert 3: Uprising should be released as....., embrace the future and get the download version or stick with the traditional ways and hope EA release a retail boxed version. If your reading this news on the main page just look to your right and vote in the poll box, if your reading this via the forums click here to cast your vote. And, as always, don't forget to share any feedback or comments about this poll as well.

 

Now to the results of our previous poll, What is your favourite RA3 Uprising Unit announced so far?. With 30% of the vote, everyone is glad to see the Desolator return, closing followed by the new and very unique Giga Fortress. The full results of this poll can be found right here.

[recover 2]

Well... I think digital downloads are the future. But at the same time I have heard very bad things about EA's digital downloads, so I don't think they are doing it right.

[Malevolence 6]

Damnit, why ain't there an option called "BOTH Digital Downloads and Retails".

 

I don't know how to choose.

 

Being a 'bitch' and a traditional gamer, I am sticking Retails DVD option for now. Digital downloads are too new for a traditional guy like me. Besides, digital downloads makes me choose the "get it free" option than "download and show me your credit card number, bitch".

 

There, you have my answer.

[PurpleGaga27 40]

The only thing I fear of digital downloads is through Steam. I hope there's no Securom for Uprising when it's purchased through either Steam or EA's servers.

[Nmenth 291]

Well... I think digital downloads are the future. But at the same time I have heard very bad things about EA's digital downloads, so I don't think they are doing it right.

This is pretty much my thinking. I have no arguments against digital downloads becoming significant in the future, but I don't trust EA not to screw me over at this point in time. I want my Uprising on disk. I'll pay extra for it if necessary, money really doesn't concern me, not having insurance I can still install the game ten years from now does.

[Johnnyxp64 20]

i prefer digital downloads BUT not all the world has DSL+ lines and especially the EA download servers havent prove to be the most reliable one!

 

but the most important is for those guys not having fast wan lines, all those people will eventually turn to Piracy one way or an other!

 

i understand that a physical Copy is more Costly and in our days EA trys to cut from where ever is posible, but digital download is not the only solution, if they dont want to produce masses of physical copies then lets just mail to all the world physical copies them selfs ....but again i think thisis not gone work.

 

they need to lower the publishing costs and make physical copies too.

 

Earth isnot 100% not even 50% ready for just digital downloads!

Edited February 22, 2009 by Johnnyxp64

[Luk3us 63]

I don't think its that big of a deal really. DLC is the newest craze, the reason they do it, is of course to make money, but they save a **** load by not bothering with physical production, shipping and the like. Lots of other games have done it and they're been successful. So I don't think this will be a bad move by EA.

 

The teens/kids argument is mute anyway, as they get their cash from their parents anyway. So its not a epic leap to get them to buy it online. Besides everything is going digital these days anyway, so no point living in the past.

 

i prefer digital downloads BUT not all the world has DSL+ lines and especially the EA download servers havent prove to be the most reliable one!

 

but the most important is for those guys not having fast wan lines, all those people will eventually turn to Piracy one way or an other!

 

I don't know about where you live, but here, its like impossible to find "pirated" games/dvds in shops or any public like places, sure you might get stuff from friends and maybe the odd dodgy bastard, but eh. Besides that becomes a criminal offence then, which people are less likely to get involved with..

 

Remember its not illegal if you do it online. hahahahhhaa Most people would do piracy online as opposed to on the streets if you know what I mean.

[ghost_zero 0]

Actually, I think EA should have sticked with normal Addon(s) to begin with than such small "packages" that only together give a whole Addon but somehow I have the feeling that even all together won't be as good (quality like) than a full Addon. Furthermore, I also fear that if you buy all seperate parts it will be more expensive than one good Addon.

 

And for a normal AddOn I would have definitely prefered a DVD-Version (especially because you get a normal manual and so included) but for such short things like Uprising should become (according to EA) I think a DVD release would be unnecessary but as said I think in general it should have become a normal Addon.

[Gben 20]

I've not bought a game via download yet, but I agree with Luk3us that the market is not ready for download only releases for such major content.

One-off, or bonus items through a micro-transactions would be fine however IMHO.

 

I think if EA passed on the cost-savings of digital downloads, then the argument would be a moot point. If Uprising was available at retail for AUD$50 but by digital download for AUD$40, I think the heat of the argument goes away. Sure the traditionalists like myself, would continue to lean towards a retail copy as a personal preference for shelf-filler and glorious tactile experience... but cheaper digital downloads would become more and more tempting through sheer economics.

 

My lack of experience with digital downloads means I can't quite understand all the concerns: with the ability to back up installation files on removable media; and the assumption that back-end support for the game would be the same for retail/digital downloads. If the authentication server (for re-installation) is now the main issue, surely this could be resolved by the company involved to release a final patch to disable/remove this protection and convert the game to abandonware.... and because they won't remove that protect, then the support would continue.

 

I'm not concern by a download purchase, but I would still prefer a retail box version.

 

[BioBen 3]

You should cross out 'to' as well.

[spark 0]

I definitely prefer a retail DVD for collection purposes and also because my download speed is not high enough.

 

Not owning a physical copy feels weird... Paying for online download seems like I am paying for something similar to non-existant.

[rEdaSbLood 1]

a hard copy is more reliable. and if EA goes under what happens to the digital copies?

[BioBen 3]

Plus you have to take into account paying for 6Gb+ of internet use.

[Johnnyxp64 20]

Digital Downloads / Physical +/- (imo always)

 

Digital Downloads

+Can not be damaged, scratched, broke, always readable not depenting on medial locks.

+Can be downloaded as times as you wish from anywhere in the planet as long you have a fast internet connection

+After Patching the latest download will always be Patch Ready, like windows with servick packs preinstalled, that will save time from patching.(Starcraft Did that)

+Can be Copied to a physical Dvd-ROM and printed. make a retails box be your self for it, or carried to a memmory stick and move it to a friend.(gives personal uniqe feeling to your copy)

+No need for laser locks that cause usually problems

+Faster Installation Times from HD or MS, dvd-roms are very slow compaired to a HD or MS.

+No irreversible print mistakes (like the serial number issue with red alert 3) nothing that cant be fixed online!

+cost affective for the producer and the buyer

 

-Need a fast Connection to download

-Manual and any retail Box arts are need to be printed by user (if he wants)

-Less "imotional" for collectors

-Need Electron "Cash" a credit card and to submit/risk those private/sensitive data

 

Physical DVD

+"Feels" more real existable and especially for Collections (i keep digital downloads of all my games and there boxes are in a selve)

+No Need for Internet Connection to install

+High Quality Manual and Box Prints

+Doesnt Take up extra space in a HD

+gives more jobs to people outside the computer world, to factories that produce those boxes (but usually robots are making them and somewhere in China, so money are living US for no reason)

+No need for Credit Cards or posting any sensitive data, any one from a kid to an udult with few cash can buy it in a local store, so more salles eventually for Publisher.

 

-Need Internet Connection no matter what for patches in order to keep the game 100% playable after every game installation

-can be damaged specially if used a lot

-slow installation times from optical drive

-different laser locks cause compatibility problems

-takes physical space in a room

-print problems are irreversible and cause users panic

-cost a lot more Time and money to Produce for Publisher and the End User Cost is affective

 

 

 

help me keep the list updated

Edited February 23, 2009 by Johnnyxp64

[Silverthorn 0]

I agree with BioBen, it's pretty obvious that people can't just offer digital download like that. EA thought it's a good idea, but let's top it up from our wallets first.

 

Payment to get download of Uprising + Bandwidth to pay to ISP + Time of download + Possible time of re-download if the download breaks = EPIC NO GOOD!

 

And besides, this outcry will spawn trouble even more and could be the next Spore, all the pirates will do is then torrent & torrent & torrent. EA, what could you say of this for yourself now? A DVD retail is always much better, you'll have more sales anyways, in that way, nobody would unnecessarily paid for wasting their bandwidth over a large GIGA size download of Uprising.

 

EDIT : Well Lukus (Even if you're not asking me, but just to let you know), I live in Malaysia, so my bandwidth is COMPLETELY FREE (Just to pay the monthly bill, which is only less than RM100 for a basic connection, all my ISP's cost count is speed, bandwidth not counted, so it's infinite)! But unfortunately, Malaysian ringgits are still considered too high to buy Uprising, no matter if it's DVD or online download. So I'm sure some of my C&C friends may turn to pirated (RM10 per DVD) or torrented copies anyways (Free).

 

And good points, Johnny. After all, nothing is perfect, that's why I create backup copies of my original DVD games, you may never know your only original DVD suddenly have the infamous CRC effect (Damaged internally even though you can't physically see any external damages), and then what now? Pirated copy to avoid buying a new copy for no good reason. So it's best to backup just to be safe than sorry.

Edited February 23, 2009 by Silverthorn

[Banshee 28]

There is nothing for collectors at all in a digital download. If there is, it is leaked in the same day. If it comes with a poster, you have to print it. I wouldn't take my time printing it or I wouldn't take it into any place to print it as a decent poster.

 

Also, my connection gets very unstable sometimes because it relies on my phone line and I live in a very crouded place where there is no phone line company that spends a decent amount of money and time on maintaining these phone lines. I also have a cell phone internet that is naturally slow (even if it says that it is 3G), but it gets even slower when I use 2gb of traffic (and guess what? the game is bigger than 2gb).

 

So, it doesn't matter for me if boxed is more expensive or it takes. It is more reliable and coolers. And also, the manual and posters already come printed for us.

[Inferno 22]

Sure it takes more time to install from DVD, but it takes more time to download AND install. And I want to enjoy my precious DVD case and manual >_<

[Castleman12 0]

Digital Downloads / Physical +/- (imo always)

 

Digital Downloads

+Can not be damaged, scratched, broke, always readable not depenting on medial locks.

+Can be downloaded as times as you wish from anywhere in the planet as long you have a fast internet connection

+After Patching the latest download will always be Patch Ready, like windows with servick packs preinstalled, that will save time from patching.(Starcraft Did that)

+Can be Copied to a physical Dvd-ROM and printed. make a retails box be your self for it, or carried to a memmory stick and move it to a friend.(gives personal uniqe feeling to your copy)

+No need for laser locks that cause usually problems

+Faster Installation Times from HD or MS, dvd-roms are very slow compaired to a HD or MS.

+No irreversible print mistakes (like the serial number issue with red alert 3) nothing that cant be fixed online!

+cost affective for the producer and the buyer

 

-Need a fast Connection to download

-Manual and any retail Box arts are need to be printed by user (if he wants)

-Less "imotional" for collectors

-Need Electron "Cash" a credit card and to submit/risk those private/sensitive data

 

Physical DVD

+"Feels" more real existable and especially for Collections (i keep digital downloads of all my games and there boxes are in a selve)

+No Need for Internet Connection to install

+High Quality Manual and Box Prints

+Doesnt Take up extra space in a HD

+gives more jobs to people outside the computer world, to factories that produce those boxes (but usually robots are making them and somewhere in China, so money are living US for no reason)

+No need for Credit Cards or posting any sensitive data, any one from a kid to an udult with few cash can buy it in a local store, so more salles eventually for Publisher.

 

-Need Internet Connection no matter what for patches in order to keep the game 100% playable after every game installation

-can be damaged specially if used a lot

-slow installation times from optical drive

-different laser locks cause compatibility problems

-takes physical space in a room

-print problems are irreversible and cause users panic

-cost a lot more Time and money to Produce for Publisher and the End User Cost is affective

 

 

 

help me keep the list updated

 

From the looks of it download is better.

 

Though its opinion, Everyone wants the box.