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Digital Copy or Box?
Zeppelin5083
Member Posts: 410
in Guild Wars 2
I want to pre-purchase GW2, but I'd also like the box for the game because I'm a bit paranoid... Is there any reason to have the box? I feel safer when I know I can just reinstall it or if I get a new comp install it but I'm wondering if I'll have access to download and install the game at any time, so long as I have an internet connection.
I've never pre-purchased before, so let me know what your thoughts are!
Thanks.
Comments
Yes, if you buy a digital copy of the game you can AT ANY TIME access your account and redownload the client to any computer.
Awesome, thanks!
If you are the type to forget account names just make sure you keep your code somewhere.
Yes this has happened to me, thankfully NCSoft customer support was very patient with my senior moment when I forgot my GW1 login info.
There's really no extra risk at all in purchasing a digital copy over a box copy. In both cases, you can lose your code or have your account hacked; and in both cases you can get them back through (usually) a fairly quick and painless customer support process. There are a number of things that tie you to your purchased copy. The box itself has little role in it.
The main perk, for me, to purchasing the box is to have the physical copy there on your shelf should you be the collector type (not to be confused with desiring the collector's edition.) Sometimes it's just cool to see your gaming history lined up on your shelf. You can also install/reinstall much more quickly with a physical copy, though you will likely be able to begin playing sooner with a digital copy since you can download it in advance.
The main perks for purchasing a digital copy are that sometimes it's cheaper, and it conserves physical resources for the environmentally conscious.
I would allways rather buy a box than DL,but since I'm lazy I allways buy DL :-)
The short answer. If you buy from Arena net through a digital copy - as long as Arena net is in business and running GW2 servers you will always be able to download the game and reinstall. If Arena Net goes out of business or shuts down GW2 then it wont matter if you have a hard copy because there will be nothing to log into.
If at that time a 3rd party starts up an independant server you will just have to get the client from them.
In all cases due to the fact that the nature of the game requires you to log into a server which holds a majority of the game you will never need to own a physical copy of the game. This holds true for all online MMO's.
Single player or small multi-player games are a whole nother story.
I prefer the box, just feel I've got a physical item for my money, if they cut the cost on digital version of games then I would consider it.
I have LotRO physical, but its now useless as Turbine now uses its own client and not the original Codemasters client. At the end of the day though its down to personal taste and your preference.
I got a "box"
It only contains a piece of cartboard with the cdkey in it, no DVD.
Prefer the box, but I will be digitally buying this game - mainly due to the fact that I can get access to helping with the BWEs.
M
"Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death!"
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War
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As an online game, there's really no reason to be paranoid about a digital download.
If it was an offline game.. there would be the risk that at some time in the future you'd want to reinstall on a new machine and the publisher would no longer exist and thus you'd be unable to download and install. But online game, if the publisher ceases to exist, the game's dead anyway box or no box. :-)
I went digital because I got enough crap cluttering up my house without buying more game boxes.
I prepurchase at gamestop so I got me the box (pick up on release date), but I do plan on making up to arenanet by going all out (cash shop) on release date or whenever the game goes live for me.
I tend to buy boxes of non-MMO's and digital version of MMO's. I'm really not sure why.
box
Box
BOx
BOX
BOX!
BOX!!!
Need I say more?
Oh, and the CE is box worthy and hopefully priceworthy. Already have plans for those unique prints and the statue. Mmm.
Maybe im old school but i still like to have the box on my shelf.
I say what nerdy man doesn't want a box? Come on!!!
Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.
Boxes are just that anymore...a box...with a key...to download the digital copy. Or a disc with an .exe to initiate the download of a digital copy. If there ARE in fact game files on the DVD they are so outdated that you have to wait a long period of time to patch anyway.
I really enjoy the boxes and the art of the games I have played in the past sitting on my shelf. But digital installation and patching is just making it really easy to install and update games, on any PC, at any time. Insertting disc 2 is simply no longer an option for me. And most of those pretty boxes I have on the shelf are missing the disc 1 (play disc) from when I moved. Solidifying the fact that, for me, Digital is better because I lose sh*t.
And thinking games will ever be playable "offline" in the future is wishful at best.
Unless you want a collector's edition item of some sort, digital all the way. Saves me gas money, travel time, and having to deal with braindead gamestop employees.
Seriously, you could add some serious cost to your box with these gas prices. To each his own though!
Im usually one who likes to get a box copy, but really not much of a difference now adays. Plus if you do digital version traight from anet you will get access to any upcoming beta tests
As a person who still has his Ultima boxed editions (with cloth maps and moonstones, good times), I can say that at this point in time I am cured of my box addiction. Nowadays, connection speeds and External HD backups make digital copies quite safe. Of course I miss the goodies, but I think we all agree that we can consume with less clutter, at this day and age.
I hardly have any space left in my office from my box collection, and I do browse through it fondly at times, but it is time to chalk it up to nostalgia and adopt a cleaner, less polluting way to purchase stuff.
Finally, not living in the US/EU region, I find that boxed games are very, very expensive nowadays. I'd pay almost 500 US$ for a GW2 Collectors box. So, that's a pretty hefty added incentive.
So, it's all digital for me now, if I can help it.
Thats because it contains a prepurchase key you numbnut, the game will follow upon release.
I personaly have always got Digital Copy of all my games. I do not like having stuff just sitting around taking up space
But thats just me!
May GW2 be with you!
It is what it is!
You need an internet connection to play the game anyway, if you can't download it, you can't play it either. MMO clients are updated very often so the client on the disc gets obsolete sooner or later. With lots of expansions/patches it's more annoying to install first then update, than simply clicking on the update button of the downloader.
For mmorpgs I prefer digital copies, for single player games I prefer box.
Block the trolls, don't answer them, so we can remove the garbage from these forums
Help save our environment and forests, and get a digital download. Nobody needs useless boxes and CDs which end rotting on a shelf or in a drawer.
Respect, walk
Are you talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me?
- PANTERA at HELLFEST 2023
yeah since it is only only and you need a connection to play (meaning you could download the client) I would go digital.
The only reason to buy a box is if you don't want to download the thing everytime and you change your system a lot etc. Even then I have found installing off of the DVD takes just about as long anyway since there are often so many patches. If your badwidth is limited it might help to have a physical disk just because the art assests will mostly be present already.
EDIT: Mind you if you buy the box you can always download as well
Wa min God! Se æx on min heafod is!