Should I Buy the Game Digitally or Get the Disc?

[vinestone]

Was wondering how most people plan on purchasing Smash Bros Wii U, buy a hard copy in store or purchase the game digitally on the Wii U eshop.What are your opinions? What are the advantages and disadvantages? How are you going to buy the game?

 

[LordVacation]

I gotta go physical so I can actually feel like my money is going towards something.

Plus just to look at that box on my way home will feel so warming, lol.

 

[Jerm]

If Nintendo was anything like Sony/ Microsoft then I would go digital for sure, but they are far from. Basically if anything happens to your Wii U your SSB4 will be gone. There is no way to recover it or re-download it without a charge. What Sony does is all your DL's are linked to your account so you can delete them and recover them basically on any Playstation system. With Nintendo all of your games are console locked. If you feel like your Wii U will stay alive forever then go digital but if anything happens you could lose your game and there will be no way to recover it.

 

[Donkey_Inferno]

Physical Copy always. Love having the box to add to my collection.

The ONLY game I got on digital is Wind Waker HD, only because it came out a whole week before the physical release and I did not want to wait.

 

[Flaxr XIII]

With Nintendo games always go physical until they figure out how to have purchases tied to the account rather than the system. If that Wii U breaks, you're done like dinner.

 

[Tweedle]

I'm a digital lover. Due to laziness. That being said... physical.

 

[Zarxrax]

I almost always buy physical copies of games so I can trade them away later.
But in this case, I made an exception and went ahead and bought the digital version. Main reasons being that I don't plan to ever get rid of this game, and I wont have to swap a disc if I want to play something besides smash.

 

[LordCQ]

I had a bad experience with the Virtual Console; my Wii died and since there's nothing like iCloud where your purchases are tied to your account and you can re-download anything, everything I purchased died as well.

tl;dr Physical.

 

[xxEliteAlicexx]

Physical, there's just something about having the Physical copy to me. I love box art ane disk for console game.

 

[SneakyLink]

Physical. Not enough space on my Wii U at the moment, don't want an external HDD at the moment.

 

[Mario & Sonic Guy]

Simply choose the option that you want. Just be aware that the eShop download version will require over 15 GB of space to download all of its contents.

 

[LunarWingCloud]

Physical. Wii U games are #toobig to have on such a small hard drive like what the Wii U has. Also I typically just like physical copies of games.

Simply choose the option that you want. Just be aware that the eShop download version will require over 15 GB of space to download all of its contents.

Woah woah are you serious? O_O

 

[Jae]

I'm getting it physically because I want that GC adapter + GC controller, I don't think it works that way digitally and well I already paid off my pre-order.

On a serious note, look at the benefits and disadvantages of both sides and come to a consensus.

 

[Syrek]

I've always gone with digital for all my purchase on the Wii U and 3DS, with the exception of a few games here and there. It's super convenient, I get e-shop credit from purchasing digitally, at least for a little longer, and it saves you space, at least outside of your hard drive or internal storage. Of course there are benefits to physical and most still prefer that method, but I'm not concerned about my Wii U crapping out on me and my digital purchases not mattering. I've never had a Nintendo product suddenly die on me and I doubt I will. Again, this is simply my preference and so far it has worked wonders for me, but to each they're own. I'm sure if I wasn't so impatient and lazy when it came to video games, I too would be more inclined to purchase physically, but I digress.

As @ Jae so aptly put it, weigh the pros and cons for both sides and whatever sounds preferable will be your answer.

 

[ChrisP4]

Personally, I always go for the physical copies to go with my collection. Now I can add Smash Wii U case/ disc with my Smash64, Melee, Brawl, & 3ds copies. But if you aren't into that stuff, then by all means play the second the games releases.

 

[Chompjil]

If you wanna go to a launch party at a store, physical is the way to go also small WiiU data size

 

[Kevandre]

I like to buy digital games because I'm always scared that I'll have to sell my games for like rent or something. Can't do that with digital, so that's a win.

That said, I'm going physical because my wife knows that Smash is sacred to me and I won't sell it. I still have my original Brawl disk, which is the only Wii game I still own. I don't have Melee or 64 anymore but eh. I don't get the urge to play those ones as much.

 

[ミスティック Speed]

Physical.
It feels so much more rewarding and personal.

 

[Freduardo]

The issue I have against physical is over the years I bought and rebought Brawl about five times because a disc scratch would lead to the game always freezing around characters like Lucas, Lucario, alt Falco costumes. And this was before I even tried hacked smash. I don't want to do that again.

 

[Mysteltainn]

I'm going physical for quite a few reasons. The first being that I prefer to have the box / disc, another being because I don't trust Nintendo with the internet quite yet. They're getting there, but they have a long way to go. Lastly, I don't feel like purchasing an external HD for data, and Sm4sh will be a big game.

 

[Khao]

Yup, until Nintendo gets an account system and/or sells digital games at a lower price than physical (which really is how it should always be) physical is just a better choice. You're getting more out of the same amount of money.

Also, even with an account system, the Wii U servers are likely to go down sometime in the next generation, which means you no longer will be able to download them. Which is a huge ****ing deal if you have limited storage.

 

[Billcarlosbills]

I went digital only because of laziness. All my amiibos and GC adapter are coming on release day from Amazon. It's about an hour and a half round trip, which I'd rather not make on release night.

I'll probably buy a physical copy at some point, tho.

Whatever works for you!

 

[Mechageo]

I bought the 3DS game digitally this time. I'm not too worried about the game being messed up on my 3DS SD card. That being said, I have an 8GB Wii U so I use an external HDD. One time while I was playing Project M my console froze and it corrupted the data on the hard drive. I had to download my games again. Due to this, I'm getting the physical version of Smash for Wii U.

 

[killer9260]

I'm getting it physically because I might go to a midnight launch for it.
Also, I like to have all my Smash games lined-up with each other and I don't have enough space on my Wii U if I wanted to get it digital.

 

[Banhfunbags]

I'd go digital but I'm already visiting Gamestop for my gc adapter so I may as well get a physical copy of smash bros

 

[Smashoperatingbuddy123]

I would go with the disk

For 1 you get a nice case and its has more effort and you could buy the adaptor on the same day


And 2 unless digitials have these as well and have the 3ds version you will have the club nintendo codes for mewtwo in 2015

 

[TheBuzzSaw]

I echo all the sentiments regarding Nintendo's silly DRM and poor understanding of the digital age. However, I am making an exception for Smash. I really don't want to ever have to swap discs out to start this game up. I haven't been buying any other digital games, so space is not a problem. I never intend to lend or sell this game ever. I have doubts that the next Nintendo console will be backwards-compatible, so the game will probably die with my Wii U anyway. (On that note, you can contact Nintendo support to have your games restored to a new console. It's not Steam-convenient, but it's not permanently lost like some are suggesting.)

All you disc-buyers can enjoy your terrible load times. ^_^

 

[Mechageo]

I would go with the disk

For 1 you get a nice case and its has more effort and you could buy the adaptor on the same day


And 2 unless digitials have these as well and have the 3ds version you will have the club nintendo codes for mewtwo in 2015

They do, I bought the digital 3DS version and it showed up on Club Nintendo automatically. I just had to sign into the Club Nintendo account on the 3DS before I bought it.

 

[vinestone]

Thanks for the comments everyone. I have decided to buy a physical copy of the game. I placed my order on Amazon for delivery on day-of-release. Now the waiting game...

 

[Los4Muros]

The physical copy is your best option in this occasion. Microsoft and Sony offer a very good Digital Game System. You can download at high speed all you want, for multiple consoles and even if you lose or sell your console, you can buy a new one later and keep playing them. Nintendo doesn't do this.

The digital version downloads at a slow speed. The Wii U doesn't have much memory and having something happen to the memory connected to the system, well is a risk for your game. There really isn't any benefits for the game, expect that you don't have to put the game inside the console everytime you want to play.

The physical version in a blu-ray disc, so it won't get scratches and it'll be hard for something bad to happen to it. Smash is a great party game. Friends who don't have it might want to one day ask you to take the game to their house. The psychical version will allow you to just take the disc and not the whole console. And if you ever need or wish to sell it, this will be possible with the disc.

 

[HiPNoTyQ]

I like to have the physical collection, plus if **** ever hits the fan, I can resell it.

 

[TheBuzzSaw]

I like to have the physical collection, plus if **** ever hits the fan, I can resell it.

Selling Smash is **** hitting the fan.

 

[Mechageo]

Selling Smash is **** hitting the fan.

I've never sold a copy of Smash and I never intend to.

 

[Rueckkoppler]

Physical. I would've bought the digital version if it was cheaper (because having Smash always available is a huge plus - this will be the most played game after all). But the price stays the same it is, while you're always able to get the physical version much cheaper... Always somehow. And yeah, looks nice in the shelf, I guess

 

[Dark Dude]

Simply choose the option that you want. Just be aware that the eShop download version will require over 15 GB of space to download all of its contents.

You had me worried for a moment, but then I checked my external hard drive and I still have 170 GB left and I even have 10 GB still free on my Wii U.

I'm going digital. This is a game that I just always want to have instant access to. Having a collection is nice, but it's really not worth it to me just to have it to look at. It's a video game. I want to play it, not look at the case for it.

And your downloads are linked to your account, so I don't understand why people think it doesn't. If you check club Nintendo then it knows every game you've purchased on the eShop without you even having to put in anything besides your Club Nintendo ID (once it's been linked to your Nintendo Network ID). This happened like, two years ago. I'm pretty sure if anything happens to your console Nintendo will be able to help you get all your games back. All of the customer service experience I've had with Nintendo has been amazing. They fixed my Wii console twice and I never had to pay a cent. They even paid the shipping and handling. And the second time they did it, my Wii was out of warranty.

 

[Artero]

Even though I love having a game's box, the Wii U makes a lot more noise when playing a game off disc than when playing it off the hard-drive, which is why I now buy all my Wii U games digitally.

(basically it only makes slight noise when playing off disc, but I prefer silent )

 

[BridgesWithTurtles]

Both options have their pros and cons. For me, the biggest con with going physical is the wear on the system's disc drive and lens. Brawl destroyed my Wii's lens twice. I'm not sure if the Wii U's is any hardier, but I do have my worries (I'm getting my copy physical). On the other hand, if you go digital, you can't take the game to someone else's house or let them borrow it, which can be a big deal if that's something important to you. Of course, the improved load times are a huge plus for digital, but then you can't get the bundle with the adapter and controller.

This decision has actually been a surprisingly tough one for me, and I'm the type of person who always go physical without question.

 

[linhgame]

If you can get both

 

[Dark Dude]

Both options have their pros and cons. For me, the biggest con with going physical is the wear on the system's disc drive and lens. Brawl destroyed my Wii's lens twice. I'm not sure if the Wii U's is any hardier, but I do have my worries (I'm getting my copy physical). On the other hand, if you go digital, you can't take the game to someone else's house or let them borrow it, which can be a big deal if that's something important to you. Of course, the improved load times are a huge plus for digital, but then you can't get the bundle with the adapter and controller.

This decision has actually been a surprisingly tough one for me, and I'm the type of person who always go physical without question.

So, the only con for going digital is that you won't be able to take it over to a friends house to play on their Wii U? Well, then there are no cons for me, because I don't even know anyone who has a Wii U. I have to bring my whole system over to play Wii U games, anyway, so again, it would actually be better for me to have it digital, because then there's no chance of losing it at a friend's house. But, that's just me.

And I don't think Brawl destroyed your lens. Brawl, just like Metroid Prime Trilogy, were dual layered discs, so the lens had to be, like, extra clean to play those games. When I first bought brawl, I had to drive 60 miles to get it (120 miles round trip, at midnight), and then when I got home, it didn't even work. So I had to send my Wii in and two weeks later I was finally able to play the game. It sucked, but at least I didn't have to pay anything. Once again, this is something that will not be an issue at all if I go digital. I honestly don't even see any reason to go physical at this point. Except maybe the price... (as there's a store in the town where I live that sells new games for $10 less).

Just in case anyone actually read this and is a little confused, I live somewhere else now than where I used to live when Brawl came out.

 

[Fathom778]

Physical is the way to go.
Why? If you buy digital and something happens to your WiiU...Bloop.
gotta buy again.