Linux gaming, Physical distribution and DRM
Hello guys!

Linux gaming becomes more and more popular. Steam has Linux support, the Humblestore offers Linux games and GOG has announced supporting Linux games in the future. There are also many crowdfunding games which will support Linux.

I'm the kind of player, who still likes to buy games on a disc and put it in a shelve. What I like most is, if these games are independent of any online service resp. the internet.
Unfortunately there's hardly any game out there, which is available on a disc, supports Linux and is DRM free. It doesn't look like this would change anytime soon (or anytime at all).

What's your opinion about this. Do you still buy physical games? Do you care about DRM. Would you like to buy physical, DRM-free Linux games? Do you think that such games will ever be available?
HadBabits Jun 9, 2014
I don't presently have time for a long answer, but if you like physical copies of DRM-FREE games check out theindiebox.com :)
Samsai Jun 9, 2014
You could always burn your DRM-free games onto discs and call them physical copies. Of course the disc won't look as cool as an official disc, but it's something.

Personally I don't want to go back to physical copies anymore. I have a tendency to forget where I put all my stuff and due to that I've lost some awesome games. However, I can remember exactly where I've put my games and files on my computer.
Liam Dawe Jun 9, 2014
I don't buy physical copies myself no, as they are a pain to find places to store them and for me digital is just easier.
Caldazar Jun 9, 2014
Actually, a lot of what is said to be risky about my internet game library did in fact happen to my physical one: I have lost access to it.

Those CDs are Windows only, have scratches, it gets harder to find the patches any more and the first of them soon will have their 20th anniversary.
I can't throw them away but they are just collecting dust and that's it.

With books it's the complete opposite.
But with digital goods, the technical advantages of internet-distribution far outweight the risk of someone pulling an Amazon on me. With backups even that risk is null.
Hamish Jun 9, 2014
I do not buy physical copies because I live far away from retail stores, I like to know where my money is going, I do not want to waste it on shipping or retail fees, have huge problems getting stuff actually shipped here, and has already been mentioned, the chronic lack of DRM Free Linux native titles that ship on disk.
Mnoleg Jun 10, 2014
Believe it or not, I like to buy games on a disc and put them in a shelve too!

Physical distribution is dying and the process is even faster with Linux games. My last purchase was Pandora: First Contact, but it's a rare exception. To keep my shelve full I need to build my own boxes and rely on DRM-free games. AFAIK, even Runesoft with some previous physical titles released their last Linux port: Earth 2140, as digital (Desura) only.

And the remaining market of physical games is evolving to focus on collectors more than gamers. Maybe this makes sense as the collection of boxes is probably related to nostalgia and we are just a bunch of oldies with no time for playing them anyway. For example, today many crowfunding campaigns offer physical copies, but they are usually VERY expensive. I think my homemade box of Larry Reloaded does not look bad though.

If you are interested, I can write a list with the games I know with a disc edition available and some stores to purchase them, but be warned most of them will be old titles.
Well the reason I like physical games is that I like to hold something in my hands. It's not because I'm afraid of losing access to them. To me a digital copy of a game is not as valuable as a physical copy. It's just another feeling.

Quoting: RobertIf you are interested, I can write a list with the games I know with a disc edition available and some stores to purchase them, but be warned most of them will be old titles.

Thanks, but this won't be required. I'm more interested in newer games and I'm pretty sure I'll can find them on my own (if there are any:'().
Hamish Jun 15, 2014
I have seen too many physical copies of things get crushed, scratched, or water damaged to consider it intrinsically more valuable myself.

That being said I have also lost data due to dying hard drives or even my own stupidity, but usually there seems to be more recourse with digital software.

Of course one can make digital backups of physical games (and I have done so for this very reason) but that is kind of defeating the purpose in this instance.
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