Digital or hardcopy?

Digital vs Hardcopy

  • Digital

    Votes: 30 27.3%
  • Hardcopy

    Votes: 80 72.7%

  • Total voters
    110
I'd say I prefer hard copies because I like accumulating things! I like the safe feeling you have when you own a digital copy, but I prefer having the hard copy with the beautiful box and all of that! I even kep my Happy Home designer + NFC reader bundle... with the cute box...
 
Hard copy is the only way for me for these type of games, my reasoning is, they both cost the same, but I know that the hard copy is actually mine. Have you ever wondered what would happen to your digital games collection in the event that something happened to you, (many, many years from now) sounds morbid I know, but I'd really like to pass down my game library some day, and I don't be-leave that most digital versions are actually mine at the end of the day. Has anyone read the fine print ? And even if it says it's yours today, that can easily change with any update in future. Now if they charged say only 25 to 50% of the hard copy price, I might think twice on some games.
 
There's pros and cons to both in my opinion.
It's pretty much impossible to misplace a digital copy of the game, but you can't have multiple digital copies like you can hard copies.
 
Hard copies for me. I try to get most of my games this way just so I'll physically have something. I'm kind of collecting video games and a hard copy will look nice on display.
 
I like having a physical copy I can switch in and out, and I don't like relying on digital servers; one day support for them is going to be withdrawn and so will the ability to re-download your game. Also I just like having something physical in my hands.

I've only bought a large game digitally once, and it was Pokemon X. When something went wrong I ended up locked out my Nintendo account, and the process to get back in is so convoluted (physical application forms you're meant to phone up, request, have sent to you, fill in and return... which never even showed up) I just never got it back. So that was ?35 down the drain.
 
I use the physical cartridge version because the risk of data corruption is fairly low compared to the digital version where that risk is higher.

Also because I have the physical copy I can play it for many years after the 3ds eshop has shut down. As far as I know I could be still be playing this by 2050 which is the highest year this game can go to before resetting the date.
 
I prefer hard copied because it feels more real to me. I like owning the case as well as the card for some reason. I also like it better, becuase I feel like if my DS is damaged all my work is not lost. I bought the hard copie for NH as well as NL!
 
Physical. that's how games should be imo. i don't like connecting it to the internet. i like the thought of my card maybe being played some day by somebody else. i like buying a used game and seeing people's progress. call me nosy but it interests me.
 
I prefer hard copy, I like having physical versions of my favorite things. Aside from that, people have also listed some reasons for hard copy I agree with as well.
 
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I prefer hard copy.

It will never get lost, if you sell your 3DS. Because. You have the physical cartridge.

Don't be like me and forget to transfer your data from one 3DS to another and lose your AC:NL digital copy :"D

However, I might be dumb and get a digital copy, and have my 4th copy of the game, but I'm honestly not sure xD​
 
You can call me old-fashioned but I prefer having the physical copy of games. It doesn't take up space on my system and I don't have to worry about something happening like it getting corrupted or dealing with the hassle of switching it to a new system if my current one breaks. Plus, it just feels better to have something I can hold in my hand.
 
Personal preference is hard copy (physical) version of the game. Seems to make it easier for me to keep track of towns (Animal Crossing games).
 
I have both digital and hardcopy of ACNL and I'd always preferred the hardcopy so I could resell it later if I'm in a state where I absolutely have to (financially). Fortunately I haven't fallen on those hard times in a long time so I haven't had to resell any of my games. The only problem with hardcopy is that my 3DS along with my game carts were stolen a few years ago, and they were never recovered, but my digital copies I could redownload on my new 3DS and I feel like I lost a little less in that horrifying experience.
 
Hardcopy is safer to me and comes with the packaging you miss out on if you get digital.
 
Hardcopy is safer to me and comes with the packaging you miss out on if you get digital.

Same here, I prefer hardcopies because you get a box you can collect, manual (sometimes) and occasionally limited edition items for the same price or nearly the same price as digital. Plus, digital takes up a lot of space and if your 3DS breaks, rather than buying a new one, which is easier and more convenient, you have to ship it to Nintendo for repair. If my 3ds is old, I rather just buy another one than repair it because something else might break later down the line, since its old. I think it's cheaper in the long run.

Also if you buy a bunch of digital games and something happens where you end up losing them, there goes all the games. Only time I buy digital is if the game is exclusively digital.
 
I'd say both. I generally prefer physical copies. I decided to go all digital for 3DS and Vita for the convenience, but I ended up missing having those nice boxes to collect so I went physical again for Switch. But for New Horizon's I'll get both. Animal Crossing is just a game that benefits from always being on your console. Sometimes you just want to check up on your town real quick and not having to fiddle with cartridges is a huge plus.
 
I own hard copies and digital copies.
Digital are nice for travel, as you don't need a whole case to bring your games but hard copies are nice because you can sell them if you want to. Also there's a lot of horror stories of people getting locked out their Nintendo accounts, losing their games or accidentally deleting saves and files.
Story time! I had an instance where I had to replace my DS and the game stop employee didn't let me transfer my files onto my new one. He even tried to convince me that I would get my games back if he simply factory restored my trade-in. Idiot me knew that was wrong but he worked at a gamestop, and I figured he knew what he was talking about.
And I found out you can't even retrieve your Nintendo ID that way. You have to call Nintendo to unlock your account if you don't transfer your files! With that being said, I lost all my saves and had to restart every game from the beginning like new. I was devastated. I still haven't touched a lot of them since. I'm sure digital also risks corruption too. Why else would there be a repair my download button for your copies at the eshop?
But yeah, in my experience physical copies are the only way to go for really nice expensive games. I can deal with losing a save here and there for digital copies so I try not to spend more than $10 on a digital. Because I still think they're great for travel.

- - - Post Merge - - -

I prefer hard copy.

It will never get lost, if you sell your 3DS. Because. You have the physical cartridge.

Don't be like me and forget to transfer your data from one 3DS to another and lose your AC:NL digital copy :"D

However, I might be dumb and get a digital copy, and have my 4th copy of the game, but I'm honestly not sure xD​

Did you never try to retrieve your Nintendo id? Because that exact same thing happened to me. You have to call Nintendo America to unlock your account. Then you can download all of your games back, but no saves. It'll be like getting a brand new copy lol.
If you didn't, and just made a new account, this would be a waste of time. But if you ever get another DS, you can keep this in mind and retrieve all your games back.
 
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In general, I?ll try to get hard copies unless the game is only available digitally. With ACNL I got both. The town I play the most now is a digital version so it?s convenient that I never have to change cartridges.
 
I have both as well and I would have to agree that it is so convenient! But there is always a certain security with hardcopy. Though I have had one breakdown on me..
 
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