Mike Rohde, Executive Editor

Downloading New Games: It's the Current Reality and the Certain Future

There are many arguments against the rapid increase of DLC and digital downloads for video games. At the same time, there are several excellent reasons why downloading games and content is not only the future, but it's the current reality. Let's break it down.

Here's the scenario: it's Tuesday night and you're contemplating heading out for the midnight launch of BioShock 2, or Dante's Inferno, or whatever the current game of the day is. You decided against the pre-order shipping because you've been burned before: either you've been sent the wrong game or it took an extra two or three days to arrive. For some, waiting a day or two to play a new game might sound like nothing, but when you're sitting at home reading the tweets of all those who already have the game, and they start to discuss possible spoilers to a game you've been waiting months to play—your blood can start to boil. You want that game and you want it now!

That's why the midnight launch becomes a reality that you want to experience. But who wants to drive in the snow at midnight? Or stand in the freezing cold or the pouring rain? For some of you, your parents might not even let you out of the house; for those of you who are older, the thought of heading out to GameStop at midnight is dreadful as compared to getting some sleep before work the next day.

That's one strike against the pre-order shipping and another strike against the midnight launch. So that leaves either heading out to the store after school or work the next day and hoping they have it in stock—which they might—but then again, they might not.

That leaves us with digital download. For some, the term is spoken with loathing, for others, it is a blessing, and yet still others think the term is redundant and ridiculous (to download something it *has* to be digital, so why call it a *digital* download). The point is, downloading a brand new game starts to look like the best option to the guy who's sitting around for two days for BioShock 2 to show up from his pre-order, or the guy who got snowed in, or the kid who can't get out of the house due to strict parents, or the old man who's too tired to stay up till midnight. For that guy who can't get the latest game, suddenly serious consideration is being given to playing Prototype, or John Woo's Stranglehold—games that have been sitting on the backburner for a long time—and with good reason...

With all of the positive reasons for wanting downloadable games, why are some people so against it? The worst-case scenario for relying on downloading new games is maybe a loss of your Internet connection or not having enough hard drive space. For those of you who like to hold your possessions in your hand, well, you'll have to get over that. Downloadable games are the future and could spell the death of brick and mortar.

All you have to do is look at the music industry for proof. Who still goes out and buys albums on CD anymore? Judging by the closing of music stores all over town and the continued success of iTunes, Pandora and Last.fm-not to mention the success of Netflix and its integration with the 360 and PS3—digital distribution is here, it's going to get bigger and it's most definitely the future. And it should be welcomed with open arms. No more dealing with out-of-stock items, driving to the store, delayed or incorrect shipments or scratched and useless discs.

Buy the bigger HDD, download it, save it and forget about all those cheap plastic cases, cheesy cover art and scratchy discs. And please don't even start with the argument that downloading games is the equivalent to renting your games and that you don't really own the content. You own your content through a download just as much as if you bought it in the store or ordered online. And you don't have to wait for it days on end. Sure, you might miss out on the Collector's Edition, but who really needs the shiny new key ring that came with Forza 3 or the Night Vision Goggles that came with Modern Warfare 2? If you really want those toys, just go and buy them, for far cheaper, at the brick and mortar stores while they still exist.