It has just been confirmed that the downloadable versions of retail titles will indeed cost less than the cartridges. At a BestBuy, someone snapped photos of the price listings showing the games will be 10% less than cartridges. This is a step in the right direction but it needs to be more like 25% off to really be worth it.

Personally I plan on paying the extra 10% for the physical copy rather than have the potential issue of usage rights. Plus, you can return a game if you don't like it, with a physical copy. It is doubtful that there will be return options for downloaded games, should you not like the game.

http://www.destructoid.com/vita-downloads-confirmed-cheaper-than-cartridges-220792.phtml

I really hate the way things are going. I'm one who enjoys collecting art and the like, so this freaking sucks.

Though, I'm waiting on a Vita anyways. But still. I know the industry is heading that way, though.

It is hard to collect anything game related anymore with the booklets being a single folded page and only mainstream games like FF and Mass Effect get any artbooks or figures. Remember back in the glory days of PS1 when companies like Working Designs got it right EVERY time? I bought every game they put out in part due to collecting art and such. It really is a shame but that is the way it is going.

Yeah, the downloads are ALMOST cool. But I always like having a physical copy. That way, if a company goes out of business, it won't matter as long as I have or can find a copy of it.

If the Vita downloads were like $35 vs physical $50, though, that would make me consider it.

True that. Also this was a factor on the PSP- if you had an action RPG game it'd lag more on UMD. Transfer to the PSP from a hard digital copy is faster. I don't have to worry about that anymore(I can back up my UMDs), but I won't hit the details.

Another nice thing though, is that even with games straight from the PSN, you can back them up on your computer. Don't know about the Vita obviously, but yeah. You'd HAVE to. Those games take up a shiz load of space on PSP memory cards.

I'm also hearing that the Vita won't support a variety of PSP games, and that just SUCKS. I wanted to play Phantasy Star Portable 2 on it, and I'm wondering what else doesn't work.

I completely sympathize with you guys, but I'm ALL for digital distribution. Yes, you don't tangibly have the game, but it's not like you don't HAVE the game. I mean, even when your hard drive dies and you lose all your save data and games. You can just jump online and re-download everything. In this fashion, digital distribution is immortal... where as carts and discs are possible lost to dead batteries and scratches, respectively.

Granted, some games are permanently taken down. But those are usually commercial flops. Ix: Are you really going to miss that Turtles in Time: Reshelled is gone? Case in point.

And I am willing to bet that digital copies will continue to drop in price. Slowly but surely. And even then, when you are talking about digital distribution, you can't forget the digital only games (not just ones that have disc equivalents). You can get some amazing things because of the digital system now that you'd NEVER be able to have. Like, say The Simpsons Arcade game with four player online co-op. And only for ten bucks? This totally beats out back in the day when a new game costs $80.

I, for one, am super happy with the direction things are going.

I completely agree with you on this Lantis. The only thing I don't like is that with physical copies, you no longer get any booklets or art or nick-naks. Also, when given the option between retail and digital, digital should be significantly less expensive rather than just three to five dollars off.

On the hard drive failing note, this happened to me with RMVX. I lost it and my digital receipt. I was forced to chose between repurchase or never play it again. Still undecided. But that was two years ago. Lesson: Digital receipts need backed up on the internet as well as on removable storage.

The booklets are nothing more than something to have just to have. I'm fine with in game tutorials or manual. That with sites like Gamefaqs and Youtube, there's not really a legitimate reason to have tangible things like that anymore. I mean, when was the last time you read through a manual for a disc released Xbox game?

The RMVX this is an absolute shame. Just shows that Agetec doesn't know what they are really doing. That would never happen from services like Steam, XBLA, or PSN. And I wouldn't buy VX again. I'd just wait for Ace. Also, make a copy of your digital receipt if you can.

I feel embarrassed now, heh. I always read my game manuals on the way home still. Old habit. That, and NEW GAME SMELL! And the artbooks especially are my favorites.

Can't stop the rock though. I own both sorts of games, but yeah, good point- I have 3 copies of BoF 3, one works.

Did they send you a receipt by email? I got one by email for RPG Maker XP, which I bought recently.

Don't be embarrassed, I read every book for every game I get before playing it. And the receipt was a confirmation screen that I just saved a jpeg of and it is gone now too. Oh well. I don't care too much anyway.

For digital games I go through the options and tutorials if they exist. Just like I did for The Simpsons Arcade Game literally seconds before coming to post here.