I was thinking about this today and I figured I'd ask you guys, maybe its just because I only started playing earlier this year and don't know the all that has happened with the game but I was just wondering why Elite Dangerous has never had a physical disc available for purchase? This may sound weird but personally I prefer discs and if they ever came out with a collectors edition that had a steelbook or like a statue of something game related, I'd get that in an instant? What do you guys think about this?
Why is Elite dangerous only sold digitally?
- Thread starter JumpStart57
- Start date
Hmm I kinda preferred your old avatar, but this one has charm too.
Me too, though I do wonder who the statue might be of....
Maybe a statue of the classic sidewinder or cobra?
ED did have a collectors edition from the kickstarter - it's quite nice!
However, for a game that requires internet connectivity and is updated often - physical media is effectively pointless. As the xbox demands game is installed on the local drive anyway - what is the point of spending time installing a version from disc that is years out of date, only then to spend yet more time downloading the latest version? Distruiting and selling those copies to resellers also costs money - production, packaging, transport etc - nearly all of which are negated by purely digital distribution.
People will of course have time and data constraints, and downloading huge files over a poor connection is never fun - but in a time where people are not happy with fixed content, game expansion discs are a thing of the past, and developers can either add new content or fix bugs at a rate simply not possible with physical media - it's a pretty good thing I think.
However, for a game that requires internet connectivity and is updated often - physical media is effectively pointless. As the xbox demands game is installed on the local drive anyway - what is the point of spending time installing a version from disc that is years out of date, only then to spend yet more time downloading the latest version? Distruiting and selling those copies to resellers also costs money - production, packaging, transport etc - nearly all of which are negated by purely digital distribution.
People will of course have time and data constraints, and downloading huge files over a poor connection is never fun - but in a time where people are not happy with fixed content, game expansion discs are a thing of the past, and developers can either add new content or fix bugs at a rate simply not possible with physical media - it's a pretty good thing I think.
True, but they could come out with a very limited supply, and then if they are popular enough sell more, or if not, just don't sell anymore.
for a limited supply, the costs are higher. Economy of scale, etc. Physical copies would require (as well as physical disc manufacture) Sleeve and box production, art concepts through to production, physical distribution (international) and suppliers. All at a cost.... Plus, it'd only last a few weeks until the next update hit then would be pointless. Bloody expensive coaster. for your coffee mug.. Discs are old technology. Digital is the current way of doing things. CDs have been around for what, 35-40 years? They've had their day. Move on.
Deleted member 110222
D
You actually can buy a physical copy of Elite on PC, but you'll still have to download the game. It's a collector's item. Nothing more.
Though I do want one...
Though I do want one...
just saw an unboxing of the premium backer's edition and omg I need it
I was really hoping for a sequel.
Yaffle
Volunteer Moderator
A physical boxed copy was a reward on KS, for PC as the XBOX version wasn't even mentioned way back then. The DVD has just the launcher. But it did have a copy of Michael's book (with lots of typos!) a jacket lapel pin, neat little note from DB himself and the box was really cool.
Slopey
Volunteer Moderator
Doesn't work like that. Physical media costs, plus a cut to the retailer can be up to 70% of the retail price. I had a flight sim product in Game/PC World and other retailers, and the royalty from the publisher on boxed copies was less than 30%, whereas for download it was 70%. As FD are their own publisher, aside from steam, they'll make 100% on sales from their own website - so pointless for the small number of units which would be retailed.
You'll also find that retailers do NOT want to stock product unless it is ludicrously (i.e. Mainstream Console FPS) popular. A digital download card for Xbox (and soon PS4) is about the best you can hope for in terms of retail presence for something like ED.
Ian Phillips
Volunteer Moderator
Slopey
Volunteer Moderator
If you can find it that is
Just like the A-Team!
Why is Elite dangerous only sold digitally?
its a quicker way to get your doe ... elite dangerous is a niche market game too - not rain coat material mind .
its a quicker way to get your doe ... elite dangerous is a niche market game too - not rain coat material mind .
If you can find it that is
Wot! No thread link?! HOW did you resist?
ED´s disc version was made out of material from neutron stars. When they figured the discs weight was 10^17 metric tons each, the price for shipping to the shops was skyrocketing. So that option was canceled .
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