The future of AGs - downloads?

Developers/publishers are moving towards offering games as downloads. They often come with code protection but do, I know give them greater remuneration for their work & also reduces the opportunity for piracy early on. Also I think it's great if you can get a game to play in a matter of minutes!

I like to hang on to my games so personally can accept this if later either a boxed version or a 'no strings' downloadable version becomes available - i.e. I can copy it to disc to play in the future without the need for 'activation' from the source.

I know I may go on to occasionally buy the download version & then go on to buy the boxed version but for the most part I'd wait or not buy the game at all.

I'm interested to know how many of you feel the same way?

Also how many of you here are not so interested in keeping games & are quite happy to download, play & that's it?

Pleeeeease! - I don't want this to be a thread about all the objections to downloads - we've been there before! Just are you a gamer that likes to keep your games to play again in the future & would like some way of hanging on to them or do you like the idea of downloading a game, playing, uninstalling & going onto the next?

Chrissie,
I really can not add anything to what you have stated as I feel the same way. I do see the furture of AG going by way of download and if I want to continue to play them I guess I have no choice but to get on board.

I'm liking more and more the idea of downloading games, now that I am better at it. Or maybe downloads are getting easier to do without too much fuss, like zip files which I just don't understand. I don't save games or play them over so I don't need the boxed ones and downloading is *green* so it is easier on the environment, I think.

My opinion is:

If they will be doing away with boxed games..So be it..

"Hello" to downloads is better then no games at all

Thanks sierramindy, so downloads are good for you! Thanks also lexxy & Darleen - I think to keep our games coming downloads first is the way to go - but do you want boxed versions to follow? & would you buy them if you've already bought the download? - hey! if we want boxed versions we've got to express our interst in having them!

I like downloads to but the trouble I have with them is when I get done playing them I deleted the game and I can't remember where I bought the game if I want to replay it again.
Richard

Hi, chrissie..

I love your avatar..is that a Sphinx?

Well...Yes I do want box games...I will miss them..If it ever comes to be where we have no boxed games...

I also will miss the fact ,that I won't be able to trade anymore ...I am sure many will miss the selling aspect of it also..

But...Like I said before...I rather have something ,Then nothing at all...

Also I might add...If it ever comes to it where there is no more box games....Just think what a gamer who has a box game would ask for in price on a sale...

Hi Darleen, thank you! my avatar is the egyptian sun goddess Bastet depicted as a cat - designed & offered to me by a very talented fellow Gameboomer - I think it's lovely too!

If gamers can't trade/sell games anymore will that mean that they can't buy/play as many? Sadly, I think this might be the case for some players with limited funds but I'm hopeful that downloaded games will be followed later by boxed versions.

As you don't want this thread to deal with the drawbacks of downloading I won't go there, but I'm not downloading a game unless it's freeware.
I don't care for the boxes so much, especially not the big ones, but I do want to be able to replay the game at any time without having to ask permission to anyone.
And I do want to keep on borrowing games from the library or buy used games, things that are impossible with download only games (ai, I promised not to do this).

So if they find a way to offer an immediate (not later) 'no strings' download, I'll still prefer the DVD-case but I probably buy it if it's the only way.
Unfortunately, if the choice would be to pay for a download game with activation or have no game, I'll choose the last (I have other hobbies as well ).

Hm, I don't mind downloading games - I've downloaded a few - but there is that concern that they'll eventually be unplayable. I still have games I played in the eighties, and they still work. I would feel much better knowing that I could play my downloaded games in twenty years as well if I wanted to.

If there is absolutely no other option available, and I really want the game, I will download it. Otherwise, I will most likely wait for the boxed version.

I'd like a DRM-free, boxed or DVD-cased version of any game I think I might want to play again in the future (as in 5 years from now or more). If a game has restrictions on it, like how many times you can install it or if it only works on certain versions of Windows because of the DRM, then I assume it is a "play once and throw away" game at the time I'm buying -- and I expect it to be priced accordingly: $10 or less (maybe I'd pay more if it were a really really really exceptionally good game). But it had better not install any spyware or behavior trackers on my computer or it isn't worth playing at all.

If I knew a DRM-free version would eventually be released, and would be available for those who'd bought the game and wanted the update, then I'd be willing to pay more than $10.

I do not like download-only game offerings for all the reasons everyone who agrees with me has already stated so will not repeat here. I like the 'hardcopy' version on CD/DVD. It is my personal choice. I do not trust downloads only because something can go wrong with my computer and then I would be 'out of luck' - with a CD/DVD in my stash I can reinstall any time I need to. (You asked, I reply).
Love, Betty Lou

I agree absolutely with HandsFree and Betty Lou.
I dont care how attractive the game is, if it has any strings attached to it such as any sort of DRM impediments I wont buy it however cheap it is.
If it has no conditions so that I can pay, play, copy the game to disks and play it whenever I like and wherever I like just like an ordinary game, of course I will buy it.
I have nothing whatsoever against downloading a game. On the contrary I can get it immediately and probably cheaper especially if its not sold in stores. Its the very bad conditions of DRM which I wont accept.

I do not download games. I have said this many times on different threads. I have very slow dial up Internet. So it takes very long time to download even a demo . I also love having the box or case version . Having them is a good memory of the game I played, the adventure it took me on. It is like saving a old book you treasured, I treasure my games I played. Once in a while you reread a old book, I replay a old game. You cannot treasure a download like that. I hope they don't ever stop makeing the box version, it will be a sad day for me if they do .

I'm spoiled by having dozens of games in my yet-to-be-played pile. I do occasionally replay, but only rarely. I will never have time to replay most of the games I own, and I usually prefer going on to new games. There are so many appealing new games (plus the oldies-but-goodies that I'll probably never have time to get to).

Downloads are fine with me.

Downloads are fine with me also, so long as there are no restrictions on where when and how I play them.
If there are, theyre not ok with me as I said already.
I also have more games to play than I have time and new box games coming out all the time TG. So if I cant play a particular download DRM game its no loss at all for me since I cannot play them all anyhow and I'd rather play those that come on disks with all ther advantages and not hassles.

My feeling on this matter is a bit strange. When it comes to adventure games, I have a soft spot for hard copies and boxes. Perhaps it has something to do with how I discovered this genre when I was a kid; Sierra and LucasArts made gorgeous packaging for their games. So I usually order boxed versions from TAC's online store or InteractCD, which are both awesome to me. However, I keep meaning to play Echo and The Secrets of Da Vinci (two Kheops titles I still haven't played) and I can't find retail versions of these anymore. Seeing how The Adventure Shop's product selection is getting better and better, I might end up downloading those two games from them.

On the other hand, when it comes to action-oriented titles (I do enjoy games like Tomb Raider and Mirror's Edge), I find Steam to be insanely convenient. On Steam, you are not required to download the game files, then install the game per se, and hunt for patches. Instead, you push an 'Install game' button and it does everything for you. It proceeds to download the content, install it and update it, all automatically. Once done, you push the 'Play game' button and that's it. Furthermore, when you buy a game on Steam, all it does is add this game to the 'My games' list of your account. You can play your games from ANY computer and download them a million times if you want to. No download limit, automatic installing and updating, no nonsense. Add to that the community features which enable you to chat with friends and browse the web even when you're in-game, and you've got the pure definition of convenience here. Well, at least to me.

But again, I love my adventure game boxes. They're so pretty!!

I definitely like to keep games in case I want to play them again - because I do play them again !!

If it's "download or nothing" and I really want the game, then I will download it - with a lot of under breath cursing

If it's download for now but a hard copy will be released later, then I'll wait till later.

And it would have to be a very, very good game for me to pay for it twice - as a download AND a later hard copy

As so many here, I prefer the Boxed edition. If a game is released as download first then a boxed version becomes available I will wait for the box.

If a game is only available to download, so be it. But I look for those that can be copied and replayed later.

I love to have my games for years and later replay them. I also enjoy reselling those that I did not really care for the first time around. That has often made it possible to purchase new games.

What if it's download now and maybe a hard copy later if sales are good enough?

Are you suggesting we should buy the same game twice?

No one here would dream of such a thing.

I'll wait and see if the sales are good enough

Of course if there is a danger that the game might disappear for some reason, it would have to be the under breath cursing and a download

Judging by the posts on this thread & those on other site forums, if they are representational of the AG community as a whole?, it does seem that the idea of downloading games will be tolerated rather than welcome by the majority of players.



I also have more games than time to play but keep up with newer boxed releases which I often buy in bulk to play in the future. If downloads were the only option I would only buy them, unless the game was especially appealing, if I had nothing else to play & then only one at a time so I would end up buying far less. (I would save myself a fortune! )

I wonder how many less games are/will be sold for similar reasons & also because of download diffiulties such as having dial-up or slow connection speeds. Or whether this is compensated for by chance downloads from players who wouldn't otherwise seek out a boxed version, the bigger remuneration a download brings to the developers and/or publishers & the elimination of pirated disc versions.

It does seem to make sense though to produce a boxed version of a game later on to 'snare' gamers who won't/can't download a game & I'm sure there are many gamers who would go onto buy a boxed version after buying a download! Even if download sales are poor it still seems worth producing a boxed version as another avenue of revenue for a game albeit less.

I greatly value your input Chissie since you are a veteran whereas I lurk a lot but am a newbie on this forum. I have had a lot of long experience. So with great respect I think just the above is not correct.
I cant prove it since there are no stats to back me up but Im almost certain that the following is true.
Within days of any adventure appearing and sometimes less the game will be cracked and will appear on the file sharing sites or whatever and it makes no difference at all whether the game is download or cd. Im sure that if you ask any developer youll get that fact confirmed.
In my opinion the pirates are even more likely to crack the game if its a download in order to save all the additional annoying and offputting restrictions. Hence downloads with DRM do not eliminate piracy but in my opinion increase it.
Of course download games without any special DRM restricions are fine and no different than ordinary retail boxed cd games from the piracy and other aspects of playing since the buyer can make a cd or dvd and use it exactly the same without any extra troubles.



your wrong about the above

I agree with Jenny on this issue and cannot begin to answer this question without pointing out the downside to dl games. I am too opinionated for my own good at times. Anyway here are my anti dl reasons.

1--- Dl games are just as pricey as box copies. You can rent a console game for five dollars at any video store. Based on the terms of downloaded games for the most part you are in fact renting them. There is no trade or sell it after you are done with it option. You cannot even use what you rented without getting someone's permission. Of course you may very likely not be able to play it next year.

2---- Why would anyone pay full price to rent a DL when people like Dave at Interact sell the boxed copy worldwide at the same price? Is it the same "I want it now mentality" that fed this financial mess we are in now? You can't wait a week or so for the mailman to arrive?

3---- If this is the final option for PC gaming then I will find something else to do. But I am not paying retail price to rent something that has onerous strings attached.

Oldmariner, I take umbrage at the implication that people who buy downloads are of low character and only buy via download because they can't delay gratification. There are many reasons to pay for a game via download. We downloaders are also not personally responsible for the global financial crisis.

Hi harhan3

I must admit that, having read all the threads about game downloading that I have come across over the years, I have wondered myself why downloaded games might be considered less likely to be pirated

I would have thought it entirely possible that unscrupulous people will find a way to burn a downloaded game to a disk, print up some attractive artwork, put all in a jewel case and then go on to sell it !!

In fact there are probably daily examples of that very thing appearing on the Ebays and suchlike of the world. There certainly are with films and music

I have always and still do regard "buying a download" as my last option when considering the purchase of a game.

But of course, as I also have already said, rather than altogether do without a game I very much want, I WILL force myself to buy the download

Cheers.

Mad

Thank you for responding to my post harhan3 & appreciate your input. I was more interested to see how much gamers liked the idea of downloads rather than the issues surrounding them - I was keen to avoid them although I think it was relevant for posters to mention DRM if that was an objection to them to download games.

I'm sorry, but if you are going to quote me I would please appreciate that you do so in full context of what I've written - please don't take out a few lines out, as you have done above, & accuse me of being wrong when they are in a phrase where I am questioning rather than stating! Perhaps I worded myself badly?

If you have hard facts about piracy regarding download games it may be worth starting another thread about - I just wondered what players thought about them!

EDIT: I've just seen all the post above you naughty folk!

oldmariner - I was really thinking about newer games being released by download to start with e.g. recently Ankh 3 where a hard copy has not been released & perhaps won't be (I live in hope!). Games that are being offered as DRM protected downloads which also have disc versions available - well, I do think this is down to personal choice. Sierramindy & Becky have both said that they are unlikely to replay/get round to replaying games so for them & I'm sure for many other players who feel the same way downloading is not a problem, why would it be? so that view needs to be respected.

Mad, I've no doubt that DRM protected games can be copied also but if you see a disc version you are going to know straight away that it's pirated - if it doesn't bother a player hopefully by then the download has had enough legitimate subscribers or am I just being incredibly optimistic or plain naive?

"Mad, I've no doubt that DRM protected games can be copied also but if you see a disc version you are going to know straight away that it's pirated"

Well yes, obviously, chrissie.
But I imagine the majority of people who buy pirated stuff these days (considering the constant publicity about it) are surely people who know full well it's a pirated version and just don't care.

They buy it because it costs them far less than the real thing and it works.

And we are way off your thread topic yet again !!

Ouch, Becky no insult was intended. I mentioned nothing of character. I simply mused if paying retail price for a rental is related to the instant gratification mindset.

It is far cheaper to offer a DL than it is to produce a hard copy. But yet they charge full retail, why? The publishers do not pass the savings onto their customers do they? Then they add insult to injury by dictating how and when you can use the product. It is not about piracy it is about maximizing profit. I seriously doubt pirates cannot crack a download.

Yes some games are available only by download as this is a test. If people buy into it the trend will increase because the public bought into it. I will wait for the hard copy and if it does not appear so be it. I am not about to pay full retail for a rental. If the public decides to pay $20 to $30 for a DL or $40 in some cases so be it.

Again there was no intent to insult only raising a comparison questioning if that mused link is valid.

I really think aside from the copy protection issue that if full price download games can support the developers/publishers more in the first place if there are enough players willing to buy them I am optimistic that this could be very positive for the future of AGs & boxed versions to follow can only offer a further boost.

As for me this talk about downloads maybe becoming the thing, and box versions something of the past. Where downloads become so popular that you can't buy the box anymore, because so many are downloading instead of buying the box really scares and worries me . Like I said previously I only buy the box. I live out in the country, I can only have dail up internet which is very very slow. The only high speed internet I can get is very expensive for me, I can't afford it. Also I love to collect the games like a book collector does . I look at the list of games to come out in March all downlaods it makes me want to cry .

If a box version would always shortly follow a download then that would be good news that I would surely like to hear and also more profit for the makers of the game. They could always do it the other way around too.

comcast is trying to charge me 1350.00 to hook me up to high speed because I'm way off the main road. Soooo it's still dial-up for me also.My gaming would come to a screeeching halt,if it goes to all downloaded games.

Dunn Tawkin

Dunn Tawkin,
I sure pray that does not happen. Playing these games is such a joy in my life. I hope that Dave at interact will always be able to get the box version in so people like us can still enjoy the games .

I agree Trinny3

I never thought about people with dial up..Some areas don't have access to cable or fios..

The developers would lose lots of gamers if its just downloads

There is nothing to stop devs from giving players 2 options simultaneously. Say 30 do;;ars for the boxed game and maybe 25 dollars for the downlod game preferably without any more drawbacks than the former.

Added.
Very very sorry chrissie if I upset or insulted you I didnt meann to and exactly the opposite actually.
I only extracted that sentence since so many people have been fed the story that those extremely bad DRM drawbacks are almoat always included in download games to eliminate piracy.
IMHO this story is untrue and I claim the opposite, in other words it increases the chances of piracy ssince those folk both get the game for free and without any copy protection hassles.

Mad.
I think that most piracy is not done by people copying games onto a cd or dvd and selling them cheap.
The vast majority are players downloading cracked games that is games where all copy protection has been removed by programming and you dont even have to put a cd or dvd into the tray in order to play. The pirated game doesnt even need to be put onto a disk but can be played direct from the hard disk; but of course it can always be copied onto a disk and given out to relatives and friends or I suppose sold by the really brazen pirates.

And yet another thread on the objections to downloads.

I will stop playing games when it comes down to just downloads. I refuse to download now and I'll refuse to download in the future. If I pay for something I want the physical product.

I think I may have mentioned this beore. I have no objections at all to downloaded games, on the contrary I love them and am very very much in favor of them. I can get my fix immediately. They save me a serious expense in airmail postage and packing. They avoid the occasional additional outlay of customs and VAT.
I believ that the only thing that negates all those advantages is the completely unnecessary drawbacks of the superfluous very bad copy protection schemes which so far seem to accompany all or almost all download games.

I dont think Ive made myself clear.
Dowload ..... good.
DRM ... very very bad.
Im convinced that games can be downloaded without any copy protection just like some boxed games are and their sales will not be harmed at all but maybe enlarged since IMO piracy will not be increased but even quite probably be reduced.
I truly believe that the sooner that devs and pubs realize this and remove those DRMs the better for everybody. Until then I shall continue not to buy any so called DL games since as has been said more than once, Im not actually buying but renting under terribly limited and unfair conditions which dont apply to anything else that I buy with my hard cash.

My only important worry and upset is for the people who unlike myself collect the external boxes or only have dialup.

I thought I was going to change over to preferring to downloading games, but after today's challenging day, I might not be so eager after all. I thought I would be a good little GameBoomer and download a game from the link to Adventure Shop that's here. Well, it's Simon the Sorcerer 4: Chaos Happens and I actually don't know where else to get it, to tell the whole truth. What a comedy of errors it turned out to be for me. I didn't really understand the directions for the download in the first place but I went ahead and tried anyway, brave me! I just used the defaults all the way (since I have no idea how to make a file folder) but I goofed right at the beginning because there were 4 links in my email and I thought only one was needed. I started the download and it was working until it said to insert Disc One, like what's this? That's when it started to dawn on me that just maybe I had to click on all four links to do it right. So I did that, and a long, long, LONG time later, when I was beginning to think waiting 5 days for a game to arrive in the mail wasn't so bad after all, it was finished. Nice, but then more problems, like how to *install* and *launch* the game! I was so stuck that I sent Adventure Shop an email requesting help. More comedy here because I discovered an icon I hadn't seen that installed the game. It was just a blue arrow in a square and I was looking for a Simon icon. Anyway, I did get the game installed and launched (and even got a Simon icon now) and started playing it. Enjoying it too! I have sent a second email canceling the request for help so I hope that I got it all straightened out okay.
Am I still interested in downloading games at this point? Well, yes, I am, just think of everything I learned today, can't let that knowledge go to waste now, can I?

I'm sorry you feel like that although I was hoping that piracy issues weren't going to be focused on. Downloads have been around for a while now but I think it's important, in the hope that publishers/developers look at forums like these to keep stressing that a lot of players either won't or can't come round to this idea & there is a continuing market for boxed versions. I'm all for them following downloads if this helps the developers.

I'm going to break my own rule now but I think Mad made a very good point about pirated boxed versions of download games. This is a market that could grow considerably if legitimate boxed versions aren't produced as I wonder how many 'honest' gamers will be tempted if it's the only way of getting a 'keepable' game?

sierramindy - I'm glad you managed to get your game up & running!

harhan3 - thank you, no offense taken!

While I prefer the boxed games as previously stated, I have chosen to download games from GOG.com. They offer some of the best of the old games which are DRM free and you can make a copy for backup. That is the way I wish all download sites were. Another good point about GOG is that they make their games XP and Vista compatible and even update them to the latest patch. What's not to love?!

That is enormously interesting and important.
I have been advocating download without DRM for a long time. If there are absolutely no more obstacles to playing the game other than those on boxed games, this eliminates the main objections of most people who refuse to buy download games, including myself.

------ Some important questions from your experience -
Can you make more than one backup copy?
-- Do you mean a backup copy on a CD?
-- If you want your partner or mother or whoever to play at the same time as you on his or her own computer, can he play the game from the backup copy?
-- If the answer to the above question is "yes" can the game be played from the backup copy *alone and completely* or does the player have to be online or get online-authorization or anything similar?
-- Likewise can you play the game using the back up copy on your laptop which is not connected in any way to the Internet?

Only after writing the above -
I looked at their list of games. Most seem to be shooters etc. and not adventures. But I wonder if games like the Broken-Swords are sold with proper permissions - they seem very cheap.
The description on Wikipedia seems almost too good to be true. Im hoping that it is true and all completely legit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOG.com

@harhan

Regarding GOG.com

You can make all the copies you want of the downloaded files and put them on a CD/DVD (it's not playable from the CD though).

There's NO restrictions at all - you can give a CD/DVD with the files to everyone you know, and you can all play at the same time.

There's no need to be online - no activation - no nothing.

Sweet deal, eh?
But remember - they mostly do in older games/oldies.
You wont' find new games here.

I so want to play Emerald City but after reading here about the privacy issues associated with the Play site I decided against it. I went to Big Fish in search of the game and it was not there. Does anyone know if Playfirst is the only option at this point in time?

@lexxy

Seems this is the only place to get it for now, sorry

Very many thanks for the info Misslilo.
Thats how I think alln download games should be, without the horrible DRMs.
Just one thing Im not clear about.
"You can make all the copies you want of the downloaded files and put them on a CD/DVD (it's not playable from the CD though)".
What do you mean by "(it's not playable from the CD though)". Do you simply mean that you, or your friend, has to copy the CD files to his hard-disc and then he can play like you without additional hassle which is very easy and fair, or is it more complicated than that?
Please let me know, its very interesting.

Whether or not you have a download or a CD version it is against copyright laws to make a copy and use on another machine. You do not buy the “game” you buy a license to play the game. You do not have the right to install on multiple computers and use at the same time. If you wish to turn your license over to soomeone else by giving them the original CD and uninstalling the game from your hard drive that is fine. To do otherwise is no different from those who pirate games.

Ana

Thanks for that very appropriate info-warning Ana.
I did not describe properly and it gave the impression of spreading the game around. I did not mean that at all.
I meant can you use your download backup disk exactly with only the EULA restrictions which exist on boxed discs, no more of course but no less?

What I meant was, that you can not just insert the backup CD and then think the game is ready to play.
When you make a backup copy, it will only be install files you backup.

But you're not supposed to. From the GOG.com FAQ:



The misconception that "if I can pass it around, that must mean I'm allowed to" is why developers who offer downloads need to put DRM on their downloads in the first place. It's not to punish the user, and it's not going to stop piracy from happening, but it does prevent the casual passing around of a game that can eat into sales.

It's definitely the responsibility of the developer (or the shop - whoever's offering the download) to provide a good user experience. Ideally the DRM should be as hassle-free as possible and the download process should be easier than getting into the car and driving to the store.

Thanx Misslilo.
I definitely want to doewnload 3 games from GoG. I certainly dont want to9 pass them on to anybody else, except maybe only to my son which I do all the time with my boxed games and have done for ages without as far as I know infringing any copyrights.
But I travel a great deal and would like to play them in my many off-moments. I have 2 laptops but neither has a connection to the Internet.

Please could you explain exactly jow I do this; or maybe somebody else.
When i install a boxed game I get a hnumber of files in a folder and often 1 or more subfolders. I suppose that all of these are downloaded from GoG and are the only things needed to platy the games with no need to contact them or anything else.
I assume that it is these files and maybe subfolders with files that you copy onto a blank CD or DVD.
When I want to play the game from one of my laptops, what exactly do I do? Do I just open a folder on the hard disk of my laptop then copy all the files from my CD to that folder and then from those files alone on my laptops hard disk without any more ado I can play the game.
I wonder if this is completely correct.
I would be very grateful for advice.

Have you contacted GOG support to ask how to do this? I am sure their customer support could best serve you with the most accurate information.

Ana

My goodness, this is all very complicated for li'l ol' me. I don't even know what DRM means. And I don't know how to make copies of any games I play, boxed or download.
BTW, Adventure Shop sent me emails this morning on my request (and cancellation) for help. In the help email they explained very clearly how to make a new file folder, for which I am very grateful (and so is my husband as he didn't know either) and now I'm more than ever in favor of downloads. Let's hear it for Adventure Shop! And make MaG happy, I hope.

About pirates: I have to admit that way back in the early days of Sierra my husband had a pirated copy of Leisure Suit Larry in the Land of the Lounge Lizards, a game I never would have considered playing by reason of the title alone. However there it was on the computer and when I had nothing better to do, I started to play it, and got hooked, that disco part was hilarious. After that, the rest of the games were bought, so I think Sierra got the best of that deal in the end. Meaning maybe pirates can also help the genre. Nothing is ALL bad, or ALL good, for that matter.

@harhan

When you have paid for the game on GOG, then you go to your acount there and find the games.
There's an option to either list them or have them stand on nice shelfs with the boxart from the front showing

Most of the time it's only 1 file to download (an install file plus of course the manual in pdf format).
Sometimes there's goodies too - wallpapers, soundtracks etc.

You can backup this file to a CD, then put the CD in a laptop and install the game from the CD by double clicking this file to install the game to your laptop.
It will put an icon on your laptop desktop, which you just doubeclick to play the game

It's really easy when you first try it

The GOG team actually modify the install file, so it comes with either DOSBox or ScummVM, which lets us play all these fine old games without any problems.

Many thanx Misslilo for your time and a good description.
One very last short question I promise to make it totally clear for me. Sorry for being a bit dim.

When you " --- double clicking this file to install the game to your laptop." do you have to be online connected to Internet?

No, no need to be online/connected for installing or playing the games at all

Donloads are fine with me and I think I am beginning to prefer them. I think it's a great option when games are either not going to come to the states or are hard to find. I just re-downloaded a game because I bought a laptop and wanted to replay that game on the laptop rather than on my desktop and had no problems. I am like Becky, I don't replay adventure games and want to play the new ones.

Thanks for the full picture now Misslilo.

I too greatly support downloads but only those like GoG and at least one other download site which downloads without the limiting DRMs. I'm hoping that gradually the other download sites will follow their example so that nobody needs to criticize the downloading of adventure games.
The situation may be somewhat different with casual and hidden object games.

By the way: There has been a lot of controvery also on another main forum at the same time as here in 2 recent threads. Nearly all the posters there refuse to download with DRMs - Digital rights management.
But no way does that mean that majority of players there are opposed.

One of those threads is here.

And another very long thread here.

Even thhough I feel strongly about this subject since I feel it may ruin my beloved adventure genre, ive written too much and and so this is my last post on the subject.
Thanks to any who have listened.

Please......

Like I said before I Cannot Download and I LOVED collecting the box version. When I order from Dave at interact Cd, he is in California and I am in Maryland it only takes 2-3 days to get to me no longer then that. I hate the thoughts of this someday coming to an end for me . I hope there is enough people out there that will still support the box version so they will still publish it.

I think we no longer have the intent of the thread in mind. There are plenty of threads here also that are against, it's to be expected. Those that are against something are more prone to post. The rest are happily gaming.

Ana

The casual forum is full of gamers that are happy downloading games.
They also download full adventures from Kheops, frogwares and independent developers as well as casuals.

Part of the reason might be the learning curve, the store's presentation or the publicity.
BF have activation codes too.

Harhan3, what other site than GOG downloads without DRM? :StPats:

Hi harhan3,
So DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. Now I am beginning to understand what some of this is all about! Thanks a heap!

BTW, I clicked on those 2 links you posted and read up on some, not all as they go on and on, of the discussions there, very interesting.

Hello SharonB

In my post above I stated "ive written too much and and so this is my last post on the subject.
Thanks to any who have listened."
However without entering again into this controversial topic at all, I will answer a question put to me just as others have helped me on GameBoomers.

Two such Sites apparently offer games with no DRM, Digital Rights Management, at all.
I know nothing about either site for good or bad. I simply noticed that somebody very near the end of the thread I linked to in a recent post mentioned them
They are Gamersgate and Stardock. I looked them up on Google, but as I said above I cannot vouch for either or against them.

Later on ---
I looked up one of the two suggestions and I'm not certain that its games are downloaded without any DRM.
imho more investigation is needed by anybvody wishing to go that way.

I'm disappointed that more people didn't post in favour of download games to get more of a balance of opinion As MaG has indicated in her post below, players are taking advantage of the download option despite DRM. Also many of the games are still available in boxed versions. I think the casual game portals are a little different in that many offer membership packages which, if you subscribe to them, mean that you can download games at a very low cost - I think that must make a difference! I think the reason that maybe there weren't more posts pro downloads, apart from players being too busy gaming , is that there is no immediate danger of the option going away as opposed to our beloved boxed versions!

Sorry Ana,

I must have over looked that post from Chrissie. Sorry also to you Chrissie. I had only one thing on my mind and that was someone to give me a ray of hope that this would not happen, because I am a hopeless worrier . I will not post on this subject again unless someone eles starts a new thread on the subject and then I would only post once. Sorry again to all, forgive me.

Hi Trinny3, not to worry! I think the thread just got carried away!

I also prefer to buy my games on disk when possible. I always have, but I would have been skewed that way anyway because highspeed internet wasn't available in my area until relatively recently. The local utility companies weren't in any hurry to upgrade when half the power lines were on emergency poles at any given time. It takes years sometimes for the companies to replace them when any are lost. (Manpower has been a bit low for years, and the companies keep having to spell each other with all these weather-related disasters we've had in our country...and then too the urban & upscale areas tend to get the best repairs first.) They have never been in any hurry to upgrade our area. The most influential people here are also older, and not big internet users. Many of them still don't use computers much.

With that in mind, its hard not to think that a sufficiently bad hurricane or other disaster could render it impractical for the utility companies to maintain broadband options here. You probably wouldn't think they'd do that --but a lady who worked for the phone company confirmed that to keep basic services running, downgraded 'emergency lines' can be put up rapidly, and once up, they often aren't in a hurry to upgrade for fun extras like DSL. Too many disasters, and even cable may not regard replacing the best lines to keep those top services for your neighborhood worth a rush job.

I am presuming that this concern is over-rated for the rest of the post, but I thought it worth mentioning once.

I have tried a few download purchases. The utility purchases went fine, and they give you lots of data you can save to get going again if something goes wrong, you have to reformat or whatever. You can usually save the downloads & the license. They have backups in place to notice if the process fails - like if you lost power while downloading/activating etc. (This happened to us once.)

Some game download sales went fine, but others left me feeling a little burned - and yes the activation and other limitations have everything to do with it, so its kinda hard to talk about whether one is as good as the other without bringing that up.

Mulawa is one who does it right. The games I buy from him I can save & even get another copy if I lose the first somehow...which has happened. I have no hesitation buying games from Mulawa anytime. I found Paypal awkward, but now Paypal has made my usual method easier, so that's alright too.

I downloaded copies of Sam & Max (PC version) from Telltale & later bought the disks in their box...I am MUCH happier with the disks, as the individual episodes will always need 'activation' and I might want to play on the pc that is never online, but Telltale is pretty reasonable to work with when its their own titles. They will sell you the disk version for not too much more at the end of the season. I like that a lot.

I bought Strongbad on the Wii - and it was fine to play, and Nintendo has made it possible to save those on the flash cards, so that's not too bad (they also keep track so you can download again). The price was reasonable too. Of course, that was Telltale again.

Al Emmo was another matter, sadly. I still haven't been able to save it since I bought it..so I am stuck leaving it on my hard drive..and having to have it online made me uncomfortable. It was a fun game, but I paid as much for it as any boxed Nancy Drew, and it came with all these annoyances.

I don't LIKE playing single player adventure games online that are fullscreen experiences because I can't see any security warnings..and when it isn't fullscreen, it isn't terribly immersive.

Hopefully a happy method can be found that makes the process more reliably enjoyable in the future, but right now disks are definitely the better choice for gaming purchases whenever possible. I feel its worth the wait.

I have also heard the manufactured disks last longer than ones you can make. This isn't as big a deal for utilities because they become obsolete in a very few years anyway, but really good games I might want to replay for a long time.

Oh dear oh dear --- I said I wouldn't continue but with all the many posts on this subject in various forums I honestly cant remember anybody seriously mentioning disruption of Net access due to severe weather conditions and especially in your part of the world Salar - another factor and cause for thought.

So if you have a prolonged disruption from your ISP what do you do with games that you must have connection to Internet before you play and or install them?
Players who only have dialup have mentioned their inability to download games especially as they tend to get bigger and often run into over a gigabyte.
But I haven't thought of hurricanes, typhoons and just plain foul weather conditions.
Not good at all for downloads that need internet connections after the first initial download.
Mind you, breakdowns in WWW connection for lengthy periods even withot storms also is terribly frustrating if you just want to play a game and cant cos contact with the net for any reason is essential.

Gee, what if it's a bad storm and your power goes out? Maybe PC games aren't such a good idea after all and we should have stuck with board games that we can play in candlelight!

Powerouts??!!
One of the reasons why I've seriously thought of getting a small generator for home use, lol

We have had power outings when obviously we cant use our PC, but we can still use our laptops which are not connected to the Net so we can play discs but not anything that needs the Internet for anything.
PS
Love your "Land of Hamlet" Misslilo.
PPS
Maybe you are lucky to live in an area free from power cuts.
Also when the weather is bad, especially lightening etc our ISP goes down sometimes for considerable periods whilst we still have normal electricity - and so although we cant acces the Net, we dont need candles.

Truth be told, I don't think I've EVER experienced powerouts - so it's not something we get much here in denmark

Lost internet connection is a different matter.
Happens occasionally if our ISP work on the cables or phone companies break the lines
The longest was 1 week without internet!!
Of course back then I only had one connection - today I've learned my lesson and now have 2 different ISP's

And to be clear about my view on game downloads - I really don't mind at all.
But since I'm also an "obsessed" collector, I like to have the boxed version too, lol.

I don't think a downloaded game will ever be a good way to go until they can be played on computers without the internet. They have many other drawbacks for me as well. Another one is the fact that I don't have a cd label printer and if I backup anything on a blank cd or dvd it has a way of getting lost or thrown away. If it has a nice printed label on it I have never lost any game and I have around 300. I really don't want any software without a factory label on the cd or dvd and will pay extra to get them this way.

My understanding & experience is that once you've downloaded, installed & activated a game (unless it's sold as an 'online' game) you don't need to be connected to the internet to actually play it - you only need the connection to re-activate it if you have uninstalled it & want to reinstall it again from a back-up disc.

We had a long powercut earlier on in the year - I felt so lost without my PC I'm very sympathetic if you live in a part of the world where you experience this a lot! Yep! board-games by candle-light had to do!

Chrissie, I agree that this is true for many games sold by download right now. Only some seem to want you to be online when you start each time & its hard to get off while in the game.

I just remembered one of our first download purchases. We got a shareware screensaver from a small company called Trillium. The screensaver is/was called Snowqualmie. It makes all kind of particle randomness. It was made for win98, but after all these years it still works and is still very pretty.

Happily it was the old style of 'download game' - since they also snail-mailed me a key and a registered disk when we paid them. That proved to be important because the company went out of business and the 'activate online' option was no longer practicable. You couldn't even download the 'trial' again!

Jalex, I have lost games like that too. We ended up repurchasing Everett Kaser's Sherlock way back when because we hadn't physically written down our info, we had changed our email since buying it, and had ended up redoing the computer without saving the email license! That's when I got serious about saving license data in journals.

Hi Salar of Myst, do you mean that each time you want to launch & continue playing a game again after a previous session you need to be online? After initially installing, activating & starting the game do you not have the option to exit, disable internet access & relaunch the game without it?

Chrissie, in these cases the game is establishing that it is 'legitimate' with online contact every time it is launched - so no, you can't run it offline. I don't like that.

Susan, are you talking about AG's or casual games? I know very little AG's wanting to "phone home".

Bernard, Your question is an interesting one and reminded me of a recent thread I read the other day on JA. It seems Dave Gilbert's new game "Emerald City" may just require you to be online each time you launch it. Dave is the independent developer who did the Blackwell series. I just went back to that thread now seven pages long to review the reference. Of course I could not find the comment. Can you ever find something you thought you saw while trying to skim seven pages?

It seems like many are dumping on Dave saying he sold out. Play First the publisher loaded it up with DRM and "conditions". Like he had anything to say about what they did in that regard to a game they paid him to develop. As Dave said they approached him asking if he would build an adventure game for them. I am not about to dump on an indy developer trying to make a living. I've traded e-mails with Dave a few times and he seems like a nice guy and the DRM free Blackwell games he makes are very good. In fact his two Blackwell Games are the only DL games I ever purchased because they are restriction free and I will buy the third in the series. Expected in April.

But anyway check out the thread on just adventure it is an interesting read. Emerald City is in the title of the thread under adventure games on their forum. It is just possible some developers may be exploring this additional restriction.

I don't mind buyng my games digitally- I have many from Gamersgate, EA Games, Big Fish and have not ever had a problem with those games - however- I purcahsed 4 Nancy Drew games directly from Her Interactive and got the dreaded out of activation message on two of the games. No reason why really either as I had not uninstalled the games or done anything different to my PC.

Anyway, when this happened the first time it took me 10 minutes stuffing around having to register to tech support and within an hour they reactivated my game. When it happened to the second game they gave me an unlock code to use which I can on any of the games. The response back was quick and pleasant and no hassle really- but I can imagine other people not being so patient waiting the hour for reactivations etc.

I think this is correct as I downloaded the demo which I didn't have time to complete in one go. When I tried to resume playing another time offline I had to enable my internet to continue. In Dave's defence this is not to do with the actual game but with the way that Playfirst operate. They also seem to be quite intrusive & I have deleted everything to do with them from my PC.

As reported on another thread the game is being released on Big Fish on Monday. There is a series of games I particularly like that are produced by Playfirst that I only buy from Big Fish when they get them - I've never had any problem playing them offline after installation (even demos) so I think the same will apply to Emerald City!

So Salar of Myst I guess the problems of having to be online to play a game are to do with the 'policy' of the download supplier rather than the actual game?

BellaRosa - thank you for your pro download post & I'm glad you got the problems sorted out fairly quickly!

To the best of my limited knwledge this is true.
Each download Company fixes its restrictions and sticks to them, and not the game developer - some of these restrictions are more limiting and disturbing to many players, others are not. So If the developer wants or needs to get their game distributed by a particular download Companythey are obliged to accept that Companys particular rules.

I repeat, I truly wish that *all* download Companys would simply download their games without *any* restrictions over and above those that apply to ordinary boxed games.
I honestly believe that if they were to do that, both the distributors and their customer-players would benefit greatly from all points of view and with henefits to all. It would cause less hassle both to distributors and players with no disadvantages to either. And I dont think yhat their games would be pirated any more than they certainly are now, and imo probably less.

Good subject! I'm replaying the good old serie of the Myst games and as an old good timer, I simply love playing those wonderful games. If I download a very good game, I surely want to have it for a long time and replay it whithout having to keep it in my PC. So I too like box editions. Bye to everyone. Sali

Chrissie, I believe you are absolutely correct.

Susan

The bad thing about these copy protection schemes? It only hurts the people who buy the games, pirated copies have been modified to prevent this kind of things. It's time for the publishers to realize that no copy protection is safe, in the end it will only scare the honest people, who are willing to pay for the game, away!

Yes I agree absolutely Bernard --- I've been trying to make that point all the time.
Many players agree but others dont.
Since imo both distributors and developers and players would all only benefit from stopping those so called "copy protection schemes" Im hoping that a concerted cry from players will get them to eliminate them and make everybody happy including themselves.

Do you remember the shocking StarForce copy protection scheme on CD games? It caused so many problems that very many players and posters on all forums complained until eventually it was scrapped - but only after a lot of complaints and some crazies refusing to buy any games with StarForce.
I dont say that present download DRM restrictions are as bad or harmful as that, but if they serve no purpose at all and simply cause some portion of players not to buy the games, why not scrap them and not only make however many disgruntled players happy, but imo improve the status of adventure games generaly which would be good for everybody including the GameBoomers forum.