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If You Never Bought a Video Game Again
So the question, “If you never bought another game again in your life, how would you feel about your collection?” arose. Naturally, a lot of retro collectors have more games than we could play in 5 life times. With that said, no. We don’t need new games.
This question popped back up around the game collecting scene in light of Sony’s announcement last week that they would be discontinuing physical media.
With this news, a lot of physical collectors have said we will not be buying into the Sony ecosystem past the Playstation 5. It’s only a matter of time before Nintendo and Xbox join Sony in this digital only future. When that time comes, the amount of new games I purchase will dwindle drastically [mostly because I will not be interested in owning digital only consoles]. Most collectors are looking at their collections smiling thinking that’s fine. They have hundreds, or in some cases, a thousand games to keep them busy.
Take my Gamecube games for example. This is just 4 epic RPGs. I could probably play for an entire year on just these four titles if I explored everything they had to offer. And staying on my Gamecube collection for a minute, I have over 170 gamecube games. That includes other RPGs like Fire Emblem. Collectathons like Ty, Mario Sunshine, and Wario World, multiplayer games like Super Smash Brothers, Double Dash, 4 Mario Parties and so many more offer literally endless entertainment. I could play exclusively my Gamecube collection, and I’m not sure I’d ever get bored.
In this picture [taken my YouTube short so pardon the dimensions], I talked about some of my favorite games. I replay so many of these games over and over. The amount of my life I’ve sank into just Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 is… well.. concerning, but still. Throw in the Pokemon games and some of those multiplayer games I’ve mentioned above, and I’d be set. That implies I could handpick maybe 10 games out of my collection and still be set for life.
This has caused plenty of haters to be vocal that collectors don’t need any more games. They can’t possibly understand why would we want more games.
[Again, excuse the bad proportions]. Anyway, the point I’m getting at is I would be sad to miss out on new entries in my favorite franchises. If Nintendo had gone exclusively digital with the Switch 2, I would have missed out on Donkey Kong Banaza. Kirby and the Forgotten Lands got its new DLC on the Switch 2. I absolutely loved both of these games.
The next 3D Mario game hasn’t been announced yet. We also don’t know the future of Zelda. I’m assuming both of these franchises get at least one more physical title during the Switch 2’s lifespan. But their future releases past that could be digital only. Even with regards to Sony, I’ll be sad to no longer get to experience the latest Ratchet and Clank games.
So to answer the question. If I never bought another game, I have more than I could ever play. But I would still be sad about missing out on new experiences and the hype of new things.
So how about you guys? If you never bought a new game again, how do you feel about your collection?
Xbox’s Disc to Digital
Last week we talked about Grand Theft Auto 6’s announcement to go digital only and how Sony followed that up by announcing they are ending production of physical disc for Playstation starting January 2028.
All eyes have turned to Nintendo and Xbox to see their next moves. Nintendo has already been training gamers for a digital future with game key cards, a practice I am not letting off the hook. Everyone knows Microsoft will most likely go digital only with the next Xbox generation. So why am I thinking about buying Xbox Series X games?
Well, it’s still in the test phase, but we’re hearing word that Microsoft will be incorporating a process called “Disc to Digital.” At first glance, I assumed this meant the next console was for sure going to have a disc drive. But I heard word immediately after Sony’s announcement that Microsoft wanted a digital only console as well.
If my research is correct, players who own an Xbox One or Xbox Series X can participate in this. Your last gen console will act like a hub. You insert your old disc into your previous Xbox. It will read a code from the disc and grant the next Xbox [Nicknamed Peoject Helix.] a digital license for you to game digitally.
Yeah, its not nearly as great as I thought. Licenses are the bane of physical media as those linceses dry up and redistribution becomes impossible. The licenses Microsoft is suggesting is also one they can revoke when they want. That’s dangerous. But it is leaps and bounds better than Sony. Both Sony and Microsoft are killing future physical media, which isn’t good nor should be supported or celebrated. But we are gamers. There will be games in the future I want to play. If Sony says screw backwards compatibility and screw future physical releases, then I am just out on them entirely and want no part of the PS6 [Ratchet and Clank would be the only game I would sadly miss.]. If Microsoft is still honoring and supporting backwards compatibility, then I consider that a huge plus.
If I hypothetically wanted or was forced into owning a digital only console for next gen, then I would support Microsoft over Sony. Though, admittedly, both are atrocious and probably not worth supporting.
If this program is in fact part of the next Xbox, then that would put Xbox squarely in the middle of Nintendo and Sony. Sony clearly hates the cost of physical distribution as well as the fact that video game preservation exist. They don’t want gamers playing on old hardware. Nintendo will end up destroying Sony in that department as the Switch 2 can play [maybe, I think] all the original Switch 1 games. When Sony moves to the Playstation 6, we already know it won’t be backwards compatible due to not having a disc drive.
This seems so backwards. Sony, to my knowledge, has ensured a majority of the PS4 library is playable on the PS5. As well as most PS5 games are playable straight from the disc [no need for day 1 updates or constant internet access]. Sony should be clinging to physical media like the rest of us. They own and produce blu rays and other forms of physical media. While Microsoft was known for their home computers and digital software of Microsoft Office. That’s why so many of us feel betrayed by Sony and find it ironic we are rooting for Microsoft to do the right thing.
If you are like me, you prefer your games to be available to play offline and without needing updates to play. As a result I’m going to start doing research on what Xbox One and Series X games are playable on the disc in offline mode. Some games are broken messes or incomplete without their day one patches while some games force you to be online to play. I’m not super interested in having those games in my collection.
With that in mind, I’ll do a follow up blog of the games I find that fit this list. I’ll mostly be relying on the internet for this as these will be the games I’m going to start hunting down, not ones I actively own and can test myself. Websites like “Does It Play” will be a huge help, but they mostly specialize in Playstation.
If you know any games that fit that bill on Xbox One and Xbox Series X, leave it in the comments.
Sorry if this post feels disjointed or all over the place. Many of us are still processing what the digital future will look like and what we want to do. Truthfully, Sony has knocked it out of the park with this generation. They’re a little lack luster with their pricing models and exclusives, but the backwards compatibility and games on the disc of the PS5 has been impressive. Too bad this is where Sony dies for most of us.
Anyway, thanks for reading and have a great day.
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
Side Characters Who Got Their Own Games!
The main character can make or break a video game. Sonic is one of the most simple, yet perfectly designed characters. His ability, attitude, everything about him helps set the tone for the level design. It helped him stand out against Mario. Compare that to Tails. Tails is good and all, but he doesn’t bring the same punch Sonic does. He’s clearly designed to be a side character. But what happens when those characters designed to be side characters get the spotlight? Today, let’s look at 4 times understudies got called up to the big stage.
We will start with Luigi. Perhaps the most iconic side character of all time. He started off as the player 2 option back in the day. He was just an off color Mario really. However, over time he got his own identity. He was taller and slender than Mario. That became symbolic with his movement, where he was better at jumping than Mario, but with less precision. He also was characterized as a little bit of a scaredy cat. This is what makes Luigi’s Mansion a perfect setting for Luigi to shine. Nintendo leaned into Luigi’s chicken demeanor. Luigi’s Mansion stars Luigi winning a Mansion filled with ghosts. He must overcome his fear in order to save his brother, Mario. It’s awesome to see Luigi develop as more than just a player 2 option. He’s really blossomed over the last few decades.
Daxter
Daxter was a wise guy, smart mouth punk through the Jak and Daxter franchise. It’s funny to me that the first game is titled Jak and Daxter. But the rest of the franchise drops the Daxter part. I feel like this is because of the complete tonal shift from Jak and Daxter to Jak 2. Daxter was the cute animal sidekick. Which was appropriate for a 3D platformer. When it shifted to a more dark, gritty adventure game, the emphasis moves from a lovable duo, to the titular hero. Well, Daxter would go on to get his own game. What’s interesting about this is they put him on the PSP. I assume this is because he’s a side character. It just fits more on Sony’s handheld. Now, Daxter is a really awesome 3D action platformer that I think does blend the two styles of games pretty well. Though, it does feel like a slightly darker version of Jak and Daxter. So I think it’s cool when Daxters name gets back on a game, it gives those classic PS2 vibes.
Shadow the Hedgehog
Shadow is an interesting one. I never played Sonic growing up. I was more of a Mario guy. However, I’ve always loved Sonic’s supporting cast. Knuckles and Shadow were so cool looking. I remember begging mom to rent Shadow the Hedgehog. And she let me. Boy, was I surprised. I was 11 when it came out. You’d think I’d be at the right age where a gritty, explosive, high octane adventure would be screaming my name. But this game did not click with me well at all. I really could not have played more than a level or two. Maybe this is because it’s still more or less a Sonic game? I still like Shadow as a character, but I just couldn’t get into the game. I don’t know if it was because of GTA3 or what, but it felt like every franchise around this era wanted this gritty mature vibe to them. It makes sense not wanting Sonic to be the lead in this title. It kinda goes against the lovable brand Sonic had spent the last decade building up, meaning Shadow was a perfect fit here.
Diddy Kong
Last today is Diddy Kong. He started off as Donkey Kong’s sidekick in Donkey Kong Country, a 2D side scrolling action platformer. He’s fun with an awesome design. Diddy Kong would get a chance to shine early in his gaming career. He became the main character in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest. A sequel held in very high regards. Im sure it helped that Donkey Kong’s name was plastered on the box. A few years later, he would land his own title on Nintendo’s new console, the n64. Diddy Kong Racing stood out against Mario 64. It had an open world, boss fights, new characters. It was a fresh spin on Kart racers in the face of the titan that was Mario Kart 64. Impressively enough, a lot of people say they actually prefer Diddy Kong Racing over Mario Kart 64. Making it, in my opinion, a very successful spin-off. Diddy Kong has remained active in the gaming world. He’s a playable character in the Smash Brothers series. He’s still at DKs side in the Donkey Kong Country series. He was even a playable character in DK64. His Flagship racer even got ported over to DS. While he’s remained relevant in gaming, it is still hard to see a new Diddy Kong Racing game getting greenlit if even F-Zero can not get one. Not to mention, Rare, Diddy Kong’s creator, has gone on to live at the farm up north.
A fun part about doing this topic is seeing all the ways or reasons they try out the side characters. Luigi and Diddy Kong got completely different genres than their main protagonist counterparts. Daxter was used on Sony’s handheld, PSP. While Shadow was used to test out a more teenage centric edgy attitude. It’s neat to see some of these ideas played out. So guys that does it for part one. What’s your favorite game or character listed today? And which characters should be in part 2? Don’t forget to subscribe. We will see you in the next one.
Da_Hubbz 