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What's the point of downloading games?


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Ok, I wanted to take advantage of the E3 special sale by Nintendo and buy a couple of games.

It was the very first time ever that I tried to buy digital copies just because of the money savings. (I prefer to have hard copies)

Spent 30€ for a couple of e-shop cards today.

When I wanted to download the first game from the e-shop I got the message that my SD card doesn't have enough space anymore.

I could solve this problem by deleting a few arcade games I never ever played.

But for the second game there was no way to download it without getting a new SD card.

So there's my question: What's the point of downloading games if you have to spend money for SD cards each time?

(It's only one point of several which speaks against having digital copies.)

Edit: My special problem is that Nintendo gave me a memory card with ridiculous low memory but it doesn't change my question.

I'd have to invest extra money for a better SD card to download games for my 3DS.

Edited by Ayama Wirdo
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Which country do you live in? I'm not sure how 30 euros compares to the physical price. They're usually about the same in America.

I just bought one big SD card for my 3DS, I think it's 64GB, but I'd have to check to make sure.

I like having the digital copies, so I have a bunch of games on my 3DS without having to swap cards all the time. Nintendo is a bit behind the times in this regard, but on things like GOG, Steam, and virtually every other gaming platform, having the digital copy gives you access to it on the cloud, should anything happen to your physical platform that houses it, and you can back up your saves as well. I think only Nintendo ties it to your specific platform, which makes the digital copy much less appealing.

Edited by Rezzy
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Which country do you live in? I'm not sure how 30 euros compares to the physical price. They're usually about the same in America.

I just bought one big SD card for my 3DS, I think it's 64GB, but I'd have to check to make sure.

I like having the digital copies, so I have a bunch of games on my 3DS without having to swap cards all the time. Nintendo is a bit behind the times in this regard, but on things like GOG, Steam, and virtually every other gaming platform, having the digital copy gives you access to it on the cloud, should anything happen to your physical platform that houses it, and you can back up your saves as well. I think only Nintendo ties it to your specific platform, which makes the digital copy much less appealing.

I'm European.

The currency exchange is almost 1:1. 30€ ~ 33$

Also you made me curious that I checked out my memory card. It has (laughable) 4GB.

I own the FE13 edition. I could install exactly one more game besides FE13.

Idk why Nintendo gave me this "huge" SD-card.

Anyways now I know that my question was a little bit wrong since memory cards exist which can have more than 30 games.

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Man 4GB is lame. You have to increase your space, buy a new one with better capacity. The default SD cards are shitty so it's not something new. I had to use a 16GB I have somewhere to buy smash, birthright, dlc, mercenary saga 2, pokemon shuffle and whatnot.

The benefit is that you don't have to swap cartridges every time you want to change the game. It's practical.

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Less physical space, everything is mere clicks away, you spend less than RRP/no money if you decide to get the game on a different platform from the same company if your accounts and platforms are linked, you can take more games with you if you decide to go somewhere (this again comes back to physical space), digital games tend to cost less than physical games, in most cases. For a lot of people, it's way more convenient. I myself prefer having games physically, mostly for reselling purposes. But I do like looking at a physical collection every now and then, especially special editions and the such.

The 3DS and Wii U consoles have small memory storage space because there are consumers who don't wish to buy games digitally--purchase physical copies. if Nintendo decided to include more memory storage, they'd have to bump up the price for the console. That's a turn off for potential consumers, especially those who only wish to purchase physical copies of games. To those who want a digital library, Nintendo has basically said, "hey, that's cool. Buy whatever storage you need from someone else in order to suit your needs."

Edited by DodgeDusk
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Purchasing Games: Physical Vs. Digital

Advantages of Purchasing Physical Games

1. You can borrow them!

2. You can lend them!

3. You can trade them!

4. You can sell them!

5. You can (usually) buy them used cheap if you wait long enough!

6. You don't have to buy more memory!

Advantages of Purchasing Digital Games

1. No shipping or driving required!

2. You don't have to take care of discs and cartridges!

As you can see, the advantages of physical games are numerous and generally outweigh those of digital games.

I only recommend purchasing games digitally when -

1. It's significantly cheaper than buying physical. (Ex: A digital sale.)

2. It's a digital exclusive.

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Purchasing Games: Physical Vs. Digital

Advantages of Purchasing Physical Games

1. You can borrow them!

2. You can lend them!

3. You can trade them!

4. You can sell them!

5. You can (usually) buy them used cheap if you wait long enough!

6. You don't have to buy more memory!

That is true, unless you don't have any friends or if NINTENDO DOESEN'T EXIST IN YOUR COUNTRY (like it doesen't in mine), meaning, basically no-one has nintendo games you can borrow/lend/trade.

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I searched for san-disc cards and figured out that they're not very expensive.

However I must ask: Is any san-disc card compatible with the 3DS or could there a be a risk to damage the console?

I'm still not sure what card exactly to buy.

I'd check the official Nintendo website, they have an official list of which SD cards are compatible, so you won't void your warranty by switching it or anything.

They also have a tutorial on how to format the SD card and transfer all your data, so be careful not to just stick it in de novo, or it won't work.

Edited by Rezzy
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Digital only guy here, and I don't want to go back to physical copies any time soon. I literally sold my entire Wii U and 3DS collection to go digital last month and it's one of the best gaming decisions I feel like I've made.

My family moves around a whole lot and the thought of leaving any of my games behind worries me, so knowing everything is on the hard drive and I only have to worry about packing it is a huge reassurance thing for me. I think it also looks nice compared to having shelves and shelves of games to show off, because I don't have a lot of space for gaming. I also love the convenience factor of not popping discs in and out, so I'm not worried abut scratches or (especially because I have friends over who bring their little kids) cracked discs. Everything is safe on the hard drive.

3DS all digital has been amazing. When I'm on the road, I don't have to worry about bringing game discs (which are super easy to lose due to how small they are) with me because it's all there. A larger SD card is, by far, the best investment you'll make with your 3DS.

Regarding the costs, My Nintendo is honestly worth it as a rewards program, despite the hate it gets compared to Club Nintendo. 3DS SD cards can be grabbed for around $15-20 USD from online retailers; The My Nintendo Coins you get from your purchase will pay for the SD card very quick in the form of free games. My external hard drive ran me $75, but thanks to the Nintendo E3 sale and the My Nintendo Coins, I've already made up the cost of the hard drive due to the discounts and free games.

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Purchasing Games: Physical Vs. Digital

Advantages of Purchasing Physical Games

1. You can borrow them!

2. You can lend them!

3. You can trade them!

4. You can sell them!

5. You can (usually) buy them used cheap if you wait long enough!

6. You don't have to buy more memory!

Advantages of Purchasing Digital Games

1. No shipping or driving required!

2. You don't have to take care of discs and cartridges!

As you can see, the advantages of physical games are numerous and generally outweigh those of digital games.

I only recommend purchasing games digitally when -

1. It's significantly cheaper than buying physical. (Ex: A digital sale.)

2. It's a digital exclusive.

i highly agree with this. I actually got a digital copy of Sticker Star and it was the worst decision ever. I disliked that game a great deal and i couldnt just trade it in. Ugh. 40 clams back in like 2012, totally wasted. I was so salty. So for larger games, i just go physical. I have a digital copy of Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer, but thats because it came with my New 3DS. But its ok cuz i love that game.

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I also like digital games, because it saves me the trip of going to the store or the waiting of getting it delivered. Factoring gas and time value, it's not insignificant.

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Nintendo is providing us with puny 4 GB SD Cards, smartphones have 8x as much storage as a 4 GB SD Cards, has you ever considered getting a 32 GB SD card? They're ~15 USD from what I've seen.

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