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Difference between revisions of "Buying PC Games"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
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==Overview==
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These days, there are many different places to buy PC games from. These places can fall under one of two umbrellas, either brick-and-mortar or digital. Brick and mortar sales come from buying a physical copy of the game from a physical store, and digital is purchasing a digital copy of the game from one of the numerous online services out there.
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Examples of Brick and mortar stores include:
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*Best Buy
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*Gamestop
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*Target
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Examples of digital storefronts include:
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*[[Steam]]
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*[[GOG.com]]
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*[[Origin]]
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==Differences==
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One of the important differences between a physical copy of a game and a digital copy of the game is licensing. In most cases a physical copy of a game is considered a good, while a digital copy of a game is often considered a service. For example the first sale doctrine allows you to sell your physical copy of a game, while most digital storefronts disallow you from selling your game.
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This isn't the only important distinction. Because of the myriad of rights that apply to a game, games can conceivably be pulled from a digital storefront, or even removed from your library after a purchase.
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That being said, digital storefronts have their perks as well. Most digital storefronts allow you to install games from any computer with a simple log-in. Games can usually be found for much cheaper digitally than their physical counterpart.
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==Sales==

Revision as of 13:01, 30 May 2012

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Overview

These days, there are many different places to buy PC games from. These places can fall under one of two umbrellas, either brick-and-mortar or digital. Brick and mortar sales come from buying a physical copy of the game from a physical store, and digital is purchasing a digital copy of the game from one of the numerous online services out there.

Examples of Brick and mortar stores include:

  • Best Buy
  • Gamestop
  • Target

Examples of digital storefronts include:

Differences

One of the important differences between a physical copy of a game and a digital copy of the game is licensing. In most cases a physical copy of a game is considered a good, while a digital copy of a game is often considered a service. For example the first sale doctrine allows you to sell your physical copy of a game, while most digital storefronts disallow you from selling your game. This isn't the only important distinction. Because of the myriad of rights that apply to a game, games can conceivably be pulled from a digital storefront, or even removed from your library after a purchase.

That being said, digital storefronts have their perks as well. Most digital storefronts allow you to install games from any computer with a simple log-in. Games can usually be found for much cheaper digitally than their physical counterpart.

Sales