Even a few years ago, the idea of a games publisher abandoning bricks and mortar stores for a triple-A release would be considered madness. Yet, Warner Bros. Interactive has no plans to distribute the PC version of Batman: Arkham Knight via physical channels and will be available online only in the UK.
In a statement to MCV UK, the company confirmed that while everyone else will get boxed copies of the game for Xbox One, PS4 and PC, users on the latter platform in the UK will have to go digital for their copies.
Perhaps WB looked at the numbers and decided it was worth testing the waters with Arkham Knight. Given the massive success of the franchise, it can probably afford to see if pure digital sales make up for — and even exceed — the costs of putting out a boxed copy.
If it goes well, we might see other big publishers move their PC business to the realms of the internet, though I think we all know this is going to happen eventually.
Warner Bros confirms UK digital-only PC release for Batman: Arkham Knight [MCV UK]
Comments
21 responses to “PC Batman: Arkham Knight Ditches Boxed Copies In The UK”
Bold move.
Considering the size of installs and patches this gen, physical copies have little use other than trading in.
Anyway, can’t say I’m happy with it (I’ll always ‘prefer’ disk, but I buy less and less of them for the above reason), but bold none the less.
Actually I was thinking, that with the size of installs and patches this gen, that physical copies have even more use. I’m not fond of downloading 50gb+ for every game, especially for consoles.
I guess it depends on the game/ price.
This. I have no idea why people these days just act like “why on earth would you buy a physical copy?” when it’s practically all I do now because games are so goddamn huge. I’d much rather walk to the shop and wait 5-10 minutes for a game to install than wait 10 hours for it to download and sacrifice a quarter of my quota. In addition to the fact that I don’t want to have to back it all up at some point (more HDD space taken up) rather than just be able to install it off the disc again.
Unless the game happens to be Assassin’s Creed Unity, where they did a significant update that replaced most of the data files.
Well lately games are having almost 30-50gb day one patch. It really did defeat the purpose to buying physical but nevertheless I am a physical guy. I would rather have a physical copy of the game for the same price as the digital since it feels like I get more value out of it.
30-50gb patches? Mate, you’re buying the wrong games if you’re having to download that much. I’ve never encountered a patch above 5gb on day 1. Hell even WoW patches are the 10-15gb range..
Think you might not have heard of Xbox one lol.
If that’s so then what a joke of a console. My PS4 doesn’t get BS day 1 patches like that.
Yeah it’s getting ridiculous recently. No idea what is the use of the disc anymore when you literally have to download the entire game after installing the entire game.
Basically, and the fact the hard drives in these consoles are kind of pitiful, and the option for user upgrades if possible max out at like 2TB, unless you want a USB port constantly taken up by an external hard drive, then it’s technically unlimited..
@james and @letrico
There’s no reasonable way these massive patches should become the norm. It’s not an excuse to ditch physical, it’s a reason to ditch the publishers.
But…. The publishers are Microsoft 🙁 you can’t ditch Microsoft and they know it so they are getting away with it.
Upvote for the realization of the futility.
@snacuum
@toasty_fresh
I just want to point out that I was referring to the fact that they take up space (+- 40-50gb average these days) on your hard drive long after the download/ install regardless of whether it’s disked or not. The download is a pain, but the drive space is a rare-er commodity (I swapped to a 1tb hybrid drive when I bought my PS4 and I’m still having issues).
I prefer disked as well, but I am buying more digital games this gen than last. (probably because the prices are getting better as well)
Installing should be for PC games. It’s nice that consoles have the option, but plug-and-play is their proposition and they should honour it.
I agree 100%
I’m ok with a small install to help load times, but installing the whole 50gb bluray is ridiculous.
Edit: Especially when you consider that (For quite a few games) a lot the space is cutscenes and uncompressed audio in 7 languages.
As long as my Batmobile edition stays safe at EB I’m happy to see the digital future grow and become the norm.
Wait, so does this apply to me, after I already pre-ordered a physical copy of the game on pc from Argos???
Im so confused. :/