When it comes to the physical vs digital debate, I’ve found that most people fall into two camps. There are those that believe that physical media should always be an option, while others argue that digital is the future and there’s no getting around it. Regardless of which camp you’re in, the main concern has always been ownership. Given physical media has the edge there, considering most games come content-complete* on a disk/can be played offline, it would make sense to push the more tangible versions of our favorite pastime. Bit Kid’s founder and lead developer, James Petruzzi, doesn’t think so.
During my visit to PAX West, I spoke with him about his upcoming game Wolfhound and his desire to get it on as many platforms as possible. One of the main places he spoke about was Good Old Games (GOG) – a popular website that sells DRM-free versions of games. “I’m a big proponent of game preservation and all that stuff,” Petruzzi explained. “I think it’s really important for [developers] to do that kind of stuff. So, I’m trying to put my money where my mouth is and make sure I get out a DRM-free copy of all my games.”
It was refreshing to hear Petruzzi’s thoughts on preservation. Though one would expect all indie developers to think this way, you don’t always get to hear them openly express their thoughts on the subject. Wanted to hear more, I asked Petruzzi how he felt about Sony’s recent “all digital” announcement. His answer surprised me at first. “In my personal opinion, and I know people are going to get upset about this, but I don’t think physical discs are true preservation,” said Petruzzi. “I’m not saying I don’t like physical stuff. I think it’s great. I just don’t think that’s the single bullet that everyone thinks it is.”
He went on to explain that DRM is the real issue and that physical components (discs, consoles) will eventually die out or get replaced. While I initially disagreed about the slow degradation of cartridges and discs, he had a point about old hardware being replaced. Sure, my SNES games still work fine, but I couldn’t tell you the last time I pulled them out to play that didn’t involve me reminiscing about the past with my kids. Organizations dedicated to archiving gaming history are known for holding onto ageing hardware. Today’s average gamer isn’t, which is a reason why Petruzzi is so adamant about digital content. “If you really want future generations, and I’m talking more than just your lifetime, to be able to access these games, I think you got to be thinking beyond physical.”
That’s not to say that Petruzzi is pleased with the way things are now. Even though Wolfhound is releasing digitally on different platforms, Bit Kid is also in talks with Limited Run Games to produce a physical copy. Again, Petruzzi’s main issue is current DRM practices. “If you had a digital copy of something, say you download your game on your PlayStation, why can’t you throw that on a thumbstick, you know, and have it for the future?”.
No one is going to fault Sony from keeping an exclusive like Wolverine from landing on Xbox via a thumbstick. But the idea of being able to move purchased media around makes sense. Not for just gaming but for all digital content. “Things can get a little hairy when you start talking about multiplayer games, server-based stuff […] but you got to be thinking user rights management. What should we be demanding from these corporations that are putting these games out, you know, to keep us in control of what we’re paying for?” That’s a very good question.
*Most games are released content-complete on disc. There are some that have needed patches or DLC/expansions. But outside of multiplayer/always-online games, most can be played offline without a check-in, as showcased on doesitplay.org.
