The Balance Of Physical Media Collecting And The Conveince Of Digital Media

 I love watching movies, shows, and playing videogames, a great way to relax on a day off, over the weekend, or after a long day. From Mario to Brooklyn 99, everyone has their ways to unwind. Whether it is reading or coloring, hobbies are just a part of life. Some of the videos I have been watching a lot lately are on physical media and preservation. So I wanted to talk about my take on this angle because I think the answer changes based on each person, myself included, on whether to buy things physically or to download and watch movies and play games digitally. 

I love both, I love how I can boot up a streaming service and just watch a movie, or boot up a game without putting it into my system. But I know that if it is on the streaming service, I only have access to the film or show as long as I have the service, and the second I am no longer subscribed, the access goes with it. Digital movies often come bundled with physical DVDs but I more often then not, forget that I even have the codes to these movies. Modern rentals can also be larger amounts of money ranging to up to thirty dollars to buy and twenty five to rent, and having multiple streaming services can add up fast as well. 

I love ownings physical games and movies because then it is in my hands and I can put it on my shelf, or take it off and use it whenever. In the case of movies, if they are not on any digital platforms then I can watch them, and with games if the console they are played on are not the current console. If I want to play and old game, or watch an old movie then I can just pick them up and watch or play. 

The problem with older games that if I want them now and don't own them, they can be expensive, that can be mitigated by services like NSO or rereleases which sometimes also get physical games, but sometimes games don't get ported or remastered. In the case of movies, not every show gets a wide releases and sometimes buying on blu ray or 4k can add up. But there is another side to the coin.

Some consoles can be easy to collect for, and one of my latest hobbies has helped build a movie collecting. Which is going to thrift shops and finding movies, and even blu rays and 4ks, for cheaper prices, I have been collecting movies I have always wanted to see, but also some of my favorites such as the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy or seasons of shows I love like the Simpsons. Finding those for cheaper prices is such a thrill and are great to have if I want to watch them.

In terms of games I can always trade in games but also try and collect games for systems that have huge libraries and thus have tons of great games at lower prices and hidden gems such as the Wii, PS2, and the DS. Sometimes I even find games for them at the thrift stores, or yard sales. All of it comes down to just looking for them in places such as retro game stores or even other places.

I like having both, I like downloading digital games and having them on the system, and in the case of indie games sometimes they do get physical releases and sometimes they don't, and sometimes if they do they can be limited and kind of pricey. Digital games can go on sales, sometimes even quicker then the ones in stores.

So I like having a bit of both, stuff to hold on to and put on a shelf, and stuff to have at the click of a button. Modern and classic, remastered or original, indie and triple A. I think if someone loves to only collect , or has digital only consoles and tons of digitals movies that is fine. There is no correct answers, because it goes purely based on preference, mine isn't the end all be all answer. I like having a mix because sometimes the weather is less then ideal and I don't have to go to the store to pick up a new game, but other times if I know it is not going to sell well , even if I am wrong and it does it is nice to have.  

Overall I like both, and will continue to get movies and games either physically or digitally on a case by case basis. There are pros and cons with both, but I do enjoy collecting, and lean towards physical. And other days it's nice to just make an oven pizza, not leave the house, and get the latest game. As you can see, a bit of both.