“Grand Theft Auto VI” recently aroused heated discussions among players around the world because the physical version only has a download code and no game disc. Many collectors believe that this kind of “paper in the box” cannot be considered a real physical version at all. As the controversy continues to rage, another PlayStation-exclusive masterpiece “Marvel’s Wolverine” suddenly became the focus of discussion, but for completely opposite reasons.
According to GamesRadar, developer Insomniac Games has officially confirmed that the physical version of “Marvel’s Wolverine” will come with an actual PS5 game disc instead of a download code. After the news was exposed, many players immediately praised: “This is called the physical version.”
The official responded in person, and players were finally relieved
The incident started when a player asked on the social platform whether the physical version of “Marvel’s Wolverine” would only provide a download code like “GTA 6”. In this regard, Insomniac Games responded directly: “A game disc will be included.” A simple sentence, but it instantly received a large number of players’ reposts. Although this should have been just ordinary product information, after the “GTA 6” controversy, “having a disc” turned out to be a selling point worth celebrating. Many netizens even joked that before buying physical games now, instead of looking at the cover, they first confirm whether there is a disc inside the box.
What players are most worried about is that the “physical version” slowly disappears!
The reason why the controversy over “GTA 6” is getting bigger and bigger is not because players can’t download the game. What really worries everyone is that if even the world’s most important 3A games start to launch “boxed download codes”, whether other manufacturers will follow suit in the future, causing the real physical versions to gradually disappear. Therefore, the confirmation that “Marvel’s Wolverine” will continue to provide physical discs this time is also regarded as a boost by many collectors. At least at this stage, there are still developers willing to retain the form of traditional physical games.
A CD is now an advantage?
A few years ago, probably no one would have thought that “game CD-ROM” would become the focus of official promotion. However, with the increasing proportion of digital versions and the turmoil caused by “GTA 6”, a physical disc has now become an important reason for many players to support the physical version. It can only be said that Rockstar has inadvertently raised a new question for the entire game industry: In the future, will players buy a physical game or a plastic box containing a download code?