Best place to buy Digital...Steam, GOG, Direct 2 Drive etc...

Where is the best place to buy digital? I know a lot of people like Steam but...wondering about the others

Games For Windows Live
Direct2Drive
Good Old Games

I also notice that not every game is on every different platform so if you want a certain game are you stuck buying from the only place that has it?

I have heard people mention you can transfer hard copy games to Steam...is that Valve only? What about Street Fighter IV or something like that?

there is also gamersgate and impulse driven.

I prefer steam just because I like to have the games at the same place. Its a bitch if you would somehow loose your account and get vac banned cause the dude cheated during that period.

about the hard copys, the game needs to be in this list in order for you to activate it on steam: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-WUSF-3601

Most people like to have all their games on one portal, and Steam so far has the largest collection of games and best exclusives (Source engine games such as Half Life, Counterstrike, etc)

Yes, if there is a game exclusive to a particular digital distribution service, you have to use their client or however you are stuck with that particular company, such as Impulse Driven's Sins of a Solar Empire, Blizzard games, Steam's Half Life 2...

All the others are decent, vary in some way or another. You can also go the publishers websites and they'll usually have their own exclusive downloading program such as EA and Ubisoft.

i get mine from other cd key stores.

[quote name='jkam']Where is the best place to buy digital? I know a lot of people like Steam but...wondering about the others

Games For Windows Live
Direct2Drive
Good Old Games

I also notice that not every game is on every different platform so if you want a certain game are you stuck buying from the only place that has it?

I have heard people mention you can transfer hard copy games to Steam...is that Valve only? What about Street Fighter IV or something like that?[/QUOTE]

First off Steam is the best service. It's all tied to the steam program but for any game you buy on Steam if you want to redownload it, you just open up your library, right click the game and click install, done. Plus steam is basically an IM client/Social Network with friend chat, friend lists, achievements (for some games) and more.

Also no you can't copy hardcopy games over to steam. The only way is if the hardcopy installs with steam, which very few games do (I know saints row 2, just cause 2 does).

I prefer GOG. No DRM, and you can burn hard copies if you want. Of course, they only have older games.

Steam is my choice for newer games, but I usually only buy games on Steam if they're a great deal. I make most of my newer PC game purchases from retail stores.

Either go with Steam or actually buy a game from the store.

Steam for great sales, retail for newer stuff. I'm a sucker for physical media.

Steam is probably the most extensive and most updated, but truthfully, I have to say GOG is one of the best because of the quality of their releases. Ive gotten some older games from steam that were just OK ports with DOSbox, but GOG games work perfect for me. That being said, I own too many games to count on both, but GOG is good for its name (good OLD gamer) so those of you who cant play the classics should avoid it. PS Site is worth it for the old Tex Murphy games alone..

Steam. There is absolutely no need to bother with the others. Steam has the best sales and unlike other sites, you dont have to worry about not being able to re-download your game a year down the road if you reformat or get a new PC.

With the others, unless you purchase some extended download plan for like $5, you can only download your game for a short period of time.

[quote name='SEH']Steam. There is absolutely no need to bother with the others. Steam has the best sales and unlike other sites, you dont have to worry about not being able to re-download your game a year down the road if you reformat or get a new PC.

With the others, unless you purchase some extended download plan for like $5, you can only download your game for a short period of time.[/QUOTE]

No worries about that when you purchase off of GOG or Impulse. For older games, I prefer GOG over anyone else because their extras are great. I've heard that it isn't a problem with Gamersgate or D2D either. Now any of the stores run by Digital River, yes they are total crap. Steam usually does have the best sales though.

Steam. I don't have a problem buying PC games digitally nowadays with large HDD's being so cheap and the DRM is not that bad. I also like how some retail and digital CD keys work on steam (bought Metro 2033 from THQ's website but used the key on steam).

http://greenmangaming.zendesk.com/entries/159741-what-is-green-man-gaming

May want to try out Green Man gaming. Apparently, they give you the option to trade games (whether that's limited to games you've previously purchased through them I'm not sure, I haven't tested the site out for myself as of yet).

Before you begin buying, please remember to research all the options and pros and cons for each option.
Happy shopping.

[quote name='Dr. Bitchslap']http://greenmangaming.zendesk.com/entries/159741-what-is-green-man-gaming

May want to try out Green Man gaming. Apparently, they give you the option to trade games (whether that's limited to games you've previously purchased through them I'm not sure, I haven't tested the site out for myself as of yet).

Before you begin buying, please remember to research all the options and pros and cons for each option (such as Steam requiring you to have your game fully updating and you having a constant internet connection to play online, even more so with others.)

Happy shopping.[/QUOTE]
Steam doesn't require a constant internet connection... don't spread misinformation.

[quote name='Lawyers Guns N Money']Steam doesn't require a constant internet connection... don't spread misinformation.[/QUOTE]

My bad, I confused it with someone else's DRM.

Steam, second comes Impulse and third comes GamersGate. Though more often than not I go where the money is (Or where it doesn't need to go, I should say.)

For older stuff no doubt gog.com. I love how they have no form of drm at all, no cdkeys, no registration and when you download the game you get the full .exe of it you can save to a dvd or something and keep for long as you want and install as much as you wont. They also include manuals, guides, wallpapers and other extra stuff where its applicable. They dont release a game until they have got it working in newer operating systems so no problems with old games not working properly. And they dont gouge people on prices. I love gog and hope they continue to grow and keep putting out oddball games.

Gog is the only form of digital distribution I will support.

In general I ing hate it. Digital games are always the same price as they are in store so no discount, most you have to be online to play, some have drm and I dont buying something I dont actually own. Not to mention should the service shut down in 8 years Im shit out of luck and my games are gone for good. Alot dont bother to even include patches or anything. I was dumb enough to buy dark corners of the earth on steam and like alot of people it has crashing problems and I was at the end and it crashed and ruined my save just like all the people originally had.

[quote name='gargus']Digital games are always the same price as they are in store so no discount, most you have to be online to play, some have drm and I dont buying something I dont actually own. Not to mention should the service shut down in 8 years Im shit out of luck and my games are gone for good. Alot dont bother to even include patches or anything. I was dumb enough to buy dark corners of the earth on steam and like alot of people it has crashing problems and I was at the end and it crashed and ruined my save just like all the people originally had.[/QUOTE]

Always the same price as they are in store? Hm........... Steam holiday sale, anyone? That's not "always." Most of the time, maybe, but that's nothing new with regards to digital vs retail. You also sometimes get digital prices to be better than stores.

Most you have to be online to play? When did a small selection of games become "most?" I definitely like this assertion.

When has a modern service shut down and you have no access to your games? Original Xbox live? That totally applies to the PC digital distribution scene. Paranoia wins this battle.

Unsupported games will be unsupported with or without digital distribution. Blame the develop/publisher for that business, not with the distribution services.