There is no point in talking and bragging about video game preservation and backwards compatibility if there is no real option for gamers to get the full game on one media. Xbox is one of the companies that has done the best on the digital side, making it possible to play all the games from previous generations on the latest Xbox Series. But their physical release policy is just the opposite.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the most recent example we had. Upon its release on 21 November, many users who bought the physical copy (exclusive to the Xbox Series) realised that it only contained one disc, and that the game required an additional download to take up 150GB of storage space on the console (plus giant updates that overwrote the whole thing again a couple of times in the first few days). And now, just three weeks later, we will experience the same awkward situation with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
According to a user on X (and later reposted by the ‘Does it play?’ account), the Indy box once again contains only one disc and forces you to download the rest of the game over the internet. Furthermore, the user who got his hands on this physical copy before its official release admits that even though he bought it, the system won’t allow him to play before 9 December, as this disc is from the standard edition.
A rather bittersweet gesture and a point of conflict between gamers and game companies. For while some continue to claim ownership of a game for which they have paid a good sum of money, the corporations are still committed to the policy that what you buy is really a “licence” to the game, and that your games are not really yours.
Does what Xbox is doing with the physical format of its games on Xbox seem like a good decision?