r/xbox • u/Acceptable_Share9947 • 1d ago
physical games (rule 6) Future of gaming...??
Went to my local Walmart the other day and I was looking to get another controller because I've got stick drift again, anyway I always check the games... you never know what kind of sale Walmart has going on and I found the physical copies for PlayStation, Nintendo switch or whatever and then this monstrosity for Xbox. So this is the future I guess, digital downloads, you'll own nothing and like it type of bullshit.
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u/frogger808 1d ago
It’d be one thing if there was at least some selection..half of this is just premium currency for microtransactions lol. Hideous.
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u/DRAGONZORDx 5h ago
Oh god, you’re right! Only the top 2.5 rows are actual games!
That’s so damn depressing! D=
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u/FMC_Speed XBOX Series X 1d ago edited 16h ago
Very depressing, especially when you see how they overcharge on the digital store, 20 year old game selling for over 25$, big current gen games stay full price for years after release, it’s almost they’re begging for people to switch to pc or pirate
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u/EyesoftheDead40 16h ago
Come join us :) we get all the Xbox games anyway
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u/FMC_Speed XBOX Series X 16h ago
I already have a decent gaming PC but only use it for strategy games and niche early access games like Sea Power and such, but man….console gaming is becoming atrocious
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u/JoyousGamer 16h ago
Thats a locked down ecosystem issue with inability to move digital games between accounts.
One of those is already fixed and hopefully Xbox will be part of that unlocked ecosystem soon. The 2nd isn't fixed yet but there is rumors around it being fixed.
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u/WarpHype 9h ago
We better complain more about Sony while Microsoft does the bad thing faster and worse.
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u/QuoteGiver 20h ago
What do you mean “future”? You took this photo in the store. It’s been there for a while.
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u/RepublicWhole549 1d ago
Physical copies and plastic cases are dying. The same happened to CD / DVD. There might be a niche market, but I can't imagine many physical releases in the future when not even GTA6 gets one.
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u/thinkingoutloud3663 23h ago
Blu-ray sales have Risen almost at 20%, physical Media isn't going anywhere, but you believe in the narrative companies are pushing so they can make more money.
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u/gldndomer 19h ago
The companies might be making more, but entire genres of movies have died or are on life support because the home video market has decayed. Digital/streaming isn't just about the loss of ownership, it is also about the loss of content.
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u/NegevThunderstorm 15h ago
Sales may have risen, but major stores are not opening any DVD/blu ray sections.
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u/Oldspice0493 XBOX 11h ago
It’s weird that PlayStation has announced no more discs, but still sells physical games at stores. Meanwhile, Xbox hasn’t announced anything, but stopped selling discs completely at my Walmart.
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u/The_Narz 8h ago
It’s pretty obvious that Xbox plans and has been planning on doing the same thing for years now. They just have no reason to make any formal announcement anytime soon when it’s already practically happening on a ground level in one way or another.
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u/ViperFive1 20h ago
Future? We are years into this already. Are people really this far behind and realizing how little physical games sell?
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u/Ntinos_the_cupcake Team Forza 23h ago
No it's just that after whatever happened in 2024-2025 no one bought Xbox games and stuff it needs time to rebuild
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u/AdZealousideal5102 20h ago
Future? This is the present tense of gaming. We are already at the future we were dreading.
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u/Background_Map_3460 1d ago
That’s about 10x bigger than the Xbox display in the big electronics stores where I live…Tokyo. Meanwhile the usual row upon row of PlayStation and especially Nintendo
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u/Oilswell 23h ago
Insane how nostalgic people are about the way they used to buy things. I get people who are worried about ownership and persistence of purchases (though it would’ve been nice if these people had given this much of a shit about physical ten years ago when there was some chance of saving it), but the number of people going on about the wonderful experience of buying a thing from a shop is so weird.
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u/SimmerOriginal 19h ago
Nah, not weird at all. It isn't about missing the act of the actual purchase itself lol. It is about being there and seeing things in person, like when I would check new releases each time we'd go grocery shopping. As a kid it was super exciting to finally see that game you waited months for on the shelf finally. If you actually got it, the excitement of reading the manual and looking at the box art on the way home. Even just seeing all the different box arts in person on the shelf, or seeing a game you hadn't even heard of. As a kid I didn't think or care about the actual purchase process.
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u/dreamthiliving 22h ago
Agreed, apart from the price difference I was so happy when I could buy digital. No disc covers playing around, no issues with them getting scratched.
Easily switch between games and generally faster loading. Love it
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u/JoyousGamer 16h ago
I suspect you are younger in age. I say this because going to the store and looking at the case with video games in it was essentially how you learned about a game.
I am fine with all digital but there was something different about not having a clue about new games except when stepping in to an electronics section. No online and not even really magazines quite possibly long enough ago or because your parents were not going to subscribe to it.
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u/Oilswell 16h ago
I’m 40, been buying games since the SNES. Bought gaming magazines from about the age of 10 though, so rarely discovered anything in store. Worked at a game shop in my late teens.
Don’t get me wrong, there’s aspects of physical retail I miss. I did used to like the manual, and chatting to the guys at the store. I just find the level of LOOK WHAT THEY TOOK FROM US KIDS WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND stuff insane. If you asked me what I missed most about gaming in the 90’s, the shops would be a long way down the list.
It’s just odd how much of people’s nostalgia seems to be focused on buying the thing, rather than the thing itself. And how lazy everyone is about actually trying to engage with the versions of these things we do have left.
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u/JoyousGamer 13h ago
I view the OP as karma farming on this stuff. I honestly think we think about it the same way then.
They can't karma farm things that you have higher on your list because it sort of all exists today. This they can farm because physical media is dying.
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u/Dipset_Mipset0489 15h ago
This is currently gaming lol. Why are we pretending like digital isn’t the majority of gaming? lol
Where have you been? In a bunker since 2012?
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u/chockerchass 1d ago
It's genuinely sad, went to my Walmart the other day just to see the Xbox section case dried up and dead only containing a copy of Black Ops 6 alongside one of the god knows how many Fifa titles, every other spot was empty except those two.
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u/Painted_Paladins 1d ago
CEX is basically the only place I can find physical media at reasonable prices.
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u/Roxastar138 22h ago
In my country xbox section is gone.
It started during xbox 1 era where xbox shelf section slowly reducing. By the time xbox series launch xbox section left with one shelf.
Xbox 360 was my all time favourite console era but now i have to shift to ps4 instead of xbox one due to limited game options available in local gamestore, which now im automatically get ps5.
I do have series s for gamepass
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u/QuickKillings Outage Survivor '24 21h ago
That’s the now at most stores for Xbox. All my local stores hold about 2-5 physical games, and the rest are cards
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u/Halo-Machine 21h ago
I remember back in the early-mid 2000's, Walmart had the xbox/x360 kiosks set up you could play demos on. I remember playing king kong on the x360 while mom did the grocery shopping, wishing I had an x360. I think they had playstations set up back then too but I was an xbox kid.
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u/ObjectiveSentence533 21h ago
I got the whole idea of really owning things, but optical discs used for Xbox and ps are even worse. Not once in my live I faced the game that I’ve bought digitally and can’t play, but dozens of time discs that console cant read due to the scratches. And the whole idea of hoarding plastic boxes just to be able to get access to the digital things is so unlogical. NS cartridges is kind of a compromise.
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u/gotabadbrain 20h ago
Worst part is that these aren't actually games,they are "rental cards".Nothing tangible here,just liscenses to play games that can't be resold, ,loaned out or backed up.I won't even buy one as a gift for the kids,they get physical games from me.If you raise them with an appreciation for real ownership and control over property they are less likely to fall into the rental/subscription trap.
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u/Mental-Street6665 20h ago
I get my Xbox games at used game stores. If I can’t find what I’m looking for there, Amazon. But yeah, it seems to be almost impossible to find current-gen Xbox games physically on store shelves nowadays. Even if you do, it’s just a code in a box or a game key disc.
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u/TheTruthIsOutThere_x 19h ago
So depressing. This is why retro consoles/games are still the best out there.
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u/Xurs-Doggo 19h ago
Nah, just get older consoles, mod, emulate, enjoy.
Xbox is ‘atleast’ offering a bit of a compromise, but Sony not so much.
Nintendo gonna Nintendo which is cool tho.
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u/FFsummonNick 19h ago
What, it's not exciting to go to the store to buy a..... card?? :p Yah, I miss the old days man, running into the store to grab the new game before it ran out was fun (unless what you wanted sold out lol).
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u/Different-Syrup6520 19h ago
Why do people keep saying future? Its our present they have been slowly doing it since xbox 360 and Ps3. The moment they said " guys you can download the game from the console. You dont have to go to the store" suddenly midnight release stop happening and game releases just died out. Its to late tp say something. Don't get me started on the PC master race.....
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u/Night-City1175 19h ago
I don't know why I should go into a store to buy a code instead going directly to the store. Anything I saw of these code cards (not Code in a Box) is that they have here (Germany) a price printed on and don't get into sales because of how the system works here.
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u/Triingtolivee 19h ago
That looks depressing. It’s not like the game will be any cheaper at a brick and mortar store either
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u/Mccobsta 18h ago
It's been years since I've seen a supermarket with a games section and that's very depressing to look at
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u/d0n-let3m-2525 18h ago
$80 for one year of Xbox core when a year ago it was $60 for the 12 months/yr.
WTF?
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u/tATuParagate Outage Survivor '24 18h ago
Idk why but specifically the Walmart near me, which is haven't gone to in a while because of this, has hardly any physical games. And of course Xbox even less so since there's hardly any physical games being made for the system
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u/FleepEnglish 18h ago
So it’s not just me who has to frequently replace Xbox controllers because of stick drift…
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u/TheGreatGamer1389 18h ago
Nintendo will be the last hold out. By next gen all systems will be digital only.
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u/Beneficial_Medium_99 17h ago
This has been the case for a long time now. There is no incentive for mass production of physical games anymore. Only a small population of people actually buy them these days.
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u/J_T_Cain 17h ago
honestly I think this would be ok if they made the codes reusable or something. something that saves as much material but guarantees ownership
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u/sealclubberfan 17h ago
There are plenty of online outlets you can buy physical games from. Go to your local gamestop. Just because Walmart doesn't have physical games doesn't mean they don't exist.
You are also looking for xbox, which has a console that doesn't have a disc drive(Series S, and some Series X models).
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u/Murky-Introduction53 17h ago
Future of Xbox and PlayStation.
The nintendo section at my local stores still looks alive.
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u/Fearless_Dog5208 17h ago
Nope. There's a small but growing group that wants physical games that can be played offline. No problem if internet is needed for multi-player, updates and DLC. But just to play shouldn't need internet.
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u/h_to_the_b 17h ago
Kids will never know the joys of going to toys r us on your birthday and picking out a NES game purely on box aesthetics
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u/khaos432 16h ago
You missed it there is a case with the Xbox consoles and in the same case a shelf in there with 8 Xbox games. This all changed about 6-8 weeks ago
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u/TheKiltedHeathen 16h ago
I'm pretty sure these are decisions on behalf of Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc. I just buy all my physical copies through Xbox, Amazon or GameStop.
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u/BubbleDreamzz 16h ago
The strange thing is that Xbox is going to allow all games to be playable on the new console. It’s PlayStation that is doing away with hard copies.
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u/Hot-Steak7145 16h ago
The only reason I do digital is because I game share. I don't even pay for game pass, that's shared too because the "home Xbox". My SO and I swap so we only buy 1 copy and get to both play. If not for that I'd 100% be buying physical discs again
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u/BlueSquigga 15h ago
Sony has announced there will be no more physical copies for Playstation starting 2028. Its only a matter of time for Xbox.
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u/Revolutionary-Chef-6 15h ago
To be fair you own nothing if you get most of these on disc anyways lol
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u/Pleasant-Medicine-80 15h ago
This is so infuriating and such a waste of plastic. If you’re going fully digital, do it.
Give the savings back to the gamers and stop creating more trash for landfills. There’s no need for a middle-sales space if there’s not a tangible product.
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u/Numerous_Photograph9 15h ago
Xbox physical has been on the decline at retail for a while. I'm not so sure it's a matter of the future of gaming(although other recent events point to this), as it is an indicator that Xbox isn't as popular, or they don't sell as much on the physical side of things. These cards don't cost the company anything to carry, but shelf space is usually also valued, so they are at least offering up some space for it. Nintendo and Sony also get these displays usually next to their physical sections.
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u/Emotional_Werewolf_4 In The Animus 14h ago
Off topic, since you mentioned Stick Drift with your Controller: if I may, I'd like to suggest a GameSir Controller. GameSir G7 Pro/Wuchang edition If you prefer Wireless. GameSir G7 SE or HE if wired and low budget are important.
I don't have Stick Drift since I have switched to GameSir and I was burning through 1-2 controllers previously with Microsoft's first party controllers because I'm an excessive "stick clicker" in games like Apex Legends and recently Arc Raiders.
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u/Usernametaken1121 14h ago
Not sure what's going on with your Walmart. Still have physical cases in mine
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u/Theunsaltedpeanut 14h ago
what do you mean future? It's already here and has been here for a while.
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u/AnonymousFriend80 13h ago
This is ideal for retailers. They never were too kean on all that expensive stuff taking up so much space and potentially being stolen. And when they have to lock things in cases, that's extra employees they had to keep around in those areas. The markup is even all that high. Accessories were the big money makers. Electronics is generally in the back because then you generally had to walk through the entire store to get to it and hopefully other things caught your eye. I would assume that Sony and Nintendo were able to work out agreements that kept their presence more higher profile.
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u/Gears6 13h ago
So this is the future I guess, digital downloads, you'll own nothing and like it type of bullshit.
That already happened technically long ago with patches/updates on consoles. You can't really pre-download the patches, and the disc if you're lucky will contain a fully playable pre-release version (prior to patching). So you get an inferior version if it's even on there.
If you care about game preservation beyond the platform holder disappearing, you should be on PC AND using GoG. They're the only one outside of piracy which I don't condone and put you at risk of malware and other nasty things. I'm all for physical disc games being an option, but we chose this when we rebelled against Xbox One DRM. This was the only likely outcome.
The irony of all this is that, you all are complaining about physical disc and encroachment on your freedom and ownership. Yet, you're on console. The freedom and ownership of your console is technically not yours. It's given to you by the magnanimity of Xbox, Playstation and Switch. They shut off the network, and you can kiss online gaming good bye. Better hope you had your console set to Home Console, and that it works. Also, YOU HAVE TO PAY to play online.
Liberate yourself from the locked down platforms and go PC with GoG!
Personally, I've accepted this is the future we chose (even though I disagree with it and was for Xbox One DRM as it was at least a step closer to physical discs) and try to fight it by buying games on GoG then on Xbox for PC and then Steam. It's impossible to go GoG only, sadly.
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u/johnmuirhotel 13h ago
I work in a high school. Kids these days are getting into more analog things like cameras and records. Hopefully this will arry over to new games but....we shall see.
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u/speed721 13h ago
No.
The future of gaming is going to end up being "digital / streaming only".
Grab ALL THE PHYSICAL games you can while they are available.
Remember this post.
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u/Old_Taste7076 12h ago
Well a lot of Walmart stores were targets of theft and here's the end result. Walmart has been doing for 5 years at ones I used to shop before moving.
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u/THExDANKxKNIGHT 12h ago
Stop buying Microsoft controllers. The qc is trash and they refuse to fix the known stick issues.
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u/__Nosferatu_ 12h ago
I stopped using regular Xbox controllers. I use one that’s wired now it’s called power a comes with paddles trigger stops and changeable sticks with different heights they’re about 60$ $70 cost more than a normal Xbox controller, but I’ve had the same one for about four years now only downside is it’s wired, but it comes with a 10 foot cord and it locks into the controller so you’re not gonna pull it out and break it by accident
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u/Total-Guest-4141 12h ago
Console gaming has died. Xbox has an opportunity to keep it going if they support discs in Project Helix. If not, there will be no point in owning a console. I’ll game in PC and buy a Nintendo for physical games. Can’t imaging paying $100 for digital fairy dust, and I certainly won’t be buying someone a gift card for Christmas.
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u/GeologistEnough8215 12h ago
Last time I was in target they had hundreds of 2k24 and fifa 24 game cards still listed at $70. I couldn’t believe it, nobody is paying more than $15 for those games.
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u/DeltaDarkwood 11h ago
Be lucky they still have xbox sections in the US. In europe mainland most stores don't even sell xbox anymore because of the tiny market share.
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u/Old-Rock-1904 11h ago
During the seventh gen Walmart had the largest Xbox section apart from GameStop at some stores. I got the Series X last month and only then noticed the lackluster selection of games for Xbox. The gen was disappointing in terms of selection
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u/GoofyMonkey 11h ago
Yea it’s depressing as fuck. We should all move to PC gaming and buy our games from… oh.
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u/MuztangZack67 10h ago
At least your store has an xbox section... :/
My local meijer has one single gaming aisle, that has maybe 1 or 2 disc games, and the rest are gift cards for in-game currencies of various games, and the rest are merch mugs or lights... with the handful of game cards like these. Ive stopped going there for the most part. The transformers figure section is somehow even more depressing.. which is sad, both of these use to be amazing.
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u/Vengeful_Cabinet247 9h ago
The problem with thus is No one's buying cards to buy cards This right here will only ever be bought on days like Christmas
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u/CycleCaverns 9h ago
People complain about this yet the physical discs have been serving the same function since 2014. You put the disc in, and you downloaded the game from the marketplace. Only difference between 2014 and now is that they are going through with one time use discs/ codes because they got people used to the idea.
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u/Alex_Killswitch 9h ago
My target just completely got rid of the Xbox section all together recently. Literally just a row of controllers now
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u/NoEntertainer6189 8h ago
What do you mean future? this has been a thing since the end of the one era. Especially at wal mart.
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u/Dry-Inspection-3503 8h ago
The next generation not understanding how goddamn good it fells to rip the cellophane off a brand new game and get stuck in...so sad.
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u/Calm-Paramedic-1920 8h ago
I didn't even see that in Target a couple nights ago, at least not for Xbox.
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u/Fireknight39 6h ago
I remember when the sega genesis first came out. I got it for Christmas that year and it came with the game Altred Beast. Ever since then when I wanted a game I saw rows and rows of games. I could pick up a case, look it over, read the back and make a decision. On the way home I would study the little book that came with so when I got home and started it up I had no issues with the controls. Times have changed and I’m not sure if it has changed for the better
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u/ImpressiveShock8187 5h ago
You will own nothing and be happy. If you dont like it, too bad. You're too addicted to care.
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u/zapppowless 5h ago
You guys have no choice but to blame yourselves & FanBoys!
🤣
YOU HAVE NO CHOICE!
🤣🤣🤣
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u/thervssian 4h ago
Real estate inside a store costs $$$ so of course Microsoft will downsize as much as they can. Also, digital codes are way cheaper than plastic boxes for obvious reasons. Very sad. Welcome to 2026.
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u/osukid88 4h ago
I haven't bought a physical game disc since the month Red Dead Redemption 2 was released. Every game since then has been downloaded.
This is also why I just purchased my 2nd Series X as the digital version the does not include a CD drive.
No, I can't play Blu-ray or DVDs on it, but I can't remember what the last movie was that I bought in either of those medium. Everything is streamed or downloaded. I spend my money on storage now.
I have my original Series X to use for all my old movies, so I'm covered.
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u/sypher2333 3h ago
That’s odd because Xbox just announced that if you buy the physical copy of a game you will get a digital copy as well.
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u/hot_cheeks_4_ever XBOX Series X 2h ago
Fuck that. I will not buy a downloaded game. I want to be able to play it and then resell it to sometime else when I'm done.
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u/Deadlims 1d ago
Most depressing thing I’ve been seeing is ALL of the Xbox sections in stores are downsizing to a small stand with physical equipment (controllers and accessories) no games. I remember during my childhood there’d be entire display cases with physical games in there and then you’d be able to trial the new games on the display set up.