Too many download services to "commit to"!

[Elliot B.]

Back in the day, you'd buy a physical game and put it on your shelf. You could then look and get a quick overview of all your games.

These days, some are physical, some are on Steam, some on Origin, some on Xbox Live,?some you download directly (as an exe, for example) from a website and?install directly to Program Files etc.

Is it just me that forgets what I actually own at times?

There is no longer one place to see them all (like your physical shelf back in the day).

Microsoft added a special "Games" folder to Windows but many companies didn't use it (e.g. any game bought on Steam due to the way Valve does things) so that folder is practically useless now unfortunately.

I hope someone, somehow can do something about this in the future as it will only get more difficult to track all your purchases as everything moves fully to online download services.

As a side thought, this will also be an issue when you buy from various movie companies. You'll have separate parts of your collection in different places.

[compl3x]

You can use services like Playfire which tracks your gaming use. You add you gamertag, PSN, steamname etc. and it tracks achievements, trophies play time, last time played and so on. Seems to work pretty well.

Mine: https://www.playfire.com/AProphetofFortun

[Salty Wagyu]

Agreed, and the concept of DLCs make everything so much more complicated too. Got retail Batman AC? You can't have Steam version of Harley Quinn DLC.

Bring back expansions imo, and ditch DLCs. They were better quality too.

[trag3dy]

You can still buy physical copies of your games if that's your thing. Granted that most publishers these days have their games on a distribution service too, but if you want to see your games on a shelf..

[Phouchg]

Agreed.

Though retail boxes is only temporary (and very if not the most expensive) fix - can't beat availability and prices of most download services (except Origin, teehee). Boxed copies will go away sooner or later, can't do much about it.

Any more services like Playfire?

[FiB3R]

http://raptr.com

[cleverclogs]

Yeah I love boxed copies, but even then they install to Steam so you just need the CD Key and that's it. And why in gods name is it so difficult for publishers, even Steam, to make sure the game adds to the "games" folder, so you can see the art/icon with all your others.

I hate that I've got a game on GFWL which means I have to instal that client, and that I have CNC4 that I never even bothered to play (it was pretty bad, but I maybe will try one day), that's got its own EA crap.

And when Win8 comes along, that'll be yet another source of games.

What I'd really love is for my Winphone Xbox-live games to be available on the PC, AND maybe even a console, so I can play them on more than one bloody machine.

[Xilo]

Don't really see the problem.

PSN is restricted to PlayStation devices.

XBox Live is restricted to 360.

Steam and Origin are restricted to the PC. Most people use one or the other and it provides a very comprehensive list of all your games especially if you are diligent to add shortcuts to games that weren't installed with the respective service.

Honestly, it's much easier to manage these lists than it is for physical copies. A lot of times, I have no idea what physical games I have.

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

As already mentioned, sounds like you should join up on either Raptr or Playfire.

Yes, either is another service, but both can keep track of your gaming libraries (across multiple platforms).

Although I do not use either all that often, I am a member of both, and I think Playfire is pretty damn good, especially for what you are looking for.

What I mean is it does a pretty good job of automatically adding any games I start playing to my linked accounts (XBox Live, PSN, Steam), and I get an email when it does so.

It is pretty good with doing just that, so I recommend giving it a whirl. (Y)

[Shadrack]

Its just the direction things are going in. I can't help but change with the group-think of what is popular. I remember not too long ago (10 years ago) people would erect large on-display storage units to display their mighty collection of DVDs and music CDs that littered the wall space around their media center in the living room. Now-a-days when I see folks with that I cringe and think its tacky.

When my fiance moved in, I banished her racks of DVDs to the laundry room.

I still have a number of boxed games. For awhile, the really big releases that I was excited about (like new Blizzard games) I would make sure I had a boxed copy for the very reason of having it. D3 came out and I considered going out and buying a box, but decided, nah...its just not the future.

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

So in the beginning, there were games, and there were too many. Then there services to keep all the games in a single place, and there were too many. Then there were services to keep the services to keep games in a single place in a single place, and they were too many.

Seriously, it's turtles all the way down.