Please Help Finding Physical PC Games??

[Justinbaileyman]

For the life of me,I am having a heck of a time finding physical real life versions of games for sale. Mostly they are boxes with digital codes in them,but no disc of any kind.
So is it some big secret or something or do I have to belong to a secret society to get physical copies of games these days?? Really where can I go to get them at a reasonable price besides ebay and amazon? Just a recap here, I am wanting disc based pc games not digital codes..

 

[DaveSimmons]

Most big-budget PC games now require Steam, Origin, UPlay so you can't get pure disc-based versions of them.

GOG.com sells DRM-free games that do not require a network connection. You still need to download them, but you can do that on any PC not just the PC that you want to play them on.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

yeah i know....., I have steam and like 40 or so digital games but I am looking for slightly older games and I want the physical versions of them.

 

[Newbian]

This is where ebay comes into play and the prices are up there for a reason usually.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

Thats why I didnt want to use ebay. Why pay $70 and $80 for a $5-$10 dollar game.
But at the same time I know its cheaper on steam but in my eyes your not paying to own something physical when buying digital versions.your paying for the right to use someone else's property when you use steam.Why should they have the right to limit the amount of times I install a game. I don't have that problem when I own the physical copy of the game. I could install said game a zillion times if I want to. Plus I have something pretty to look at on my shelf and I can say "hey I bought that" when that pretty hard to do in make believe land of digital formats.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Thats why I didnt want to use ebay. Why pay $70 and $80 for a $5-$10 dollar game.
But at the same time I know its cheaper on steam but in my eyes your not paying to own something physical when buying digital versions.your paying for the right to use someone else's property when you use steam.Why should they have the right to limit the amount of times I install a game. I don't have that problem when I own the physical copy of the game. I could install said game a zillion times if I want to. Plus I have something pretty to look at on my shelf and I can say "hey I bought that" when that pretty hard to do in make believe land of digital formats.

I hate to suggest this however if you already own a copy from steam or wherever I see no problem in a pirated version that you burn to a disk. What's the concern about a digital purchase?

 

[Newbian]

Thats why I didnt want to use ebay. Why pay $70 and $80 for a $5-$10 dollar game.

Limited quantity = higher price like that.

Try visiting video game stores and search through their low prices bins if the have them as sometimes you will find older games in there as they no longer work on modern os's without some workarounds.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

I hate to suggest this however if you already own a copy from steam or wherever I see no problem in a pirated version that you burn to a disk. What's the concern about a digital purchase?

Starting to think what if steam closes or I decide to switch back and forth between Linux and Windows.I used to install different versions of Linux like once a week. this is the longest I have ever used Windows which is windows 10 and going on about 2 months of use now. I just dont want to blow through my 50 reinstall count or what ever the amount is.Plus I have some personal OCD thing where I like to own something real that I can hold and am able to look at.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Starting to think what if steam closes or I decide to switch back and forth between Linux and Windows.I used to install different versions of Linux like once a week. this is the longest I have ever used Windows which is windows 10 and going on about 2 months of use now. I just dont want to blow through my 50 reinstall count or what ever the amount is.Plus I have some personal OCD thing where I like to own something real that I can hold and am able to look at.

I'm nearly positive the install limit is only for a few specific games for a limited duration its an anti pirate thing but I've never experienced it. I wouldn't lose sleep over any claimed install limit. The OCD thing is something different maybe enjoy less clutter?
Steam won't close they are far too productive but I'll admit something could happen to Gabe and the company is sold or changes direction but right now its far more likely that a hardware or OS change would make the old games unplayable. See windows 10 and old versions of direct x but again why worry about something you have little control over and is playing a 15 year old game that important.

 

[BSim500]

Thats why I didnt want to use ebay. Why pay $70 and $80 for a $5-$10 dollar game.
But at the same time I know its cheaper on steam but in my eyes your not paying to own something physical when buying digital versions.your paying for the right to use someone else's property when you use steam.Why should they have the right to limit the amount of times I install a game. I don't have that problem when I own the physical copy of the game. I could install said game a zillion times if I want to. Plus I have something pretty to look at on my shelf and I can say "hey I bought that" when that pretty hard to do in make believe land of digital formats.

Which games are you interested in exactly? Many older ones are on GOG and they do actually sell you an unrestricted DRM-free offline installer copy of the game, ie, you do actually end up "owning" a copy of the game in the tangible sense (it's not like an "open-ended-rental-with-a-kill-switch" like Steam / uPlay, etc, if that's what you mean)? Stick the GOG download onto a backup HDD or burn it to DVD-R / BD-R and it's yours for life even if GOG shut down tomorrow. There's even a collection of CD/DVD covers available for those like yourself who want a "bookshelf showcase" of old games burned to disc. Example for Day Of The Tentacle Remastered. GOG also eliminates the need to seek out "NoCD" cracks (partly to reduce wear & tear on discs and partly to get them working on Windows 10 which breaks some old disc based DRM). Other games come with a lot of pre-patching (eg, DOSBox and 32-bit custom installers solve the "can't run 16-bit games / installers on a 64-bit OS" problem), better source ports (eg, ScummVM for old LucasArts / Sierra games), renderer upgrades (DirectX7 to 9-10), widescreen patches, FOV adjustment, bug fixes, official soundtracks, etc.

I have to agree with Fanatical Meat though. If the scalping is that bad you're looking at stupid +$70-$80 prices for $5-10 games (if that), and if they're the games you bought 15-20 years ago, have since lost but want to reacquire, quite honestly I don't see (cough) "alternative acquisition methods" as immoral if you've already bought a licence (or would genuinely buy one if given a reasonably opportunity). Doubly so for games like No One Lives Forever where the publishers legal dept's cannot get their sh*t together enough to figure out who even owns it. A lot of people with older treasured irreplaceable retail CD/DVD-ROM's (like NOLF) end up ripping a digital backup of the ISO and storing on a backup HDD / BD-R anyway just in case they get damaged, and there's ultimately no real difference in having a proper physical disk + digital ISO backup vs buying a digital GOG version and burning it to disk as a "proper physical".

 

[DaveSimmons]

Yes, what are some specific games?

We've already mentioned GoG, where you own them forever and do not need a live network connection or authentication server.

DRM free GoG is better than disc since many disc games used the disc as copy protection. Any problem reading the disc could make your game unplayable. Some games also installed rootkits that compromised or corrupted your OS.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Starting to think what if steam closes or I decide to switch back and forth between Linux and Windows.I used to install different versions of Linux like once a week. this is the longest I have ever used Windows which is windows 10 and going on about 2 months of use now. I just dont want to blow through my 50 reinstall count or what ever the amount is

Steam doesn't have an install or activation limit. Some games in Steam have third party DRM (like Uplay) and sometimes that DRM will have a limit, but Steam doesn't have a limit. Also Steam is really good about telling you when a game you are about to buy has third party DRM. I avoid uPlay games for that reason.

I am like you, I am kinda a control freak. That is why I rip all my disks to a massive media server- I want control. The Hulu bullcrap of "you can only watch the last couple of episodes of X show" is why I won't give Hulu a dime.

With all that said, even I think that Steam is DRM done right. It has never gotten in my way, and it never restricted me in a way I found unreasonable. If all media worked like Steam I would turn off my mediaserver for good.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

Well Looking for mostly these titles-
NFS Underground 1 & 2
NFS Most Wanted 2005 version
NFS Carbon
Doom Bfg Edition
Quake 4
Area 51 Black Site
Rainbow Six Vegas 1 & 2
Orange Box
Lego Star Wars 1,2, & 3
Lego Harry Potter 1 & 2
Lego Indiana Jones 1 & 2
Ghostbusters
Dead Rising 1 & 2 + Off The Record
Dead Space Trilogy
Bioshock Trilogy
The Force Unleashed 1 & 2
Kotor 1 & 2
Guitar Hero 3,4,& World Tour
Crysis Trilogy
Batman Arkham Trilogy

I own several of these games on steam but want the real deal disc and case on my shelf.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Start by going to GoG.com and buying the ones they have. You might not need to re-buy it from GoG, they just announced Steam Connect where many Steam games will get you FREE DRM-free versions on GoG.

Again, GoG is better than disc. Kotor 1 for example had nasty securom or safedisc copy protection, that is broken under Windows 7. 2 might have it too, not sure.

If you want a box and manual, Amazon and eBay.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Yard sales. Seriously, take a weekend and drive around the residential areas and just start rummaging. I can't even count how many older 90s consoles and games I've found in boxes covered in dust and cobwebs. If you're looking for physical PC games and you absolutely cannot wait to get lucky at a used game retailer or yard sale, then online auction sites are your only hope.

 

[CuriousMike]

Games in a box aren't necessarily going to work straight out of the box.

Any game you find in a "box" thats been released in the last couple of years likely won't boot unless you have an internet connection and it can be day-1 patched.

 

[Justinbaileyman]

Most people around these parts are old and finding PC games in rummage sales is next to impossible here.If there are old games or game systems they want top dollar for everything. People here in Wisconsin are rude, selfish, and completely greedy.I gues I will just have to keep scouring places like Goodwill and hope for the best otherwise I'm stuck with steam

 

[BSim500]

I own several of these games on steam but want the real deal disc and case on my shelf.

I'm not sure I'd call those "old" games. Bioshock Infinite and Crysis 3 were only 2013. Orange Box (HL2, Portal, etc) are actually Valve's own games and thus it's unlikely you'll ever see them anywhere else but Steam. Even the retail edition of HL2 as you said still needs Steam. Dead Space is Origin. And some of those games (eg, Bioshock 2, Dead Rising 2, Arkham City, Arkham Asylum) you really don't want the original retail (GFWL + SecuROM D version, and the later re-released Steam version is probably the least intrusive. I'm not even sure if the GFWL discs are useful anymore if you have to download the Steam version anyway? Someone else can answer that one.

A few of those you listed are available DRM-free, eg, KOTOR 1&2 are on GOG (printable DVD covers are here), whilst the original Bioshock is 75% off right now on Humble Store, and includes a DRM free version (in addition to Steam key) you could burn to disc and print a DVD case label out. That's better than paying over the odds for a "proper" original disc of potentially variable quality (scratches, scuffs, etc), that still needs a NoCD crack to deal with the SecuROM.

Your best resource for this kind of stuff is the PCGamingWiki which lists various releases (retail, Steam, etc) and related DRM. From an "I want a retail disc even if it has DRM in" point of view, other than yard sales and charity shops, Amazon & Ebay are pretty much it. If you're really obsessed with having a disc in a DVD jewel case for every individual game, even for games which were never released with them, I suppose there's nothing to stop you creating a zip file out of the Steam install folder and burning it to disk, but that really is OCD (nor does it strip out DRM, work with "CEG" protected games after changing hardware, or act as insurance against Valve disappearing unless you start using pirated versions). But what you're looking for (an actual disc in the box for every game) simply doesn't exist for a lot of recent games (not surprising given the huge amount of patching they need these days...) and a lot of retail discs from the "DRM Dark Age" of 2009-ish (GFWL + SecuROM + install limits) are best avoided no matter how cool the box looks on the shelf...

Edit: Of course, you could just stick a bunch of empty boxes with printable covers on the shelf. Is anyone going to actually open them up and look? :biggrin:

 

[frozentundra123456]

Start by going to GoG.com and buying the ones they have. You might not need to re-buy it from GoG, they just announced Steam Connect where many Steam games will get you FREE DRM-free versions on GoG.

Again, GoG is better than disc. Kotor 1 for example had nasty securom or safedisc copy protection, that is broken under Windows 7. 2 might have it too, not sure.

If you want a box and manual, Amazon and eBay.

That is not really the point though. I bought the boxed version of kotor 1, and it had a really impressive spiral bound manual. Many other boxed games back in the day contained very impressive maps, posters, manuals, etc. Steam is great, but I too sometimes miss the excitement of browsing store shelves looking for bargain games. Not to mention it was much faster to install from disc than to download from steam on my crappy internet.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Most people around these parts are old and finding PC games in rummage sales is next to impossible here.If there are old games or game systems they want top dollar for everything. People here in Wisconsin are rude, selfish, and completely greedy.I gues I will just have to keep scouring places like Goodwill and hope for the best otherwise I'm stuck with steam

Not to avoid the topic content, but with Steam, you will get most of the games on your "wishlist" for next to nothing. I know you said you wanted physical copies to display on your shelf and I'm the same way, but if you don't currently own any of the games in your list, it would behoove you to grab them cheap on Steam while you search for physical copies.

 

[motsm]

I have a collection of some of my favorite big box PC games, and got most of them from eBay for pretty reasonable prices. I realize it has been recommended already, but I think it's really the best place to look. Amazon typically has similar prices, but you don't get pictures, and often worse descriptions. So since you're looking for boxes to have on your shelf, I'd still go with ebay.

 

[sxr7171]

Most people around these parts are old and finding PC games in rummage sales is next to impossible here.If there are old games or game systems they want top dollar for everything. People here in Wisconsin are rude, selfish, and completely greedy.I gues I will just have to keep scouring places like Goodwill and hope for the best otherwise I'm stuck with steam

What happened to midwest "nice" people?

 

[ImpulsE69]

I have a rather large collection of old PC games and most of them even have the packaging tucked away somewhere.

I even think I have the Alice box with the dagger...I think.

Sadly - I've barely played or beaten any of those games either.

Damn addictions.

 

[natto fire]

What happened to midwest "nice" people?

I have had to work in Wisconsin a few times, and have experienced what they are talking about. I have also been told my native Ohio is not the midwest. Either way, I found the people in Wisconsin to be much more rude in my limited experience. I jokingly surmised it (to my co-worker) to constipation from all the cheese curds.

That said, I have never seen any install limit or anything like that with my 200+ games on Steam. I am not sure what would happen if Valve went out of business and shut Steam down tomorrow, but all the games are installed on my main computer. I think hackers would settle the dust of an unlikely Steam collapse pretty quick, which I definitely would partake in the fruit of their spoils for entitling me to the software I paid for.

I personally hate "stuff", and a disc and other packaging are garbage I am hanging on to because some assholes think they deserve free video games.

 

[werepossum]

Yes, what are some specific games?

We've already mentioned GoG, where you own them forever and do not need a live network connection or authentication server.

DRM free GoG is better than disc since many disc games used the disc as copy protection. Any problem reading the disc could make your game unplayable. Some games also installed rootkits that compromised or corrupted your OS.

This. I used to be insistent on owning the physical media before I became completely hooked on Steam's ease of use, but by any measure GoG is better than owning the original disc. It combines the exact same ownership with the freedom to make multiple copies without copy protection - some of which actually killed hardware.

Most people around these parts are old and finding PC games in rummage sales is next to impossible here.If there are old games or game systems they want top dollar for everything. People here in Wisconsin are rude, selfish, and completely greedy.I gues I will just have to keep scouring places like Goodwill and hope for the best otherwise I'm stuck with steam

Dude, please. Wanting what you consider "top dollar" is not being "selfish" and "greedy" any more than you wanting to get it for less. These people didn't take you to raise. An item is worth whatever a seller agrees to take and a buyer agrees to pay, and in this case you simply disagree on its value so there is no sale.

Nobody owes you cheap games - which is doubly ironic since both Steam and GoG HAVE tons of cheap games.