Digital Download VS. Physical Disks?

[Dusty_Monk]

I spoke to EA on the phone yesterday. I recieved an email about the call later and I will quote from it.

Thank you for contacting EA Support regarding The Sims. During the call I was more then happy to look into your question. It is possible to install the digital download of the game on any number of computers as long as they have the Origins program on it and that you login and install from there.

So there are no limits on the Digital Download. During the call I was informed that there is a 5 authorised installs limit on the DVD version.

[Hosfac]

I'm not sold on the digital download thing either, but for different reasons.  I'm all for progress, and seeing as how digital downloads don't require the production of plastics (which cause pollution...something we don't need more of) it fits in with my Eco-Friendly mindset as well.  My issue is the time it takes to download.

Case in point:  Occasionally, as anyone who plays The Sims realizes, you have to do an uninstall/reinstall of the entire game.  I have everything up to Outdoor Living Stuff, and between installing with the discs and patching the game, it takes me about 2 hours from the time I open my Control Panel to the time I download the last patch.  Download time on each expansion is, on average, 2 hours.  So if I had downloaded everything, a complete uninstall/reinstall would take me somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 hours or more.  This is nowhere close to anything even remotely resembling practical.

There needs to be a better way of doing this.

[jeanamariex3]

Am I allowed to speak on an old topic? Because I would like to say my piece.

I'm all for digital. Why? Because physical copies just become a waste of money. First off, I'm too impatient for the UPS to bring me a hard copy, and secondly, what if a new Sims game comes around? What's going to happen to my Sims 3 disks? They will be collecting dust, which makes it a bigger waste of money. With digital, I never have to worry about losing the disk, or regestration key. It's all right in front of me on the download manager! Okay, I'm young, and especially going back to Sims 2 for a while, yes I go back every now and then, I don't have to worry about finding my copy of Sims 2, (I played it with my cousins at their place, and I really missed playing), it's right there on the Origin/EA Download Manager.

Physical copies eventually wear out, and break and can no longer be used. Digital never gets old or outdated and will always be there!

[MoonsAreBlue]

I'm 19, and I will never ever get a digital copy. Not because I don't think it's convenient, but because it's so much quicker to drive to the store and buy the game than download it from home. And a complete reinstall would take forever, like Hosfac said. I'm not the most organized person, but I keep all the game cases stacked up with my books. I leave the registration keys in them and I've not lost a single one. I have a separate disk case for all of my games that require disks, but I don't keep all my sims disks in there, only the one I need to play. The rest go back in their boxes and sit on a shelf, that way I don't lose them.

[xFezIsAFreakx]

I'm also for the physical copies although I think someday, in the future I will transfer over to the digital as it seems to be becoming more convenient and more of a modern way to do it. But for now, and probably for the rest of the Sims 3 right up to when Sims 4 comes out, I'll be keeping my disks stacked up with my books like MoonsAreBlue. I also have all my serial codes typed up on my mobile phone's notebook (it's an app ) and various different documents on my netbook and simming laptop, just in case I lose the disc and ever need to download a digital copy to replace it.

[Annenator]

I was wondering, is it possible to a have a mixture of soft copies and hard copies of the game?  E.g. have The Sims 3 on disk then download ambitions digital?

[gerrr00]

I was wondering, is it possible to a have a mixture of soft copies and hard copies of the game?  E.g. have The Sims 3 on disk then download ambitions digital?

Yes, you can do that.  I have it that way on one of my laptops.

[Annenator]

Yes, you can do that.  I have it that way on one of my laptops.

Oh really!  That's nice to know.  It'd be great if I don't have to use the disk to play it, but I wouldn't want to buy a new main game just for that.  Thanks gerrr00.

[sosobaggins]

I noticed quite a few times persons commented on uninstalling and reinstalling. Are you talking about doing this after each expansion one downloads? Including the stuff packs? Does this mean it does not just add onto the base game? And is the process the same for patches?

Also i wanted to know if it possible to maybe back up on an external drive.

[Pam]

I noticed quite a few times persons commented on uninstalling and reinstalling. Are you talking about doing this after each expansion one downloads? Including the stuff packs? Does this mean it does not just add onto the base game? And is the process the same for patches?

Also i wanted to know if it possible to maybe back up on an external drive.

It's not required to uninstall and reinstall for expansion and stuff packs.  Some of us just do it anyway to help keep the game running smoothly. 

Yes, you can back up on an external drive.  Once you've copied your Sims 3 folder at this location:  C:/Documents/Electronic Arts, you can store it anywhere you wish as long as it will hold the files.

[sosobaggins]

Thanks very much Pam.