Purchasing games online via download is increasing in popularity. But as with any service, the basic question is, "Why would I order my games from a download service rather than the way I've always bought them?"
Buying games online comes with a number of advantages over traditional brick and mortar game stores:
- "Instant" Gratification – While the service of your local game store is great, they probably aren't going to take kindly to you dropping by in your boxers at 4 am. Exactly how loosely we define "instant" depends on your internet connection speed. Still, with DSL broadband internet access, you can order a game at dinner time and be playing before bedtime.
- Endless Inventory – Popular games often sell out, forcing you to wait to play the latest and greatest, or visit several stores to find a copy.
- Better Selection – While having to wait for a title to get reordered to play sucks, it doesn't suck nearly so much as discovering the title you are interested in isn't available at all. Older games, indie games or games that are just plain obscure are often not carried by game stores where shelf space is a precious commodity reserved for only the most popular titles. Download stores don't have this problem.
- Digital Storage – If you've ever lost a disc to a beloved game or had one damaged, you know the pain buying a game multiple times can cause. Most of the best download services allow you to redownload purchased games at will, tying games to your account rather than a single hard drive.
Recommended Download Sites –Steam (Grade A+)
