The studio is rectifying the situation after revealing the presence of download codes in the boxed versions of the RPG.
Starfield has not yet been released that it has already had the right to its first mini-scandal. In the space of two days, the community went through a strange emotional elevator. Will the game not have a disc in its physical version? That’s what Bethesda customer service implied in a tweet (since deleted) which ignited the network.
“All physical editions contain a code for the platform of your choice. There is no physical disk.”
With the rise of dematerialized games and more broadly of subscriptions such as Game Pass, boxed games are no longer a priority for publishers. Alan Wake II had already created controversy by announcing a digital-only release. Video game collectors have it bad, but this phenomenon is a danger to the cultural conservation effort more broadly. When the servers close in a few years, the titles will disappear with it, like the Nintendo eShop of the 3DS and Wii U.
In the case of Starfield, it only took 24 hours for Bethesda to correct its fault. Simple blunder or real return on its decision, the studio reveals that the RPG will be entitled to its own disc, but not for all editions and platforms.
You will have to choose
Following his erroneous tweet, the Twitter account @bethesdasupport is now directing users to the pre-order recap available on the studio’s official website. There you can find the details of all the editions on sale, and only one of them actually contains a disk.
Unsurprisingly, the PC version of the game will only include one code. However, the same goes for the Constellation Edition, whether it’s the PC or Xbox version. The only physical items will be the goodies provided. More and more collector’s editions of the genre follow this strange format contrary to the expectations of the target audience.
Eventually, players wishing to slide a disc from Starfield in their library will need to invest in the Standard Edition on Xbox. Only this small green box will include the famous Grail of collectors.
The RPG will therefore be entitled to a physical edition, but the future of games on discs seems sealed despite everything. At this rate, it would not be surprising if the future generation of consoles were deprived of readers and only offered digital versions. If this format is advantageous for some, players in rural areas suffer from speeds below the standards applied by industry players. So let’s enjoy enjoying the games”old” while there is still time.
