Game Availability through Digital Distribution vs. DVD Content

I prefer to have the games I purchase available for local installation from a DVD, so I can continue playing once the zombies run rampant and I figure out the whole food/clothing/shelter/electricity thing. The last few games I have purchased online, and in a store, to be delivered through a DVD have contained only a DVD with the steam/origin installer and a game code to download with. I am not an up-to-date gamer, but are any games still distributed on DVD? I know it will say it in fine print on the box, but this is not always possible to see when ordering online.

If I see that a game is available through Steam or Origin, does that mean the company has decided to ONLY use this distribution method, or is this just an option for those who want to download the game immediately instead of waiting for the physical media.

The games I am curious about now are:

Yes, I know these are all post-season, but then consider the discount.

But I am also interested in how I can determine if the game will be available on the physical media when I open the case, or whether it will contain an online game code (hopefully based on either the developer or actual game in question). I would also be interested if methods for creating a local installation disk for games legally purchased through a digital distributor exist. Thank you.

Best Answer

There is an increasing amount of games that distribute exclusively through Steam, Origin or similar (and company-specific) digital distribution systems. If these games are available in a physical box, they often only contain a card with the key on it, or a dvd which includes the installer for the respective digital distribution software.

It's hard to tell which games do this, but you can usually find some information about it if they do, on Google or the publisher's website for example. EA games seem to be doing this exclusively, or at least, they will require Origin to be running as well. There's a lot of companies making this move, so I can't really list them all.