I have some doubts :)

Good questions. I'll tag Angel-Corlux to be sure, but off the top of my head even a physical CD comes with a steam code you can use for Steam. But if your DVD player is busted, I would recommend switching over to the digital version

just buy a replacement dvd drive they are super cheap and then you got no problem. It'll be less of a hassle than changing your backer reward, as long as you pledged $60USD or more your versions (physical or otherwise) should have backer exclusive content as far as i understand it.

I was just wondering this too!

So just to be clear, even if we bought a physical copy for Steam, we won't need to use de cd even once, right?

In traditional physical copies that also have a digital market it goes like this:

You get the DVD. You open the case. You see a code and a disc. You go to either Steam or GOG (which ever you picked when you purchased the game) and enter the code on their site without the disc inserted. You now receive an digital copy.

The DVD will have Bloodstained 1.0 on it, or whatever Vanilla number it has without any patches and updates. If you would to sit one day without Internet, it could possibly be playable with this DVD. The DVD might also have tools for you, depending on how the developers think. If modding is a thing for example. There would also be the extra content which will also be in digital.

So yes, you can play the game without ever put in the DVD in a computer as long as you open and get the code for the download and have Internet.

When it comes to steam, that game will be in the library. GoG is a bit more flexible when it comes to that kind of lists but they have their own library app.

Reasons for having it on DVD is 1. It's physical media, you can show people the game IRL without booting your computer or console. 2. If internet is dead, games sometimes work offline with the disc if it's related to steam (on console and GOG it should be able to play offline at any given time as long as the latest update it had was downloaded 100%. 3. Having first playable launch version without updates is a matter of taste. As a speed runner you might wanna use those glitches and bugs that are fixed later on with online updates. 4. Nostalgia value.

GOG is completely DRM-FREE! Keep that in mind. You can play your games without its optional client (Galaxy), without internet connection (only exception is to download your game ONCE, the very FIRST time, then you can back it up in your preferred file storing media) and without any discs to be inserted. GOG's installers are custom-made and unique.

Steam is the mainstream option, though, with the large social part and the place where everybody owns a large library of games... But still, you might want to opt to GOG; at least for this masterpiece of a game.

Yeah I got my physical copy gog-style. Surprised moar people didn't do that.

Speaking of which though, I wonder if this game will be on the steam/gog connect thing. That would be nice. What exactly is required for that to happen?

yeah, I know that the larger social platform is a reason people would pick steam over gog, I wasn't asking why people would. Just surprised that that many people favor those values over the more traditional gamer values when this game is essentially a recreation of an older loved series.

That's also why I brought up gog connect. Because you could have the best of both worlds with gog connect.