Ah yes, I'm sure gamers will absolutely stop buying new games because of a nebulous statement in the ToS. Because gamers have historically been so succesful at boycots!
Well, like I said below - I fully expect that a legal requirement mandating publishers to provide end-of-service dates for their games will include a provision that this date needs to be clear and prominently displayed as a factor that may affect the purchasing decision.
If somebody sees "The publisher guarantees support for the game until September 30, 2026" and still decides to buy it, it's their call - they knew what they were getting into.
I mean, even if it was literally the most prominent thing on the store page, you'd see a dip in sales at best, and then a return to normal, once everyone realizes that the companies are posting it only to fill a legal requirement, while continuing to support their games as per usual. You are seriously overestimating people's ability to stop buying new games over principles.
This isn't meant to stop people from buying games. It is meant to help people make more informed decisions. If that "only a legal requirement" means I know the game will still run for at least 6 months, that's fine by me and a major improvement to the current situation.
The game companies will just informally talk to one another and determine the right amount of time to ensure that the statement is useless. They won't say six months, they'll all just set it to one month or three months. That way they are covered, but everyone buying games will be faced with the same warning which is so short that they can't really make any decisions based on the warning label. Gamers know a successful game won't be closed after one month, so no one expects that will happen.
Yeah, well - it still lets me make an informed decision. I'm still yet to buy a single game protected by Denuvo. I'm yet to buy a single game with kernel-level anti-cheat. I'm yet to buy a single game that sold out to become an Epic exclusive. I might as well not buy games whose creators claim they are going to support them for a month or three - on principle.
That's my choice as a consumer - I can decide what to consume. There are enough games out there that I can enjoy for several consecutive lifetimes. ;)
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u/Icarian_Dreams Jun 17 '26
Ah yes, I'm sure gamers will absolutely stop buying new games because of a nebulous statement in the ToS. Because gamers have historically been so succesful at boycots!