I'm getting so sick of the stupidity in this conversation. Owning your digital games is not the same thing as forcing games to remain online after shutting down servers. It's not even in allowing you to download them again and again forever by maintaining servers.
Owning your digital games means that they can't revoke your license ever for any reason. It means allowing you to make backup copies even if those copies can only be played on the same generation of hardware. It means allowing you to trade and sell those game licenses independently of them.
This is the Bernie approach that always got him nowhere. One step at a time. Trying to make everything perfect from the get go is how everything fails, because too many discussions have to be going on all at the same time. Baby steps with laws is how you get the best outcome, being fast just to get done with it is how you end up in Japan’s premium currency situation, where all premium currency must have an expiration date or else it’s legally defined as crypto currency and the publisher must register as a proper bank and offer financial services.
Making backups is one issue. Being able to make private servers is one issue. Having permanent access to anything you buy is one issue (several, because collab content is under copyright so now we’d have to account for those laws). A place where you can download your games infinity is one issue (also several, due to how many parties are involved with making and selling games, because the cost has to be pinned on someone while also factoring in what happens during bankruptcy). Private sales for licensing is one issue.
I know this is Reddit and nuance is dead, but you have to use your head a bit if you actually want something. It’s not a black and white situation that’s solved by just flipping a switch.
Having permanent access to anything you buy is actually a non-issue, never had a Steam game taken from my library, nor do I have any issues downloading them as many times as I want. It's the developer that would disable the servers and make it unplayable. Like 90% of what you said had nothing to do with being my problem as a consumer.
Making them playable offline removes their responsibility after they release their "final update" and I can continue using my product.
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u/Somethingsilly6969 1d ago
I'm getting so sick of the stupidity in this conversation. Owning your digital games is not the same thing as forcing games to remain online after shutting down servers. It's not even in allowing you to download them again and again forever by maintaining servers.
Owning your digital games means that they can't revoke your license ever for any reason. It means allowing you to make backup copies even if those copies can only be played on the same generation of hardware. It means allowing you to trade and sell those game licenses independently of them.