OS Neutral Owning VS Licensing a Video Game

[Huntn]

For Solo games I don’t like “live games”. The following is an argument for non-DRM games, such as available on GOG.com. Surprisingly on GOG, I could have bought Cyberpunk 2077 DRM free. Lately when getting ready to buy a big game, I am now checking GOG for a comparison.

There was a game I bought on sale, but just got around to installing, “Detroit Becoming Human” which is getting very popular ratings at Steam, and during install, a page popped up that specifically said, “you have not purchased this title, you have licensed it.”

I've also noticed playing Drago Age inquisition, a 10 year old game, that I log into a EA server on launch. That does not bother me, other than I could not play this game offline or unless it means when EA no longer wants to support the title, they could yank access to it. But as far as I know there is nothing happening online other than being monitored by the server, so it would be feasible to just turn off the server and let you play on your own if they wanted to.

Technically, this is also the deal with Steam, although they do have an offline mode, but I’m thinking if they ever decided to close shop, this would kill most if not all of your Steam games, unless they took the steps to release them. 🤔

Brought from another thread…

Did anyone of you receive an invite to the alpha? I didn’t. Having watched a few videos of it the clouds and trees are stunning. Call me a newb but the tablet inside the cockpit looks practical.

From what I understand, the buildings won’t look better unless they have been handcrafted. I think FS2020 might get a few more world updates before MS sign post us to 2024.

Its early days for the FS2024. It will be best judged 3 months after launch when gamers have been able to thoroughly test it and reflect on its strengths and weaknesses vs FS2020.

For me it will be a choice between buying 2024 or spending the equivalent on marketplace updates and mods.

What doesnt sit well with me is that FS2024 is a £60-100 live service game. In 4-6 years they will switch off the servers and push players into buying the sequel that will likely be more expensive.

I don’t mind free to play live service game but paying full price for one doesn’t sit well with me. It’s a throw away culture. Just look at Forza Horizon 4. Servers will be switched off in December and you won’t be able to buy add ons.

I am also a busy dad. I worry that one evening the kids will be in bed, I will fire up FS2024 and either there is an issue with FS servers or my internet is facing disruption. Xbox could mitigate this by allowing 100% caching for a specific route. Like an offline mode. Currently it appears that FS2024 cache some content but not all of it.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Great idea to spin this off to a separate thread. In California a relevant law was recently passed. It will require developers to label whether you will “own” the software/game or merely buying a licence to use it.

We have recently seen Sony launching games on PSN only to pull them off market and users’ accounts a few weeks later. This is a clear example of users buying a licence that’s fully revocable. However it wasn’t labelled as such.

COD, Fortnite and Valorant are fine as they are free-to-play. You haven’t purchased the game and you know very well that skins and merch as consumables that might not be usable in a few years.

IMO FS2024 is clearly a service, not a game. The title is 2 petabytes large and is probably duplicated across servers globally. It will not be financially viable to keep those servers live when FS2028 is launched. Neither is it likely that MS will allow FS2024 owners to download 2 Petabytes of data for offline storage.

This is an example of where a developer should be upfront about what users are buying - especially if they will buy downloadable content that might not have forwards compatibility.

I like that you mentioned steam! The majority of my PC games are on steam. However, the business and brand is so large that it’s unlikely that it would go completley bust without a new owner taking over, keeping the servers running and milking millions of users for more money.

 

[Queen6]

I actively avoid Live Service games and single player games that require a permanent internet connection. Same with DRM in gaming it's serves nothing to prevent the pirates, what it's designed to do is add a level of control on the player base.

All such antics are solely designed to serve the publishers & providers not the players. When I purchase something I expect something for my money that I can use, as I see fit... I will always defer to store's that have no DRM or the least restrictive.

Q-6

 

[Nermal]

Surprisingly on GOG, I could have bought Cyberpunk 2077 DRM free.

That shouldn't be a surprise, given that GOG and Cyberpunk are both from the same company

Most of my games are on PS5 these days, on disk. They're usually cheaper than buying downloads (shouldn't it be the other way around?) but when buying Mac games I typically look on GOG first. A downloadable, "back uppable" installer is superior in the long run.

 

[Macalicious2011]

I actively avoid Live Service games and single player games that require a permanent internet connection.

This will become more difficult to avoid. I think there will be an icnrease in console and PC games that are ad-supported. We have seen with mobile gaming that the majority of consumers don't care. Likewise Netflix, Amazon and Disney have to, their surprise, seen that ad supported plans have not deterred customers.

That shouldn't be a surprise, given that GOG and Cyberpunk are both from the same company

Most of my games are on PS5 these days, on disk. They're usually cheaper than buying downloads (shouldn't it be the other way around?) but when buying Mac games I typically look on GOG first. A downloadable, "back uppable" installer is superior in the long run.

After buying a gaming PC in December, I contemplated selling my Series X. However I've had a change of heart and will keep it. Some games are cheap on PC but occassionally old titles are £30-40. Sony recently pulled a cheeky one by discontinuining Horizon Zero Dawn and replacing it with a remastered version that's more expensive. I don't want to pay full retail price for a 5-8 year old game - especially if I onlt intend to play it once.

As studios struggle to develop new IP, I think they might remaster and milk old ones but in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to but a cheaper older copy. This is where physicas discs are a heaven sent. I can buy used copies of older games for the same price as a startbucks coffee.

 

[Queen6]

This will become more difficult to avoid. I think there will be an icnrease in console and PC games that are ad-supported. We have seen with mobile gaming that the majority of consumers don't care. Likewise Netflix, Amazon and Disney have to, their surprise, seen that ad supported plans have not deterred customers.

After buying a gaming PC in December, I contemplated selling my Series X. However I've had a change of heart and will keep it. Some games are cheap on PC but occassionally old titles are £30-40. Sony recently pulled a cheeky one by discontinuining Horizon Zero Dawn and replacing it with a remastered version that's more expensive. I don't want to pay full retail price for a 5-8 year old game - especially if I onlt intend to play it once.

As studios struggle to develop new IP, I think they might remaster and milk old ones but in a way that makes it difficult or impossible to but a cheaper older copy. This is where physicas discs are a heaven sent. I can buy used copies of older games for the same price as a startbucks coffee.

Lot of studios are plainly out of fresh ideas and the publisher's are only in it for the money to the detriment of the players and TBH the studios that want to put out good content due to interference.

I play a lot of older titles & full mod games, indie titles etc. which never fail to entertain me. AAA gaming in the west is in the bucket and has been for years. Many continue to pump out the same rinse wash & repeat garbage and when it doesn't sell blame the players. Colour me surprised produce a bad product at premium price, just what could possibly go wrong? Only in the entertainment industry do they have the sheer audacity to blame the customer for their own failures.

Way forward with PC gaming will be indie titles as devs/studios are not tied to publishers, maybe some independent AA studios. AAA is floundering due to mismanagement & pandering. Ubisoft is on the brink of collapse and others will fail as IMO the players are sick & tired of all the nonsense. They simply want good games that are complete and make sense. Not designed to milk them dry with endless DLC's, microtransactions, needless political agendas, poor gameplay and broken at launch.

Gaming crashed in the 80's and is well on the same trajectory for differing reasons in the 2020's. The studio's & publisher's can make a change but seemingly they cant see right from wrong. Personally I refuse to pay premium for broken rubbish that takes years if ever to fix or be treated like an ATM and not have full control. Games same as any other product if it's bad or lacks value I simply avoid that company until it's fixed if I ever bother to look again...

Q-6

 

[Huntn]

That shouldn't be a surprise, given that GOG and Cyberpunk are both from the same company

Most of my games are on PS5 these days, on disk. They're usually cheaper than buying downloads (shouldn't it be the other way around?) but when buying Mac games I typically look on GOG first. A downloadable, "back uppable" installer is superior in the long run.

I did not know! 🙂

 

[Huntn]

Lot of studios are plainly out of fresh ideas and the publisher's are only in it for the money to the detriment of the players and TBH the studios that want to put out good content due to interference.

I play a lot of older titles & full mod games, indie titles etc. which never fail to entertain me. AAA gaming in the west is in the bucket and has been for years. Many continue to pump out the same rinse wash & repeat garbage and when it doesn't sell blame the players. Colour me surprised produce a bad product at premium price, just what could possibly go wrong? Only in the entertainment industry do they have the sheer audacity to blame the customer for their own failures.

Way forward with PC gaming will be indie titles as devs/studios are not tied to publishers, maybe some independent AA studios. AAA is floundering due to mismanagement & pandering. Ubisoft is on the brink of collapse and others will fail as IMO the players are sick & tired of all the nonsense. They simply want good games that are complete and make sense. Not designed to milk them dry with endless DLC's, microtransactions, needless political agendas, poor gameplay and broken at launch.

Gaming crashed in the 80's and is well on the same trajectory for differing reasons in the 2020's. The studio's & publisher's can make a change but seemingly they cant see right from wrong. Personally I refuse to pay premium for broken rubbish that takes years if ever to fix or be treated like an ATM and not have full control. Games same as any other product if it's bad or lacks value I simply avoid that company until it's fixed if I ever bother to look again...

Q-6

I know we disagree about Cyberpunk 2077, but if you look how conversations and social interactions are handled in a RPG type game, it truly is a leap forward, at least in my experience. I have made a direct comparison of CP77 a 4 year old game, to Starfield a 1 year old game that relied on a primitive outdated conversation model.

 

[Macalicious2011]

Lot of studios are plainly out of fresh ideas and the publisher's are only in it for the money to the detriment of the players and TBH the studios that want to put out good content due to interference.

I play a lot of older titles & full mod games, indie titles etc. which never fail to entertain me. AAA gaming in the west is in the bucket and has been for years. Many continue to pump out the same rinse wash & repeat garbage and when it doesn't sell blame the players. Colour me surprised produce a bad product at premium price, just what could possibly go wrong? Only in the entertainment industry do they have the sheer audacity to blame the customer for their own failures.

Way forward with PC gaming will be indie titles as devs/studios are not tied to publishers, maybe some independent AA studios. AAA is floundering due to mismanagement & pandering. Ubisoft is on the brink of collapse and others will fail as IMO the players are sick & tired of all the nonsense. They simply want good games that are complete and make sense. Not designed to milk them dry with endless DLC's, microtransactions, needless political agendas, poor gameplay and broken at launch.

Gaming crashed in the 80's and is well on the same trajectory for differing reasons in the 2020's. The studio's & publisher's can make a change but seemingly they cant see right from wrong. Personally I refuse to pay premium for broken rubbish that takes years if ever to fix or be treated like an ATM and not have full control. Games same as any other product if it's bad or lacks value I simply avoid that company until it's fixed if I ever bother to look again...

Q-6

I have only recently become aware of the flourishing world of indie games. I have come across a few gems on steam recently. I forgot to mention that mobile games are the worst. I bought fun full priced iOS/iPad games 8-12 years ago. However I can no longer play or even download them and there are no modern equivalents. Where modern equivalents are avaiable, the full priced version has been replaced with a free-to-play ad supported one.

In the next 2 years I will likely buy a handheld PC to complement my desktop. It will either be a steam deck or windows handheld.

Here is a well time article about the lack of creativity.

Former PlayStation exec says there's a "collapse of creativity" in the industry

Former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden has discussed the state of the games industry, stating there's a "collapse of crea…

www.eurogamer.net

 

[Queen6]

I have only recently become aware of the flourishing world of indie games. I have come across a few gems on steam recently. I forgot to mention that mobile games are the worst. I bought fun full priced iOS/iPad games 8-12 years ago. However I can no longer play or even download them and there are no modern equivalents. Where modern equivalents are avaiable, the full priced version has been replaced with a free-to-play ad supported one.

In the next 2 years I will likely buy a handheld PC to complement my desktop. It will either be a steam deck or windows handheld.

Here is a well time article about the lack of creativity.

Former PlayStation exec says there's a "collapse of creativity" in the industry

Former PlayStation exec Shawn Layden has discussed the state of the games industry, stating there's a "collapse of crea…

www.eurogamer.net

Check out the What Game You Play'n? thread I post there. Mostly older titles from AAA to free games on itch.io, how to mod some of them and get some running natively on Apple Silicon. I've always been into the AA & indie space as the games are generally more interesting and devs not controlled or restricted.

I think a lot of good devs were driven out or simply turned off by the industry in recent years and replaced by the incompetent. Similar to the film industry AAA in the west is stuck in a loop of reboots & remakes that no one asked for and are arguably worse in some cases as they are creatively bankrupt. Companies that hire just to check boxes often go this way as the talent leaves for greener pastures...

Quit wasting my time and money on mobile games years ago, is mostly just a scam and I have zero interest in any game that injects ad's. Started off all well and good until the greed train rolled up. I'd just a soon take small notebook or a windows tablet on the go if I want to game on the go and if traveling I'll have a Windows notebook and or Mac with me by default. Even on very modest HW can still play some very decent older titles or simply watch a film on my terms.

Q-6

 

[Queen6]

I know we disagree about Cyberpunk 2077, but if you look how conversations and social interactions are handled in a RPG type game, it truly is a leap forward, at least in my experience. I have made a direct comparison of CP77 a 4 year old game, to Starfield a 1 year old game that relied on a primitive outdated conversation model.

Bethesda is another on the way out, same old game with a different skin. Charging premium pricing 🤔

CDPR just ticked me off as I expected better after Witcher 3, they sold out and is seemingly going to get worse. I'll play CP2077 again and you'll be the first to know... As for CDPR they want to follow Ubisoft, best of luck...