"they looked at their internal metrics and saw gamers dont really want refunds"

Gee. I wonder how they got there! Almost like physical media doesn't exist on PC anymore!

what happens if steam dies

Again -- this option is already fading with TV and movies. Are you blind or what?

???? What's the confusion lol? It's extremely unlikely and an extreme I presented. The point is we don't own s*** on Steam.

you think major games, movies or tv shows will be entirely inaccessible for you with access to the internet there will be no way to download them or own them in any form?

In the future? I think it's definitely a possibility if digital ownership continues its meteoric rise. Wouldn't surprise me if the PS6/7 and NextBox don't have physical drives.

well yes its a drm in its own form anything I lose via steam if steam were to some how go under I could illegally download . Wouldn't want to but there are bigger worries in the world than crackpot theories.

then buy everything on disc. If your ass just said you have starfield preloaded you are going against everything you just said

The game this thread is literally referring to is coming on disc and you are preloaded yet in here b****ing about digital content.

When the option is "illegally download a product" we're in some dumbass times. This isn't even getting into s*** like data caps that are becoming increasingly common.

I said preordered bro. I get it early from a local game store lol

I am glad you are getting it on disc but that has nothing to do with others . Proud of your cause

game preservationist are growing quite annoying.

I'm not saying anyone has to do anything. I said streaming services and the rise of digital "ownership" is a fast track to loss of media owned by the individual and therefore is not "consumer friendly" at all. It's a long play that Sony, Microsoft, HBO, Amazon, etc. are all playing. We already see this in other sectors of the industry. You think the gaming industry is immune to this (it isn't -- we already have examples of games being lost media due to this) and I don't. I guess we'll see who's right one day lol

You thinking I'm talking console war BS when Sony literally has their own alternative to Game Pass promoting the same bullshit shows how deep in the sand you have your head.

Ownership isn't people focus that are paying for streaming services. Its to play the game. If they want to own the game or play it multiple times in the future or forever they still have that option to do so. That is called free will. Not every game needs or deserves their 70$ in a recession. Not every game deserves a replay. They have the freedom to do how they choose. paying 70$ to buy a game play it on disc once never play it again isn't some great consumer friendly move. Its cool to be able to give it to a friend

Sony gamepass alternative is dogshit and you are literally posting sony sales in europe in the starfield thread

would I rather pay for playstation premium and get spider man 2 and ffxvi as part of a subscription price at launch or pay 70$ for each game that I will only play once ? The more consumer friendly answer to me is a subscription. I am not a person where in 10 years I will want to play what is dropping now for the most part because they aren't moving me to that level

I didn't say anything about people having to do s***. Idk where you're getting this idea from. Streaming would be awesome if the looming threat of elimination of physical ownership wasn't there. But that isn't reality. Again, I'm completely ignoring the rise of data caps with this s*** too which is a whole other can of worms.

Streaming objectively has increased accessibility. Is it worth the tradeoff that will inevitably come? Probably not -- especially as prices continue to increase for streaming services across all industries.

Also, you're completely ignoring context of me "posting Sony sales" (which it isn't, it was industry wide sales). You said MS may look to eliminate their subscription model for online play. I'm providing financial reasons why that s*** is not feasible. Would you rather argue rhetoric lol?

What you rather do is completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand. You initially disagreed with me that streaming and digital rise will lead to decrease in ownership which is objectively the end goal of all corporations and is therefore not "consumer friendly." I pointed to the fact that this is already happening in the TV and movie industry. Do you disagree with that point or are you going to continue arguing rhetoric? This isn't Twitter.

Streaming has exponentially increased accessibility. Part of the reason why streaming is so big for games is because of the cost of printing disc and then possibly it getting traded in to gamestop. Which is why Microsoft originally did the always on drm push for Xbox One. Some sort of subscription service for gaming with the high cost of creation of a game where a possibly 200 hour experience sells for 60$ then gets traded in to gamestop and repurchased same copy no profits for 40$ with continued diminishing returns was inevitable.

What are gaming companies supposed to do just keep dropping 200 million dollar games, pay all staff well some how for pirates and trade in values?

Its just genuinely the smartest long term move to do . I get what you are saying but I can't doom and gloom in a completely unrelated thread doom posting about physicals.

streaming is consumer friendly is how this started. You said streaming isnt consumer friendly due to some deep apocalpytic future rather than focus on present reality

streaming is consumer friendly point blank period.

This ended up becoming "doom and gloom" because you guys took issue with me saying streaming services are not consumer friendly lol. You're acting like I brought this s*** up outta nowhere when it was within the context of the discussion we were having. This is why Discord s***s on forums btw

The present reality in other industries is already seeing the loss of ownership of property due to the rise of streaming services. How is that an "apocalyptic future" and "doom and gloom"? Nigga this is our present reality.

in present sense not you predicting the future in present sense they are consumer friendly. We could go on about the "what ifs" but reality isnt about your what ifs.

Netflix and hbo max are still consumer friendly. If anything they are less ARTIST FRIENDLY which is why a writers strike is occuring but its still a huge value for CONSUMERS.

That's cool that you are OK with the loss of ownership. Shows getting taken off services and no longer being accessible doesn't sit right with me. You said you didn't care to play games that are 10 years old or whatever so I can see why you have that stance but this isn't about personal vibes and preferences. It's an objective fact that Sony, Microsoft, etc. want to decrease our ability to own the s*** we pay for. This isn't some crackpot theory.