Posted November 28, 2022
brouer: But, like with movies and TV series, there are lots of games I enjoy playing to completion once, and never return to. For those I kinda think the rental model feels more "honest" than a DRM'ed purchase, where I can't even be sure I'll be able to run the thing 5+ years from now. Even if the game itself ought to run fine, will the DRM be compatible?
I don't deny a rental model is appealing if for no other reason than to demo games. What I fear though is that it is getting people used to the Netflix model for gaming. Once people are conditioned they can pull the switch and stop letting you ever own the games. This is what large companies like MS are aiming at. They want gaming as a service you pay a monthly fee for. They just need the tech to get a bit better and people to get conditioned to it. That's where it is going. I remember the upset when Half Life 2 could not be installed without installing Steam. Now hardly anyone would bat an eye at that. I believe what's happening with GamePass is the same process and MS will eventually lock all their IP behind a subscription service.
Post edited November 28, 2022 by EverNightX