Before I start with my little exposition on this matter, I know that certain members of this forum are going to start screaming out insults at me about how I'm being "vain" or "attention-seeking" or whatever. Let it be said - I really don't give a shit. I just feel the need to say my piece on this subject and then be done with it.

I've been a gamer for the best part of 25 years since I first played Wonderboy in an arcade. At the age of 5 I could barely actually reach the controls - the Greek restaurant owner who owned the machine would get me a stool to sit on and open the coin box so that he could start the game anew for me when I lost.

Since that time I, must like the majority of users here I suspect, have owned computers and consoles of every generation, from the 8-bit C64 through to the PS3 and a fairly modern PC. I've bought games on cassette, 5.25" floppy disc, 3.5" diskettes, cartridge, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Bluray and as downloads. Hell, I was buying indie games digital for the Amiga, downloading 2-3 Mb of game over a 28K modem before digital sales were even considered realistic.

Until around five years ago, I may not have agreed with every development that had occurred in the industry, but I felt that the industry and gaming as a whole was heading in an overall positive direction.

Then in 2006, the Xbox 360 and PS3 came onto the scene, and Steam began to come into its own. Suddenly a culture developed where publishers did nothing but emphasise THEIR rights and OUR obligations. They became so obsessed with the idea that we didn't "own" our games, that we just played them. They frantically tried to prevent us from selling our used games with pathetic marketing campaigns, account-binding DRM and trying to raise the profile of digital distribution.

To me, all these efforts have turned games into a throwaway commodity. I don't want to be continually dependent on the publisher to use my games, yet the publisher wants to foster a culture of perpetual dependence so that they can squeeze ever increasing amounts of money out of gamers. When you buy a game today, you're not buying a game, you're buying a leash to tie around your own neck.

I personally can't stand all the PC vs. console fanboy wars. I loved PC gaming until recently, and I also enjoy my PS2, if only because console gaming in that era and eras before it were a completely different experience to computer gaming. The PS3 and 360 on the other hand are nothing more than cut-down PCs with console games now either being poor ports of PC games or PC games being poor ports of console games. Both platforms have lost their identity altogether.

When I buy a game, I buy it to play it and keep it. I want to be able to go into a store, take a risk on an unknown game and remember where I bought that game, not have to follow the crowd simply because I know that I will not be able to sell that game afterwards.

As an example, Beyond Good and Evil is one of my favourite games of all time, but if it had DRM or had been solely digital, I probably would have never even experienced it. I saw it in Karstadt, thought it looked intriguing and decided to shell out the 50 euros for it. It has since become of the most influential titles for me.

Now, it all has to be digitally downloaded or bound to an account, simply because publishers wish to control what you play. I understand that digital provides indie distributors with the means to sell games on a shoestring budget, but let's be honest - barely 2-3% of indie games ever even succeed in earning back their budget.

Now, I can scream until I'm blue in the face about digital distribution, DRM and DLC, but the fact of the matter that I'm in a dwindling minority on the PC, a community that is so desperately scared of its platform disappearing that it will do anything that the industry demands of it. That's fine, but it's not something I can be a part of anymore. I'd been tempted to move to console gaming, but with a similar mindset on the consoles, I've lost all interest there as well.

I'm not going to sell all my games on the PC out of some hollow protest. That would be just wasted money. I'll no doubt come back to my considerable backlog of games and play them from time to time, but I almost certainly won't be buying many more. I may pick up the odd cheap title off GOG or from Media Markt or Saturn, but gaming isn't the passion it used to be for me.

People around me have been telling me how they've noticed that I've been gaming less and less lately. That's what got me thinking about this here. It wasn't a deliberate action, rather a result of my disillusionment. I guess it's my subconscious telling me that I can no longer identify with it.

And so I've come to the point where I have to act on this, say my piece and focus my energies on my other pursuits, which I am now doing. I'll still be looking over the GOG forums, as I find it's a great community and a great place to discuss all kinds of things, not just gaming.

I never considered gaming the way you do - it's only one of my hobbies, and not the most important (I'd say it's 3rd place, or maybe even lower).

One thing I disagree with - I really prefer digital distibution. Done the right way, like GOG or Humble Bundle do.

Thanks for your interesting post. While I understand how you feel very well, do you not think supporting GOG or Humble Bundle/Indie Royale/BeeMine Bundle, who strive to provide DRM-free downloads in these times is actually quite important to give the "right" message to the developers? Just a small example is how Tim Schaeffer said everyone, who donated via Kickstarter would get a DRM-free version of the game. Is that not the step into the right direction? The general trend might be quite awful, I agree, but do bundles and kickstarter no provide at least SOME alternative, which was non-existent even 2-3 years ago?

I'm with ^ (edit: The first response I meant xD)

I like really prefer digital distribution. I gave up CD's/DVD's/3,5 inch Disks/5 1/4 Disks/Tapes a long time ago after having owned a mountain of each type. It's just a waste of space. And each new media it just started all over again.

I try not to let DRM come in my way of enjoying my gaming, as long as it doesn't bother me too much either. I do have preferences of where I'll get my stuff though, that's not to be confused.

So far, the pro's vastly outweigh the cons for me and I have a massive easy access library with great games that I got for pretty cheap.

so you've discovered you're not actually a gamer, at least not anymore. congrats.

what i find odd is that you're trying to rationalize your indifference to games by connecting it to everything YOU think is wrong with gaming today: fanboyism (don't all hobbies and activities have that?!?), console wars (it's called competition, and it happens everywhere else, too...), DRM (oh boy...), etc.

how exactly would those factors influence YOUR personal enjoyment of the games? i don't give a crap about fanboys or the console wars, i dislike some forms of DRM and accept others. i've never liked gaming more than today.

also, about DRM, some people cannot stop going on about how bad it is etc. but to what extent has it actually changed gaming and what "rights" has it actually taken away from you? i'm still playing games the same way i have been for the past 20 or so years. DRM never gets in the way (unless you're talking UbiSoft always online-DRM, which i refuse to accept). what rights have been taken away from you? selling your games? would you actually sell your games? have you ever? not me.

tl;dr: so long. why tell us anyway?

To quote a new trend around here, I'm signing this post. Exactly my own sentiments down to the Ubi footnote.

You make some really good points about the industry and pc gaming in gerneal.

I have been a gamer since the first time i plugged a cassette player into my vic 20 and had fun with omega run.

I have seen the rise and fall of some great platforms spectrum and atari st being 2 of them and it has been the publishers blaming piracy on these platforms which resulted in less games and people ending up moving to other machines for their gaming fix.

Nowadays piracy/drm and dlc now seem to plague the new games and companies seem to be out to either to make as much money from their games by releasing 90% complete followed by dlc for remaining 10%. (saints row 3 feels like that)

I have slowed down my purchases due to this so far i have only bought Kingom of Agumar and will be buying Mass Effect 3 (just to complete the story) and there is nothing else i want to buy. Ubisoft i wont buy anything from them again as the just bog you down with DRM and other oublishers such as Blizzard and Activision just seem to be out to make money whichever way they can.

Looking at future purchases i will be buying most from gog.com and from indie games as they at least give their customers respect and arnt out to grab every penny off you or bog you down with drm.

I now have over 220 games from here for the reason of price, no drm, extra goodies even games i have on disk.

Have fun with your life and good luck in the future, but just try to understand that gaming is a hobby, an activity, not something that shapes characters and worldviews.

I agree with Tom Selleck's moustache.

In all honesty, im more concerned that a flood might occur and wipe out whatever collection i have or any hardware i have (console, PC, Ps3, Ps2, Xbox.) I can quite possibly see these disappearing throughout my lifetime, so in 80 years down the line (if we get to live to that long, depends on average lifespan by then.) i probably wont be able to dust of an xbox 360 and say "I remember those days with Just cause 2 and Fallout And TES And a whole heap of cool other stuff."

I am still playing my games after 26 years of gaming. Am I wrong?

So you got tired of videogames. Okay. I don't quite understand what the rest of the post has to do with that, but whatever. Hobbies come and go. Enjoy whichever it will be you're picking up next.

I enjoy playing with Lego, personally.

"From Denmark"

figures. :)

so do i, BTW.

Wow. After reading what you've said in this post, I can see where you're coming from.

It is true that gamers on any platform, but especially PC, are practically jumping through hoops. If you've gotten -that- exhausted from woes, then by all means, do what you feel is right for yourself.

At any rate, I hope the situation turns around (they might start playing ice hockey on the river Styx first). Good luck with whatever you pursue!