Video games will be digital only within 5 years, says report

[grimmy58]

It does on the PC currently as there is competition between stores. The amount of games that were full price at launch a couple of years back that I've picked up for sub £5 is huge. That changes when you look at games from only 1 shop (so valves own stuff, EA and Blizzard mostly,) and imagine it'd be the same on consoles where you'd have to buy direct from the console makers.

A brilliant tool for PC games is www.IsThereAnyDeal.com. add games to a watchlist, set a target price or discount percentage and the site will email you when your conditions are met. It also compares price history (so tells you if a deal is the lowest price it's ever been sold for,) and supports pretty much all legitimate sites but ignores the grey CD Keys style ones.

This is true as long as there's competition in the market like there generally is with PC keys, however I think that if consoles went all digital the future would be a little less rosy as, at least to me, it feels like there's more restriction on where you can buy a PS4 or XB1 game key.

Thanks for the site recommendation, I'll definitely use it - a quick look showed Dead Cells at a reasonable price - I've been waiting on it coming down in price for a bit. Cheers!

[Saracen]

Then simply don't violate the T&Cs, surely?


I've read similar anecdotes of people whose things like bank accounts and jobs have suffered similar fates... I bet you have at least one of those, though....?


It's been like that since the 1980s, mate.... and not just in gaming.

According to those anecdotes, the people with cancelled accounts didn't violate T&Cs, but got csncelled anyway.

Or are you of the impression that companies never get it wrong? That gas companies couldn't overbill, telecomms companies screw up numger transfers or banks close accounts in error? If so, I have had personal experience there.

So .... something goes wrong and it's a UK bank, utility company, etc, and you have a decent chance of getting CS or a manager to sort it out, and if that fails, you have Ombudsmen, regulators and if push comes to shove, courts.

But if, for instance, Steam screw up, close your account and invalidate the hundreds or thousands you've spent on games, what's your recourse? No ombudsman, no regulators and legal action in a US court? Good luck with the cost of the latter.

So, you can ask Steam to reconsider, and if they either uphold their original decision or simply ignore you (not uncommon, according go those anecdotes), then what?

As I said, it's about not risking that. Not putting myself in the position where it might happen. Or where Steam might remove authentication, might go out of business, and if they do, might not release de-DRMing keys.

My bet is some people won't have thought about that risk, some will but don't care, snd many will game in a way that it doesn't matter, because once they've got bored with a game, they move on and never look back. But that's not me. Ss I said, I like going back to something I played (and really enjoyed) years later.

Maybe it's mindset. Many people read a book once, and never look at it again. I enjoy re-reading good books. It's why I've been buying books for neatly 50 years, and have a library currently exceeding 4000 books. I get a fair few films and TV series on DVD for the same reason, and have transferred VHS material to DVD before storing the VHS tape.

I'm not spending a lot on games, where a US company even could invalidate the lot in an instant, even if they don't, or aren't like to, any more than I'd agree to cheap books where Steam can nip round and legally confiscate or burn any books I bought. It's about the risk. I'd rather wait for DRM-free version, or simply not have that game at all. Ever.

[Saracen]

...

I've read similar anecdotes of people whose things like bank accounts and jobs have suffered similar fates... I bet you have at least one of those, though.

Bank accounts, or anecdotes about them? Both, actually.

The difference, of course, us that they are more or less necessary for modern life. Games aren't. As I said, I wouldn't be that bothered if I never got another new game.

But I've had battles with banks before, when THEY screwed up, and were reluctant to admit it. Twice, I've had to go to considerable hassle to get them to sort it, but, not least due to options to use ombudsmen, courts, etc, it got sorted once I got fed up enough to get someone suitably senior to pay attention.

I've had similar fights with insurance companies, and twice it's come to either comencing legal action or being right o the edge of doing so. It's why I ALWAYS treat banks in a very defensive manner. For instance, never, ever put all my eggs in one basket. Be it business or personal, I slways have a backup acount I can switch to, and keep funds distributed. It's also why I refuse absolutely to have a working NFC card - I' ve read the T&Cs and will not accept the risk.

I've had similar fight with two insurance companies (I won), with Ford (who DID ultimately replace a nightmare faulty car, a Capri 2.8i) and even with Waterstones, who refused to give me a VAT receipt ... until I had a little word with the account director for VAT at HM C&E, who had a chat with HQ, who gave the awkward branch manager an .... erm .... attitude adjustment.

My point is I've had enough of these battles to know how much of a pain, and time-waste, they can be so I actively take steps to avoid getting into such situations these days. I value my time, and peace and quiet, too highly to want the risk, and certainly not over computer games.

[Ttaskmaster]

According to those anecdotes, the people with cancelled accounts didn't violate T&Cs, but got csncelled anyway.

Mistakes can and do happen.
But hey, why go outside your front door - The sky might fall on you.

As I said, it's about not risking that. Not putting myself in the position where it might happen. Or where Steam might remove authentication, might go out of business, and if they do, might not release de-DRMing keys.

So you live in a completely 100% fireproof environment, because your house might one day catch fire and your prized collection there might all burn down to ash?

My bet is some people won't have thought about that risk, some will but don't care

Most of them just "ain't so afraid of losing something that [they] ain't gonna try to have it".
Paraphrased from Zoe Washburne, Firefly.

[DanceswithUnix]

I get the point about everything for £12 or so. Maybe I'm just being pig-headed but I detest the principle that they can decide to negate my purchase price, whether thousands or a few quid.

That's fair enough. I think I am partly in favour because there aren't large amounts of money involved for me. I buy games on sale, I have bought games that I haven't gotten around to playing yet because they were really cheap. In the case of Elite Dangerous I bought the game from Frontier and then asked for a free Steam key because Valve's updater is better than Frontier's.