Something Amyss said:
Eyes of Avo said:
I understand why they want to do this...still doesn't change the fact that digital is the way of the future imo.
I'm sure it is. Doesn't mean I have to like the idea of a publisher monopoly and games which can be taken away with the flick of a switch.
That's actually the opposite of the real situation, Publisher's have a Monopoly, but only on the physical disc side of gaming, it's perfectly possible to release a digital only game with no publisher involved.
CD Projekt Red did this and many smaller devs can do the same, but with the Disc release CDPR had to use a Publisher as a distributor, even though no actual "publisher" was involved in making the game at all.
Why?, because GameStop and the other main disc retailers won't sell games without a publisher being invoved.
As for your claim that a publisher can flick a switch and take away the game digitally.
How?
Steam isn't going anywhere and no publisher controls it. Maybe Uplay or Origin could do such a thing, but I would still have the game files and would immediately use a crack to take my game back.
Also as I run, the few Origin/Uplay games I own, in offline mode, they have absolutely no control of my PC.
The worst they can do is remove the online servers from a multiplayer component/game, but that affects discs as well as digital and still won't stop you playing with a crack or private server.
GOG, which is where I try to get every game, has both DRM free and I can download an installer to keep, just like a having a disc.
Sure GOG is better than every other online store, but you choose where to buy from.
I've even bought Games on GOG, I already have on Steam and immediatly hidden the Steam version as I can't actually sell it or even give it away after playing. That needs to change, but it's the only downside to digital gaming and apart from these few double purchases, I have no desire to sell a single game, the vast majority were bought for under £5 and are not worty selling.
The ability to choose Digital or disc is desirable, until all can get decent broadband speeds, there will be a sizable market for discs.
In the long term that market will shrink below the point where, publishers begin to lose money on the discs.
Only then. will publishers immediately stop selling discs at all, whether you like it or not.