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"Games as a service" is fraud

RolePlayer

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This goes beyond your typical internet rant about how messed up the gaming industry is, and dives deep into how this practice really is fraudulent. It also highlights just how woefully behind US laws are on regulating the video game industry and protecting consumers.
 

Abhay

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From what I have understood, the main takeaways from the lengthy video are as below (screenshots):

The definition of "Games as a service"
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It mainly applies:
LreXSkY.png

The whole video mainly revolves around these points of interest on the subject which the uploader attempts to explain in details:
OEuqQXJ.jpg


fLVSAvr.jpg


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In short:: It seems like he's talking mainly about Online only games.
 

FeelTheRads

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It also highlights just how woefully behind US laws are on regulating the video game industry and protecting consumers.

It's very up to date on bending to everything the entertainment industry pays for, though.
Freedomest country in the world, 100% directed by corporations. *tear of an eagle*

And for the game industry, there was never a hope anyway. Gamers not only accept games as a service (cuz hurr they help them poor developers) but they actually want it. It comes with benefits, did you know? Cloud saves and shit. Totally worth it.
Gamers are too retarded to save. Just let them go.
 
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DJOGamer PT

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''Paying for a product and not having any kind of ownership over it is fraud''. Gee who would've guessed unless they watched a 1 hour video on the subject.

i don't care if my virtual game library disappears in 20 years. we all die and everything is a big nothing

But don't forget they can prevent you access to their library whenever they feel like it for whatever reason they want.
Besides what would you prefer, buying something once and have it for how long you choose to have it or paying periodically to temporally have access to it?

Gamers not only accept games as a service but they actually want it.

Who wants it?
Not even my most normie ass friends want to continuously pay for something they in the end don't even own.
 

Volokard

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Mar 13, 2019
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Am I supposed to know who that is and care about his rant? Would it really say anything I don't already know about how "games as a service" fucks the consumer? Could his face and expression be more off-putting?
Ross is a very passionate guy, not the typical angry youtube gamer looking for reactions. Seriously, give his videos a watch, dude. And maybe you know how games as a service is a terrible idea, but a lot of young people don't think about it now. Look at how many people today are completely fine with paying for music and movies as a service, choosing short-term convenience over long-term and sacrificing ownership. If more people would think about this then drm-free stores like GoG could become more popular, which would be really cool.
 

Kutulu

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PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Insert Title Here RPG Wokedex
Well, yeah, good video. Thing is everyone agrees already, the customers and the developers.
Im pretty damn sure that everyone that ever put any heart, grit or thought into a product including games doesnt want it to die.

So except for the rare case where devs ran the whole thing and shut it down. Publishers, shareholders will be at fault..... and those can only be stopped via law suits.
 
Last edited:

Melcar

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Can this also be applied to software in general? I assume it can. I mean, you have shit like everything being online only now.
 

JarlFrank

I like Thief THIS much
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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
In short:: It seems like he's talking mainly about Online only games.

No he doesn't. The definition includes single player games with always-online DRM relying on authenticication with the company's servers, like a single player EA game needing to connect to EA servers or a single player Ubisoft game needing to connect to Ubisoft servers in order to even launch.

Single player games with such online server-based DRM can also be shut down just like multiplayer online only games.
 

JarlFrank

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Can this also be applied to software in general? I assume it can. I mean, you have shit like everything being online only now.

He actually mentions legal cases in the EU and Australia where software in general was defined as a good that you buy and keep forever.
 

JarlFrank

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Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Just finished watching the first half hour, now Ross is taking a short break and giving the viewer one too.

The first half hour is all legal arguments as to why "Games as a Service" is fraud, or at least an anti-consumer practice that isn't in full compliance with the law when it comes to selling goods.

He cites several court rulings, legal definitions of "goods" and "services", court rulings that prove that software is a good and not a service, etc.
He's certainly put a lot of research into this and covers all the legal angles of the issue. That's pretty important and the video is extremely valuable just for that.
 

Alienman

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Maybe finally I will be able to sell my copy of Bad Ratz on Steam!

Someone just have to take Steam to court about it.
 

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