For once, PC GAMER writes something pro-consumer/gamer that is not only for clickbait. The article talks about how weird it is that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, a very popular game was totally replaced by Counter-Strike 2. Now, making a sequel to something popular is not new nor surprising, but replacing the old with the new, as in taking its spot on Steam (with past reviews and all) and throwing the old game into the abyss of gaming history is something noteworthy. Even if most people prefer the new version, that still means that millions will be left in the cold considering how big this game was/is (depending on how you see it).
In recent years, Steam and other digital stores with launchers (GOG excluded) have proved to be pretty dangerous when it comes to game preservation. The major thing that annoys me with Steam is that patches can’t be refused. When a new patch is out, you are forced to download it if you want to continue playing. Some developers allow the old version to be played through the beta tab, but that is far from elegant or a required thing for the devs to put up. Many times patches ruin gameplay, and one example of this is Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars. The patches made the single-player portion of the game almost unplayable thanks to the multiplayer balancing. To get to a playable version (since you are forced to patch the game to the latest version) requires a lot of fiddling and downloading of specific exe files. This is a game you bought, mind you. You should be able to dictate how and what version of the game you play without all this, but there we are.
Removal of games
Another issue that stuck with me (this is very anecdotal since it was long ago) was when a game developer released a free game on their website that came in the form of a serial key for Steam. That is all well and good, however, they accidentally put out a collection key for all their games, instead of that specific game they wanted to release. I grabbed the key and got all their games – as in I saw them added to my library. However, later, I remember reading about the incident, and how devastated they were by the mistake, and urged Valve (Steam) to help them – which to my horror and surprise Valve did. They somehow changed my key to that specific game that was offered and removed the other games from my library.
You can of course say this is fair and all, Valve being the good guy, saving the devs from a terrible mistake. But having them go in and alter my account and remove games seems like a major failing in trust and “buyer regulation” (or whatever you want to call it). I have a feeling they could do this because it was free, however, it truly opened my eyes to the problems of digital products. Imagine if a brick-and-mortar stores could just go into your home and remove stuff because they later considered something a mistake. I have often made use of mistakes like this, like when stores set the wrong prices. For example, a store sold the DVD box of Band of Brothers for way under the value at the time. If this worked in the same case of Valve, the store would send goons to my home and take the product back after they realized the blunder. I understand it’s not the perfect comparison, but I think my argument comes through.
You own nothing
The main problem with digital products is the lack of ownership. One of the few stores that offer true ownership is GOG since it’s DRM-free, which means you can download the full game and just have it rest on your hard drive, or CD if you decide to burn it. Games you buy on Steam are only a license, which gives you the right to play the game, but leaves you without any kind of ownership of the product you paid for. All these games are also linked to an account, that in the end, Valve has full control over. If you misbehave, Valve might limit your account, or remove it. Or you could just lose access to it somehow. It’s a terrifying thought, but I guess, you could argue the same when it comes to GOG, as you need an account to buy and access your games. The main difference here, however, is when it comes to GOG you can always download the products you have bought, which would make the loss of the account less painful if that ever happened. I recognize that certain games don’t have the Steam DRM incorporated. These games you can copy and play without Steam, but they are just a drop in the sea, as the overwhelming majority will make use of the DRM.
Now, don’t think I hate Steam, because I don’t. I have tons of games on Steam, and I mostly enjoy their services. However, there are clear issues with digital products from a consumer standpoint. Personally, I see them as less valuable since I don’t have anything physical in my hands, considering I pay the same hefty price when it comes to new games. This has also had a general effect on games as entertainment overall for me, as they come off as much more disposable than before since then you had to go to an actual store to pick something up. It felt more like an investment. I hardly buy anything for full price anymore, since developers and publishers treat their products in the same way. But I feel that is a tale for another time. I just wanted to rant about digital products and ownership after reading the PC GAMER article.
Thanks for reading.
/Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 