In the gaming hellscape of digital ownership, there isn’t a day that goes by without new intrusive anti-consumer practices. This time it’s about the indie store itch.io, and the game Oxenfree. It’s a cute little store for all kinds of indie-games. From the hobo titles made in a dark and dangerous alley, to the shining examples of finest indie-craftsmanship with worthy gameplay of any AAA production. However, it should be noted that itch.io probably didn’t have much of a say in this case. Yet, it sets a bad precedent, as it looks like games can be revoked and removed from your account now.
I don’t want to keep making these posts, considering (so far) most of these issues are trivial in the grand scheme of things when it comes to this industry. But it creates a taste in my mouth most foul. Unfortunately, games are removed all the time, but GOG and Steam let you keep the games you have bought in the library. In the case of Oxenfree, it’s completely removed, even from your account. A product that you paid for. I’m not sure how this can be legal in the EU. Then again, this is hardly news either, since big publishers kill games repeatedly in different ways and nothing comes of it. For some reason, gaming is still in the wild west phase, regardless of it being the biggest entertainment business in the world. Consumer protection laws have not followed. I suspect the reason for that is that gaming still has a stigma of being something only children play. Not worthy of the time of old serious politicians with leather skin.
I just have to point out that all this is just “speculation” currently, as I can’t find any official statement on it. I doubt it’s fake, but you never know, so take it with a grain of salt. To end this, I once again want to promote Ross Scott’s initiative Stop Killing Games.
/Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 