The future of gaming shouldn't come at the expense of ownership
The article argues that digital-only gaming trends threaten consumer ownership rights, using GOG's DRM-free approach and PlayStation's disc-based games as contrasting examples. It warns that as gaming moves toward streaming and digital-only models, players lose the ability to truly own, resell, or preserve their games. The piece advocates for maintaining ownership options amid industry shifts.
Background
- This is an opinion piece from Eurogamer reacting to a 2025 report that GOG (a DRM-free game store owned by CD Projekt) is working on an emulator to make its games playable on modern consoles, and discussing broader industry trends around game preservation and ownership.
- GOG (Good Old Games) is known for selling classic and modern PC games without DRM (digital rights management) — meaning no online check-ins or always-online requirements to play them after purchase.
- The PlayStation Store and Xbox Store sell digital games that are often tied to your account and can be revoked if servers shut down or licensing agreements expire; physical game discs increasingly require online downloads or contain only partial data.
- Key concern: game companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are moving toward streaming-only or license-based models where you never truly "own" a game file you can access offline or resell.
- Background context: high-profile game delistings (e.g., P.T., The Crew, dozens of older titles) have fueled debate about whether digital "purchases" are actually long-term rentals.