PlayStation removing movie titles in your library, could they do this with games too?

[Kane99]

If you haven't heard yet, Sony and PlayStation have been in the news recently where they have had to remove digital movies from people's libraries due to copyright issues. The catalog of stuff Sony has removed, involves around Discovery content. Here's a post for example:

https://lifehacker.com/entertainment/you-dont-own-digital-media

I believe you may be safe if you have something like movies anywhere, which lets you merge your digital movie/tv show libraries into one, as well, you can then watch all of your owned movies on each platform (YouTube, Amazon, Vudu, etc). 

But my worries now go to video games. I don't know if it'll end up being the same situation with video games, but who's to say this won't happen there as well? We don't technically own the digital games and movies we purchase, so any day they could remove your rights to them. We have a safety net right now when it comes to games we buy, as any downloaded can be re-downloaded later, but things can change. Licensing and copyright is a messy thing, and it's already had an affect on video games in terms of music licensing and other such things. 

Is there any bit of worry about the digital future? 

[Dismal_Bliss]

9 hours ago, Kane99 said:

But my worries now go to video games... Is there any bit of worry about the digital future? 

I doubt it. This kind of thing is extremely rare as even the article mentioned.

I can't see why any video game publisher would pull their titles from Sony or Microsoft. And if either Sony or Microsoft did remove downloaded copies from your library, then I would indeed expect an uproar, and a mass exodus from one system to the other.

Games are a bit different than music and movies. Movie and music licensing is some weird, overprotective crap. They want royalties on a pay per play basis or large bulk licensing agreements. Game developers just want a % cut for every purchase/download. They actually make more on digital downloads than they do on physical media. They aren't looking for residual income. If a game stops selling, they make a sequel, lol.

[Ravenfreak]

Honestly I can see this happening to games too. This is why I believe that physical will always be the best option when it comes to owning games. I also like video game preservation, and games stuck on digital platforms in the future will be difficult to archive. Likewise when it comes to certain movies and shows, I like to have physical copies of the series or movie, you just never know when they'll be removed from certain streaming sites.

[killamch89]

They can do this to older titles - didn't you see what happened to Spec Ops: The Line? That's why you should either buy your games from GOG or get a physical copy so you can still have access to them even if the developer decides to do something shady.

[Lens]

That's a development that would raise lots of concerns. I don't blame Sony for this move because licensing and copyright laws can be so unpredictable. 

[killamch89]

On 7/14/2024 at 9:02 AM, Lens said:

That's a development that would raise lots of concerns. I don't blame Sony for this move because licensing and copyright laws can be so unpredictable. 

You should blame them though - why bother to sell a game if the licensing and copyright protection wears off after 5-10 years. It just doesn't make any sense.

[Button]

On 3/12/2024 at 1:19 AM, killamch89 said:

They can do this to older titles - didn't you see what happened to Spec Ops: The Line? That's why you should either buy your games from GOG or get a physical copy so you can still have access to them even if the developer decides to do something shady.

Of course, the physical copies are always a good way to ensure that you have less worries about being taken away whenever you play your games.