Ownership of the game or software belongs to the developer.
Ownership of the game or software belongs to the developer.
It’s clear now why they’re pushing us into subscription plans… pretending to offer a better deal so we can get more games. I’m thinking I’ll keep buying individual games instead. Or maybe just old ones from now on.
This approach has always been clear from the start—downloading games versus buying physical copies. I knew it would be this way and I never pursued it. If a copy isn’t functional offline in its entirety, I won’t buy it. No Steam, Valve or similar accounts involved; I’ve never had one and never will. What I do have gives me the freedom to play whenever and however I want, without restrictions. Even old games can be enjoyed later if I decide to revisit them—they still work fully, unlike those from downloads on Steam and Valve servers. For instance, with "Tera" just announced before this post: I own it, I’ll keep it and don’t stress about anything else.
The challenge lies in acquiring tangible copies of video games. While platforms like Steam and Epic are convenient, I’m concerned about obtaining physical versions that work offline without needing an internet connection.
Ebay is a platform you can explore occasionally. I've purchased some items there and found they often cost less than their original retail price. We all want to be careful about what we buy and who we buy from. For games, a required disc might get damaged or lost, so I’ve bought another copy for spares (like Civ III). Those can be downloaded and played offline, which seems fine. It’s possible there are some copies saved locally that were previously downloaded. As a note, I generally avoid games needing an online connection just to load and play them.
It's true, you can purchase used games from eBay in CD or DVD formats, while new games are typically available only digitally.
GOG's offline installer works well, though you'll need an extra drive or two for the games.
When a game is taken off Steam, you can still get it if you purchased it. This situation is similar to a title disappearing from physical stores. The games that Telltale removed because the studio went bankrupt should remain accessible for buyers, like other titles. I don’t know if they just deleted them without reason, except for an online multiplayer service shutting down. If Valve or Steam fails, it’s unlikely, though they might have contingency plans. It’s disappointing when TERA stops working. I enjoyed it once with a fresh combat approach. MMOs are complex. Ideally, all online-only games should have servers running forever or players could host them themselves, but there are many hurdles (players needed, server costs, licenses).