Why Are Game-Key Cards So Controversial?

[sc94597]

OlfinBedwere said:

sc94597 said:

I think the issue of "I want to play the game even after the servers are down" depends on the unlikely scenario that "the servers go down" within the medium-term future.

The platforms, unlike in prior generations, all have pretty much adopted the Steam service model going forward. That means the servers will almost certainly be up in two decades, just like Steam is still up currently. Unless the company goes out of business, you'll have your current games in 20 years, playeable on multiple platforms for the same copy. 

I understand why people don't feel this will happen, given that past platforms have lost their server access, but the service model was different then than it is now. Switch purchases have followed people to Switch 2, and Switch/Switch 2 purchases are likely to follow to Switch 3. What happens then is less predictable, but the trend toward long-term, unified service models is clear.

Ironically, the "when the servers go down" argument applies just as much to Sony and Microsoft as it does Nintendo - a lot of games nowadays rely on day 1 patches, and some games don't even give you anything on the actual disc (including pretty much all Smart Delivery games, which just have the Xbox One versions on the disc and rely on downloading the full game from scratch for Series X users), meaning that when the servers go down you're going to end up with broken and buggy unpatched versions, if even that.

I don't think Sony and especially Microsoft are going to have physical media next generation anyway. Maybe some accessory for backwards compatibility, but once digital hits a threshold of total sales (probably something like 70-80%) there is a strong incentive to just force physical-media holdouts to digital.

They're probably going to come up with GKC-like schemes, like resellable licenses.