• NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    13
    ·
    2 days ago

    How else would you do ‘buy to own’ for software

    I wouldn’t for anything where I don’t 100% own the license and rights in perpetuity.

    Because GoG has already lost the right to sell many games (I want to say they lost Interplay two or three times?). And it is a matter of time until a publisher demands a game be fully revoked (which has happened on Steam a handful of times?).

    Don’t promise things you can’t deliver on.


    As for something where I do own the license and it will last the lifetime of my company? Bare minimum, I would provide a way to be properly notified of whenever an installer is updated. And I wouldn’t have quite so many “secret” serials required for games (like UT or OFP or whatever).

    • Kichae@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      2 days ago

      Right. So, no software ever, then. Even if you have a license that grants you perpetual usage rights, that doesn’t extend to anyone else shouldering the responsibility of perpetual hosting.

      Your right to use software does not give you the right to expect others to store your digital junk for you.

      • NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        9
        ·
        2 days ago

        That is not at all what I said.

        Sell software. But customers need to understand they are being sold a license with terms. That was the big controversy on Steam semi-recently and that will continue to be a big controversy because people always forget because nobody wants to think about it

        And yes, I do think providing offline installers is good (it is why I still re-buy games on GoG). But unless people have massive amounts of dedicated storage, they are not going to keep all their games downloaded. AND, because there is rarely a notification of an update, they are going to not even be keeping all their games and will instead have “launch” versions of some.

        And, as GoG themselves demonstrated, when the site goes down you aren’t getting all your games out in time.

        So… you have a license with terms and you are going to go download some torrents when the service shuts down. So… what is the meaningful difference against a Steam or EGS game (assuming there are no additional DRMs on top)?


        Or we can just get angry and yell at each other because someone… said they liked your favorite store? Do I need to say why that is fucking stupid and self defeating?