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[–] 1 point 2 days ago (3 children)

Yes I understand that there are some exceptions with some games being online only etc. but even the physical discs (or carts) that only hold a licence are still a valid form of ownership because the physical license that the physical format itself provides can be transferred to another party, like borrowing or gifting it to a friend, or selling it.

And this is what you're misunderstanding.

There's no physical license attached to your CoD disc - you need an account to activate it. Your disk is irrelevant.

As long as the publisher/developer is able to just shut-down the game remotely, you having a disk means nothing.

DRM is only partially relevant here because that's another layer that can be used to block access, but the primary one is how the publisher/developer holds the keys to the kingdom in most cases these days - regardless of the medium the games comes on.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 days ago (2 children)

    I've already conceded that there are outliers but cod and it's example you used is not the norm. There are no servers needed for me to continue playing Astro Bot in 20 years time.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 days ago (1 child)

    And yet there are 100% single player games that require a phone-home server to be active.

    If Astro Bot doesn't do that, then it's irrelevant if you have it on a disk, or if you have a digital download. Assuming, of course, the digital download remains available, you get the exact same functionality.

    And, likewise, regardless if you have the game on a disk or from DD, if it requires a server somewhere to be online, you do not have any control over the game or when you can play it, because it can always be rendered unplayable by the publisher pulling the plug on the server.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 days ago

    I'm not arguing about the games that have phone home mechanics, through personal experience there don't seem to be too many of them out there, they're mostly multiplayer ones (I'm not saying there are no single player games that do that though - but they very much seen few and far between, i can't even think of one off of the top of my head). And there is a difference between having the disc over the download because if i was to uninstall it for space, there is always a chance that during that time my license gets revoked, my account closed, hacked, or just forgotten the password for whatever reason. With a disc, it's always there as long as i always know where it is and i don't break it. Sony aren't ever going to kick down my door and demand the disc back

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