Why do gamers say “you don’t own your games”?

[MusicTokuXX]

When did gamers start saying you don’t own games anymore? Because I have never thought that and i’ve been playing games ever since i was a kid! Like…it’s becoming just a stupid thing gamers say! Like there has no been no actual proof ITS SO ANNOYING!!

[Anonymous]

What do you mean no proof? You literally don't.
On PC its most prominent, anything on Steam you don't own. You merely "own" a license to play it. If you can't connect to steam or get banned on steam your games are void unless you pirate. Thats not ownership, thats paying to be allowed to use it. Buying from GOG you do actually own it but only if you keep the setup files on your own PC.

Alright so consoles then. Now we own games right? You go to the store, you buy a disc. So now you own a physical copy of the game. Wrong. Those need day 1 patches to function a lot of the times or they are download codes and don't even come on a disk anymore. None of those games you own, because those to can be taken away from you.

Ownership is about having a copy you can use on your own terms, you can install it whenever you want, wherever you want and you can play it whenever you want with no approval required.

Because of that the only way I can own my favorite games that aren't on GOG is trough piracy. Because for me owning doesn't mean I pay for it, it means I decide what happens with it and nobody else can decide that. If I download it from a good repacker thats exactly what I get, the files that I now own and can use whenever I want. No store to suddenly revoke access, or force a game update on me that makes the game worse. Its a fixed version that I can enjoy for as long as I keep those files around.

If game studios want my money at this point they have to give me the ability to own the game, otherwise its an inferior product I have to pirate anyway to be able to own it.

[MusicTokuXX]

“Because for me owning doesn’t mean i have to pay for it” you must be a criminal, a thief!

You OWN YOUR GAMES!! WHY wouldn't YOU OWN IT? THEY STILL COME ON DISC? YOU can't EVEN PLAY THEM UNLESS THE DISC IS INSERTED SO…Day 1 patches don’t do anything except update the game on your system!!

[Opinion Owner]

I game on PC, its simple. I don't want to be forced to use Windows 11. If I buy a game the moment steam stops working I loose my game. Why would I buy it then? If game publishers want my money they can release on GOG. But I don't buy much games anymore in general, I don't like the majority of modern games. My back catalogue is way better than whatever comes out these days.

[Opinion Owner]

On top of that I love retro gaming and have a retro gaming PC. All my Windows XP compatible games I can't play on my Windows XP retro PC because Steam couldn't be bothered to give me XP compatibility with a legacy client. All those purchases are useless, unless I crack them / pirate them of course then I can play them on my XP PC just fine. And thats the point, the legal options don't serve me so I have to crack / pirate either way no matter if I pay for it or not.

[Opinion Owner]

And a third example. I bought Skyrim VR. I have not fired up my legal steam copy once. The repack version that has all the mods included is way more convenient than having to deal with Nexus subscriptions and wabbajack. So I own that game in both senses of the word. But with the Steam copy preserving the mods and the game takes up more disk space, has DRM that ties me to steam and if they ever release an update I loose access to 2000 mods. The repack version? None of this applies. Game dev had my money so its fully ethical.

[MusicTokuXX]

Modern gaming is awesome! You old people are so incapable of adapting! Like what games do you even play? You don’t use windows 11? You still live in the past. What’s wrong with modern stuff?

[Opinion Owner]

Its just rehashed, slower pace, forced scoping copy paste stuff thats full of micro transactions, doesn't allow modding and community servers.

As for Windows 11, I do that out of principle. I can modify Windows 11 LTSC to work like i'd want to work with third party tools and tweaks. I work in IT after all so I support and use Windows 11 a lot. I just don't think its as good as Windows 10 LTSC is and I certainly don't enjoy constantly having to cut out increasingly more Microsoft nonsense. Windows 10 IOT LTSC is supported until 2032 so its a current operating system.

I enjoy the really old retro PC stuff because its just more fun to use, computers weren't as easy back then so it brings the challenge and experimentation back that I used to enjoy. There's more to tinker with.

And its not like I don't play modern games, I do. When a modern game is actually good and makes me want to play it. The problem is that this just rarely happens. Meanwhile if you look at past games you had those phenomenal titles. Why would I play something like call of duty 7 which sucks, if I can play a game of the year game from 2015 thats great? Not to mention some genres like old school arena shooters such as Unreal Tournament 2004 don't get made at all anymore.

And its not like I don't buy games, you may have misunderstood that. If a game comes out that I actually am really excited about and would like to play i'd buy it and then probably pirate it to preserve it if I enjoyed it that much. I just no longer buy them for the sake of buying them, which I used to do back when I wanted the games industry to keep making the games I do enjoy.

[Anonymous]

It probably depends what they MEAN when they say that. If I've ever said that it was typically in reference to subscription fees. When I was coming up you bought a game and you played it till you beat it or tired of it. I remember the first game my friends talked me into playing with a subscription was World of Warcraft. And while it was fun, those fees add up pretty quickly. I understand you're paying for a game that evolves so I understand the subscription fees are justified. But I'm still deadset against it. It's been years since I've gamed seriously though, so maybe this isn't what you're talking about though.

[MusicTokuXX]

Even some people say they don’t own physical games anymore!! LIKE THATS A FUCKING JOKE!! YOU DO OWN IT!! YOU PAID FOR IT!

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Because nowadays, you technically don’t. You own a copy of the license to play it but tech companies like Sony or Nintendo can take that license away, making it impossible for their consoles to play that game if they so chose. It sucks.

[AI Opinion]

Gamers often say "you don't own your games" due to the shift towards digital distribution and the use of online platforms. When you purchase digital games, you're buying a license to play, rather than owning a physical copy. This means access could be restricted if platforms change policies or shut down. 😅 It has become a topic of discussion as gaming trends evolve, and people become more aware of the terms of service for digital purchases.

[AngryCarl2]

What do you know? Lily is right for once!

[jamesgoldman]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day

[Anonymous]

That's just nonsense... maybe you don't own some licensed online games, but I never play those anyway...

If you buy a video game on DVD, of course you own it.