Do you own digital downloads forever?

[Einhander]

I understand that you may not be able to play an online game forever. But will the offline PSN games or Xbox Live games you download, always be on your harddrive in the future? Or can the companies take away the license to play due to DRM?

[Megatron]

If you download and install it on your machine, I don't think anyone can take that away.  However, services stop supporting certain games due to licenses, for instance, the X-Men arcade game on Xbox live.  If you bought it, but deleted it, it has been removed from Xbox Live.  So there is no getting that game back.

[FritzWhite]

On Xbox, you can play those games, whether signed into xbox live or not, on the original system you purchased them on.

If you want to play those games on a system other than the one you originally purchased them on, you either need to be signed into xbox live on the account you purchased the content with, or transfer the license to the digital content over to the new system to be able to play the games on that new system without being signed into xbox live.

Once xbox live goes down for xbox 360 in a few more years, you will only be able to access your digital content by playing on the original system you purchased it through (or whichever system you transferred the content license to). When that system dies, those games are gone.

I steer clear of digital content for this reason. If Sony or MS allowed you to transfer or redownload that digital content onto the new gen systems, I'd feel differently, but they don't. So I don't spend money on digital games at all.

[Einhander]

Someone said that everything is connected. Your account is connected to the games and they have the power to block you from playing the game on your console. Like for instance someone stole the game and was blocked.

[wiggy]

Someone said that everything is connected. Your account is connected to the games and they have the power to block you from playing the game on your console. Like for instance someone stole the game and was blocked.

Well if you don't have the console online, then they won't know. That said, I do believe many games require you to be online to boot up at all. Correct me if I'm wrong someone.

[FritzWhite]

Someone said that everything is connected. Your account is connected to the games and they have the power to block you from playing the game on your console. Like for instance someone stole the game and was blocked.

Well if you don't have the console online, then they won't know. That said, I do believe many games require you to be online to boot up at all. Correct me if I'm wrong someone.

If you're playing the game on the console the content license is attached to then you don't have to be online to play.

[sheep2001]

A number of PSN purchases (on ps3 at least) have an expiry date on the licence.  Not sure if thats just PS+ or across the board.  But they can effectively terminate any licence at any time they see fit.

The thing i hate about digital on the Playstation is that i cant back up the games, or install them to an external device.  This means if i change the drive, everything has to be downloaded again.  Have had to do this twice on PS3 and now i'm looking to upgrade my PS4 HDD, i'll have to do it again on that.  In my opinion, digital distribution just does not work - there is nothing in it for the consumer.  I wouldn't go so far as to say i would never go for it, but in it's current incarnation, with large files and relatively small hard disks, i don't see any benefit at all.  At least with nintendo's machines you can install to a memory stick, and case up the game.

[wiggy]

If you're playing the game on the console the content license is attached to then you don't have to be online to play.

Except for this VVV if you're using PS+

A number of PSN purchases (on ps3 at least) have an expiry date on the licence.  Not sure if thats just PS+ or across the board.  But they can effectively terminate any licence at any time they see fit.

The thing i hate about digital on the Playstation is that i cant back up the games, or install them to an external device.  This means if i change the drive, everything has to be downloaded again.  Have had to do this twice on PS3 and now i'm looking to upgrade my PS4 HDD, i'll have to do it again on that.  In my opinion, digital distribution just does not work - there is nothing in it for the consumer.  I wouldn't go so far as to say i would never go for it, but in it's current incarnation, with large files and relatively small hard disks, i don't see any benefit at all.  At least with nintendo's machines you can install to a memory stick, and case up the game.

[Polygon]

It's simple. You don't own downloaded digital content. This has been proven by multiple court cases. You're only renting it. Don't plan of holding onto it forever. Assume that your ability to play it will be blocked at some point for any number of reasons.

[FritzWhite]

If you're playing the game on the console the content license is attached to then you don't have to be online to play.

Except for this VVV if you're using PS+

Oh yeah, I only have experience with xbox live

[larryinc64]

GOG and most of Humble Bundle have no DRM and let you keep it forever, not sure about Steam, but Steam sales make up for it IMO on most stuff. Nintendo seems good with it on the Wii and DSi, not sure with Wii U or 3DS.

[Einhander]

It's simple. You don't own downloaded digital content. This has been proven by multiple court cases. You're only renting it. Don't plan of holding onto it forever. Assume that your ability to play it will be blocked at some point for any number of reasons.

But, can you explain to me how they can block the content when it's on your harddrive? How do they have access? That's all I want to know. I know that they own it and not us, but how are they able to block a game when it's on our harddrive?

[sheep2001]

The embedded license has an expiry date.  I am sure there are ways around it, but if you are going to go to the trouble of hacking for that, why would you pay for downloads in the first place?

[wiggy]

It's simple. You don't own downloaded digital content. This has been proven by multiple court cases. You're only renting it. Don't plan of holding onto it forever. Assume that your ability to play it will be blocked at some point for any number of reasons.

Technically you're licensing it.  You don't own the music on your CDs either, or the movies on your DVDs, etc.  It's always been that way, and it is because the laws are written so that you can't just make and sell copies (i.e. you don't own the media, because owning it would mean having the rights to resell it as you please).

The only difference is that there's realistically no way to revoke a license for physical media, but there is ZERO difference with regards to what you own or don't own when you buy a game/album/movie/etc.