Tag

Digital Ownership

All articles tagged with #digital ownership

technology1 day ago•12 min saved

Sony: Digital PS games are licenses, not ownership as discs fade out by 2028

Sony is emailing PlayStation users to remind them that digital game purchases are revocable licenses rather than ownership, a message arriving as Sony plans to stop releasing physical discs in 2028 and move to an all-digital ecosystem. Boxed games will carry download codes, packaging warnings have been added, and Sony is investing in digital-only infrastructure in Austria. The shift has sparked criticism from preservationists and gamers who rely on used markets, with concerns about losing access if an account is banned or licenses expire.

via Notebookcheck|

#2028 #digital-ownership #licensing

technology3 days ago•4 min saved

Sony nudges PS owners: digital games aren’t owned as discs fade

PlayStation users received an email reiterating that digital games are licensed, not owned, as fans launch the #PSBlackout boycott (Aug 23–30) in protest of Sony ending production of physical discs in 2028, with Sony explaining the shift toward digital content.

via Eurogamer|

#digital-ownership #physical-discs #playstation

games6 days ago•14 min saved

Sony Ends PS Game Discs by 2028, Ending the Era of Disc Butts

Sony will stop producing physical PlayStation game discs starting in 2028, sparking concerns about ownership, the used-games market, and access for those who rely on physical media, while the article also humorously notes the end of the Disc Butt meme and nostalgia for holding tangible games.

via Kotaku|

#digital-ownership #disc-butts #games

streaming-and-entertainment16 days ago•127 min saved

Ownership illusion: Google revokes offline LOTR access after purchase

Google reportedly yanked offline access to The Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition Trilogy purchased on Google Play, illustrating that digital “purchases” are licenses rather than true ownership; with refunds denied and the buyer redirected to YouTube, the backlash highlights ongoing questions about lifelong access to digital content and bolsters the case for physical media like 4K Blu-ray.

via What Hi-Fi?|

#digital-ownership #google-play #licensing

technology26 days ago•4 min saved

Xbox outage exposes fault lines between disc access and a digital future

Xbox’s technology chief called a roughly 20-hour outage that blocked disc-based games 'unacceptable' after a licensing check failed; a fix will be rolled out in an upcoming update, highlighting ongoing tensions over digital ownership as the industry moves toward digital-only releases.

via bbc.com|

#digital-ownership #disc-games #licensing

technology1 month ago•13 min saved

Sony Scrubs PSN Libraries Again Amid Licensing Fallout

Techdirt reports that Sony’s PlayStation Store is removing hundreds of movies and TV titles from user libraries due to a licensing deal with StudioCanal, with about 551 titles affected and a removal date of September 1; customers are left without refunds and must accept that, despite thinking they bought a permanent copy, access can be revoked because what’s purchased is a license tied to back-end distribution agreements; this echoes prior licensing fallout with Discovery/Warner Bros. and underscores a broader issue about the public’s understanding of digital ownership and the need for clearer disclosures and consumer protections.

via Techdirt.|

#digital-ownership #licensing #playstation

technology1 month ago•2 min saved

Hack Leads to Suspended Microsoft Account, Wiped OneDrive, and Lost Purchases

A compromised Microsoft account was permanently suspended and the user’s OneDrive data wiped, forcing the owner to reopen a new account and repurchase all games tied to the old account. Microsoft says the data can’t be recovered due to encryption and notes the user hadn’t enabled two-factor authentication, while recommending passkeys. The episode underscores the risks of digital ownership and cloud dependencies as tech giants move away from physical media and toward digital storefronts.

via TechSpot|

#account-security #digital-ownership #microsoft

gaming1 month ago•115 min saved

Brazilian gamer wins case, Microsoft ordered to restore his Xbox digital library

A Brazilian Xbox gamer, Ordo_Liberal, won a court case against Microsoft after his account and Xbox library were blocked, with the court ordering Microsoft to fully restore his account and restore his entire digital games library and pay damages, highlighting a potential win for consumer rights and digital ownership protections.

via Windows Central|

#brazil #court-ruling #digital-ownership

technology1 month ago•4 min saved

Kojima Warns: PS Discs Die in 2028, Cloud Gaming Threatens Ownership

Hideo Kojima, speaking at Rome’s Il Cinema in Piazza festival, laments Sony’s plan to end PlayStation discs in 2028 and argues that cloud streaming could be an even bigger threat to game ownership because data would reside on remote servers rather than the user’s hardware. He contrasts physical media with streaming, noting that access could be cut off if licensing or political factors change, a concern he sees as part of a broader digital shift already affecting movies. Despite his Sony connections, Kojima remains independent and is involved with projects like OD and a PlayStation-exclusive titled Physint.

via Wccftech|

#cloud-gaming #digital-ownership #kojima

gaming1 month ago•111 min saved

Disc-Free Consoles: Is Ownership Still Worth It?

The piece argues that the move toward digital-only gaming—citing Sony’s plan to end physical discs and Xbox’s increasing alignment with PC-style ecosystems—weakens the traditional appeal of buying a console. With PC game stores offering broader ownership, the potential for game preservation, and exclusives drifting to PC, the author questions whether consoles still offer a compelling value proposition, especially as next-gen hardware may be expensive. While acknowledging that consoles aren’t going away, the article suggests their role is evolving toward accessibility and ecosystem rather than physical ownership and long-term owning power.

via Windows Central|

#console-gaming #digital-ownership #game-preservation

technology2 months ago•8 min saved

PlayStation to remove purchased Studio Canal films as licenses lapse

Sony’s PlayStation Store will remove access to certain Studio Canal titles that users already purchased (e.g., Terminator 2, Moonlight, Hot Fuzz) starting September 1, 2026, after the licensing deal expires. No refunds or apologies have been offered, and the notice appears UK-specific. This underscores the fragility of digital ownership and echoes past licensing expirations that wiped content from PS accounts.

via A.V. Club|

#content-removal #digital-ownership #licensing

technology2 months ago•14 min saved

PlayStation to Delete 551 StudioCanal Movies From Users’ Libraries

PlayStation has begun notifying users that 551 StudioCanal-published films will be removed from their libraries on September 1 due to licensing deals, with no refunds or compensation offered, underscoring that most digital purchases aren’t truly owned but rented.

via Kotaku|

#digital-ownership #licensing #movie-removal

technology3 months ago•2 min saved

California eyes bill to keep online games playable after support ends

California lawmakers are weighing the Protect Our Games Act, a measure that would require publishers and digital game operators to maintain access to online games even after support ends, obligating a 60-day warning before shutdown and offering refunds or patches to keep games playable; it would apply only to titles released after January 1, 2027, with older games exempt. The Stop Killing Games movement frames this as preserving digital media as cultural heritage, highlighting the broader ownership-versus-leasing questions in the digital era and momentum among consumers.

via Mashable|

#digital-ownership #game-preservation #online-games

technology4 months ago•18 min saved

Ditching Kindle for Kobo: choosing a kinder, more open e-reading future

A Washington Post columnist explains how Amazon’s Kindle locks e-books to a closed ecosystem, argues you don’t own downloaded titles due to licensing and DRM, and describes switching to Kobo and other open e-readers for greater control over his library.

via The Washington Post|

#digital-ownership #digital-rights #e-book-marketplace

gaming6 months ago•7 min saved

GOG's Save-the-Old-Game Crusade Needs Care—and Cash From Players

GOG renews its push to preserve classic games, asking the community to support its mission through DRM-free purchases and the Patrons program. The company argues that true preservation requires both public interest and direct financial backing, even as it acknowledges room for improvement compared with Steam and explores AI-assisted restoration within safe bounds.

via Eurogamer|

#digital-ownership #drm-free #game-preservation