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Sony Deletes 551 Movies PlayStation Owners Paid For
25 days ago
- Sony will remove 551 StudioCanal movies and TV shows from PlayStation Store libraries on September 1 without offering refunds.
- The removal is due to expired or changed content licensing agreements, leaving customers who purchased the titles unable to access them.
- Sony's notice states the content will be removed from users' video libraries without apology, despite previous 'buy' transactions.
- The issue highlights the lack of true ownership in digital purchases, where access can be revoked based on licensing deals.
- Similarly, GTA 6's physical edition will contain only a download code, eliminating resale, lending, and offline installation options.
- This trend centralizes control with companies, eroding traditional ownership rights and making digital purchases more restrictive.
Hideo Kojima afraid that 'digital data will no longer be owned by individuals'
23 days ago
- Hideo Kojima expresses fear that digital data ownership by individuals may end, with access potentially cut off due to world events.
- Sony's plan for PlayStation to be fully digital by 2028 heightens concerns about game preservation and consumer rights.
- The Stop Killing Games group advocates for legal protections but faced setbacks with the European Commission regarding keeping games playable.
- Examples like Amazon cancelling New World and Destiny 2's decline illustrate risks of digital-only games disappearing.
It's not about physical vs. digital games, it's about ownership
20 days ago
- The PlayStation transition to digital-only by 2028 isn't just about eliminating disks but aims to end true ownership of games, including trading and preserving them.
- Ownership loss means no ability to trade, sell, or lend games, a tradition among gamers that companies dislike because it reduces profits from new sales.
- Digital-only consoles threaten game preservation, as many titles risk becoming lost media if not archived by users, especially with stronger security in future hardware.
- Consumers lose options like buying used, renting, or finding discounts at local stores, limiting choices to a single digital storefront controlled by Sony.
- Unlike consoles, PC gaming remains digital but allows ownership through DRM-free stores and methods to preserve games, avoiding being locked into one ecosystem.
- The industry's push toward subscription models, inspired by Netflix, may lead to games being exclusively available through services, with constant online verification required.
- To combat this, support DRM-free platforms, game preservation efforts, and indie developers to maintain digital ownership rights and resist monopolization.
Sony Nerfs Videogame Ownership
12 days ago
- PlayStation's move away from physical game discs threatens digital ownership rights, mirroring trends in film, TV, and music.
- Eliminating physical discs burdens gamers with high data usage and slow internet issues, disproportionately affecting those with limited access.
- Digital-only purchases strip away "right of first sale" protections, preventing game sharing, resale, or modification, and kill the second-hand market.
- Digital games push users towards subscription models, locking access to corporate-controlled libraries without true ownership.
- DRM software and restrictive user agreements impose performance, privacy, and security issues, with legal risks under DMCA Section 1201 for modification.
- Ownership of digital games is revocable due to account issues, licensing changes, or developer decisions, undermining purchase security.
- Policy reforms are needed to extend physical media rights to digital purchases, amend DMCA Section 1201, and strengthen state consumer protections like California's AB 1921.
Sony Deletes a Bunch More Movies from the Accounts of People Who 'Bought' Them
10 days ago
- Sony has deleted hundreds of movies and TV shows from PlayStation Store users' accounts due to licensing agreement issues with StudioCanal, following similar incidents in 2022 and 2023.
- Customers are not compensated with refunds when content is removed, despite initially believing they purchased permanent ownership rather than a temporary license.
- Sony's communication about these deletions is presented as routine, with minimal transparency or warnings, exploiting consumer ignorance of licensing terms.
- The broader issue highlights how digital platforms obscure ownership rights through complex EULAs and terms of service, leaving users vulnerable to content removal.
- Consumer protection is limited, with little government or public action to enforce clearer rules or hold companies accountable for such practices.
Physical Media vs. Digital Media
4 days ago
- Digital media offers convenience but is gradually replacing physical ownership, limiting consumer choice.
- Sony announced it will stop producing physical game discs for new PlayStation games by 2028, sparking debate.
- Physical copies provide true ownership: they can be lent, resold, or traded, unlike digital licenses tied to accounts.
- Physical retail competition leads to varied pricing, while digital stores often set fixed prices with occasional sales.
- EA's The Sims 4 exemplifies issues with digital-only models: bugs, expensive DLCs, and reliance on mods for playability.
- Digital media can be removed from services due to license expirations or shutdowns, whereas physical copies remain accessible.
- Consumers should retain the choice between digital and physical media based on personal preference.
You Should Get to Own Your Media, Not Rent it Forever
2 days ago
- Digital purchases have shifted from ownership to temporary access, allowing corporations to alter or revoke content without permission.
- Ebooks can be retroactively edited, erasing original versions and misleading readers about historical context.
- Streaming platforms remove films and shows to cut costs, often with no physical backup available, risking cultural loss.
- Cloud storage services can delete personal data (photos, videos) if users fail to pay or meet conditions, akin to losing family heirlooms.
- The convenience of digital media has eliminated social interactions tied to renting movies, buying albums, or browsing stores.
- To preserve ownership, individuals should download files to hard drives, buy physical media (CDs, DVDs), or set up local servers like Plex.
- Consumer choices matter: avoiding purchases from companies that abandon physical formats can pressure them to change.
PlayStation Network outage leaves players dreading all-digital future
a day ago
- Sony's PlayStation Network experienced major issues on Friday, affecting sign-ins, gaming, and other services, with errors reported starting around 6:47 a.m. EDT.
- Problems persist across all PlayStation platforms, including PS5, PS4, PS3, PS Vita, and web, caused by connectivity errors with AWS servers which Amazon claims to have fixed.
- The downtime disrupted the Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls beta and occurred amid backlash over Sony's plan to end physical game support by 2028.
- Player complaints highlight that server issues can render digital games useless, raising concerns about digital ownership and license revocations.
- Sony's decision to stop physical discs has sparked outrage over consumer rights, as digital purchases are often licenses that can be revoked, as seen with removed films like Terminator 2.
- When old console storefronts shut down, accessing previously purchased games becomes difficult, leading players to explore alternative solutions such as DRM-free installers and emulation.

digital ownership

Sony Deletes 551 Movies PlayStation Owners Paid For

Hideo Kojima afraid that 'digital data will no longer be owned by individuals'

It's not about physical vs. digital games, it's about ownership

Sony Nerfs Videogame Ownership

Sony Deletes a Bunch More Movies from the Accounts of People Who 'Bought' Them

Physical Media vs. Digital Media

You Should Get to Own Your Media, Not Rent it Forever

PlayStation Network outage leaves players dreading all-digital future