Digital games and media issues | Star Wars Outlaws disc requires an online check to install

Last edited by jawa_ on Tue Apr 09, 2024 10:36 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Thread update - 05-Dec-2023

This thread was originally created to highlight Sony removing access to TV content that customers had paid for. However, I'd like to amend this to encompass news on all situations where a company withdraws access to video game or media content; the topic will possibly become a lot hotter in the coming months and years as similar situations arise.

Thank you.
jawa

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In a move that will rightfully have people questioning the advent of an all-digital future, Sony has confirmed that hundreds of Discovery TV shows will soon be completely removed from PlayStation platforms — even if you've purchased them through the PS Store.

"As of 31 December 2023, due to our content licensing arrangements with content providers, you will no longer be able to watch any of your previously purchased Discovery content and the content will be removed from your video library," reads the rather sudden announcement. That same page includes a full list of all the Discovery shows that are being wiped — and it's a long one.

You can read Sony's announcement - and see the massive list of affected content - here: click.

I can't quite believe that Sony are removing access to content that people have purchased; nor that they're doing so with just 29 days notice under a "Legal Update Notice". Unfortunately this just confirms that buying any digital content is loaded with risk; companies can - and do - remove access to your purchases and you have no legal recourse.

To then finish with "We sincerely thank you for your continued support" is just taking the piss. You'd think it wouldn't be legal but, of course, it is as there is lots of legal text allowing just this kind of thing to happen whenever we make a digital purchase.

It's not new but this is more evidence that by buying digital we don't own anything beyond a temporary, undetermined rental, and nor do we have any real form of rights. I have never supported the idea of piracy but, now, I'm wondering if it's the only reasonable and long-term way to access content.

Exactly why I still buy physical media whenever possible.

Ironhide wrote:Exactly why I still buy physical media whenever possible.

I've returned to physical media because of how companies will remove access to things that have been purchased. My PS5 and Switch games are mainly disc/cart versions and I've gone back to buying discs for films, too.

Games can be tricky as publishers nearly always make mandatory download updates necessary but I'd now rather do this than go digital. My PS4 library is predominantly digital but I wish I'd stuck with discs. Unfortunately, companies have - imho - demonstrated that they cannot be trusted with digital purchases.

Welcome to 2023. I own nothing, have no privacy, and life has never been better.

And here's yet another example of why piracy is morally acceptable.

Ironhide wrote:Exactly why I still buy physical media whenever possible.

Trouble is that doesn’t guarantee you anything with always online features, servers and in the case of Jedi fallen order the disc only has half the game and you had to download the rest! Most games end up not being playable in their day 1 version anymore.

FatDaz wrote:
Ironhide wrote:Exactly why I still buy physical media whenever possible.

Trouble is that doesn’t guarantee you anything with always online features, servers and in the case of Jedi fallen order the disc only has half the game and you had to download the rest! Most games end up not being playable in their day 1 version anymore.

Not only that but physical media eventually degrades and becomes unusable.

This is why emulation is so important (I realise this is about a TV show, but having data of a show online is important as well). To stop things becoming lost media because of gooseberry fool like this we need piracy and it's insane that I even need to say that.

For the suckers

piracy = best

Has this ever actually happened with a game?

Clearly the license agreement Sony originally signed with Discovery (which presumably wasn't Warner Bros. Discovery at the time) doesn't grant them, or PlayStation users, access in perpetuity. Which begs the question why you'd allow consumers to purchase them in the first place (rather than rent), knowing full well the rights to access said purchases expires.

This is the type of thing regulators should and need to be looking at.

KK wrote:Has this ever actually happened with a game? ...

Kind of... Nintendo closed the Wii and DS shops and so any purchases only last for as long as your one particular system lasts. Sony tried to close down the PS3 store but have kept it open for an undefined period of time... although the PSP store was still closed. I heard that Microsoft closed down their Games for Windows Live store, too; although I'm not sure if games could still be transferred and run on other systems.

Imagine the costs that same people have sunk into purchasing download versions - it's horrible to think that the money paid for those music tracks, films and games could potentially just be highly-priced loans for an unknown period of time.

I hate to say it, but it does feel that piracy could be the most reasonable option for the consumer; in terms of video, music and games. Publishers - particularly on consoles - are sometimes treating their customers so badly in terms of digital purchases that the option now feels legit.

Removing stuff people have paid for is abhorrent. They should at least give the option of accessing the same content direct from Discovery, or through another licensed provider, like when UltraViolet closed down and transferred everything (in my case to Flixster, which itself later closed and transferred all my content to Google, where I assume it’s safe for now).

Having said that, looking at the list of Discovery content that is being lost, it all looks like the kind of lifestyle/filler trash you can find anywhere, so I don’t know why anyone would pay for that in the first place. Mud Lovin' Rednecks, Season 1.

I guess it's hard to legally force a company to continue to host content on their servers.

But there should be a law that if they take away the ability to stream content you've paid for, then they have to offer it as a (DRM free) download to all customers who've paid for it for a certain period of time.

At the very least, it should not be a crime to pirate content that you've already paid for.

Moggy wrote:I guess it's hard to legally force a company to continue to host content on their servers.

But there should be a law that if they take away the ability to stream content you've paid for, then they have to offer it as a (DRM free) download to all customers who've paid for it for a certain period of time.

At the very least, it should not be a crime to pirate content that you've already paid for.

It should be an instant refund at least.

KK wrote:Has this ever actually happened with a game?

The PC port of Outrun 2 can no longer be bought digitaly as Sega don't have the Ferrari licensing anymore, its been removed from Steam and afaik can't be downloaded even if you bought it previously

Last edited by Vermilion on Sat Dec 02, 2023 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Ironhide wrote:Exactly why I still buy physical media whenever possible.

Same.

Physical media is still the far superior option.

Qikz wrote:Not only that but physical media eventually degrades and becomes unusable.

Only if they've not been looked after properly.

I have games and music discs over 20 years old and they're still in perfect condition.

Vermilion wrote:
Ironhide wrote:Exactly why I still buy physical media whenever possible.

Same.

Physical media is still the far superior option.

Qikz wrote:Not only that but physical media eventually degrades and becomes unusable.

Only if they've not been looked after properly.

I have games and music discs over 20 years old and they're still in perfect condition.

Disks will eventually degrade. Look what happened to records for instance and especially laserdiscs. It doesn't matter how well you take care of them these things have shelf lives.

Supporting My Local Mule Sanctuary Since 11/11/2014.

This is a massive piss take, how on earth is it even legal? I don't care about the content in question, but I absolutely care about the precedent it sets. I hope Sony gets sued for this, I am certain it's just a matter of time.

In the mean time, always buy physical folks.

# You only paid us once,
We want you payin' us forever #

I have, over the years, bought quite a lot of digital gaming content from Sony... and now I don't trust them. And not just Sony; all gaming and film/TV publishers. It feels like a gamble to buy stuff from any of them. Yeah, they're probably not gonna steal things back from you overnight (although Sony just has with the Discovery TV stuff) but... when? They will at some point.

I can see why people are unhappy about this as it sets a dangerous precedent moving forward but who actually bought any Discovery shows on PSN? I didn’t even know you could.

Digital games and media issues | Star Wars Outlaws disc requires an online check to install

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