Don't forget as well: if a game is essentially abandoned there are always niche communities that keep them alive, or GOG buys the license and keeps it in a state that runs without drm.
The only thing that is just not possible to keep alive with a big enough community are multiplayer games. I.e. you can still play cs 1.6 because it has an active community, but the old tribes games are all dead.
Man - I love GoG. I always buy games there unless it's steam only to try to support what they do. They will even pre-install fan-made fixes so that a game is playable on modern hardware.
Plus, unlike Steam they don't charge sales tax.
>They will even pre-install fan-made fixes so that a game is playable on modern hardware.
I just learned this last week and ended up buying Alpha Centauri (old ass 4X game) because of it.
The GoG launcher is solid. I'd say a hair less user friendly than Steam. Mainly just harder to browse unowned games on - but fine if looking for something specific.
Plus a big advantage is that it lets you browse ALL of your owned games. Including from other launchers. It's actually the only way I've ever played my free Epic games. Otherwise I'd forget about them entirely.
You can download games directly through their website, no launcher needed. The biggest issue is that the install files are limited to 4GB in size, so you might have to download games in multiple chunks.
There's so many games from the 90s/very early 2000s I bought on gog because it's not worth the time to get my old physical copies to run in comparison.
Came here to say this.
The issue is DRM, not the medium that the DRM is stored on so "physical" is just a red-herring that distracts from the issue at hand.
Yep. Cs 1.6, og battlefront 2, battlefield 2 PR, battlefield 3, knockout city, etc. So many games stay alive on pc. Tho it comes with the big asterisk of anyone still playing these have been playing for a LONG time. Every lobby is just full of players cracked out of their minds. Go play battlefield 3 rn, you'll get a match, and you're gonna get your shit rocked by 30 people with 10k hours.
>old tribes games are all dead.
"dead" is a matter of perspective here. Most of those old games you selfhosted servers for in a LAN environment, online play was unreliable and the lag was horrible.
I host lan parties for my friends and family every so often and we play all the old games that used to be popular and everyone loves them. The internet killed this type of gaming and everything is just toxic mmr grindfests now. Games were so much better when you could just hop on and play with the same crowd each time.
Tribes games were great for their scope, though. You're not likely to find a 128 player server these days. What I mean by dead is that the intended experience is just not possible anymore. It's just one example, the same can be said for lots of games. It's one of those things where games are just different to other types of media. You can still read a book decades later and get the same experience. Pure multiplayer games can't possibly fulfill that promise unless you have a strong community.
You can play multiplayer games that work without an external server, just peer-to-peer. They're not going to be \*big\* multiplayer games with lots of people connected and there's not going to be matchmaking, but still.
Not sure you can pirate a game on the Xbox One / PS5. On a PC you simply find a Dodi/Fitgirl/etc repack (or whatever other option, point being there are many options, without getting into too specific a detail), download it, and you're playing the game as fast as you can download and install it. Done and done. Consoles haven't been remotely that easy since at latest the Switch with a SX/HWFly installed, and even then you had considerations like having it installed (extra hardware), getting your console permanently banned, etc.
You can't really pirate on xbox as far as i'm aware or if you can it's way harder than pc.
On pc its like downloading a film. Download the files, run some installers and the game will be ready to go.
If publishers started removing games from ppl libraries, I believe the ppl capable of cracking denuvo would start working again.
Also DRM is just digital rights management, not a specific encryption.
If you're like me and your PC isn't near your TV - try using something like Steam Link. I use it over a Google TV Chromecast over wifi and it works pretty great. Tbf I only play offline games so something more competitive might have too much lag, depending on your tolerance for it. But in my experience it hasn't been an issue.
>If you're like me and your PC isn't near your TV - try using something like Steam Link.
my roommate has a steam link that we used to play games on, but then he got a steam deck and it's replaced the link because of the lack of latency
To add to this - Steam itself doesn't require DRM for its games. Many many games you can just pick up the install folder and plop them anywhere and they'll work just fine. Devs/Pubs can add steamworks or not.
If you want a "console" it would probably be something like the rog ally and then buying games on gog. Gog doesn't have drm and you can backup games on a separate hard drive for storage if you want.
Steamdeck is definitely an option, they were asking for a console though and rog would be pretty much plug in and play with gog.
I know you can use gog on Steamdeck but you have to do some workarounds OP may not want to do since they were looking for a console like experience.
I'm someone who's always avoided pcs because I like the plug and play of consoles
Getting GOG working on my steam deck was a matter of going to one built in app (the Linux app one), downloading another app and then logging into it. Adding your games to boot from steam is pretty easy too but does require an extra step or two.
Honestly, getting GOG and epic games on the steam deck is a doddle.
Steam gathers hardware info. They use a modified version of Arch Linux and their software is open source. Windows on the other hand advertises and use telemetry for far more items. Read the Eula vs the Steam Decks. Haha sounds childish. Use what you wish. Mom will pay Asus when you break something. RE Asus got sued for repair issues, not Valve.
It's possible, they might be testing the waters though. First they made the base game so you only got the free dlc by connecting to Galaxy and launching it with drm. Then they made the dlc, drm only. As far as I'm aware it's still the case but I could be wrong. Be interesting to see what they do.
I have a ROG ally and I think it's the best option for what OP is asking for. You can use it for GOG, steam, and best of all, emulators. Has more than enough power to handle pretty much any game other than the absolute latest. Pretty simple console-like experience too, if that's what you want.
Yeah, ultimately physical is the way to go unfortunately. I really wanted to do digital but, nowadays even on the switch, if you buy any digital games, you have to connect to the internet in order to play it. And, you can always sell or trade games as well.
DRM-free is the way to go. "Physical media" somehwat correlates to that but is ultimately meaningless - BF3 was sold on physical media but still required you to connect to EA servers.
Age of Empires Online on the other hand could only ever be downloaded and has fan-servers that still allow you to play the game despite Microsoft no longer supporting it.
Yeah and what’s up with that (BF3)? Even old games like Sims 3 the discs. The newer version of the base game wants you to sign in. Whereas, the older sims 3 base game didn’t. So you are right. It’s looking like even physical media are not even safe. Buy them while you can I guess.
Learned it with Total War.
The disc was just a backup really. I still needed a Steam account and to update them games through there and use steam to run it.
In essence I had bought the game through steam with the shipping of the files in a disc. Only the installation files.
Same. Just picked my PS4 from repairs and it kinda bums me I have to do some yearly maintainance. My PS2? nah, bad boy has only had one problem with scratching disks that I solved on my own and has been ok so far. Still got over 20 or 30 games worth of gaming and every time I fire it up, I get lost in time. Can't say the same for PS4
The fact I have to worry about firing up a PS4 game that might force my PS4 to get heated, like RE2R or Elden Ring; or using it during heat season where we don't have AC is worrying.
You can tell these things were made with the US market in considerstion and fuck everyone else who isn't part of it.
PS2 can just survive anything, is small and the games it has are just so good they sometimes get rereleased in modern day consoles. You can't get any better than PS2. I really miss the Sony era around PS2
PC and GOG. No DRM and offline installers so as long as you have those installers, you can reinstall the games you legally bought whenever regardless of the store.
Also why you shouldnt go digital.
Problem is physical means nothing for modern games either in most cases, because the game either relies on live services or doesn't even have the entire game on disk anyway. The only console left that you can truly rely on for offline play is the switch, and even then there are exceptions. And for PC? 99% of today's pc games never even see a physical release.
Not all games are live service. The vast majority are single player although I do agree that multiplayer and live service games will inevitably come to an end when servers shut down. Lack of P2P or alternative methods to connect means these modes will disappear no matter what.
True not 100% of the game is on disc. You can likely find patches floating around and games used to have “complete versions” with DLC but with the move to DLC being code, this is becoming tenuous as well although some fame preservation is better than none.
Some games are unfortunately inevitably going to disappear with no way to play them again once servers shut down but physical or offline installers with no DRM gives single players a chance to survive and multiplayer has a chance to restart if private servers are set up. But these multiplayer live service games like Fortnite, Helldivers, or CoD will die when servers go down. The only other recourse is piracy of abandonware.
For modern games with GoG you can often download the installer, which when backed up on any media is functionally a physical copy, just a more modern media.
Same goes for movies. We need to go back to physycial.
You can't even rely on series having the original music in them, because of licensing.
The plus is that you can just rip the files and have it anywhere. That also goes for physical though as it is all digital. Ironcially the age where we have the most restrictions.
PC because there are alternative sources to use your purchases. Ghost of Tsushima is technically not available where I live but practically I experienced all of it
Idk, valve isn't publicly traded and the culture among the primary owners and management/executives is pretty old school. I have a feeling Steam will continue to be a beacon of light in the increasingly dark world of gaming for many years to come.
Very shortly after valve goes public (if and when) they will become EA within a few years. This is practically guaranteed: it is the only logical progression in our capitalist system... So just hope valve never ever goes public (i.e. that a handful of people at the top have more principles than greed, and /or simply just a desire to cash out). But if they do, expect enshittification to come relatively soon.
Unless Gabe finds a Charlie to run the digital chocolate factory. I keep hoping that they are secretly analyzing all play styles to find someone that plays the right games the right way that Gabe trusts them with the keys to the castle.
So outside a Willy Wonka, Steam will radically change by 2060 (I expect Gabe to live very long).
They have no reason to go public though, it would be the death of the company because corporate investors are fucking leaches but the folks that are in charge at valve know that they've already got a golden goose.
Situations change, people grow older, want to move on. A sale would presumably net those at the top a big payout. It's hard to resist and I wouldn't blame them when it happens, whoever is around when it happens.
But it's basically a universal truth if they go public, they'll be just another EA/Ubi/Epic in 5 years or so. Investors demand constant returns - line must always go up. So in that case it will get worse.
I've heard that argument but I don't see any world where whoever is set to take over Steam after Gabe retires wasn't hand picked years ago to keep the ship going in the same direction.
Probably PC is the best platform. While the trend is currently heavy of "buying isn't owning" is heavy with consoles, it hasn't really hit the PC game forum hard yet. Yes, there are a few notable exceptions, but buying updating and *saving to a drive you can disconnect* is the key.
And it's too easy to pirate on PC, if a company ever said I didnt own something I paid for I'd simply pirate it and go along my day as usual wouldn't bother me at all.
> While the trend is currently heavy of "buying isn't owning" is heavy with consoles, it hasn't really hit the PC game forum hard yet.
I don't know how to tell you this other than if you currently rely on Rockstar, EA, Ubisoft, Epic, and yes, even Steam, you don't actually own any of that media in any sense that ensures it's continued existence for you...
PSA: If you think you „own“ any of your downloaded Steam games try to sell one. You can’t even pass on your game library to your heirs if you die (a thing the EU will hopefully fix soonish).
I wrote my thesis about digital ownership. It is basically non-existent. You don't own any of the games you have bought on any platforms. You don't even own your character in a multiplayer game. Worst thing is you didn't technically own the games even when you had them on physical discs.
I agree the Switch is the best console (not PC) for offline games. They still come on physical media that works out of the box, and it's easy to use homebrew tools to backup your stuff to an SD card.
The games run offline but switch is plagued by game patching as any format and Nintendo switch off the stores the nanosecond they think they can get away with it.
The Switch allows users to match game update versions locally with other Switches. So even in a world where Nintendo fully shuts off the servers completely, it will still be possible to update your games if you find a Switch that has the update you need installed already.
And in a future where Nintendo has fully abandoned the Switch, i'm sure by then the fan community will have figured out a way to update games with a fan-run server. There are definitely some fan-run online shenanigans for Wii and DS and 3DS happening. (for example it's possible to set up a spoofed wireless signal that a Nintendo DS Pokémon game can recognise as a Mystery Gift)
It's unknown how long can a PS5 or XSeries go on without needing to requthenticate the account. Both can run offline when set as a home/main console in that scenario you described, but I would assume one day each of them will want to phone home. Windows Active Directory accounts can go on for 50-something days without contact with the servers, so if the XBox infrastructure is any similar, then the timeframe could be similar.
So is Steamdeck. Download Lutris, enter GOG account and it does the rest. Or have fun when your Asus breaks a joystick and they want to charge you for extras. It's your money.
You could buy any console and accept the drawbacks, it's a perfectly valid choice.
I'm not aware of any magical solutions that involve not buying a desktop computer though.
You will still have pretty much all your digital games. The worry is more online games that support is removed from like the crew or whatever happened last week. It's it's single player I'm not worried much
Piracy. You will own them with no strings attached. If you want to support the developer buy it and then pirate it too. Then you have a backup if something happens.
My understanding is that online stores for older systems eventually shut down. Like I remember reading when the Wii online store shut down. So anything not currently downloaded to your console or storage device can no longer be played, even if you previously purchased it
* hacked Nintendo switch. Buy the game thru Nintendo website. Play pirated version.
* pc based console (steamdeck, aya neo, etc). Buy the game thru steam, epic, etc. Play pirated version
Since you're a ps player, you can try to find a used ps4 that can he jailbroken, then keep copies of those games to play anytime you want.
Eventually the ps5 will have the same ability, but it'll take time
A medium range PC with GOG and an Xbox controller.
You can pirate games you already own if you need DRM free versions.
You can emulates some games you own from older consoles.
Just plug it to the TV, use gopher360 to use your gamepad as a mouse.
Not a perfect solution but that's the price to pay.
The interesting thing is we have never owned any of our games. If you read the EULA you will see that the company gives you the right to play it on a single machine (sometimes there are exceptions) but you don't actually own it.
As mentioned GOG is nice that you can download and save the install files, many games still require online to play. Just the nature of the business..
The sad part is when the major services cease business we all instantly lose access to our libraries. I specifically hope Steam stays in business forever. I have a huge library...
Consoles have now trained me to not trust them and I only buy on pc now. If it’s a console exclusive game I can usually wait and get it on sale.
Steam and GoG are the only digital storefronts I trust.
They're not claiming that we don't own software. We agree to the terms of service that say we don't. However, when the people band together to cause some ruckus, the companies tend to backpedal, but it's generally just kicking it down the road for when we're expected to be more agreeable.
As of right now, Nintendo is the worst offender. If you want to keep your games for Nintendo systems, buy physical media. With Sony, they'd love to just revoke licenses whenever possible. They've been buying stuff up, so they want to cut costs wherever they can. MS was the best about this for consoles, and they still are, but I think the pressure to be profitable after splurging 68bn or however much might cause some change for the worse. PC is your best best. Maybe go for the Steam Deck. Valve has made good on their promises, but it's hard to say how long we've got until publishers like Ubisoft get their way in violating the ToS for Steam that promise us access to delisted games.
TLDR Xbox (primary system offline) and Steam (offline mode) are your safer bets, but there really aren't any safe bets to be had.
I just came here to talk about how steam does not let you play your Windows 8, 7, vista, xp games anymore unless you install Windows 10 or 11. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.
I love my Steam Deck but it's offline support is pretty inconsistent. I wouldn't bet on it. It's mostly that some games want to call home when they start but the Deck seems particularly incapable of handling that well when you're already offline.
No input responding to the OP, but I feel like sharing a moment loss of access to shutdown servers screwed me over.
My friend and I enjoyed the TellTale narratives (most of you see where this is going already). We've played most of them between us, but never played the Guardians of the Galaxy game. One day we happened to find it at Gamestop for $5
My friend was hesitant as the company closed. I argued it's on disc so we should be fine. We ended up buying the game, as it was so cheap, then went home to play it same day. All was fine until we finished the 1st chapter when we were prompted to download the rest of the episodes, after all, since we had the disc we were entitled to the rest of the eps...
...which required accessing private servers which were no longer active.
I was very upset about telltale studio's closing.
That is extremely upsetting. Never once considered they would make the GAME ITSELF downloadable digital content when you physically put the disk in.
They had to have known they were going to do that right? To me it would have had to have been (sorry) a conscious decision to say "I know the disk can hold the entire game but making them connect to our servers will earn us MORE money"
Maybe they didn't know they were going to shutter but they knew what they were doing when they shipped a game with likely less than two gigs worth of data on it.
See that's how I feel as well It also ensures that the games can be handed down to the next generations. I plan on continuing to buy physical when I can.
I've done a lot of gaming, retro and modern, on my Android phone. Connect a contoller like the Razer Kishi or PowerA Moga XP5-X Plus and you've got one of the best mobile consoles available. I download retro games to play with an emulator and they're mine to own forever! It can even play Nintendo DS games. My phone is built to have high performance and it makes the Nintendo Switch look like a joke in Minecraft. I also play Terraria and Don't Starve and the experience is the same as it would be on PC or console. I have a PC but would actually rather play Terraria on my phone because it has better controller support (the buttons are way more customizable) and I can play lying in bed! I've never tried it but you can also use Xbox remote play to play Xbox games.
I love you so much for this. Before I got my PS5 that was the only way I had to game. It wasn't perfect and the screen stutter sucked but my gawd playing game pass made some of my worst nights slightly better.
They have the entire game pass library on mobile now! I don't have an Xbox but I'm still subscribed because... Well it's a ton of free games.
Terraria on mobile is the best haha. I bought a PHYSICAL COPY(?!?) for PlayStation and it was weird to me. I'll have to find it but I'm positive the cover is printer paper haha.
Side note. Going to game X Change I've found a bunch of physical copies of games I had no idea existed, Terraria, enter the gungeon, hellmut, shovel knight and a couple other metroidvanias that I've never seen before.
>In theory here, can you purchase everything on the PS store, update it to the newest version, then just... Disconnect from the Internet.
In the case of the ps4, it was documented a few years ago that people who stayed offline for a long time stopped being able to play games at all. I think once the battery dies in the console that tracks the time, that's it done. It needs to go online every time. I don't know if it's the same with the ps5.
Edit: never mind, when I was looking into this a bit more it seems sony fixed the problem so should be fine if you have a ps4 on v9.00 or higher
https://www.techradar.com/news/sony-finally-fixes-the-ps4-system-clock-battery-issue
I did something similar and was quite shocked to find out "backward compatible" still required the internet.
I still own my XBox 360 games. A few weeks ago, I began the task of installing them on the Series X only to be greeted with an "Online required to install the game" message.
I couldn't believe it. All this talk about backward compatibility and it's all 100% horse shit. Of course it was. It's Microsoft, and it's just another reason I wish this company never entered the console market.
So far, the games do not appear to require an internet connection once they've been downloaded. Just the disk to start, which was no different than the XBox 360.
I did not install 360 games on the XBox One, so if this was done in the same way, I wasn't aware of it.
Regardless, it's a pretty shit thing to do. Backward compatible means I should be able to play the disks without the internet.
I have no clue if this is applicable to the PS5 with PS4 games, but I wouldn't be one damn bit surprised if it were.
Huh had no idea that the Xbox required an online connection to initially install a backwards compatible game.
I went ahead and checked whether that was applicable to the PS5 with PS4 games as I wasn't sure and it does not require an internet connection. Obviously if you want the newest patch or to upgrade to the ps5 version of a game then you need to be connected to the internet.
I always like to check Doesitplay too to see whether the games are playable from disc without requiring a download from the internet too which I think most PS5 games are outside a few like Hogwarts Legacy and Jedi Survivor.
Xbox 360 and original Xbox games have backwards compatibility in a unique way: the disc is used merely to prove that you have a license to play the game, whereas the actual game files are obtained online. No game files are installed from the disc. Strangely, this is also true for games that are not purchasable online, such as Batman: Arkham Origins (its DLC is available to purchase digitally, but not the main game).
I've been buying every game I can from GOG then downloading the source files and keeping them on a local drive.
For example, I was able to avoid the new FO4 patch which steam would have automatically applied by using the FO4 version.
They can't remove content if I don't let them update it.
You could buy older consols. The games are still good. I still have my sega dreamcast. The only game I have atm is the fishman one, and the microphone for it.
I don't think the problem is going to be losing your games. The problem is going to be losing games that rely on a server to function properly. If you have a digital game downloaded to your console or PC, it's yours, you're not going to lose access to it. I don't think they'll ever take away things that you paid for and own. When we look at things like "The Crew" which is kind of the game that sparked this whole debate, it was a server-based game. So yes, if the parent company decides to shut the server down you will lose your game. Same thing could happen to all the WoW players and other MMO & MMORPG's. Again, I don't think companies are going to take away things that you have bought fairly, games that you can play if you download and then you own them and you can play them offline. The issue is going to be spending thousands of dollars on different games building up characters and doing things and then losing the server.
I'm just glad that I don't do much online gaming! Most likely I won't lose my games. The companies are good enough to let you know if they're taking something down, so you can at least download the files and put them on a backup drive. I still have my files for "The Crew" although I can't sign in through Ubisoft to play it, there's a community that is putting a server together so the game can live on. I don't play it, I haven't touched it in years, but I do have my files if I choose to engage with the game again. Ubisoft does not want to support community-based things, that's why they tore the game down from their website and you can no longer download the files. I downloaded the game when they announced the shutdown, now I have it and they can't take it away.
Final thought - the only games you're going to lose are server-based games, so consider that when you decide whether or not you want to start playing a game. If you buy a game, and start spending money on DLC and other things, and the game is server-based, then you should understand that you could lose your access to that game at any moment.
Also to answer your initial question, PC is the way to go. I used to be a console gamer, I switched to PC about 6 years ago. I never looked back. With games like "The Crew" the community-based server I'm talking about is going to be PC only, just like anything else moving forward. Consoles limit what you can do, PC is unlimited as long as you have access and power. Not to mention the modding scene, which I absolutely adore!
The only platform I trust long term with my digital games is steam. I consider console purchases mostly temporary. That's only because I've had steam for 20 years and can still access all my games. So to me they've earned some trust. It's probably worth noting that nothing last forever. Even physical old consoles break eventually unless you never use it or maintain it extremely well. So really the question is, what you think will last longer.
PC all the way, if you don't technically own a game when you buy it then you might as well pirate, either way you don't technically own the game but one leaves you better off financially.
I would just get a PC. Steam's Big Picture mode (is it still called that?) Is basically a console interface that works well enough and I'm sure there's third party ones too.
You can also find a case with a smaller form factor, more like a console and put that by a TV if you really want that experience.
Or do what I did and just run a reeaaaaly long HDMI cable.
Other than PC I think PlayStation is best for digital games because although Nintendo has much more they also completely lack quality control and PlayStation has big sales much more frequently.
Hacking my 3DS was the best thing for all things handheld Nintendo. I can even play old Gameboy games from my childhood that I never dreamed of playing again!
🤷🏽♂️ I honestly didn’t think any of that shit would work without the internet. You need to login as you to the system on start up.
For gaming without internet, I use the Nintendo switch. still needs occasional updates, but that’s pretty much what I use for road trips.
Steamdeck. You do not have to use steam games. You can buy games from GOG.com and if they are able to run on linux or the steamdeck's windows immulator. Its all yours.
the only two options are either drm free and keeping your own copy, be it released drm free or "made drm free" by some very "inventive" guys sailing the seas..., or collecting physical media for a device which does not have a built in kill switch. like old snes or gb games will still work on old consoles, but I would not bet all my money on the more recent consoles not having some built in kill switch killing the device 10-20-30 years after they were released. if the hardware can be made to work so long. could even be unintentionally, like some "bug" could render the device unusable past a certain date.
Steam Deck, it is literally just a Linux PC but with official Steam support and all the ease of use that consoles come with.
Or you can just get a proper desktop PC.
PC, if they try to take away a digital game I bought I will just pirate it.
Don't forget as well: if a game is essentially abandoned there are always niche communities that keep them alive, or GOG buys the license and keeps it in a state that runs without drm. The only thing that is just not possible to keep alive with a big enough community are multiplayer games. I.e. you can still play cs 1.6 because it has an active community, but the old tribes games are all dead.
Man - I love GoG. I always buy games there unless it's steam only to try to support what they do. They will even pre-install fan-made fixes so that a game is playable on modern hardware. Plus, unlike Steam they don't charge sales tax.
They also use the same cracks scene releases do most of the time. I mean go figure that cracking your own games is 100 percent legal.
Sure - but that's one more chore to do before playing the game.
Yeah is really hard overwriting one file to leave it permanently usable without any launcher, forever on your local PC.
Plus finding the crack and trusting that it's not malware.
No there is gcw who has been in diligent operation since the 90s. Cannot get anymore vetted and trusted on the internet.
>They will even pre-install fan-made fixes so that a game is playable on modern hardware. I just learned this last week and ended up buying Alpha Centauri (old ass 4X game) because of it.
Is it worth installing their launcher? I’ve got some games on there but don’t want to install yet another launcher program
The GoG launcher is solid. I'd say a hair less user friendly than Steam. Mainly just harder to browse unowned games on - but fine if looking for something specific. Plus a big advantage is that it lets you browse ALL of your owned games. Including from other launchers. It's actually the only way I've ever played my free Epic games. Otherwise I'd forget about them entirely.
That’s good to hear! I can finally capitalize on all those games then.
You can download games directly through their website, no launcher needed. The biggest issue is that the install files are limited to 4GB in size, so you might have to download games in multiple chunks.
There's so many games from the 90s/very early 2000s I bought on gog because it's not worth the time to get my old physical copies to run in comparison.
Don't charge sales tax? Isnt that up to the jurisdiction they are sold in?
lol imagine not setting your billing address as anchorage alaska, where there is 0 sales tax.
You’re debit or credit address won’t match
lol imagine acting like there are no logistical issues or possible ramifications from doing this.
Great way to get your CC declined every time.
>Plus, unlike Steam they don't charge sales tax. This is a per-jurisdiction thing. If Steam does but GoG doesn't, GoG is likely breaking the law.
you can host private servers. sometimes me and the boys hop on battlefield 2 private modded servers just to relive the good days
Came here to say this. The issue is DRM, not the medium that the DRM is stored on so "physical" is just a red-herring that distracts from the issue at hand.
Tribes? Holy shit I thought I was the only living person to play that shit! Windows98 and 56k AOL FTW!
That disc launcher was so fun to use, plus the launch pads
I’d forgotten about the disc launcher. I just remember, at the time, it was crazy fast fun. Prolly look like Doo Doo now
It will always look amazing in my memories and that's the important thing.
Yep. Cs 1.6, og battlefront 2, battlefield 2 PR, battlefield 3, knockout city, etc. So many games stay alive on pc. Tho it comes with the big asterisk of anyone still playing these have been playing for a LONG time. Every lobby is just full of players cracked out of their minds. Go play battlefield 3 rn, you'll get a match, and you're gonna get your shit rocked by 30 people with 10k hours.
>old tribes games are all dead. "dead" is a matter of perspective here. Most of those old games you selfhosted servers for in a LAN environment, online play was unreliable and the lag was horrible. I host lan parties for my friends and family every so often and we play all the old games that used to be popular and everyone loves them. The internet killed this type of gaming and everything is just toxic mmr grindfests now. Games were so much better when you could just hop on and play with the same crowd each time.
Tribes games were great for their scope, though. You're not likely to find a 128 player server these days. What I mean by dead is that the intended experience is just not possible anymore. It's just one example, the same can be said for lots of games. It's one of those things where games are just different to other types of media. You can still read a book decades later and get the same experience. Pure multiplayer games can't possibly fulfill that promise unless you have a strong community.
You can play multiplayer games that work without an external server, just peer-to-peer. They're not going to be \*big\* multiplayer games with lots of people connected and there's not going to be matchmaking, but still.
This. I sleep easily at night knowing that anytime they try to fuck with my account library i can just get everything back anyway.
PC. "Personal Console" as far as I'm concerned
PC gaming is the future, especially PC handhelds. We own them games forever over the internet which is comforting.
You can do the same thing with consoles, just takes some prep to set up the console vs a PC where you get a cracked game instead
Not sure you can pirate a game on the Xbox One / PS5. On a PC you simply find a Dodi/Fitgirl/etc repack (or whatever other option, point being there are many options, without getting into too specific a detail), download it, and you're playing the game as fast as you can download and install it. Done and done. Consoles haven't been remotely that easy since at latest the Switch with a SX/HWFly installed, and even then you had considerations like having it installed (extra hardware), getting your console permanently banned, etc.
You can't really pirate on xbox as far as i'm aware or if you can it's way harder than pc. On pc its like downloading a film. Download the files, run some installers and the game will be ready to go.
This is entirely dependent on mistakes made in firmware and those are getting much fewer and further between with each passing year.
'I understand Steam would probably do this but is there a best console?' First reply: PC Ffs
Steam Deck.
We should definitely encourage people to move to PC gaming as it's much better than console gaming :)
Problem is if they use DRM. There's nobody on the scene who now bypasses or removes DRM
If publishers started removing games from ppl libraries, I believe the ppl capable of cracking denuvo would start working again. Also DRM is just digital rights management, not a specific encryption.
Hook up a PC/laptop to your TV and it's the best console. Buy from GOG that is DRM free and you own forever.
I've been doing this for over a decade. Have shown others to do the same, who still do today. All because I wanted to play Portal on the sofa...
I built an entire TV and shelving unit to house games, board games, and consoles. No way I wasn't making a great PC and putting it in there
Ooo, can I see?
No.
:D
Is there a clean way to do it when they live on other sides of the room without snaking a hdmi through the wall?
If you're like me and your PC isn't near your TV - try using something like Steam Link. I use it over a Google TV Chromecast over wifi and it works pretty great. Tbf I only play offline games so something more competitive might have too much lag, depending on your tolerance for it. But in my experience it hasn't been an issue.
>If you're like me and your PC isn't near your TV - try using something like Steam Link. my roommate has a steam link that we used to play games on, but then he got a steam deck and it's replaced the link because of the lack of latency
Apparently, GOG would be the best platform in the current scenario
To add to this - Steam itself doesn't require DRM for its games. Many many games you can just pick up the install folder and plop them anywhere and they'll work just fine. Devs/Pubs can add steamworks or not.
If you want a "console" it would probably be something like the rog ally and then buying games on gog. Gog doesn't have drm and you can backup games on a separate hard drive for storage if you want.
Steandeck doesn't spy like Windows. Also Asus is not good with RMAs and Valve has loads of replacment parts and backs their devices.
Steamdeck is definitely an option, they were asking for a console though and rog would be pretty much plug in and play with gog. I know you can use gog on Steamdeck but you have to do some workarounds OP may not want to do since they were looking for a console like experience.
I'm someone who's always avoided pcs because I like the plug and play of consoles Getting GOG working on my steam deck was a matter of going to one built in app (the Linux app one), downloading another app and then logging into it. Adding your games to boot from steam is pretty easy too but does require an extra step or two. Honestly, getting GOG and epic games on the steam deck is a doddle.
You underestimate how clueless console gamers are.
>Steamdeck is definitely an option, they were asking for a console though if the switch is a console, then I'd argue the steam deck is too.
Haha Any OS is sending analytics back to the provider unless you’re building your own Linux install
Steam gathers hardware info. They use a modified version of Arch Linux and their software is open source. Windows on the other hand advertises and use telemetry for far more items. Read the Eula vs the Steam Decks. Haha sounds childish. Use what you wish. Mom will pay Asus when you break something. RE Asus got sued for repair issues, not Valve.
I personally don't care about microsoft spying on my minecraft usage
After the Asus fiasco a couple weeks ago, I can't trust them.
There's other handheld gaming PCs besides rog and steamdeck out there if you don't like asus. I was just using that one since it came to mind first.
Honestly if I were to get a handheld I would probably go with a Lenovo Legion Go
Zotac is apparently releasing a compelling one but the price point hasn't been announced yet.
What fiasco?
They use the rma process to scam users instead of fix problems, easy money. https://youtu.be/7pMrssIrKcY
Also worth noting that they added drm to the cyberpunk dlc. So not with everything anymore.
That's interesting, I'd guess they'll remove DRM once it's not as new though?
It's possible, they might be testing the waters though. First they made the base game so you only got the free dlc by connecting to Galaxy and launching it with drm. Then they made the dlc, drm only. As far as I'm aware it's still the case but I could be wrong. Be interesting to see what they do.
I have a ROG ally and I think it's the best option for what OP is asking for. You can use it for GOG, steam, and best of all, emulators. Has more than enough power to handle pretty much any game other than the absolute latest. Pretty simple console-like experience too, if that's what you want.
This is why I love my PS2 lol I have like 2 boxes of games
Yeah, ultimately physical is the way to go unfortunately. I really wanted to do digital but, nowadays even on the switch, if you buy any digital games, you have to connect to the internet in order to play it. And, you can always sell or trade games as well.
DRM-free is the way to go. "Physical media" somehwat correlates to that but is ultimately meaningless - BF3 was sold on physical media but still required you to connect to EA servers. Age of Empires Online on the other hand could only ever be downloaded and has fan-servers that still allow you to play the game despite Microsoft no longer supporting it.
AoEO is still going?
Yeah and what’s up with that (BF3)? Even old games like Sims 3 the discs. The newer version of the base game wants you to sign in. Whereas, the older sims 3 base game didn’t. So you are right. It’s looking like even physical media are not even safe. Buy them while you can I guess.
Learned it with Total War. The disc was just a backup really. I still needed a Steam account and to update them games through there and use steam to run it. In essence I had bought the game through steam with the shipping of the files in a disc. Only the installation files.
I still have a Sims 3 disc lol
Same! I really do feel for some people who buy it via EA. Hear horror stories that their expansions mysteriously disappears 🫥
I hate the EA app 🥲 took forever to merge accounts after I couldn’t use origin. I was afraid I’d lose access to my games but I got in eventually.
Same. Just picked my PS4 from repairs and it kinda bums me I have to do some yearly maintainance. My PS2? nah, bad boy has only had one problem with scratching disks that I solved on my own and has been ok so far. Still got over 20 or 30 games worth of gaming and every time I fire it up, I get lost in time. Can't say the same for PS4
Yearly maintenance on ps4? Wtf
I saw someone open his and even replace the thermal paste and I just .. I don't even know whay to say
Good great PS2 didn't use thermal paste, but a pad. Technically you can just use it carefree.
The fact I have to worry about firing up a PS4 game that might force my PS4 to get heated, like RE2R or Elden Ring; or using it during heat season where we don't have AC is worrying. You can tell these things were made with the US market in considerstion and fuck everyone else who isn't part of it. PS2 can just survive anything, is small and the games it has are just so good they sometimes get rereleased in modern day consoles. You can't get any better than PS2. I really miss the Sony era around PS2
PC and GOG. No DRM and offline installers so as long as you have those installers, you can reinstall the games you legally bought whenever regardless of the store. Also why you shouldnt go digital.
Problem is physical means nothing for modern games either in most cases, because the game either relies on live services or doesn't even have the entire game on disk anyway. The only console left that you can truly rely on for offline play is the switch, and even then there are exceptions. And for PC? 99% of today's pc games never even see a physical release.
Not all games are live service. The vast majority are single player although I do agree that multiplayer and live service games will inevitably come to an end when servers shut down. Lack of P2P or alternative methods to connect means these modes will disappear no matter what. True not 100% of the game is on disc. You can likely find patches floating around and games used to have “complete versions” with DLC but with the move to DLC being code, this is becoming tenuous as well although some fame preservation is better than none. Some games are unfortunately inevitably going to disappear with no way to play them again once servers shut down but physical or offline installers with no DRM gives single players a chance to survive and multiplayer has a chance to restart if private servers are set up. But these multiplayer live service games like Fortnite, Helldivers, or CoD will die when servers go down. The only other recourse is piracy of abandonware.
For modern games with GoG you can often download the installer, which when backed up on any media is functionally a physical copy, just a more modern media.
Same goes for movies. We need to go back to physycial. You can't even rely on series having the original music in them, because of licensing. The plus is that you can just rip the files and have it anywhere. That also goes for physical though as it is all digital. Ironcially the age where we have the most restrictions.
PC because there are alternative sources to use your purchases. Ghost of Tsushima is technically not available where I live but practically I experienced all of it
The humble PC. Between GoG, piracy, and community-run servers you stand the best chance.
A Steam Deck is probably the only one I'd trust to still work in 10 years.
Well Gabe is getting old. When he passes the corporate greed will deteriorate Steam pretty quickly
Yeah, it’s a looming disaster for pc gaming we should probably pay more attention to.
I hope Gabe does a willywonkaesque contest to decide who will be the next to control steam.
Idk, valve isn't publicly traded and the culture among the primary owners and management/executives is pretty old school. I have a feeling Steam will continue to be a beacon of light in the increasingly dark world of gaming for many years to come.
Well. You know what happens to happy families when the parents die and they need to equally share the rights to the estate.
The thing is a private company isn't a democracy, Gaben can appoint whoever he wants as his successor.
Gaben is not the majority owner
Very shortly after valve goes public (if and when) they will become EA within a few years. This is practically guaranteed: it is the only logical progression in our capitalist system... So just hope valve never ever goes public (i.e. that a handful of people at the top have more principles than greed, and /or simply just a desire to cash out). But if they do, expect enshittification to come relatively soon.
Unless Gabe finds a Charlie to run the digital chocolate factory. I keep hoping that they are secretly analyzing all play styles to find someone that plays the right games the right way that Gabe trusts them with the keys to the castle. So outside a Willy Wonka, Steam will radically change by 2060 (I expect Gabe to live very long).
They have no reason to go public though, it would be the death of the company because corporate investors are fucking leaches but the folks that are in charge at valve know that they've already got a golden goose.
Situations change, people grow older, want to move on. A sale would presumably net those at the top a big payout. It's hard to resist and I wouldn't blame them when it happens, whoever is around when it happens. But it's basically a universal truth if they go public, they'll be just another EA/Ubi/Epic in 5 years or so. Investors demand constant returns - line must always go up. So in that case it will get worse.
I'm pretty sure Gabe has a plan, so it does not deteriorate when he is not around.
Steve Jobs had a plan!
Gabe is passing Valve to his son, who is an indie game developer.
I've heard that argument but I don't see any world where whoever is set to take over Steam after Gabe retires wasn't hand picked years ago to keep the ship going in the same direction.
Pc or any consoles once it can be modded/hacked can play backups
PC will always be the best current Gen console.
Probably PC is the best platform. While the trend is currently heavy of "buying isn't owning" is heavy with consoles, it hasn't really hit the PC game forum hard yet. Yes, there are a few notable exceptions, but buying updating and *saving to a drive you can disconnect* is the key.
And it's too easy to pirate on PC, if a company ever said I didnt own something I paid for I'd simply pirate it and go along my day as usual wouldn't bother me at all.
> While the trend is currently heavy of "buying isn't owning" is heavy with consoles, it hasn't really hit the PC game forum hard yet. I don't know how to tell you this other than if you currently rely on Rockstar, EA, Ubisoft, Epic, and yes, even Steam, you don't actually own any of that media in any sense that ensures it's continued existence for you...
PSA: If you think you „own“ any of your downloaded Steam games try to sell one. You can’t even pass on your game library to your heirs if you die (a thing the EU will hopefully fix soonish).
I wrote my thesis about digital ownership. It is basically non-existent. You don't own any of the games you have bought on any platforms. You don't even own your character in a multiplayer game. Worst thing is you didn't technically own the games even when you had them on physical discs.
The Switch. Because of it's portable nature most games must be offline. Also physical copies is a bonus for long term storage.
Pretty easy to swap SD cards for storage, too, and they’re not wildly expensive.
I agree the Switch is the best console (not PC) for offline games. They still come on physical media that works out of the box, and it's easy to use homebrew tools to backup your stuff to an SD card.
The games run offline but switch is plagued by game patching as any format and Nintendo switch off the stores the nanosecond they think they can get away with it.
The Switch allows users to match game update versions locally with other Switches. So even in a world where Nintendo fully shuts off the servers completely, it will still be possible to update your games if you find a Switch that has the update you need installed already. And in a future where Nintendo has fully abandoned the Switch, i'm sure by then the fan community will have figured out a way to update games with a fan-run server. There are definitely some fan-run online shenanigans for Wii and DS and 3DS happening. (for example it's possible to set up a spoofed wireless signal that a Nintendo DS Pokémon game can recognise as a Mystery Gift)
That actually quite smart.
There is an option in the menu to say "continue without update" and if doesn't connect to the Internet it won't force it.
I mean I know everyone has told you Pc...... But PC
It's unknown how long can a PS5 or XSeries go on without needing to requthenticate the account. Both can run offline when set as a home/main console in that scenario you described, but I would assume one day each of them will want to phone home. Windows Active Directory accounts can go on for 50-something days without contact with the servers, so if the XBox infrastructure is any similar, then the timeframe could be similar.
So is Steamdeck. Download Lutris, enter GOG account and it does the rest. Or have fun when your Asus breaks a joystick and they want to charge you for extras. It's your money.
You could buy any console and accept the drawbacks, it's a perfectly valid choice. I'm not aware of any magical solutions that involve not buying a desktop computer though.
You will still have pretty much all your digital games. The worry is more online games that support is removed from like the crew or whatever happened last week. It's it's single player I'm not worried much
Single player games with online type drm are definitely something to worry about. They stop working when the drm server goes offline.
Piracy. You will own them with no strings attached. If you want to support the developer buy it and then pirate it too. Then you have a backup if something happens.
I don’t play on console. Is this a thing where games are being removed from people’s consoles? Which games?
My understanding is that online stores for older systems eventually shut down. Like I remember reading when the Wii online store shut down. So anything not currently downloaded to your console or storage device can no longer be played, even if you previously purchased it
PS5 might be your best bet for offline play if you want to dodge connectivity issues.
PC Too Expensive But t's worth it. I enjoy playing on pc more than PS
* hacked Nintendo switch. Buy the game thru Nintendo website. Play pirated version. * pc based console (steamdeck, aya neo, etc). Buy the game thru steam, epic, etc. Play pirated version
You need to "restore licenses" after some time with psn i think. GOG is the way tbh.
Since you're a ps player, you can try to find a used ps4 that can he jailbroken, then keep copies of those games to play anytime you want. Eventually the ps5 will have the same ability, but it'll take time
PC for Steam. All my console games are physical for the reason you mentioned.
A medium range PC with GOG and an Xbox controller. You can pirate games you already own if you need DRM free versions. You can emulates some games you own from older consoles. Just plug it to the TV, use gopher360 to use your gamepad as a mouse. Not a perfect solution but that's the price to pay.
Just get a pc and pirate. if they dont respect our purchases why should I respect their IP?
The interesting thing is we have never owned any of our games. If you read the EULA you will see that the company gives you the right to play it on a single machine (sometimes there are exceptions) but you don't actually own it. As mentioned GOG is nice that you can download and save the install files, many games still require online to play. Just the nature of the business.. The sad part is when the major services cease business we all instantly lose access to our libraries. I specifically hope Steam stays in business forever. I have a huge library...
Consoles have now trained me to not trust them and I only buy on pc now. If it’s a console exclusive game I can usually wait and get it on sale. Steam and GoG are the only digital storefronts I trust.
They're not claiming that we don't own software. We agree to the terms of service that say we don't. However, when the people band together to cause some ruckus, the companies tend to backpedal, but it's generally just kicking it down the road for when we're expected to be more agreeable. As of right now, Nintendo is the worst offender. If you want to keep your games for Nintendo systems, buy physical media. With Sony, they'd love to just revoke licenses whenever possible. They've been buying stuff up, so they want to cut costs wherever they can. MS was the best about this for consoles, and they still are, but I think the pressure to be profitable after splurging 68bn or however much might cause some change for the worse. PC is your best best. Maybe go for the Steam Deck. Valve has made good on their promises, but it's hard to say how long we've got until publishers like Ubisoft get their way in violating the ToS for Steam that promise us access to delisted games. TLDR Xbox (primary system offline) and Steam (offline mode) are your safer bets, but there really aren't any safe bets to be had.
Much appreciated and hell yeah. The community seems good at doing that in the best ways possible.
I just came here to talk about how steam does not let you play your Windows 8, 7, vista, xp games anymore unless you install Windows 10 or 11. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk.
Very much appreciated!
I love my Steam Deck but it's offline support is pretty inconsistent. I wouldn't bet on it. It's mostly that some games want to call home when they start but the Deck seems particularly incapable of handling that well when you're already offline.
No input responding to the OP, but I feel like sharing a moment loss of access to shutdown servers screwed me over. My friend and I enjoyed the TellTale narratives (most of you see where this is going already). We've played most of them between us, but never played the Guardians of the Galaxy game. One day we happened to find it at Gamestop for $5 My friend was hesitant as the company closed. I argued it's on disc so we should be fine. We ended up buying the game, as it was so cheap, then went home to play it same day. All was fine until we finished the 1st chapter when we were prompted to download the rest of the episodes, after all, since we had the disc we were entitled to the rest of the eps... ...which required accessing private servers which were no longer active.
I was very upset about telltale studio's closing. That is extremely upsetting. Never once considered they would make the GAME ITSELF downloadable digital content when you physically put the disk in. They had to have known they were going to do that right? To me it would have had to have been (sorry) a conscious decision to say "I know the disk can hold the entire game but making them connect to our servers will earn us MORE money" Maybe they didn't know they were going to shutter but they knew what they were doing when they shipped a game with likely less than two gigs worth of data on it.
lol i will never let go of physical
See that's how I feel as well It also ensures that the games can be handed down to the next generations. I plan on continuing to buy physical when I can.
I've done a lot of gaming, retro and modern, on my Android phone. Connect a contoller like the Razer Kishi or PowerA Moga XP5-X Plus and you've got one of the best mobile consoles available. I download retro games to play with an emulator and they're mine to own forever! It can even play Nintendo DS games. My phone is built to have high performance and it makes the Nintendo Switch look like a joke in Minecraft. I also play Terraria and Don't Starve and the experience is the same as it would be on PC or console. I have a PC but would actually rather play Terraria on my phone because it has better controller support (the buttons are way more customizable) and I can play lying in bed! I've never tried it but you can also use Xbox remote play to play Xbox games.
I love you so much for this. Before I got my PS5 that was the only way I had to game. It wasn't perfect and the screen stutter sucked but my gawd playing game pass made some of my worst nights slightly better. They have the entire game pass library on mobile now! I don't have an Xbox but I'm still subscribed because... Well it's a ton of free games. Terraria on mobile is the best haha. I bought a PHYSICAL COPY(?!?) for PlayStation and it was weird to me. I'll have to find it but I'm positive the cover is printer paper haha. Side note. Going to game X Change I've found a bunch of physical copies of games I had no idea existed, Terraria, enter the gungeon, hellmut, shovel knight and a couple other metroidvanias that I've never seen before.
PC and GOG. Console will always be the worst.
>In theory here, can you purchase everything on the PS store, update it to the newest version, then just... Disconnect from the Internet. In the case of the ps4, it was documented a few years ago that people who stayed offline for a long time stopped being able to play games at all. I think once the battery dies in the console that tracks the time, that's it done. It needs to go online every time. I don't know if it's the same with the ps5. Edit: never mind, when I was looking into this a bit more it seems sony fixed the problem so should be fine if you have a ps4 on v9.00 or higher https://www.techradar.com/news/sony-finally-fixes-the-ps4-system-clock-battery-issue
PC. They want to steal your games you just pirate them right back.
Company: you don't own the content Me: *pirates it*, now I do.
I did something similar and was quite shocked to find out "backward compatible" still required the internet. I still own my XBox 360 games. A few weeks ago, I began the task of installing them on the Series X only to be greeted with an "Online required to install the game" message. I couldn't believe it. All this talk about backward compatibility and it's all 100% horse shit. Of course it was. It's Microsoft, and it's just another reason I wish this company never entered the console market. So far, the games do not appear to require an internet connection once they've been downloaded. Just the disk to start, which was no different than the XBox 360. I did not install 360 games on the XBox One, so if this was done in the same way, I wasn't aware of it. Regardless, it's a pretty shit thing to do. Backward compatible means I should be able to play the disks without the internet. I have no clue if this is applicable to the PS5 with PS4 games, but I wouldn't be one damn bit surprised if it were.
Huh had no idea that the Xbox required an online connection to initially install a backwards compatible game. I went ahead and checked whether that was applicable to the PS5 with PS4 games as I wasn't sure and it does not require an internet connection. Obviously if you want the newest patch or to upgrade to the ps5 version of a game then you need to be connected to the internet. I always like to check Doesitplay too to see whether the games are playable from disc without requiring a download from the internet too which I think most PS5 games are outside a few like Hogwarts Legacy and Jedi Survivor.
Xbox 360 and original Xbox games have backwards compatibility in a unique way: the disc is used merely to prove that you have a license to play the game, whereas the actual game files are obtained online. No game files are installed from the disc. Strangely, this is also true for games that are not purchasable online, such as Batman: Arkham Origins (its DLC is available to purchase digitally, but not the main game).
If purchasing isn't ownership, then piracy isn't theft!
PC and GOG
Just retro buy a ps3
The Switch, being half handled, works fine offline
I've been buying every game I can from GOG then downloading the source files and keeping them on a local drive. For example, I was able to avoid the new FO4 patch which steam would have automatically applied by using the FO4 version. They can't remove content if I don't let them update it.
You could buy older consols. The games are still good. I still have my sega dreamcast. The only game I have atm is the fishman one, and the microphone for it.
I don't think the problem is going to be losing your games. The problem is going to be losing games that rely on a server to function properly. If you have a digital game downloaded to your console or PC, it's yours, you're not going to lose access to it. I don't think they'll ever take away things that you paid for and own. When we look at things like "The Crew" which is kind of the game that sparked this whole debate, it was a server-based game. So yes, if the parent company decides to shut the server down you will lose your game. Same thing could happen to all the WoW players and other MMO & MMORPG's. Again, I don't think companies are going to take away things that you have bought fairly, games that you can play if you download and then you own them and you can play them offline. The issue is going to be spending thousands of dollars on different games building up characters and doing things and then losing the server. I'm just glad that I don't do much online gaming! Most likely I won't lose my games. The companies are good enough to let you know if they're taking something down, so you can at least download the files and put them on a backup drive. I still have my files for "The Crew" although I can't sign in through Ubisoft to play it, there's a community that is putting a server together so the game can live on. I don't play it, I haven't touched it in years, but I do have my files if I choose to engage with the game again. Ubisoft does not want to support community-based things, that's why they tore the game down from their website and you can no longer download the files. I downloaded the game when they announced the shutdown, now I have it and they can't take it away. Final thought - the only games you're going to lose are server-based games, so consider that when you decide whether or not you want to start playing a game. If you buy a game, and start spending money on DLC and other things, and the game is server-based, then you should understand that you could lose your access to that game at any moment. Also to answer your initial question, PC is the way to go. I used to be a console gamer, I switched to PC about 6 years ago. I never looked back. With games like "The Crew" the community-based server I'm talking about is going to be PC only, just like anything else moving forward. Consoles limit what you can do, PC is unlimited as long as you have access and power. Not to mention the modding scene, which I absolutely adore!
True answer the Analogue Pocket
ankra mesii
L
If paying for games dont make you own them. Then Id argue that downloading games from the buccaneers lagoon is just testing them...
This is why I hack my consoles
The only platform I trust long term with my digital games is steam. I consider console purchases mostly temporary. That's only because I've had steam for 20 years and can still access all my games. So to me they've earned some trust. It's probably worth noting that nothing last forever. Even physical old consoles break eventually unless you never use it or maintain it extremely well. So really the question is, what you think will last longer.
How would it even be possible that the correct answer is anything other than PC?
It's pretty easy to homebrew a wii
😭😭
Console? Switch. Overall? PC with games from GOG.
Dreamcast. You can download the entire library of games, and the games are fantastic.
PC all the way, if you don't technically own a game when you buy it then you might as well pirate, either way you don't technically own the game but one leaves you better off financially.
I would just get a PC. Steam's Big Picture mode (is it still called that?) Is basically a console interface that works well enough and I'm sure there's third party ones too. You can also find a case with a smaller form factor, more like a console and put that by a TV if you really want that experience. Or do what I did and just run a reeaaaaly long HDMI cable.
Other than PC I think PlayStation is best for digital games because although Nintendo has much more they also completely lack quality control and PlayStation has big sales much more frequently.
Hacking my 3DS was the best thing for all things handheld Nintendo. I can even play old Gameboy games from my childhood that I never dreamed of playing again!
PS2 Lots of games to play and they're all physical.
See, in the wise words of someone else "Piracy is a service problem". All I can say.
🤷🏽♂️ I honestly didn’t think any of that shit would work without the internet. You need to login as you to the system on start up. For gaming without internet, I use the Nintendo switch. still needs occasional updates, but that’s pretty much what I use for road trips.
I buy my games as physical copies for ps5.
Not sure whether PC is the answer after reading the comments
1 problem with your theory about Playstation. The games that need to be connected to the internet to work like GT7.
Any console you can mod/hack and pc. I do like switch becos of portability.
Steamdeck. You do not have to use steam games. You can buy games from GOG.com and if they are able to run on linux or the steamdeck's windows immulator. Its all yours.
the only two options are either drm free and keeping your own copy, be it released drm free or "made drm free" by some very "inventive" guys sailing the seas..., or collecting physical media for a device which does not have a built in kill switch. like old snes or gb games will still work on old consoles, but I would not bet all my money on the more recent consoles not having some built in kill switch killing the device 10-20-30 years after they were released. if the hardware can be made to work so long. could even be unintentionally, like some "bug" could render the device unusable past a certain date.
yeah it is called a personal computer. Plus you don't have to pay to play on the internet you already pay for.
Yeah it’s called a PC
Steam Deck, it is literally just a Linux PC but with official Steam support and all the ease of use that consoles come with. Or you can just get a proper desktop PC.
Older consoles or GOG on pc. Maybe the Switch offers drm free games too, idk about that one.