Technically... (Gaming)

by Claude Errera , Wednesday, March 07, 2018, 13:03 (2454 days ago) @ Cody Miller

That model never really existed. You can have the one-time physical media purchase, but the actual game content is still only available to you as a license.

I keep hearing this but it simply is not true, or it as least not treated as true. If it were, you could break your game disc, and request a low cost replacement since you already paid for the license. Never have I heard of anyone being able to do that.

Why would the developer need to provide you with a low-cost replacement disc if you broke yours? You might THINK that's a reasonable attitude, but there are no rules that require that, and no benefit to the developer to act that way; lots of replacement parts are super-expensive not because they cost the manufacturer a lot, but because the manufacturer wants to discourage the ordering of said parts.

I guess i don't see how the license agreement obligates the developer to act in a specific way vis-a-vis the actual medium.

(And with downloadable content, you DO see a free replacement if the physical media is damaged; both Xbox and Playstation allow a new download if you get a new console, bolstering the 'only-licensed' argument.)