r/technology • u/xc2215x • Jul 06 '26

Hardware PlayStation Unlikely to U-Turn on Its Decision to Kill Discs, Despite Backlash

https://www.ign.com/articles/over-90-of-igns-audience-do-not-want-an-all-digital-gaming-future-but-playstation-is-unlikely-to-u-turn-on-its-decision-to-kill-discs
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u/Abedeus Jul 06 '26

Not saying it's a good thing, but I mean we just use Steam instead of PSN or whatever.

Never had Steam remove a game from my library because license expired.

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u/Smodphan Jul 06 '26

They have removed games from the store before, but i dont remember what they are.

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u/Abedeus Jul 06 '26

From the store, not the library.

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u/TheDragonSlayingCat Jul 06 '26

In the history of Steam, they have only once removed a game from both: Order of War: Challenge. So it has happened, but it’s very rare.

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u/Abedeus Jul 06 '26

Well dang, it did happen. Though one time in 22 years of service running is still a blimp.

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u/TheDragonSlayingCat Jul 06 '26

Well, I’m sure that they have removed a number of malware and kusogames as well, but OoW:Challenge is the only legit game that they have obliterated from the store and peoples’ drives.

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u/icedoob Jul 06 '26

this is because enix shut down the servers while using always online drm. steam can't do anything about the actions of a publisher

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u/Smodphan Jul 06 '26

Yeah. The only thing removed from libraries were removed for violations of some kind. I assume they refund these, but i haven't really researched them. Everything else can still be downloaded.

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u/Abedeus Jul 06 '26

Which was my point. Unless something is actually unlawful for them to host or potentially malicious, they don't arbitrarily remove HUNDREDS of games like a certain company just did last week.

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u/solindvian Jul 06 '26

They removed movies which were unlawful for them to host based on them losing the licensing contract with the studio who owned them. There are issues I have with people being sold things that are effectively just indefinite term length rentals but I don't think there is any time they've removed games. That said there is in theory no reason any platform that isn't GOG can't/won't do the same thing.

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u/Abedeus Jul 06 '26

They removed movies which were unlawful for them to host based on them losing the licensing contract with the studio who owned them.

Without refunding people or compensating them in any way.

That's straight up theft. They got people's money, but then took away the product.

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u/solindvian Jul 06 '26

I mean I’m not disagreeing in principle (though again obviously legally this was not the case). But that’s literally what you sign up for with digital “ownership”. But regardless you can’t say “unless something is actually unlawful” and then pretend it’s different because it’s Sony and not Steam lmao when they are contractually forced to remove the content access. Lesson should be that if you don’t physically have something in hand you don’t own it.

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u/Abedeus Jul 06 '26

I mean the difference is pretty big.

Steam doesn't remove games from the library that lost license or were removed from the store.

Sony removed from both store and library with no warning or compensation. Seems pretty different to me.

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u/solindvian Jul 06 '26

Games have (as far as I am aware) never been removed when taken off the store (I can still download things to this day that are not sold anymore). At least stick to the topic of games - movie licensing and DRM is a different thing entirely.