In the world of online gaming, the voices of players and developers echo one contentious discussion: the future of game ownership versus subscription model services. This debate continues after the founder of Baldur's Gate 3 developer Larian asserted, "You won’t find our games on a subscription service."
This statement made an impact on gaming enthusiasts as Ubisoft revealed its forecast hinting at a future where gamers would no longer own games. One user held no punches back saying, "Ubisoft can suck it", expressing dissatisfaction with the company's recent game development. The exception was Ubisoft Mainz's Anno 1800, flagged by another user as "absolutely great".
Many voiced their respect for Larian's business integrity, applauding their lack of a "greed motive". A surge of public love for Larian reverberated across the forum with users saying, "i love larian" and admiring how the company seemingly adheres to perspectives the player community appreciates.
However, the responsibility of game ownership in this digital age was questioned. Users debated whether they truly own games bought digitally, bringing up restrictions on resale, sharing, or physical destruction. In an era where much gaming content relies on a digital platform like Steam, a user contended, “We don’t own shit anymore so I don’t get it……"
The gaming audience was split on their course of action, should subscriptions become the only available model. One user explicitly stated, "If everything becomes a subscription, I stop gaming and find a new hobby." Others remained more pragmatic, vowing to wait until games reduced in price before purchasing.
Amid the debate, Ubisoft's forecasting was skeptically received, with a user sarcastically tagging them as the "modern Nostradamus of the games industry." On a somewhat ironic note, another user agreed with Ubisoft’s prediction, referring to their personal decade-long hiatus from buying Ubisoft games.