Why your digital games could vanish in a heartbeat

News that GOG.com has delisted 29 games this month is a sobering reminder that at any moment the games you own could vanish from your PC game libraries at any time and there’s not much you can do about it. Admittedly, GOG’s games include titles that many gamers may not have heard about. But history has shown that this happens to well-known titles too and on platforms with millions of users like Steam and Origin. So how is it that something you’ve legitimately bought can be whipped away in a heartbeat? Don’t we have consumer protection laws against that? Personally, I’d like to see protections in place to keep games from disappearing for purely licensing reasons if they still have legions of fans and are being played by many… How is it that my games can just vanish? The laws around your digital assets will differ depending on where in the world you live, but in most jurisdictions there are no clear laws stating that you unequivocally own and have the right to your digital games in perpetuity. In the U.S. the Federal Trade Commission outlines some of the reasons why this is the case. By far the main reason has to do with the terms of the agreement you make when you create an account on a gaming platform or when you click purchase. When you buy a game on a digital platform, you’re essentially just paying to access the content — in other words, you own a license but not the actual game. Accessing content is not the same as owning it. It means that... Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2024-09-26 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Other Publishing stories related to: 'Why your digital games could vanish in a heartbeat'


PA welcomes court ruling on Digital Economy Act

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 20/04/2011 - 12:11 The Publishers Association has said it is "delighted" by the High Court ruling in favour of the government in a legal challenge against the Digital Economy Act. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital's Nice, But Paper-Over-Board Offers Something Different

Forget digital versus print for a moment, and consider a cookbook's format. Think back to the last time you used a cookbook in the kitchen. Was the book covered in a dust jacket? A cumbersome, flappy dust jacket? If it wasn’t, was that because you had ripped it off? Or were you cooking from an... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Knot Stops Print Edition of The Nest; Converts to Digital-Only

The Knot, whose brands include TheNest.com and TheBump.com, is converting the print version of The Nest to digital. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fiction Express seeks interaction from readers for digital series

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Murray pics up Harkaway on digital

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Fri, 15/04/2011 - 11:33 Roland Philipps at John Murray has bought a book on digital written by the author Nick Harkaway, which argues that the new technologies will make us more human. Philipps bought British Commonwealth rights through Patrick Walsh... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Veteran John Squires Lands at Digital Bookstore [MediaMemo]

Longtime Time Inc. executive John Squires, last seen running the magazine industry's version of Hulu, has a new gig: He's at Akademos, a Connecticut-based company that runs digital bookstores for small and mid-sized colleges. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Agents Keeping Foreign Publishers on Digital Leash

As the London Book Fair goes through its annual run this week, American agents are trying to figure out the best way to sell digital rights to foreign publishers in markets that are far behind the U.S. in ebook sales. Even though many international publishers are just starting to dabble in... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time called on enhanced ebooks at LBF digital conference

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Sun, 10/04/2011 - 16:03 Enhanced ebooks are dead, discoverability is the most important issue facing ebook vendors, while pricing strategies should be measured against other digital content, not physical books. These were the key themes that emerged... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Quercus makes £1m from digital in three months

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 05/04/2011 - 15:22 Quercus has nearly matched the £1m digital revenue it made from ebooks last year in the first three months of 2011. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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20 Game-Changing Events That Shaped the Internet, Part 2

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[ PC World | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Braving the Digital Path

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Historian Weir's backlist to be published digitally

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Agents warn publishers over digital rates

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ladybird reshapes for digital market

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Long Form Journalism Enters the Digital Market

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Rebuck bullish on digital after "show-stopping" Xmas

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ABC Board Changes Advertising Requirement for Digital Magazines

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Winning Game: 2010 Hardcovers: Facts & Figures 2011

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HC buys Shan's digital backlist rights

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Mon, 21/03/2011 - 08:53 HarperCollins is to publish Darren Shan's backlist as ebooks, having concluded a deal with the Christopher Little Agency for the digital rights. Shan has been published in print by HarperCollins Children's Books for a decade... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Epicurious Wins ASME's General Excellence Digital Ellie Award

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[ Folio Magazine | 2011-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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