Tag
PlayStation's announcement to stop producing disks by 2028 sparks discussion about ownership in digital games. The article argues that the shift is about killing the ability to trade and preserve games, not just media format.
A discussion on Hacker News questions whether people realize that disc media degrades over time, and argues for consumer protection and gentle pressure for open-sourcing games at end-of-life.
The article argues that the 'Stop Killing Games' movement correctly addresses the problem of games being rendered unplayable after server shutdowns, but misidentifies the root cause as proprietary software which inherently denies users control, advocating for free software principles instead.
The California State Assembly passed the 'Protect Our Games Act' (AB 1921), requiring digital game publishers to maintain game playability after service termination, advancing the 'Stop Killing Games' movement.
Third-party OmniDrive firmware enables modern Blu-ray drives with the MediaTek MT1959 chipset to rip game discs from GameCube, Wii, Xbox 360, and other retro consoles to PC, simplifying game preservation and emulation.
California's Protect Our Games Act advances, requiring game publishers to either patch online games or offer refunds when they shut down, aiming to protect consumer purchases and preserve access to live-service games.