The Evolution of Video Game Ownership

Cover image by jeshoots via Unsplash

Video games have evolved dramatically throughout the years, including how we buy and keep them.

Back then, it was simply buying a cartridge and going home to enjoy it. Now, from subscription services to cloud gaming and DRM, "ownership" in gaming has become far more complex.

For better and for worse.

From Cartridges to Discs: The Golden Age of Physical Games

In gaming's early days, when you bought a game, it was on a cartridge or disc. It was yours to bring home and enjoy. Forever. No ifs, ands, or buts.

Plug it into your Atari 2600, Super Nintendo, or PlayStation, and you're good to go. The cartridge or disc was the game. No DRM, no downloads, no server checks or anything fancy.

Did your console work? Yes? Good, that's all you needed. And you could even lend the disc to a friend, trade it, or even resell it years later.

A big drawback, however, was that there were no updates whatsoever. No patches or quick fixes, or additional content.

Bugs, balance issues, and localization errors—these would be in the game forever, and as a player, you had to live with them.

But this had its charm too. Players could exploit these quirks for fun or stumble upon glitches that became part of the game's identity.

And the fact that they couldn't update games put pressure on devs to get it right (or as right as they could) the first time. A far cry from today's releases that can often feel half-baked.

The Digital Turn

Then the internet came and changed all of society, including the gaming world.

With online platforms like Steam, PlayStation Network, and Xbox Live, downloads rapidly replaced discs, and permanence gave way to convenience. You didn't have to line up at the nearest GameStop anymore—just click, buy, and play within minutes.

In fact, in 2024, 76% of all PlayStation game sales were digital. This digitization and online-ification of games, even single-player ones, had a lot of advantages.

Devs could patch the game with bug fixes and additional content. This also allowed players to play together from anywhere and enjoy online a whole host of innovative new social features.

But there are downsides to this, too. As mentioned, many games come out today with tons of bugs. Since devs can just patch games, they can grow complacent and put out games in unfinished states.

And while one could say the internet has made games more social, has it really? When was the last time you had gaming sessions with your buddies in person?

Subscriptions and Streaming

Soon, however, you might not even own games at all. As more and more platforms and game makers turn to subscription models, paying them might not even grant you an acquisition—only access to a rotating selection of games.

It reflects the shift in broader media: we no longer "own" our music or movies. We stream them on Spotify or Netflix instead.

On one hand, this somewhat makes sense, especially for single-player, story-driven games. If you've already finished a game, there's little to no point in playing it again.

On the whole, subscriptions are also actually cheaper and faster. And they often open doors to games you might never have tried otherwise. Sometimes, that can lead you to a new favorite.

Then again, what if you haven't finished a game by the time it gets rotated out? While your saves and progress are saved, you'll have to wait until the game gets rotated in again. That or buy the game separately, effectively making you pay twice.

Another downside is that, like many of these subscription-based services for movies and music, a lot of content can be region-locked. This results in players feeling the need to circumvent these restrictions with tools like a VPN.

The Fragility of Digital Ownership and DRM

With DRM, however, even games you download and install—games you own—aren't completely safe.

Digital Rights Management systems are designed to prevent piracy, but they also tie your access to online verification and corporate servers.

If those servers go offline, or if a publisher ends support, legitimate players can lose the ability to launch their games altogether.

Examples: Assassin's Creed II and Spore. Both became temporarily unplayable when DRM servers were retired.

It's a reminder that in the digital era, ownership often depends less on possession and more on permission.

The Pushback

Not everyone is happy with how things are now, to put it mildly. Many gamers—especially disc collectors or those who grew up with physical media—resent losing ownership.

After all, when companies can technically revoke access to something you paid for, how can you trust them completely?

In fact, when Ubisoft executives said in early 2024 that gamers had to "get comfortable with not owning their games," they faced immense backlash on social media sites and forums like Reddit.

As a result, gamers are not only adapting, they're resisting. Amidst price hikes, regional restrictions, and platform access, they call for boycotts and prioritize indie devs who offer true ownership of their games.

In the end, the story of video game ownership mirrors the evolution of the medium itself—faster, bigger, and more connected, yes. But also more fragile.

Whether that future feels liberating or limiting depends on what you, as a gamer, value more.