Do We Still Own Our Digital Games, Films and Music? What Owners Can Do

[Molly28]

Several stories this month have touched on the same question from different angles. Ubisoft is shutting down Rainbow Six Mobile less than a year after launch, and anything players bought inside it will disappear with the game. Richard Garriott is reclaiming the rights to Ultima from EA, using a law that lets creators take back their work after 35 years. Meanwhile, plenty of people now buy games, films and music digitally without ever holding a disc. So what do we own when we pay for something digital, and what can owners do to protect their collections?

The honest starting point is that most digital purchases are licences, not ownership in the traditional sense. When you buy a game on a console store or a film from a streaming shop, you usually buy the right to access it under the platform's terms. Those terms can allow content to be removed if licensing deals end or services close. Most of the time this never affects anyone. But when it does, it can come as a shock to people who thought they owned what they paid for

There have been some well known examples. In late 2023, PlayStation told users that a large batch of Discovery TV content they had bought would be removed from their libraries because of licensing changes. After a public outcry, a new agreement was reached and the content stayed. Online games are particularly exposed, because they depend on servers that publishers eventually switch off. When Ubisoft shut down The Crew in 2024, players lost access to a game many had bought outright, which sparked the Stop Killing Games campaign

The encouraging news is that awareness has grown, and so has pressure for change. California passed a law in 2024 requiring digital stores to tell buyers clearly when they are purchasing a licence rather than owning a copy. The Stop Killing Games campaign gathered more than a million signatures for a European Citizens' Initiative calling for rules that keep purchased games playable after support ends. Regulators and lawmakers are starting to take the issue seriously

Some companies are leading by example. GOG sells games without digital rights management, so customers can download installers and keep them, and it has a programme to keep older games running on modern systems. Many indie developers release offline patches or server code when they end support for online games. Bandcamp lets music buyers download high quality files they can keep. These approaches show that digital purchases can come much closer to true ownership

Preservation groups also play an important role. Organisations such as the Video Game History Foundation work to save games, documents and history that might otherwise be lost. Libraries and archives are building collections of digital media. Retro remakes, like the new Atari 800XL that accepts original cartridges, help keep older games playable on modern televisions. The Ultima rights story is another hopeful example, showing that creators can sometimes bring abandoned work back to life

There are practical steps that owners can take too. Buying physical copies when they are available gives the strongest form of ownership, especially for games and films you care about most. For digital purchases, choosing stores that offer downloadable, DRM free files makes a big difference. Keeping local backups of music, ebooks and installers where licences allow protects against stores disappearing. It is also worth reading what a store says about its terms before buying something expensive

Live service games deserve special care. They often bring years of entertainment, and many players feel they get good value even if a game eventually closes. But spending large amounts on in game items carries more risk, because those items exist only as long as the servers do. A sensible approach is to spend what you would be happy to treat as entertainment rather than an investment. Publishers that announce closures well in advance and offer refunds or offline modes earn a lot of goodwill

I think the overall direction is positive. A few years ago, few people even knew their digital purchases were licences. Now there are laws, campaigns, better labelling and companies competing on ownership friendly policies. Creators are reclaiming their work, preservationists are saving history and players are making more informed choices. The digital world will never be quite like a shelf of physical media, but it is getting fairer

Film and television collectors face similar questions. Digital film stores are convenient, and many offer excellent quality, but titles can occasionally disappear when rights change. Physical Blu-ray and 4K discs remain popular with collectors for exactly that reason, and they often include extras that digital versions lack. Some services let you link discs to digital copies, which combines the best of both. Mixing formats according to how much a film matters to you is a sensible approach

Music is perhaps the best served of all. Many artists and labels sell DRM free downloads, and vinyl and CDs have enjoyed a remarkable revival. Streaming services offer enormous libraries for a monthly fee, while buying favourite albums supports artists more directly. Collectors have never had more choice. For many people, streaming for discovery and buying for keeps is a happy balance

Have you ever lost access to something you bought digitally? Do you still buy physical games, films or music, and why? And what single change would make digital ownership feel fairer to you?

Richard Garriott Is Officially Regaining Control Of The Ultima Serieswww.videogameschronicle.com