I guess something analogous to how people played games before game consoles existed or became mainstream, y'know like arcades?
What does this have to do with the argument of subscription vs. purchase for games? In both cases you still need restraint, and you needed restraint when renting from Blockbuster etc. back in the day too. The only thing different here is paying $60 for one outright purchase of a single game or a $10 monthly fee for potentially multiple games you might hop back and forth on in a span of time.
So? Millions of people used to go down to the pub or arcade to spend quarters playing their games there, too. Often times really good players could beat those games for less than the cost of buying the (usually inferior) console version outright. Also you're underestimating how popular game renting was, even during SNES/Genesis days. Devs even made their games harder in instances specifically to make it harder for players to beat them during a 3-day/5-day rental period, especially in places like America.
Not against you, but your mentality/POV on this topic. Two different things. You can adjust your thought process on this as that's your own choice. But I apologize if you took it as language directly towards you aside from that.
Well, I don't want to see mega-corporations like Microsoft, Sony, Tencent, Embracer Group etc. buying up developers and publishers, but that doesn't change the reality of what's happening. My personal feelings mean nothing in the grand scheme of this, and as long as options aren't being taken away from the customer or your financial/privacy etc. data being violated because of a subscription/streaming service, the games industry taking up a more subscription/streaming-friendly model option shouldn't be upsetting you.
It's not like these companies will stop if you're upset, anyway.
Then the market will course-correct naturally. Some of the services will go away, others will merge into a single, larger offering. It's happened with cable TV, with music streaming, with film/television streaming...it'll eventually happen with game subscription/streaming too.
We're already seeing that in a way with EA Play now essentially a part of GamePass Ultimate, for example.
Well, you're not really "buying" those games, you're buying a license to use them but whatever.
I wouldn't even say I'm necessarily "happy", but I'm content and willing to accept the path things take. I'd love for arcades to be a major part of the industry again for example, but I can accept the reality they aren't anymore. I don't cheer on for things I don't want (like acquisitions), but I'm not gonna go kicking and screaming if something goes down that way, either.
I try keeping my outlook on the industry, generally optimistic. Helps with making gaming that much more fun tbh