California’s Latest Law Spells Doomsday For Games Like Alan Wake 2 And More

Alan Wake 2 was a massive triumph from Remedy Entertainment; however, it is not selling as fast as the studio had hoped. Chief among the reasons why the Alan Wake sequel was making slow progress in turning a profit was the decision to go all digital without giving the gaming community the option to purchase a physical copy.

Times are changing and game developers would prefer to sell games digitally for a much more convenient transaction; however, in light of the growing trend of digital products, it is important to safeguard consumers from where they purchase these items.

Most consumers have fully transitioned into the digital market and not everyone is well informed about the transactions made. Some consumers assume once they pay for a product it is theirs to keep when it is not the case, and the latest law in California means to combat this misinformation and protect consumer rights.

Games Like Alan Wake 2 Will Dissuade the Gaming Community From Buying From Digital Storefronts

The gaming community was pleased to see Remedy Entertainment take full control of its first-party IPs like Control and Alan Wake, and this is a massive step forward for the gaming company that can now freely work on whatever project they wish. While Epic Games funded the development of the Alan Wake sequel, the game was distributed to various platforms digitally, and collectors of physical media had no choice but to bite the bullet and purchase the only version of the game.

Amidst the massive demand for a sequel, Alan Wake 2 is struggling to take home major profits. Some people would suggest the decision to release the game digitally with a much more affordable price tag than most modern triple-A games with a physical copy. However, the latest law signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom will affect future sales of all upcoming digital products without physical media. Digital storefronts like the PlayStation Store will no longer be able to use the terms “buy” or “purchase” unless it is explicitly stated that consumers can freely use a product they bought without restrictions.

Digital storefronts will then inform consumers that they are purchasing a license to own a product rather than telling them they bought it outright. Licenses have an expiration date and can be revoked, and not everyone is aware of that, which is often why digital purchases disappear from libraries. It is best to be informed before making any transactions to avoid regrets in the future.

The convenience of a license to own a digital product does not hold the candle to owning it outright. Some people refuse to abandon the idea of buying games physically and prefer to keep buying physical media for reasons like this. Some servers can be shut down and consumers will have no way to access their library of digital purchases.

Alan Wake 2 Is a Cautionary Tale of What Happens When a Game Developer Goes Fully Digital

Theoretically, players could lose access to all of their video games and other purchased items if digital storefronts were to shut down abruptly. Purchasing a license to own a digital product will not last forever compared to buying a disc version of the game. Other storefronts, like the PlayStation Store, claim that as long as the account remains active, the license will never expire, but not all storefronts share the same ideology.

Consumers need to be informed and make wise purchases instead of throwing away their hard-earned money for what they think is to own a game, while in reality, they are on borrowed time. This new law could help prevent consumers from making the wrong decision, especially with the game industry going on full steam in this direction of the digital age.

Remedy Entertainment should have considered burning Alan Wake 2 to physical media in the event of digital storefronts closing or the sudden revocation of licenses. Perhaps this could have benefitted the developers and helped make the game more profitable.

The gaming community will likely be on the fence once this law is passed and consumers will weigh their options more carefully in the next few years of gamng. It is high time for players to be more responsible for their purchases and for digital storefronts to be more transparent in every transaction.

Would you still consider buying the license to own digital games like Alan Wake 2 rather than buying a physical copy upfront? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!