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I didn't even know OnLive was disappearing until I heard it on OLR (same with PlayStation Home). The reality is that when we purchase something digitally, we have to be OK with the fact that it won't be around forever. The closest thing we have to actually being able to keep our purchases is the system used on Xbox 360 and PS3, where if a game or DLC purchase is registered to a console, you don't need to be online to be able to play it. If we're ever alerted to the closing of the distribution network, we can protect ourselves by placing copies of the content on multiple hard drives before the network shuts down. But even then, there's no guarantee that these will last for as long as we might want them to.
I truly believe that Microsoft and Sony will have to tread lightly in their decisions to shut down these popular distribution networks, because if they do so too early, consumers will likely feel burned, which may affect their digital purchase decisions in the future. I honestly believe that at the least, Microsoft will keep the 360's marketplace open for several years to come, but only time will tell.
However, regardless of what they do, certain facts will not change:
- no digital marketplace will last forever, and you stand to lose your purchases when it's shut down.
- you will probably never be able to transfer purchases from one digital marketplace to another. Don't buy a digital movie through your cable company if you're thinking about cutting the cord!
- no game that stores your progress server-side, or that relies on a server, will last forever, and you WILL lose your character(s) and all other data when the game shuts down. This goes for many current games, not just MMOs but also many popular mobile games. Remember that before you spend real money on virtual currency!
- all multiplayer-only games, and multiplayer modes in other games, will either shut down eventually or simply become so unpopulated as to be virtually unplayable. When you buy these games, remember that you are buying a temporary experience, and enjoy it while you can.
It is virtually impossible to say "I'm not buying any digital games" at present because there are so many digital-exclusive games that are definitely worth playing. What are everyone else's thoughts on the current myriad of digital marketplaces?
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