User blog comment:Lost Labyrinth/EA to go 100% digital. What does this mean for The Sims series and players?/@comment-91.191.145.233-20120818224455/@comment-67.171.95.214-20130325002141

If you are stupid enough to believe that hard copies of games hold back the industry, then you certainly DESERVE everything that's coming to you. Digital copies of a game are yours on LOAN only! EA and any other company can shut down those games at ANY TIME. That means you end up having paid for something that you no longer can use. It's like buying a brand new car, paying cash in advance for it, and having a grand time driving it around town. Then, all of a sudden, the car dealer says, "You know what? I've changed my mind. I don't like that style of vehicle any longer, and I'm pulling all of them off the street, and sending them to be recycled into toasters." " But, I paid cash for that car!" you protest. "It belongs to me!" "Wrong," the Dealer says. "Look at the contract you ssigned. It states VERY CLEARLY, that the car was licensed to you, as is, for you to use at your leasure. But, ownership of the vehicle belongs solely to us, and we reserve the right to recall it at any time!" So, away goes the tow truck, with the car you THOUGHT you had paid for, but actually had only leased it from the owner. You, and all the other people who likewise leased that model, were now without vehicle, and were realizing that you had spent a great deal of your hard earned money on nothing at all!

The next time you decide to buy one of those superior digital downloads you like so much, SIT THERE AND READ EA'S very lengthy and detailed contract. You will see that it states VERY CLEARLY that the game you want is NOT being sold to you. Rather, it is being LICENSED to you, AS IS, to use, but that license can be withdrawn, AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE! EA also informs you that they will be using tracking software to monitor your use of their game, to make sure that you don't share it with anyone. They DO NOT explain how this software actually works, and exactly how much of your personal information is being collected and transmitted back to EA. There also has been many instances where this tracking software actually caused critical, irreperable damage to people's computers. Something that EA NEVER, so much as apologized for, and certainly DID NOT offer to reemburse people for their now, useless computers. If this is what you consider to be "Holding Back The Game Industry", then I really hope that you find yourself in the same predicament as all those people who found themselves with fried computers because of EA's invasive software! If by refusing to line up to join the ranks of all the people that EA's software screwed, means that I'm holding back the industry, then buddy, I'm PROUD to do it!