To be a mindless consumer, is asking people to take advantage of you. If everyone just trusted their service providers to get on with it, they'd never improve. I don't think anyone can be super vigilant about what they consume 24/7, but they shouldn't also take things as they are, especially if there is a lack of competition.
These conveniences are free on open platforms. Microsoft and Sony's cut of every game sold should cover these costs for these features anyway.
I'm not saying people shouldn't be critical. I just mean that people can pay a fair amount and get the service that they are promised without worrying about anything.
You can also listen to music on YouTube and Soundcloud instead of paying for it. Same goes with Netflix. What you value and consider convenient for its price is not what everyone does in the same way.
Saying you like it for the convenience is fine. Saying you prefer it because of features every other service has is strange.
Well, with music on consoles I have a choice. For console multiplayer, I don't. If you can't compete without a monopoly then you are doing something wrong.
If these companies ever go under I'd expect someone to buy their catalog. So I doubt customers would lose everything. If they did there would probably be a lawsuit and laws would start to prevent stuff like that from happening.
It's part of their ecosystem. Just like Apple's App Store. Why would they offer another company the framework to make stuff for their own hardware if selling software is part of their business model? It's not subscription-based, but it is in the same vein as a monopoly and there are not a lot of people canceling their PS+ accounts because they can't buy games for cheaper in another marketplace.
Well we already know that happens, by the removal of many older titles on stores years later. It's not about going under, it's just about them not caring anymore. And as we move forward from here with backward compatibility, that will be more of an issue.
This.
I don't give a shit about a company's bottom line. I care about what is better for me the customer. Anyway, Windows, MacOS, and Linux etc.. do just fine by allowing more than one storefront. (and Android to a lesser extent allows it).
It amazes me and makes me completely understand why Sony followed MS. Consumers are just waaaaay too easy.
All right, sorry I didn't mean to put words into your mouth. But I believe console piracy is tricky to track, unlike PC. It's because people will still have to buy the console to pirate, and the manufacturer would give no shit about it. You also have to live in a 3rd world country to see the reality of it. Secondhand 5.0 firmware PS4s (or the already hacked ones) sell almost as much as a brand new one, it's highly valuable because if it's not piratable people won't buy one. Switch is also selling like hotcakes now after being piratable.
I thought Twitch Prime was an additional subscription to Amazon Prime?
