Twice this week, I've wanted to play a game with some friends.  Diablo 3 and Minecraft, and in both cases, I couldn't because of server outages.


For years, when we wanted to watch tv, we were forced to do it on the network's schedule.  When they felt like  moving a good show from one weekday to another, we had to follow.  But with tivo and internet streaming and multiple sites to choose from, we can pretty much watch what we want, when we want after it has initially been distributed.


However, with games, we've gone completely backwards.  We've gone from playing games when we want, where we want, to only being allowed to play when the company lets us.  Now, obviously the companies have a vested interest in keeping their online only games available otherwise people won't pay for them.  But outages happen.  With increasingly more games requiring constant Internet access, (even taking our own internet connection out of the equation) if the company suffers some sort of server outage, we are no longer able to play. 


And what happens when the company decides that it is no longer cost effective to maintain a 5+ year old game and shutdowns the servers?  Our online only games are thus no longer purchased, but essentially rented until the company decides we shouldn't play anymore.


Just had to vent as with recent outages, companies are forcing us to be online only and they aren't holding up their end of the bargain.  It's getting pretty annoying. 

I hear ya man -- as exciting as it is to physically live through the evolution of gaming (starting with vague memories of Atari for me personally) -- its also unsettling to think how "bad" it could become going forward.  Only time will tell.

Gaben and the Valve crew seem to be the only company to effectively create a business model that's doesn't treat gamers like poop.

...and I hope that never changes! Plus it would be sweet if they count to 3 soon, or Half-Life 2: Episode 2; Chapter 2 -- doesn't matter either way :P