The all-digital Xbox raises questions about what it means to own a video game, and what happens when a game goes offline for good
"Marvel Heroes Omega" shut down with just six weeks notice, and some players lost hundreds of dollars worth of purchased content.
Even as a demo, some consider "P.T." one of the best horror games ever made. It was available digitally for less than a year before Konami pulled access to the download completely.
"P.T," was a critically-acclaimed game designed by "Metal Gear Solid" creator Hideo Kojima. The game was meant to be a demo for "Silent Hills," a popular horror franchise.
"P.T." was available on the PlayStation Network for free from August 2014 to April 2015, but when "Silent Hills" was canceled, the demo was pulled from the store.
Years later, fans are still trying to recreate the demo from scratch.
"Scott Pilgrim" is a cult classic beat-'em-up game, but it can no longer be purchased at all.
"Scott Pilgrim vs. The World" was a tie-in to the movie released in 2010, but was an impressive game in its own right. The side-scrolling beat-'em-up was an homage to classic games like "River City Ransom," but also had original music and art inspired by the "Scott Pilgrim" comic series.
Sadly, the game never got a physical release and is no longer available for purchase, meaning that anyone who hasn't already played the game won't ever be able to play it.
The digital re-release of "Marvel vs. Capcom 2" has been pulled from stores, meaning fans have to go find the original disc to play.
"Marvel vs. Capcom 2," a classic fighting game released in 2000, saw a digital release in 2009. "MvC2" has a long legacy as an esports title, and hard copies of the game were becoming increasingly rare when the digital version was announced, so fans were overjoyed at the chance to buy the game for modern consoles with high-definition graphics.
However, Capcom's licensing deal with Marvel fell through in 2013, and all digital sales of "Marvel vs. Capcom 2" were halted after four years.
People who purchased the game before the game was pulled can still download and play it, but players who want to try this cult classic will have to track down the original disc for the PlayStation 2, Dreamcast, or original Xbox.
Digital content has mostly been dependable, but we shouldn't ignore the ownership questions.
Even as I critique the way that ownership of digital video games is handled, I have to admit that I own more than 200 digital games on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox and Nintendo consoles. The main factor behind my purchases is convenience, and for now I trust that my games will be available when I want them.
But in some ways, embracing the all-digital Xbox means trusting Microsoft and other games to preserve video game history, too.
When it comes to games that I truly value and expect to play for years, I will buy a physical copy just in case something goes awry. That way, even if the game get pulled offline, or I lose access to my account, I'll always have a way to play my favorites.
For me, the sense of security that comes with being able to grab my favorite game and play it right away is far more important than saving $50 on a console.
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