[PostOnce]

Offline meaning single player, streaming not withstanding, that's a lot of crap to go through (managing and maintaining many accounts and clients) to boot into a game that you're going to play by yourself (not multiplayer), and a lot of points of failure between you and your small amount of recreation time after work.

[restingrobot]

You already have to do this to play any AAA title? I really don't see the issue?

[PostOnce]

The issue is that it doesn't have to be that way, didn't used to be that way, and isn't that way for pirates.

Just because it's the state of affairs doesn't mean it's acceptable.

Consoles are arguably a better experience in several regards, and I want the PC to be as enjoyable, considering PCs cost more; e.g. you can play Diablo 3 without an internet connection on PlayStation, but not on PC.

You can play some random AAA game on a console without having to put in a key or maintain an account or a third party client (or multiple third party clients!), where on PC you have to do those things.

You can sell a console game or give it to your friend when you finish playing it, but on PC it's "already activated".

Google is going to take all the above and make it worse, so they can get their % of the sale too.

Just because some company wants us to do something or behave some way doesn't make us obligated to do so.

[drivebycomment]

You're perfectly entitled to your own opinion of why you think it's terrible and why it will fail and is useless, etc (and I would agree with some of your points). But I just don't understand:

> Just because some company wants us to do something or behave some way doesn't make us obligated to do so.

Don't use it if you don't like it ? Google launching something doesn't mean you're "obligated" in any way, so I don't know what you're trying to say with that sentence.

[PostOnce]

You can opt out in the beginning, but later it becomes a monopoly.

You can't even buy a game on a DVD anymore without it requiring Steam to install, activate, and play.

So, in theory, if they succeed, it won't be optional anymore.

"Oh then you can just stop playing games!" ... yes, but I would prefer not to. I would prefer a fair exchange of money for an unencumbered product.

Hopefully, if I speak out now about the potential and likely dangers of such a service, then I may hinder its adoption and prevent the further decline of an art form that I hold very dear.

[wild_preference]

Then support gog.com and accept that you won’t have access to all games, but you’ll own the games you buy.

[ReverseCold]

I know this is the exception and not the rule, but cdpr games are DRM free on GoG.