[mattl]

I think that's somewhat true if you buy certain games on Xbox, there's a Windows version available too.

But how do you handle tracking purchases across even Steam, whatever Windows gaming store Microsoft has, several generations of Xbox, several generations of PlayStation, a few different Nintendo consoles, Mac App Store, iOS/iPad OS App Store, GOG, Epic Game Store, itch.io, etc?

I support the idea but it seems like a very difficult thing to keep track of, and I suspect every one of those stores wants some money too.

[PurpleRamen]

Maintaining a database is not really black magic. Works in other areas also. The problem is to have the motivation doing this. And that's why this will never exist.

[samstave]

The hash should have your license number, which is a hash of the version and date and platform that you paid for - your platform access should just be based on the parsing of the hash - whenever you join a session, it includes some version of this hash attesting to the original purchase/platform and stating the allowable platforms to run on - When joining/launching a game, the session hash is checked?

Sounds simple - but hard.

[mattl]

Join a session of what exactly? If I buy Firewatch <http://www.firewatchgame.com> from Steam, how would you propose I download it and play it on my Nintendo Switch, my PlayStation and my Xbox?

[RedCardRef]

Games are technically F2P, but the in-app purchases and progress are synced across platforms by the publisher.

Something like fortnite, once you purchase the battlepass/skin on one platform they are linked to the account and available across all the other platforms the game is available on.

This model essentially poses big challenges with physical media and game preservation. Puts the user at the mercy of the publisher.

IIRC Ubisoft pulled the plug on "The Crew" which is online only at the moment and is scheduled for deprication March of this year!

With regards to physical media, I think the game can skip the licence check on the account itself for the base game if it was launched from a disc/cartridge.

[mattl]

Most games are not free to play.

[RedCardRef]

What I meant to say is that this is one of ways to do multiplatform ownership(in theory)!

[mattl]

I have to admit the free to play games irritate me. I generally don’t want to play online at all. If I do I want to play with my friends only and no random people.

[samstave]

I am referring to supressing using a single license on multiple platforms to multi player...

I should, within my own hom, play the game on any device.

I have 5 high-end machines/laptops, a ps5 xbox, ps4, tablets and phones...

If I own a license - I should be able to play from any of these.

If I join a multiplayer game that is OUTSIDE my LAN, then do a session ID check - and if two+ clients connect to game...

Make sense?