It's definitely a game in the modern sense. If you want games in the traditional sense, your choices are pretty much GOG and physical copies. And even those aren't a guarantee, with things like...

"Physical copies" that are really just download codes or a DRM key on a disc
Day one patches
Patches that make the game drastically different than it was on launch, particularly when the game was drastically different (aka. shittier) on its unpatched launch
Games that require proprietary servers to run the game properly, and won't be kept alive after a certain date because they won't release the required code for fans to run their own servers

For a lot of gamers, "licenses to games" or any of the above cases make up the majority of the games they play. Yet we still call them gamers, we still call them games, and we still call it gaming.

[–] Mojojojo1993@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Again I don't disagree. I think untill gamers or consumers lobby the industry, we will keep getting shafted. None of those things listed help the consumer. Maybe patches and new updates but not if it doesn't ship with a completely unbroken game

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Tell me you don't understand business terms like "license" without telling me you don't understand business terms like "license."

Also:

Valve has made clear that if they ever go out of business, they will transfer a copy of each game you have a license for to you (providing they still have distribution rights).
This isn't even a problem with GOG because they still distribute games in the old way where you can download a standalone installer and keep that copy of the game in perpetuity.
Epic has no such plans or guarantees.

Make of that what you will.