Well everyone is kind of getting all in a tizzy about service-based computing. Sony's PS3 was supposed to be all about that back a few years ago when they first started talking about the "magic" of Cell. I'm glad to see they came back to Earth when it came time to actually implement it. But I don't doubt that's still in their mind.
Let's stop for a moment and remember why this idea is popular, too. It's not because consumers want it. It's because companies do. MS would much rather bill you for every hour you spend using MS Windows or Office than let you pay once and never upgrade because you don't need their fancy new "ribbon" interface.
It's getting harder and harder for most application manufacturers to put compelling new technology and functions into their apps to encourage upgrade. Their profit models are fundamentally based on continuing software purchase, and more than that on continued *growth*, like all good companies in a capitalist system. So they need to increase their market and profit somehow. As the chance to do that through normal, non-forced application updates dwindles, companies are trying other things - service-based agreements where you license software for a certain period of time for example.
The next step is pure web-based, where no amount of cracking and hacking will get around it because the actual app is stored on their servers on their end. It's the ultimate form of DRM and software protection. Never "own" another copy of software or a song again for example, because all devices are connected wirelessly to the central media streaming service, so your portable music player is streaming it, your home stereo is streaming it, your laptop is streaming your Office app, etc. You never own anything physical so you can never copy it. Woo!
So it's no wonder companies are so enticed by this - it's the ultimate assurance of their long-term profit. Everything as a service. But as consumers we should be vehemently opposed to this. There is no good reason that - just because the technology enables it - we should simply accept companies moving everything to a service model. Imagine if cars, houses, everything were this way. Imagine if you had to continue paying $100/mo just to use your car, even after you "pay it off". Imagine if there were no house ownership, only rental. That's the ultimate extension of this.
I don't mean to sound conspiracy theorist mind you, I don't thnk that's where this is going. The point is to use an outrageous example to show how poor an idea this is even for software and music. So, fight the power!
- Oshyan
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So this could be similar. After all it is the gameplay dynamics that matter most. In a perhaps ironic proof of that the modern Flash technology is being used to enable all kinds of classic and extended classic gameplay dynamics, sometimes with upgraded graphics, but the gameplay is still the star. This resurgence of classic gaming in the mainstream shows it's still all about those simple, enjoyable gameplay mechanics.
