The recent trend of tethering physical single-player releases to online downloads

Hi,

First of all, I have EXTREME respect for what SKG is achieving. Thank you! The fact that you've got the EU's ear is an astonishing achievement in its own right.

The AAA publishers will of course attempt to do all they can to slander anyone who threatens their toxic business models, but I urge everyone involved - you have the full backing of anyone who remotely cares about gaming and isn't a slave to the industry's toxic whims.

A question though - I've noticed there's been a heavy focus on "live service" games: the likes of The Crew, Anthem, etc.

However, I feel that one of the more insidious trends of recent years is the tying of physical releases to otherwise completely offline games - to a mandatory download in order to eliminate the value of the physical release and railroad people into making anticonsumer digital pseudo-purchases.

This affects the following games as examples on PS5:

• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Starfield
• The Outer Limits 2
• Gothic Remake*
• Doom: The Dark Ages
• 007: First Light
• Assassin's Creed Shadows
• Hogwarts Legacy
• Star Wars Outlaws
• Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
• Anno 117
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

(One curious case was Gears of War Reloaded, where Microsoft seemingly accidentally pressed the full single-player campaign, playable offline, onto the disc!)

Also preannounced as violating the same principles:

• Rayman Legends Retold
• Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced

This of course doesn't even begin to cover the mass consumer and environmental violation that is the Switch 2's atrocious Game Key Card system, which has made the Switch 2 a complete write-off for anyone who cares about gaming.

Have you brought this trend before the EU as a blatant violation of consumer rights and environmental law, since these physical products are designed for artificial obsolescence? Because this practice must be banned.

^(* Just a note on Gothic Remake: Given that THQ Nordic was otherwise so dependable with their physicals until now, I wrote to them with a strongly worded but still incredibly professional and polite criticism in the hope that they would at least commit to a later proper physical release, which they refused to answer. The contempt and disrespect with which the industry treats its customers nowadays is shocking.)