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Sony's decision to stop releasing games on discs continues to provoke heated debate. This time players' attention has been drawn to a clause in the European PlayStation Network terms and conditions. It states that an inactive account may be closed after three years. Along with it, the user may lose access to all digitally purchased games. Although it is unclear how often Sony exercises this right, the clause itself has sparked much controversy.
Three years without logging in could mean losing your game library
Under PlayStation's European terms, a user account can be closed after 36 months of complete inactivity. Before deleting the account, Sony is required to send an email and give the user six months to log in again or contact the company. If the account owner does not respond, the account may be permanently closed. This also means losing access to all digitally purchased games and other products linked to the account. The terms explicitly state that such a decision is irreversible. There is no clear information on whether Sony actually applies this procedure in practice. Nevertheless, every PlayStation Store user accepted these terms when creating their account. The issue gained attention after the announcement that physical game releases will end from 2028. For many players, it's another argument in favour of keeping physical media. The matter has reignited the debate over whether buying a digital game constitutes actual ownership.
Microsoft applies similar rules, but with an important difference
Similar provisions regarding inactive accounts also appear in Microsoft's terms of service. However, the company states that it does not delete accounts containing digital purchases, including Xbox games, due to inactivity. It is this difference that has brought Sony's policy greater criticism. It is also worth emphasising that the clause on deleting accounts is not related to the EU's GDPR. It has been in PlayStation's terms for many years and was gradually extended from 18 to the current 36 months. The debate about ownership of digital games will likely intensify as the industry moves away from physical media. More and more players are drawing attention to the limitations arising from the licensed nature of digital purchases. It is possible that in the future the issue will lead to changes in consumer-protection laws. For now, however, the existing terms remain unchanged.
The European PlayStation terms of service allow Sony to close an inactive account after three years, which could mean losing access to all digitally purchased games. Although it is unclear how often the company exercises this right, the provision has once again sparked debate about ownership of digital products.
source: flatpanelshd
