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