It started with Netflix. Then Disney+, Hulu, Max, and 15 other platforms you can’t even remember. Add $80 video games, $30 battle passes, and online-only DRM, and suddenly your hobbies feel more like a second rent.
We were promised convenience. Instead, we got chaos—and consumers are done playing nice.
The Cost of Entertainment Has Gone Off the Rails
Streaming used to be simple. Netflix had it all for one price. But as studios pulled content into their own platforms, we now pay for 5+ services just to finish one show.
Meanwhile in gaming, the “standard” price of a title has ballooned to $70–$80, with microtransactions stacked on top. Ubisoft even charges extra just to play Assassin’s Creed 3 days early. Want full access? Pay double.
Across both industries, there’s a clear trend: you’re paying more and getting less.
You Don’t Own Anything Anymore
Remember buying DVDs? Or games on disc? Gone. Streaming and digital games only rent you access, and that access can be revoked at any time.
Netflix removes shows you’ve “paid” for. Ubisoft literally shut down The Crew—a full-priced game people could no longer play. A user spent hundreds customizing their car, only to log in one day and find it all deleted.
Whether it’s movies or games, your purchases now come with an expiration date.
Piracy Isn’t Just About “Free” — It’s About Control
When entertainment was affordable and owned, piracy dropped. Now, as companies raise prices and strip away ownership, piracy is coming back—not out of greed, but frustration.
Many feel justified:
- “If I don’t own what I bought, how is pirating stealing?”
- “Why should I pay $20 a month just to watch The Office?”
- “If I can’t play my game when I want, why not download it elsewhere?”
In some countries, like India or Brazil, game and streaming prices haven’t adjusted for income levels. An $80 game is a luxury item—piracy becomes the only realistic way to participate in global culture.
The Industry’s Response? More Restrictions
Instead of lowering prices or improving service, companies are doubling down. Streaming platforms are cracking down on password sharing and adding ads to paid plans. Game studios are pushing subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, where you never own anything—and lose access the moment you stop paying.
They’re also increasing “always online” requirements to make piracy harder and collect more data on players. But all that does is widen the gap between what consumers want and what companies offer.
A Better Way Forward?
It doesn’t have to be like this. Spotify and Apple Music made piracy nearly obsolete by offering a fair price and great access. Why can’t games and streaming do the same?
If companies want people to stop pirating, they need to give people a reason to stop—not just try to scare or lock them out. Because if they don’t, consumers will keep doing what they’ve always done when things get too greedy:
They’ll walk away.
Or worse—for corporations, at least—
they’ll start downloading again.
If buying isn’t owning, pirating isn’t stealing. Some of us never left the High Seas – we knew this day would come. Welcome aboard, new shipmates! -RetroMaticGamer