This thread was spurred by some of the discussions going on in the PS+ thread where September's games includes one of THQ Nordic's games (Darksiders III) and how to approach the desire to not support THQ Nordic when you have no control over whose products are added to the various subscription services out there (PS+, PS Now, XBL Games with Gold, Xbox Game Pass, Humble Bundle Monthly, etc). Obviously, it's easy to avoid directly purchasing games published by THQ Nordic, 3D Realms, or any other companies you have issues with, but it seems more nebulous when it comes to subscription services and I wanted to see what people here had to say on the subject. Is it bad to grab that company's games when it's on PS+ or XBL Games with Gold or download and play them when they're offered on PS Now or Xbox Game Pass? I'm guessing there are different ways to draw the line when it comes to these services and how you view the way your money is used by those services. Or maybe the safest way to play any of the games is through second hand places like getting them used from places like GameStop or maybe even GameFly?
I don't know if I have to say this or not: If you're fine with directly supporting THQ Nordic or whoever else comes up in this thread, that's perfectly fine, but this thread isn't really for you.
I see a couple of approaches out there that seem like the most common that I'll try to explain and see how people are approaching their own boycotts.
Scorched Earth Approach
You don't buy any of their games for sure. When they're on PS+ or Games with Gold, you don't grab the games for fear that any part of your subscription fee goes to THQ Nordic or whoever. If they're on Game Pass or PS Now, you don't download or play any of them. I guess that you'd have to subscribe to any of those services on a monthly basis so you could just not renew when their games are featured for that month instead of buying the cheaper yearly subs.
Control What You Can Approach
You're a subscriber to any of these services and realize that your money goes into a general fund to pay for any of the games that are added and you have no control over any of it. If their games are on Game Pass or PS Now, you're fine with playing them since you did not directly pay for those games and Microsoft, Sony, etc had to pay for them out of their general fund with however those contracts are done. For PS+ and Games with Gold, you may or may not grab their game that's added since that general fund viewpoint still applies. I'd think this approach is more about avoiding directly paying THQ Nordic or whoever for their games and if that largely means you miss most of them, that's fine, but if they appear on any of the services you subscribe to then you haven't violated your boycott when that happens.
I think my thoughts are more in line with that second approach where I don't see that my usage of the subscription services to play THQ Nordic games as contradictory to my refusal to buy their games directly. Would it be better for that approach to not grab Darksiders III at all or only touch THQ Nordic games when they're on Game Pass or PS Now? Of course, if I want to get that granular with my desire to not directly support problematic games, I shouldn't bother with any of these services, but I do that with Netflix that also has its own questionable content issues. Some people in the PS+ thread had issues with that approach, so I wanted to see the way others here that want to avoid THQ Nordic games are approaching the ways that these subscription services are complicating simple boycotts.
I don't know if I have to say this or not: If you're fine with directly supporting THQ Nordic or whoever else comes up in this thread, that's perfectly fine, but this thread isn't really for you.
I see a couple of approaches out there that seem like the most common that I'll try to explain and see how people are approaching their own boycotts.
Scorched Earth Approach
You don't buy any of their games for sure. When they're on PS+ or Games with Gold, you don't grab the games for fear that any part of your subscription fee goes to THQ Nordic or whoever. If they're on Game Pass or PS Now, you don't download or play any of them. I guess that you'd have to subscribe to any of those services on a monthly basis so you could just not renew when their games are featured for that month instead of buying the cheaper yearly subs.
Control What You Can Approach
You're a subscriber to any of these services and realize that your money goes into a general fund to pay for any of the games that are added and you have no control over any of it. If their games are on Game Pass or PS Now, you're fine with playing them since you did not directly pay for those games and Microsoft, Sony, etc had to pay for them out of their general fund with however those contracts are done. For PS+ and Games with Gold, you may or may not grab their game that's added since that general fund viewpoint still applies. I'd think this approach is more about avoiding directly paying THQ Nordic or whoever for their games and if that largely means you miss most of them, that's fine, but if they appear on any of the services you subscribe to then you haven't violated your boycott when that happens.
I think my thoughts are more in line with that second approach where I don't see that my usage of the subscription services to play THQ Nordic games as contradictory to my refusal to buy their games directly. Would it be better for that approach to not grab Darksiders III at all or only touch THQ Nordic games when they're on Game Pass or PS Now? Of course, if I want to get that granular with my desire to not directly support problematic games, I shouldn't bother with any of these services, but I do that with Netflix that also has its own questionable content issues. Some people in the PS+ thread had issues with that approach, so I wanted to see the way others here that want to avoid THQ Nordic games are approaching the ways that these subscription services are complicating simple boycotts.
