>>713468373
In the short term no. Nothing would seemingly change. But corporations think 6, 12, 24 months ahead. They are already making predictions, forecasts, and setting goals. And if the ambient today is shaping forecasts to be depressed, they will have to make adjustments that will cause consumer markets (you and me) to adjust accordingly. That's it - that's how it goes.
As for live service? I never liked them, I never supported online features unless they are on PC, but I think online gaming features were always the bane of an otherwise healthy industry.
When you introduce networking capabilities in video game software, I say, package the server software always and if you can't, then offer some LAN solution that ties hardware and software (top-box console cases) or screen share (Goldeneye as an example).
> middleware licensing etc
That is one of many solutions they can do but, again, the point is that if there is a potential forecasted loss at some point on their end, they will make the decision at some point to quit or focus on another business that can provide the same revenue as before or mulitply revenue sources to make up former single source at the former rates.
As for EULA/ToS - legally it has always been the case that if you (at least in U.S.) you don't own the software you buy because you bought only the license to operate it but you don't actually, legally, own it. You own it, sure, practically you have it and the EULA/ToS can be argued to not be enforceable - also true - but I have to tell you that the be biggest reason that online and online multiplayer was sold in the past was to assert a normalization to then have the total control of their software that they couldn't enforce in the past.
