Michael P. O'Connor

People are all excited about subscription model for music/video/games. But they are over looking one major issue, and that is cost. Back when you got things physicaly you bought it once and you owned it, pay $15 for a CD and it yours permanently. Now you pay $12 something a month for a streaming services, and if you stop paying you loss access to the music. While if you bought the CD you have it and as long as you have electricity or battery power you can still play it with out a continue cost to access it.
Combine that with how every one wants to control the streaming space, at one time it might have been a good idea to get Netflix, but as the media companies saw them making money they pulled their IP to make their own streaming service, so while at one time you had content and you continued to play for it, you still losted it, buy a DVD and well you can still watch it they can not pull your licence to watch it. For that matter they can not change it ( I still have old VHS where Han Shoot first, find that on Disney+)
But as to the cost, it going to be a bigger it against your bank account. Lets assume everything is only $10 a month (yes I know things are more then $10, but lets lower it to 10 for easy math, and if I can prove it costs a lot at a lower price it will cost even more at higher price)
So now for streaming, you want music right? Which service? Google Music (now youtube music), Amazon, Spottily, Apple unlimited, which one, which devices will you listen on? Most people that I know that have bought into the subscription module, tend to have 2 (or more) one for their phone and one for other devices. So we are at $20 a month here.
Now what videos do you want what IP do you like, that will say will you get Netflix, CBS all access, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, etc. Most people probalby will want just 3 of those, Disney (for things like Disney for the kids, and Marvel etc, not accessible else where) Then there the “tried and true” Netflix, then a lot want Hulu so they can get yesterday’s TV shows, so we are now at $30 for the Video, add in the music from above, that $50 a month.
Now that companies want to do cloud (streaming) gaming, true there are only 5 companies looking into it now (Google – Stadis, Sony – PLay Station Now, MS – X Cloud, Amazon – Luna, and Facebook what every they will call it) Now lets say they are successful, how long till EA, Ubisoft and other Big game companies see it realize they could make more off a reoccurring cost then a one time sell and micro-transactions. But lets just stick with now, which exclusives do you want? that will say which server you will pay for but lets just assume 1 for now, that another $10, add to the $50 from above, so now you have a monthly cost $60 for your entertainment.
I am going to ignore things like kindle unlimited or other ebook subscription services, sadly not many Americans enjoy reading any more, which is a shame as there are many great books out there.
So now we have $60 a month or $720 a year (ignoring sale tax)
Oh and when a license for a IP goes away from a service, you loss access to that work, be it music, video, or game. Or if you fall on hard times (oh I don’t know how many people lost jobs due to the China Flu, and have to cancel said subscription services just to get by) When you cacncle your services, you loss access to those works. But if you had bought them physicaly, you can still put that CD in the CD player. That DVD/VHS/Blueray into the video player, or that game disc into your console (assuming it not an online game, but a single player story driven game) and still enjoy it (assuming you are still paying electric bill) No need to pay for the streaming services, heck your internet could go down, and you could still enjoy those works of media.
Then there the issue of preserving these works of art. There was once a Demo on the PS store called PT, it been wiped from the face of the earth. Even those that got a legal license can not even re download the Demo. Or all the games people bought digitally on the Wii Store, if their storage device goes bad or they have not downloaded the games before the now past deadline, they will not have access to the games. BUt remember they did not buy the game the only bought a temporary license to the game, and when the game store goes down, their temporary license expires.
The digital only and streaming only future is not one to be in braced but to be feared and avoided. I have not even gone over the problem of being unpersoned er I mean “deplatformed” for wrong think, er i mean not being woke enough.