Games are basically: 1) A game engine (code, that usually runs on end-user's device). This can be preserved / run / reverse engineered / re-written / bugfixed

Games are basically: 1) A game engine (code, that usually runs on end-user's device). This can be preserved / run / reverse engineered / re-written / bugfixed etc for all eternity as long as anyone cares. On original hardware or emulators. 2) Data: maps, graphics, sounds, etc. Same as 1) but (mostly) platform independent. 3) Online services like game servers that connect players online, maintain the state of a shared 'world', player stats etc. Games of old don't have 3), so that's just a matter of preserving code & data. Later games have 3) without depending on it. Bonus points if 3) can be provided by 3rd party like players hosting their own game server. For such games, "purchase" means exactly that (or at least it should). Some % of recent games depend on 3) to the point that game becomes worthless if vendor pulls the plug. With no option to have 3rd party run a game server. Such games are better regarded as "online service", and lend themselves more to a subscription model imho. With the understanding that service (and thus, the game) will disappear at some point. Developing a game can cost serious $$. But running server(s)? Easily covered as long as there's a paying userbase. So it's beyond me why a vendor would pull the plug as long as paying userbase exists.