magnetichuman

Did you ever wonder why so many games have a seemingly unnecessary multiplayer/online component these days? If the server side code is an integral part of the game then it can be used as a form of DRM.

Expect specialist “open” hardware capable of installing any software/OS to become increasingly expensive, while increasingly locked-down, mass-produced consumer hardware remains at current price. You only need to look at TVs for an example of this - try finding a recent non-smart TV at a reasonable price as the cheap models are all subsidised by the revenue from pushing ads into your face.