It's a sad reality. When I do my show, people can watch me on cable from Vancouver, Manitoba, from all over. I often hear that people can't access games anymore, because now they automatically need Internet access, which they don't have. Therefore, they can't play with their friends online because they don't have Internet access.
That's why developing a plan for countrywide Internet access should be a priority. Otherwise, these people without access are going to be missing out later on, because everything is going online. It's crazy! There are refrigerators that can be hooked up to the Internet now. It's really incredible.
There's another aspect to consider. Why do you have to confirm your identity every time you play online? The game designers could tell you the answer: piracy. Huge amounts of money are lost to unscrupulous thieves who take their products and distribute them free. Some even sell them in flea markets. This is why companies protect themselves by requiring the purchaser to identify him or herself to ensure that a genuine and legal copy is being sold.
It's a vicious circle. The company wants more people to play their game, but if they make it available to more people, some will exploit this and rob them of sales revenue. This revenue can be very fragile. When a small company of eight people launches their first game and 300,000 illegal copies are distributed, they're hit hard.