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Comment by asciimov | Hacker News Reader

Just wait till next year when Adobe will go free 2 play on their big names like Photoshop.

Wanna open files from other people? Just get the $15/month "Fun with Friends" DLC.

Oh need to save a file, better grab the "Sharing is Caring" Extra content pack, it's a steal at $20 a month.

But wait, don't forget about your magic lasso, it's part of the "western costumes and accessorizes pack". Not only do you get your magic lasso but you get a fancy cowboy hat for your desktop icon, and some chaps for your menu bar, just to show off your western side. It's a real bargain at $44.95 a month! We'll even include some real life six-shooter sounds to make it feel even more authentic.

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All this rent seeking needs to die.

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Arguably, that model is already dying in favor of what Adobe already does: Maximum extraction from everyone who doesn't have price sensitivity and scraps for everyone else.

Magic The Gathering for is releasing a set with 60 random non-tournament legal cards for $1000, while thinning supply for their previously most popular product (Draft boosters) in favor of more "premium" products with eye-watering prices.

Overwatch 2 has moved on to charging $20+ for their skins and limits essentially all progression to a non-randomized Battlepass that requires you to turn the game into your second job to complete. In OW1, loot boxes were awarded regularly and contained enough currency that a few hours of play could get you any of the now $20 skins.

Mobile games figured out that the top 1% of consumers of entertainment media can pay for the bulk of it if you just ask for prices asinine enough. I guess we'll see if barring the other 99% from all optional content will lead to dives in player populations.

> All this rent seeking needs to die.

What, people charging money for software? How is that "rent seeking" and why does it need to die?

> What, people charging money for software? How is that "rent seeking" and why does it need to die?

There's a difference between buying and renting.

“Rent seeking” is a term of art that means a specific thing, it doesn’t just mean “whenever you offer to let people rent something”.

> “Rent seeking” is a term of art that means a specific thing

Right, and specifically in this context, it refers to the act of charging money from software in small continuing installments as opposed to charging money in one up-front installment (which might be called "buying").

In your earlier message you equated "rent-seeking" with "charging money for software". My point is that not all ways of charging money for software are rent-seeking.

Charging people a recurring subscription fee for a Color is "rent-seeking".

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