Even as a non-subscriber, I agree. It's a clear dual-purpose maneuver of trying to retain and get new fish on the subscription hook. But looking at it and all the other wildly inconsistent ways they're marketing Choice to new people, it is hard to imagine this will keep going much longer before either another "big" change happens or they pull the plug on it entirely.

If only I didn't already have Overload. If only they didn't repeat Hellblade. If only the Messenger hadn't been offered for free on the Epic Store, then maybe I would have unpaused. Well, time to celebrate half-a-year of pausing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aST-5fzb1Iw

Hellblade doesn't show up in my selection. Guess it's again one of those "region restricted" things. I already had the game anyway, but still, it's a shitty move to choose games with such limitations

it is so bad, wonder why anybody still pays for it

Usually some people would be concerned to see a doctor about such things. :P

This is odd- my paused subscription normally reactivates itself as soon as the new bundle shows up, but it hasn't done so yet. I haven't had any emails about Choice either. I wonder if they're hoping I've forgotten about it until they can charge me.

If they're starting to see a loss from the service, I wouldn't be too surprised. Conversely I also wouldn't be that surprised if it's just some weird quirk with their system either. If it turns out to be the latter, it may be more widespread and they'll eventually realize it and say "recently we caught this, as a way of apologizing to users affected by it here's *offering of penance*".

I wish they published more DRM free games and at the very least games that are available elsewhere without DRM. Humble Bundle has gone to complete crap after IGN bought them out.

Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice-DRM

The Messenger- DRM

Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones- DRM

Not to mention of previous sales. Maybe they aren't actually tied to a client for playing but the degree of steam all over do put me off a bit.

I still wouldn't buy them on Humble over GOG but it would be nice if more stores atleast tried to go for less DRM when it's possible and just make files available after purchase much like an offline installer.

They honestly weren't better before the buyout either. I mean, years upon years ago when they first emerged and were the plucky outfit that helped populate a now saturated bundle scene, maybe. But long before IGN rang their doorbell they were sliding in quality. No one really wants to admit that, some refuse to even now because "but... CHARITY!" always comes into play.

Maybe not, the last time i bought anything there was fairly long ago and then they seemed better then with more drm free offers than they have now but i guess you are right and the downward spiral started before IGN acquired them.

Still i see no reason why someone wouldn't atleast try to ask for DRM free versions, asking doesn't hurt right ? but i assume most just see it as wasted time for working on something many doesn't even seem to think twice about.

oh so it is ign property, another reason not to use
always i read it used to be better but the 9 months i m checking out it is always lackluster what changed?

Nothing and don't expect it to get better under IGN either. HB has its use for some people to get a lot of games cheaply in their bundles but as long as they neglect drm free i'm not interested.

I imagine it's not dissimilar to what GOG experiences in regard to securing DRM-free builds.

Complacency eventually sets in and it becomes harder to seek out those options. Which is not to say, as you pointed out, the likelihood that some people may just not want to bother with the additional workload either. Some may see it as lazy, others not. Either way, it is a divestment of developer time to maintain separate builds and for the smaller teams out there it probably boils down to priority on what platforms are the most cost-effective to them in the long term picture.

Truth to be told, HB was attractive store five years ago. Now it's has hotness of 80 year old singer trying to charm wide audience in panties and bra.

New Choice shuffled out:

Age of Wonders: Planetfall Deluxe Edition
Void Bastards (finally)
Railway Empire
Battlestar Galactica Deadlock Season 1
Yuppie Psycho
Beat Hazard 2
Sigma Theory: Global Cold War
Metal Unit
Don't Escape: 4 Days to Survive
Verlet Swing
Basingstoke
Earthlock

DRM-free extras:
Grotto
Popup Dungeon sneak peek

Bonus if you didn't pause/kept your subscription active:
Boundless

In addition, they're continuing on with the "don't pause" incentive for the next month with another mystery game to be unveiled with August's choices. I'm guessing it won't be anything reality altering based on this one and the one before it.