> Do we not have a right anymore over what we pay when it comes to copies of games?

You have the rights you get when you agree to the terms of service. The alternative is taking your money elsewhere or not getting the thing, because it's more profitable for game distributors to operate this way.

The only way to change it is for gamers at large to refuse to participate in the system, which the majority don't really care about.

Do I care about it? Nope. Do I know people who do? Sure. I know a guy whose hobby includes collecting old hardware, like pentium 2 hardware, for the truly authentic retro gaming experience. I know others who run vms or make patches for old games to work on modern systems.

You're not gonna stop the machine, may as well get on the one that offers/creates solutions, even if you have to run it.