Endless Paradigm

No, I prefer everything local and hate this cloud movement.  I don't like having to have an internet connection for everything.
Already this is the case, with many things being gettable through repositories - sometimes there's an alternative, but often difficult to do or not maintained.

this could really threaten the pirates.

I think the pirates will always find a way around these things...
Arguably they "lose" more from used games sales (a legitimate practice involving money where they get nothing) than from piracy (where the pirate may not be willing to pay in the first place).