From another site:
There is speculation in the PlayStation homebrew community that the change was a way for Sony to sneak in code that will hamper modders. An online check-in is a common tactic against modded hardware, as it prevents illegally downloaded games from being played on the console unless it connects to the internet, which then begins the process of downloading and installing the latest firmware.
Inconveniencing everyone because of a sale you never had. Brilliant.
For digital purchases? I don’t remember having that on my ps3 and 4 days for games that was purchased but then again it’s been literally a decade since I’ve used one.
The free PS+ games sure, you had to have a connection but for games you outright bought, as long as it was on installed your machine it was playable with or without a internet connection. That’s what I remember at least but then again, it’s been a very long time since I’ve used any console.
Idk about playstation, but that’s how xboxs work. Of course the fact that a lot of people swap primary accounts in order to share their library means you need a connection anyways.