But as long as I keep working backups of my apps, they will always work on my hardware.
Don't get yourself stuck into services. That's the simple solution. I buy all my music so I don't have to depend on the internet to listen to it. I buy all my movies and TV shows for the same reason. I strip DRM off eBooks so I can use it in any reading app.
As for games, it's the same thing. Just keep the backups so you don't run into those issues. All the games I play don't get an update after a year or two.