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EA Killing Rock Band for iPhone, Game Will Be Unplayable for Current Owners [Updated]
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This is what's wrong with complete control from the Cloud. Anything you have (game, movie, music, etc.) could vanish and stop working at the whim of the "owner" of the intelectual property. You are merely "renting" or "licensing" the product until they no longer want to allow it anymore. Physical copies may stop working over time due to damage or simply age, but not because someone decided to pull the plug on it.
Dark times ahead.
Dark times ahead.
Thanks EA for making it even easier for me to just say "NO" to your games. It's one thing to cut off support (e.g. no new features or updates), but to actually kill the servers and make the game unplayable is absurd. Never thought they'd stoop so low. And then to back peddle like this.... tsk tsk. I'll stick to indie games and Starcraft II, thank you very much.
I encourage you all to show your disdain for EA's actions by voting with your wallets. Stop buying EA software regardless of the platform (console, PC, Mac, iPhone, etc). As much as I loved the old Battlefield 1942 series and wanted to jump into Battlefield 3 to experience that gaming joy again I am absolutely against EA and simply refuse to reward them by handing my money over.
I only hope that others can see past the glitz of their upcoming cool looking titles and keep their wallets shut.
I only hope that others can see past the glitz of their upcoming cool looking titles and keep their wallets shut.
I doubt EA would have suddenly changed course based on negative user feedback -- they piss customers off ALL the time. I'm going to guess that Apple got involved. Either that, or it legitimately was a mistake that they sent the message out too early, but still plan to shut it down ____ time in the future.
I don't understand why so many people are upset about this. Ever since the DRM-market started they have been clear: purchased games can be taken offline. That's why I never buy games I can't physically put in my shelf, they are just long term rentals that one day will disappear or at least stop working.
Like others have said, just stop buying EA games - or games from other publishers that rip off their customers. It's not that hard. Even though I loved Mass Effect 1 & 2 I don't feel like I missed anything by not getting 3.
There are enough good games out there, some even drm-free. I recently discovered gog.com - that's how online software distribution should be.
There are enough good games out there, some even drm-free. I recently discovered gog.com - that's how online software distribution should be.
And those games on a shelf are just rented until they get lost, damaged, destroyed.
I love DD games. I've got around 30 PS3 games and 15 downloaded PSN games, but I find myself playing those smaller PSN games more! Stuff like Zen/Marvel Pinball, Wipeout, Stardust and the like. Lovely digestible games.
Here's another thought: why does it take so long for people to realize ALL bigger game companies are greedy? I mean.. EA isn't the only ones trying to rip us off, Sony does it, Nintendo, Ubisoft etc. It's business.
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I can't really agree with you here since this isn't the same thing. If I have bought a game then it's mine - if I'm not careful it will get lost or be damaged. But it's mine. If I buy a downloadable game, it's still theirs - I'm just allowed access to it for a "foreseeable future".
If the one I bought my physical copy of a game from one day broke in to my apartment and took the game away, then we're talking about the same thing again. A game in working order being taken away by the one who sold it.
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I can't really agree with you here since this isn't the same thing. If I have bought a game then it's mine - if I'm not careful it will get lost or be damaged. But it's mine. If I buy a downloadable game, it's still theirs - I'm just allowed access to it for a "foreseeable future".
If the one I bought my physical copy of a game from one day broke in to my apartment and took the game away, then we're talking about the same thing again. A game in working order being taken away by the one who sold it.
Someone needs to learn how to take care of his stuff ...
If you loose, damage or destroy something you bought it's your own fault. If a publisher shuts down a game you still want to play there isn't much you can do.
Could you explain how a CD is not digital? Ok, an LP isn't, but a CD is most certainly digital. So is a DVD.
I think EU consumer laws which protect you when a product is defective when it is sold should be enhanced to situations where a product is made defective at a later point in time. Only that it seems a bit unfair to then put the onus on the seller, who isn't responsible and who can't do anything about it.
They just might have received a message from Apple, that shutting down a game like that means Apple will refund the money to everyone who purchased it. And when you buy something for $10, the publisher gets $7 and Apple gets $3, but when Apple has to give a refund because of something the publisher did wrong, Apple can refund the whole $10 and take that money from the publisher. So the publisher would actually be out of pocket.
Someone needs to learn how to take care of his stuff ...
Oh I do take care of my stuff
But the point remains that there is one physical copy of my game that may or may not work on future systems because of emulation or license issues, that may or may not even have an optical or port to run the game from.
The only way to guarantee you'll be able to play your old games is by keeping the system you bought it for and hoping it doesn't break.
It's this reason why I recently bought a new PSP-3000 and why it'll remain boxed up until my current one dies. As all lasers/optical drives eventually do. Similarly my NES, SNES and Mega Drive don't work on my new TV.
IMO digital games last longer now. Digital distribution is the end goal, for better or worse.
What kind of TV is that? :O
I still can't see any logical point in this. DRM-based stealing is justifiable because... hardware from the 80's won't work on your TV?