EA Retiring Tetris Apps for iOS in April 2020

[trainwrecka]

People had to pay for this app so they should be getting refunds. Why did Tetris need an always online connection anyway? That’s the kind of game you’d want to play when you’re not connected to the internet. They should just be disabling needing to be online so people can still use the app, this is poor form.

EA has to do work to make sure the app functions on newer devices. The game came out how long ago? This is the business model now. If you don't like it, submit feedback to Apple and tell them you want cartridges made for each version of iPhone going forward. That is the only way you get to "own" your games.

 

[Juicy Box]

You're confusing "digital" and "physical" with DRM and DRM-free. Those are quite different concepts. There's nothing preventing digital from being DRM-free, and indeed that's what stores like GOG are for. The games you buy there can't be taken away from you. Personally I haven't bought on Steam in over a year. The most annoying thing is Feral won't agree to have their Mac ports on GOG in those cases where the Windows version is (e.g. XCOM).

--Eric

Not sure if this was posted in response to my posts as there is not any post quoted, but I personally think that DRM-free digital games are a good thing when it comes to the longevity of it.

That would be something I could get behind.

Maybe I should have specified digital media with DRM, but I didn't think it was necessary, because I doubt that there are too many DRM-free iOS games out there, and that was what this MR article was about.

 

[W.O.P.R.]

I doubt that there are too many DRM-free iOS games out there, and that was what this MR article was about.

With the only official channel being the Apple Store and the Apple Store having the ability to remove the game from your device, or overwriting it with a non-functional/cripled version, at any time there is no DRM free anything on an iPhone, including your personal content.

 

[adamcz]

Goes to show you that you can't actually buy anything on the app store, only rent.

Similarly, I see people on social media claiming that they still buy music online instead of only renting from Spotify. They might be wrong in the end too.

 

[JCCL]

It sucks, I understand not being able to sell it to new customers, but taking it away from customer who already paid for it?

That's why some people never buy into purchasing digital contents (including movies, music, console & PC Games) and perfect physical.....as the publisher or license issuer can revoke it at any time!

 

[FaustsHausUK]

The rights to the Tetris brand have bounced around all over the place - the wiki is a fun read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetris

 

[ZZ Bottom]

So much ********. Why do they have to completely delete the games when they don't need an internet connection to play them. Tetris Premium actually costs money and I think I bought it 8 years ago on my iPhone 3GS. Now they are telling me I can't play it?

newsflash, you don’t own any of the software you buy without physical media.

this is most likely due to them selling the licensing off to someone else.

 

[mcaswell]

EA has to do work to make sure the app functions on newer devices. The game came out how long ago? This is the business model now.

You're missing the point. This is not a situation where EA is no longer going to update the app, so EVENTUALLY it will stop working with a future version of iOS or the next model iPhone. Instead, they are going to flip a switch on a specific date in a few months to disable the game. I'd be fine with them announcing they are no longer going to be updating it (after all, it's had a decent run), but hypothetically if I wanted to I should be able to freeze an old iPhone on the current OS and indefinitely play the game that I paid for.

 

[Eorlas]

So much ********. Why do they have to completely delete the games when they don't need an internet connection to play them. Tetris Premium actually costs money and I think I bought it 8 years ago on my iPhone 3GS. Now they are telling me I can't play it?

This is the especially unfortunate part of digital titles; rather than releasing permanent licenses to the people who already bought it and let them download for offline use, they're pulling your access entirely.

It's like giving someone a product that they paid for, and when you suddenly no longer decide to support it, you take it back from them without returning the money.

In day to day life, this is known as stealing. In their world, it's "hahahahahah tough."

 

[SeaFox]

Ah, Tetris....

Maybe I'll fire up one of my old 68k Macs and play some of Steve Chamberlin's excellent Tetris Max. I don't have to worry about him remote-disabling it.

 

[omenatarhuri]

Such ******** to sell a license to play a single player puzzle game that's older than the internet.

 

[Helmlein]

newsflash, you don’t own any of the software you buy without physical media.

this is most likely due to them selling the licensing off to someone else.

Newsflash: you don't own that license, either. With physical media, you own physical media with data on it. The license is a separate thing.

 

[davester]

It’s always about money. F*** the end-user who put you there in the first place!!!

 

[Eric5h5]

That's why some people never buy into purchasing digital contents (including movies, music, console & PC Games) and perfect physical.....as the publisher or license issuer can revoke it at any time!

Again, that has nothing to do with digital. None of the games I buy on GOG can be revoked, AND I don't have to worry about a (copy-protected) disc getting lost or damaged. Simply being digital does not mean it can be revoked. Stop confusing DRM with digital. Plenty of physical media is DRMed...anyone remember Divx? They were DVD-like movie discs where you had a couple days to watch the movie, then it was useless.

--Eric

 

[j3x]

Don't need an online connection in order for it to work, what a miracle

 

[Tech198]

Another goody gone down the tubes.. First it was Monkey Island games from Lucas Arts, (but Disney fixed that one), and now this..

I usually think the alternatives are no better.. Sometimes its more the nostalgic that sets first.

At least, it does with me.

 

[freezelighter]

So much ********. Why do they have to completely delete the games when they don't need an internet connection to play them. Tetris Premium actually costs money and I think I bought it 8 years ago on my iPhone 3GS. Now they are telling me I can't play it?

I paid money for Bioshock and many other wonderful games many years ago.
They are all gone.
I don't care about money, but I wish I could still use those games offline.
It's not possible to download them again.

 

[Tech198]

It’s always about money. F*** the end-user who put you there in the first place!!!

It WAS about the end user in the old days..... Now it's changed. Because some bright spark came up wth an idea of "the cloud" Not all of it is sky blue... some of it has storm clouds as well..

 

[Jason B]

So much ********. Why do they have to completely delete the games when they don't need an internet connection to play them. Tetris Premium actually costs money and I think I bought it 8 years ago on my iPhone 3GS. Now they are telling me I can't play it?

Yea. Makes no sense! You used to be able to play this game on airplane mode no issue! Last week it forced you to update and now requires an Internet connection that it never did before! This makes no sense and see the attachments I posted below of people flipping out that these games will be deleted!!!

Doesn’t anyone here have some pull at the company that cares or would reconsider this?

 

[aarond12]

This is why I generally stay away from non-physical games now.
...snip...
With digital purchases, you never know when the games will no longer be available to play.

I was given a physical copy of Crysis recently. I went to install it and, lo and behold, the authentication server isn't running anymore. I have the legit discs in my hands and cannot install it.

 

[Juicy Box]

I have the legit discs in my hands and cannot install it.

There is probably a few other games that have this issue.

I personally put this issue in the same category as digital media, downloadable content, and online-based games. While you have physical disc, those discs might be useless if they require some digital authentication to work.

This is kind of similar to EA's Tetris game. The game data might still be on people's device, but they will no longer have access to them. You have the game data on your disc, but your access to them is gone.


But still, I would bet that most physical media doesn't have this issues, at least older physical media.

I wonder if there is some way to get around the online authentication if all the game files are on the disc?

 

[oox]

Chill, they'll throw in some more loot crates, pay-to-progress **** and it will be back.

 

[decafjava]

Chill, they'll throw in some more loot crates, pay-to-progress **** and it will be back.

Nope, EA no longer has the license. There is a new Tetris game licensed to another company called n3twork. It's not bad and costs 5 bucks to remove ads. I am not too happy about the way modern video gaming has gone but there are alternatives here.

 

[Jason B]

Ok, here we go. I downloaded yesterday and seems pretty decent so far and they are working on more features and backgrounds as we speak.

New Tetris App by N3TWORK Now Available for Mobile Devices

N3TWORK's Tetris App Features Traditional Gameplay Mode with Fresh Experiences Coming Soon

tetris.com

 

[implementor]

Oh really? It is disappointing so much for me.