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stop_killing_games [2025/07/29 10:57] – ultracomfystop_killing_games [2026/04/13 14:56] (current) – ultracomfy
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 Unfortunately, over time there has started to set in a trend by which games more and more often have some kind of dependency that breaks them when the development studio ends support for them. When this dependency is pulled, the game becomes unplayable. Typically, this is an "Always Online" requirement, by which the game will boot you back to the main menu the second is loses connection to a home server. To be clear, it's not just that the game wants to be connected to the internet //in general//, it wants to be connected to a specific server operated by the development team. When the game is eventually sunset by the games studio, they will shut down the server and then, any time a player attempts to play the game, they will not be able to do anything in it besides looking at the main menu. Unfortunately, over time there has started to set in a trend by which games more and more often have some kind of dependency that breaks them when the development studio ends support for them. When this dependency is pulled, the game becomes unplayable. Typically, this is an "Always Online" requirement, by which the game will boot you back to the main menu the second is loses connection to a home server. To be clear, it's not just that the game wants to be connected to the internet //in general//, it wants to be connected to a specific server operated by the development team. When the game is eventually sunset by the games studio, they will shut down the server and then, any time a player attempts to play the game, they will not be able to do anything in it besides looking at the main menu.
  
-One of the most prominent examples of this is [[The Crew]], an always-online multiplayer racing game that //actually// won't let you play the game at all ever since Ubisoft decided to discontinue support. Some games have better justification than others for being online-only. Point in case, The Crew is one of the weaker examples as it not only already //has// an offline mode buried and locked away in the code, its content is also ~90% offline content that would work perfectly fine if just allowed to do so. It is at the sole discretion of the developer to decide whether to let you actually access that content and, for those 90%, there is absolutely no reason to not let you. The same goes for the reboot [[Hitman: World of Assassination]], which demands you be connected to their servers at all times and will refuse to let you properly access its content without connection or developer support.+One of the most prominent examples of this is [[The Crew]], an always-online multiplayer racing game that //actually// won't let you play the game at all ever since Ubisoft decided to discontinue support. Some games have better justification than others for being online-only. Point in case, The Crew is one of the weaker examples as it not only already //has// an offline mode buried and locked away in the code, its content is also ~90% offline content that would work perfectly fine if just allowed to do so. It is at the sole discretion of the developer to decide whether to let you actually access that content and, for those 90%, there is absolutely no reason to not let you. The same goes for the reboot [[Hitman World of Assassination]], which demands you be connected to their servers at all times and will refuse to let you properly access its content without connection or developer support.
  
 There are other games where it makes at least a bit more sense, take [[Fortnite]]. Fortnite is essentially an online only game not just by technicality, but by //nature//. There is no genuine offline aspect to the game, all its content plays out in the 100-player free for all primary game mode. Obviously, if that game is ever phased out and the servers get shut down, there won't be much in it left to do. This isn't arbitrary like in The Crew where it's just developer discretion, in Fortnite the majority of the game's appeal actually //is// streamed live from a server (ie. other players, what they do, events, etc.). Essentially, Fortnite servers //cannot// be shut down without making the game effectively unplayable. There are other games where it makes at least a bit more sense, take [[Fortnite]]. Fortnite is essentially an online only game not just by technicality, but by //nature//. There is no genuine offline aspect to the game, all its content plays out in the 100-player free for all primary game mode. Obviously, if that game is ever phased out and the servers get shut down, there won't be much in it left to do. This isn't arbitrary like in The Crew where it's just developer discretion, in Fortnite the majority of the game's appeal actually //is// streamed live from a server (ie. other players, what they do, events, etc.). Essentially, Fortnite servers //cannot// be shut down without making the game effectively unplayable.
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 Yes, national or international law supersedes contents of a TOS or EULA, //as long as such law exists in the first place//. At this point in time, a law prohibiting games publishers from doing shit with their games does //not// exist, so they conceivably //can// just do fuck all with them. This is why platforms like Steam are ticking time bombs, as they can just shut down at any moment and send you a big "fuck you" with a picture of a middle finger. The only reason they don't is because - at this moment - it's more profitable to continue doing what they're doing. Once it's not, they can shut down and the thousands you or someone you know invested into video games could be gone forever. Yes, national or international law supersedes contents of a TOS or EULA, //as long as such law exists in the first place//. At this point in time, a law prohibiting games publishers from doing shit with their games does //not// exist, so they conceivably //can// just do fuck all with them. This is why platforms like Steam are ticking time bombs, as they can just shut down at any moment and send you a big "fuck you" with a picture of a middle finger. The only reason they don't is because - at this moment - it's more profitable to continue doing what they're doing. Once it's not, they can shut down and the thousands you or someone you know invested into video games could be gone forever.
  
-However, the statement claims that "these IP rights enable investment". **Enable** investment. This is //not// correct. Even if games are mandatory to be left in a playable state, there is nothing preventing anyone from making investment into new games. Yes, just a tad of extra foresight would be required, because publishers and programmers now have to structure their game in a way that allows home users and communities to self-host once official support ceases.+However, the statement claims that "these IP rights enable investment". **Enable** investment. This is //not// correct. Even if games are mandatory to be left in a playable state, there is nothing preventing anyone from making investment into new games. Like, you can invest into the design of a new car and sell it as a whole, this is how the market worked for decades - it is not "necessary" to force users into a "seat heating subscription", that kind of thing does not "enable" investment. Investment has always been a thing. Yes, just a tad of extra foresight would be required, because publishers and programmers now have to structure their game in a way that allows home users and communities to self-host once official support ceases.
  
 Requiring forethought in the design process of a product is not new. There are a myriad of legal considerations for all kinds of programs, think of all the rules and regulations for road cars, especially internationally: Designing a car means collecting a list of all the applicable expectations a car needs to fulfill - what kinds of lights, emissions, vehicle dimensions, parts dimensions, weight, the list of limitations //will// not end((And this is just for one single country!)) and frankly it must be a miracle to Video Games Europe to think that with so many rules anyone can still invest into auto-making. Or rather video games publishers have been enjoying what us Germans call "Narrenfreiheit" - a position of being special, in that one is allowed to do things that would be considered unacceptable for anyone else. They love their special treatment and they would like to keep it. Requiring forethought in the design process of a product is not new. There are a myriad of legal considerations for all kinds of programs, think of all the rules and regulations for road cars, especially internationally: Designing a car means collecting a list of all the applicable expectations a car needs to fulfill - what kinds of lights, emissions, vehicle dimensions, parts dimensions, weight, the list of limitations //will// not end((And this is just for one single country!)) and frankly it must be a miracle to Video Games Europe to think that with so many rules anyone can still invest into auto-making. Or rather video games publishers have been enjoying what us Germans call "Narrenfreiheit" - a position of being special, in that one is allowed to do things that would be considered unacceptable for anyone else. They love their special treatment and they would like to keep it.
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-<WRAP centeralign>~Author</WRAP> 
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stop_killing_games.1753786644.txt.gz · Last modified: by ultracomfy
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