Reflexive Arcade discontinuation: Difference between revisions
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==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Reflexive Entertainment, Inc. was a studio developing casual games for desktop computers and mobile phones. It was founded in Irvine, California in 1997. In 2004, they launched the ''Reflexive Arcade'' online download store<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game List for Reflexive Entertainment - PC Games |url=http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?CAT=Search&SEARCH=dev:Reflexive+Entertainment&PAGE=GameList |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813193458/http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?CAT=Search&SEARCH=dev:Reflexive+Entertainment&PAGE=GameList |archive-date=2009-08-13 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Reflexive Arcade}}</ref>. In addition to Reflexive's own games, the website also sold games from other studios through an affiliate developer program named '' | Reflexive Entertainment, Inc. was a studio developing casual games for desktop computers and mobile phones. It was founded in Irvine, California in 1997. In 2004, they launched the ''Reflexive Arcade'' online download store<ref>{{Cite web |title=Game List for Reflexive Entertainment - PC Games |url=http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?CAT=Search&SEARCH=dev:Reflexive+Entertainment&PAGE=GameList |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813193458/http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?CAT=Search&SEARCH=dev:Reflexive+Entertainment&PAGE=GameList |archive-date=2009-08-13 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Reflexive Arcade}}</ref>. In addition to Reflexive's own games, the website also sold games from other studios through an affiliate developer program named ''GameCenterSolution''<ref name=":0" />. By early 2010, Reflexive Arcade offered over over 1,450 downloadable Windows games and over 402 downloadable Mac games for sale<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=The Best Games Recommended for You |url=http://www.reflexive.com/index.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100330044546/http://www.reflexive.com/index.php |archive-date=2010-03-30 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Reflexive Arcade}}</ref>. | ||
Games distributed through Reflexive Arcade were wrapped in a proprietary DRM system. All game installers were freely downloadable and offered a time-limited trial version. In order to unlock the full version of a game, players could purchase an activation code on the Reflexive Arcade store which was then verified with an online service<ref name=":1" />. In addition, an offline activation procedure was provided. Each game displayed a product ID which depended on the system configuration. This product key could be entered on the Reflexive Arcade website in order to generate an offline activation key which would work only for that system<ref>{{Cite web |title=My computer is not connected to the Internet, how do I activate my game? |url=http://support.gamecentersolution.com:80/index.php?page=Help/Support/SupportFAQ&channel=0&faq=18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222000342/http://support.gamecentersolution.com:80/index.php?page=Help/Support/SupportFAQ&channel=0&faq=18 |archive-date=2008-12- | Games distributed through Reflexive Arcade were wrapped in a proprietary DRM system. All game installers were freely downloadable and offered a time-limited trial version. In order to unlock the full version of a game, players could purchase an activation code on the Reflexive Arcade store which was then verified with an online service<ref name=":1" />. In addition, an offline activation procedure was provided. Each game displayed a product ID which depended on the system configuration. This product key could be entered on the Reflexive Arcade website in order to generate an offline activation key which would work only for that system<ref>{{Cite web |title=My computer is not connected to the Internet, how do I activate my game? |url=http://support.gamecentersolution.com:80/index.php?page=Help/Support/SupportFAQ&channel=0&faq=18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222000342/http://support.gamecentersolution.com:80/index.php?page=Help/Support/SupportFAQ&channel=0&faq=18 |archive-date=2008-12-22 |access-date=2006-05-26 |website=GameCenterSolution™}}</ref>. | ||
On the Reflexive Arcade storefront, game purchases were advertised as offering "[u]nlimited game installations on any computer you own, forever!"<ref name=":2" /> | On the Reflexive Arcade storefront, game purchases were advertised as offering "[u]nlimited game installations on any computer you own, forever!"<ref name=":2" /> | ||
==Amazon takeover and service discontinuation== | ==Amazon takeover and service discontinuation== | ||
In October 2008, Reflexive co-founder Lars Brubaker announced that the company was to be acquired by Amazon<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-21 |title=Amazon Snaps Up Video Game Provider Reflexive |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/10/21/amazon-snaps-up-video-game-provider-reflexive/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=TechCrunch}}</ref>. In a blog post on the Reflexive website, he assured affiliate developers that the Arcade distribution channel and store would be kept operational.<blockquote>What this means for all you developers is that it's time to get excited about your future with Reflexive. […] All of the features that you know and love about GameCenterSolution will still be available to you now and in the future, and you can continue to submit games through the Reflexive site.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brubaker |first=Lars |date=2008-10-20 |title=Reflexive is acquired by Amazon.com |url=http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?PAGE=Blog&BID=169 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100331212635/http://www.reflexive.com/index.php?PAGE=Blog&BID=169 |archive-date=2010-03-31 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Reflexive Arcade - Blog}}</ref></blockquote>At the end of March 2010, Brubaker sent a communication to affiliate developers that the GameCenterSolution program and the Reflexive Arcade storefront would shut down effective June 31st, 2010. Amazon confirmed that Reflexive would return to focus exclusively on game development, and that game purchases would no longer be possible through Reflexive Arcade<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Erin |date=2010-04-01 |title=Reflexive Shuts Down Its Affiliate Program |url=https://www.gamezebo.com/news/reflexive-shuts-down-its-affiliate-program/ |url-status=live |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Gamezebo}}</ref>. | |||
The Reflexive Arcade storefront was updated to display a notice that games would stop being available for purchase after June 30th, 2010. Existing customers were informed that July 31st, 2010, would be the last day on which it would be possible to install and activate previously purchased games.<blockquote>'''Important Message''' | The Reflexive Arcade storefront was updated to display a notice that games would stop being available for purchase after June 30th, 2010. Existing customers were informed that July 31st, 2010, would be the last day on which it would be possible to install and activate previously purchased games.<blockquote>'''Important Message''' | ||
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Please be sure to install and activate your purchases prior to July 31st, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Best Games Recommended for You |url=http://www.reflexive.com/index.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403103654/http://www.reflexive.com/index.php |archive-date=2010-04-03 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Reflexive Arcade}}</ref></blockquote>After June 30th, the storefront was updated to only display the service discontinuation message. The notice kept informing users to activate their games before July 31st, 2010, until well after that date<ref name=":3" />. | Please be sure to install and activate your purchases prior to July 31st, 2010.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Best Games Recommended for You |url=http://www.reflexive.com/index.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100403103654/http://www.reflexive.com/index.php |archive-date=2010-04-03 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Reflexive Arcade}}</ref></blockquote>After June 30th, the storefront was updated to only display the service discontinuation message. The notice kept informing users to activate their games before July 31st, 2010, until well after that date<ref name=":3" />. | ||
==Consumer response== | |||
===[ | On March 31st, 2010, the day of the discontinuation notice being posted to the front page of Reflexive Arcade, customers started enquiring about it on the site's official support forums. Reflexive staff confirmed that the store would shut down by end of June, and that all previously purchased games would become impossible to activate by end of July<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |date=2010-03-31 |title=Reflexive [no longer selling games] |url=http://www.reflexive.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15358 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100416000430/http://www.reflexive.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=15358 |archive-date=2010-04-16 |access-date=2026-05-26 |website=Reflexive Games Support}}</ref>.<blockquote> | ||
The servers are being shutdown after July 31, 2010. You will not be able to download or obtain a new Activation Code after July 31st.<ref name=":4" /></blockquote>Customers referred back to previous, informal statements by Reflexive staff that in the unlikely event of activation servers having to be shut down, there was a backup plan in place that would ensure customers wouldn't lose access to their purchases.<blockquote>Let me assure you. You will not lose any of the games you have purchased for any reason. | |||
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IF something bad were to happen to Reflexive (and as tentoes mentioned, that is very unlikely), we have a plan to make sure that the games you have purchased stay yours, in the future, and on different machines that you acquire in the future. | |||
A download would be made available that would make sure your games were yours, and it would not depend on our servers having to be there for additional downloads, or codes, or whatever. We would also not be the only place to acquire this download, so it would not depend on our servers being up either.<ref name=":4" /></blockquote>Sentiment among customers on the forums was that they felt they had been misled about what their game purchases entailed. Reflexive's sales terminology, frequently using words such as "unlimited" and "forever", were seen as incompatible with the way the service discontinuation was handled.<blockquote>This is a complete contradiction to anything we've been told in the past. Not only the 2006 quote in the post above, but also in your advertising...that once we purchase a game from Reflexive it is ours forever, on any computer we own.<ref name=":4" /></blockquote> | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Digital rights management]] | |||
[[Category:Activation lockout]] | |||
[[Category:Ownership revocation]] | |||
[[Category:Amazon]] | |||