Games as a service: Difference between revisions

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==Issues==

While GaaS provides an incentive for a developer to continue to produce content for their game, once the developer or publisher decides to stop supporting the game, it often becomes completely unplayable.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70Xc9CStoE "The largest campaign ever to stop publishers destroying games"] ~~Accursed Farms~~. ~~April 2, 2024. Retrieved January~~ 24~~, 2025.~~</ref> There is very little legal recourse for the user to recoup the cost of purchasing the game or any content purchased within. The [[End-user license agreement]] typically absolves the publisher of any such duty, as it states that you are purchasing a license rather than actually owning the software.<ref>[https://www.kelleherbros.com/blog/2024/3/27/digital-ownership-2-the-eula-era Precarious Digital Ownership: The EULA Era] ~~Kelleher Bros~~. ~~March 27, 2024. Retrieved January~~ 28~~, 2025.~~</ref>

While GaaS provides an incentive for a developer to continue to produce content for their game, once the developer or publisher decides to stop supporting the game, it often becomes completely unplayable.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70Xc9CStoE "The largest campaign ever to stop publishers destroying games"] - youtube.com - accessed 2025-01-24</ref> There is very little legal recourse for the user to recoup the cost of purchasing the game or any content purchased within. The [[End-user license agreement]] typically absolves the publisher of any such duty, as it states that you are purchasing a license rather than actually owning the software.<ref>[https://www.kelleherbros.com/blog/2024/3/27/digital-ownership-2-the-eula-era Precarious Digital Ownership: The EULA Era] - kelleherbros.com - accessed 2025-01-28</ref>

==Examples==

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===Ubisoft===

XDefiant, developed by Ubisoft, is an example of a game as a service. On December 3rd, 2024, the game announced the shutdown of its servers on June 3rd, 2025.<ref name=":0">https://archive.is/ueESQ</ref> 49 days before the shutdown announcement, executive producer of XDefiant, Mark Rubin<ref>https://archive.is/nEche</ref> posted online that the game had no plans of shutting down after season 4, while the game was still in season 2, and they had recently discussed their plans internally for the second year of content<ref>https://archive.is/XmekP</ref>. The shutdown post announced that the last 30 days of purchases would be fully refunded.<ref name=":0" />

XDefiant, developed by Ubisoft, is an example of a game as a service. On December 3rd, 2024, the game announced the shutdown of its servers on June 3rd, 2025.<ref name=":0">[https://archive.is/ueESQ "'XDEFIANT IS SUNSETTING' Tweet"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref> 49 days before the shutdown announcement, executive producer of XDefiant, Mark Rubin<ref>[https://archive.is/nEche "Mark Rubin Profile"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref> posted online that the game had no plans of shutting down after season 4, while the game was still in season 2, and they had recently discussed their plans internally for the second year of content<ref>[https://archive.is/XmekP "Mark Rubin claims NO plans to shut down after season 4"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref>. The shutdown post announced that the last 30 days of purchases would be fully refunded.<ref name=":0" />

The shutdown of ''The Crew'' is one of the central issues of the [[Stop Killing Games]] campaign. Despite the game containing some code for an offline mode from the start, it was not made accessible to the user due to the game's [[DRM]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qKNY64-QSc The Crew Offline Mode - Setting The Record Straight] ~~whammy4~~. ~~December 15, 2023. Retrieved January~~ 28~~, 2025.~~ </ref> Thus, the game was left in a completely unplayable state.

The shutdown of ''The Crew'' is one of the central issues of the [[Stop Killing Games]] campaign. Despite the game containing some code for an offline mode from the start, it was not made accessible to the user due to the game's [[DRM]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qKNY64-QSc The Crew Offline Mode - Setting The Record Straight] youtube.com - accessed 2025-01-28 </ref> Thus, the game was left in a completely unplayable state.

===EA===

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 ==Issues==
-While GaaS provides an incentive for a developer to continue to produce content for their game, once the developer or publisher decides to stop supporting the game, it often becomes completely unplayable.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70Xc9CStoE "The largest campaign ever to stop publishers destroying games"] Accursed Farms. April 2, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2025.</ref> There is very little legal recourse for the user to recoup the cost of purchasing the game or any content purchased within. The [[End-user license agreement]] typically absolves the publisher of any such duty, as it states that you are purchasing a license rather than actually owning the software.<ref>[https://www.kelleherbros.com/blog/2024/3/27/digital-ownership-2-the-eula-era Precarious Digital Ownership: The EULA Era] Kelleher Bros. March 27, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2025.</ref>
+While GaaS provides an incentive for a developer to continue to produce content for their game, once the developer or publisher decides to stop supporting the game, it often becomes completely unplayable.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70Xc9CStoE "The largest campaign ever to stop publishers destroying games"] - youtube.com - accessed 2025-01-24</ref> There is very little legal recourse for the user to recoup the cost of purchasing the game or any content purchased within. The [[End-user license agreement]] typically absolves the publisher of any such duty, as it states that you are purchasing a license rather than actually owning the software.<ref>[https://www.kelleherbros.com/blog/2024/3/27/digital-ownership-2-the-eula-era Precarious Digital Ownership: The EULA Era] - kelleherbros.com - accessed 2025-01-28</ref>
 ==Examples==
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ===Ubisoft===
 {{Main|Ubisoft}}
-XDefiant, developed by Ubisoft, is an example of a game as a service. On December 3rd, 2024, the game announced the shutdown of its servers on June 3rd, 2025.<ref name=":0">https://archive.is/ueESQ</ref> 49 days before the shutdown announcement, executive producer of XDefiant, Mark Rubin<ref>https://archive.is/nEche</ref> posted online that the game had no plans of shutting down after season 4, while the game was still in season 2, and they had recently discussed their plans internally for the second year of content<ref>https://archive.is/XmekP</ref>. The shutdown post announced that the last 30 days of purchases would be fully refunded.<ref name=":0" />
+XDefiant, developed by Ubisoft, is an example of a game as a service. On December 3rd, 2024, the game announced the shutdown of its servers on June 3rd, 2025.<ref name=":0">[https://archive.is/ueESQ "'XDEFIANT IS SUNSETTING' Tweet"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref> 49 days before the shutdown announcement, executive producer of XDefiant, Mark Rubin<ref>[https://archive.is/nEche "Mark Rubin Profile"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref> posted online that the game had no plans of shutting down after season 4, while the game was still in season 2, and they had recently discussed their plans internally for the second year of content<ref>[https://archive.is/XmekP "Mark Rubin claims NO plans to shut down after season 4"] - archive.is - archived 2025-01-28</ref>. The shutdown post announced that the last 30 days of purchases would be fully refunded.<ref name=":0" />
-The shutdown of ''The Crew'' is one of the central issues of the [[Stop Killing Games]] campaign. Despite the game containing some code for an offline mode from the start, it was not made accessible to the user due to the game's [[DRM]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qKNY64-QSc The Crew Offline Mode - Setting The Record Straight] whammy4. December 15, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2025. </ref> Thus, the game was left in a completely unplayable state.
+The shutdown of ''The Crew'' is one of the central issues of the [[Stop Killing Games]] campaign. Despite the game containing some code for an offline mode from the start, it was not made accessible to the user due to the game's [[DRM]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qKNY64-QSc The Crew Offline Mode - Setting The Record Straight] youtube.com - accessed 2025-01-28 </ref> Thus, the game was left in a completely unplayable state.
 ===EA===