Gamers seek legal win that would stop devs from rendering online games unplayable

The organizer of "Stop Killing Games" hopes to get France and other governments to examine the legality of live service shutdowns. Scott has launched a new website, Stop Killing Games, to rally opposition to the games industry's "assault on both consumer rights and preservation of media," as he puts it.

[-Foxtrot]

Should probably get them to implement offline mode when it comes to games you can play single player

It's shitty playing something solo and having to be connect despite being offline within the game.

It's worse when you get the games which can't be paused, I remember the doorbell going during a huge fight in Monster Hunter World, it took me ages but realised you couldn't pause. I ended up getting slaughtered after spending so long almost killing it.

[Yi-Long]

Driveclub is one of my favourite games of all-time, but once Sony killed it, it's barely playable in offline; Leaderboards are obviously gone so one of the things I liked to do most in the game, Time-attack, is now pretty pointless, and every race you start there's a red text on thr screen telling you you're offline.

There honestky was no need to keep the offline so integrated with the online stuff, and it's made me wary of other games which are now 'always online'.

[purple101]

should do what gran truismo on ps54 did, after severs shut, they unlock everything in the campaign to be played offline

there's no need for anti-cheat 'always online' which was always their excuse, thats and updating gamer progression

[neutralgamer1992]

I didn’t know that. That’s awesome

[Jingsing]

and put out a physical version at the end, it is extra money for them at the end of the day.

[blacktiger]

Ppl get confused about this lawsuit, this guy has a point, if you don't want to pay for server cause no one is playing that's fine, at least make it PVP, that isn't hard and people paid for the game. So there for it shouldn't be unplayable. Offline is not what he's fighting for but that would be single player. He just fighting for PVP as to dedicated if you going to take it down.

I agree with this one! I hope he wins!

[SimpleSlave]

"Offline is not what he's fighting for but that would be single player. "

Always Online does include fully fledged Single Player Campaigns as well. And that's why I think The Crew is being used; The Precedent that covers it all.

Games like The Division 1 and 2 also have Single Player Campaigns, and Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a fully fledged Single Player game but always Online. Which mean that unless uBeSawft patches them they will all cease to exist once uBeSawft pulls the plug.

Again, I think this is why The Crew is being used as the precedent, because it covers all the Online Only bases; Not just the usual Multiplayer PvE and PvP like an MMO or Shooters and their Servers, but also actual Single Player Campaigns that are sadly always online.

[Inverno]

Should pin this to let it be on top for a while. This sort of stuff should get some good amount of attention, could actually make some good change in the industry.

[HyperMoused]

SP games yes, MP games, its a question of whos maintaing the servers etc and keeing them online.

[blackblades]

PvP games it should work. I remember playing black ops offline with AI opponents but of course its funner with real and AI bots. I know some games are server base but I imagine if hard work put in to it that, it can work offline.

[PRIMORDUS]

At least on the PC side I say if a company doesn't want to support a game anymore just give it to the fans. They will keep it alive for years and years. Like UT2004 for example you can still play it today, or BF1942. For any SP games I just torrent and keep it forever if they pull the plug. 😊

[Chocoburger]

Don't blame developers, they often aren't in charge of these situations and they don't control the money. Blame the publishers, they are the group that decides when to shutdown servers.

[Majors]

Make it like the good old days when anyone could host a P2P server. This should be law when then devs stop support

[jwillj2k4]

Just let people run their own servers and call it a day

[smashman98]

There atleast needs to be an end of life update that makes it easier to host community servers.

[slayereddy]

I'm sad they took down the BATTLEFIELD 1943 servers. If they make the effort to make games backward compatible for old and new players the devs should make available rented servers for those that are willing to keep the community alive.