Need For Speed’s Always-On DRM Spawns Petition, Complaints From Gamers

One Angry Gamer "Having a game that's typically focused on single-player content suddenly require and force gamers to have to be online usually doesn't go down well in the gaming community. In the case of the Need For Speed, the upcoming reboot for PC, PS4 and Xbox One, the revelation that the game would require online internet and Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus to play, prompted some gamers to start the expected Change.org petition asking EA and Ghost Games to remove the online barrier, while other gamers took to forums, chats and YouTube to decry the decision."

[pwnsause_returns]

if you dont like it, dont buy it... Im sure EA will Crap their pants if NFS doesnt profit for them for their ****ty policies.

[Eonjay]

This. It has to fail in order for them to change it.

[johndoe11211]

Exactly. I'm not gonna fuss or fight and I ain't complaining, I'm just not gonna support this game. This is what they are doing to slowly force us to accept always online. Once we do, we are gonna get screwed. I know it's coming and it's inevitable, but I'm gonna fight it for as long as I could. I actually like owning my games.

[Iceball2000]

Yeah but knowing EA they'll think that people don't want NFS anymore and no longer make them.

[Retroman]

@ Eonjay

agree.

sadly that is the "ONLY "way EA will listen for it to fail with our wallets. bad enough (night driving only ) game .
we waited 2 years for this crap??

@ hockey
most gamers play offline including myself . a buddy and i play 2 player offline games. weekly .

[hockeyglory]

Doubt it will fail.

Most gamers are online and NFS sells quite a few copies.

The new NFS game coming in the fall will be another 1 million+ seller.

[Godmars290]

Or for them to stop making the series altogether.

That is the problem: this idea which benefits them more than anyone will only give them reason to stop making the games which they apply it to because enough people don't buy it.

There have only been numerous examples of companies making mistakes and blaming anyone but themselves. Which is why such bad ideas are only tried again.

[2pacalypsenow]

No they'll just reboot it again

[Gazondaily]

What if the game is good? I'm going to buy it. Maybe I am part of the problem :(

[ShinMaster]

They won't know our issue is with their policies unless we complain.

Petition first. If we all complain AND they don't change it, then you may not buy it. But we have to make them aware of it first.

But not even bothering to complain about something you disagree with is lazy and you're running the risk of no more NFS games being made any time soon because EA will think no one wants to play them.

[pwnsause_returns]

Hey! it worked when Microsoft was pushing their Crappy Policies, look were they're at now...sure, it caused them a lot of damage, but it seems that they are recovering and are listening to people.

[subtenko]

It's still costing them and they are kicking themselves for it. Some of the most diehard xbox fans gaming on ps4's now. How can EA be so crummy?!

[ShinMaster]

That's because people complained and it was all over the media.

[Mankey]

Oh I most certainly plan not too.

[HumanatPlay]

EA doesn't need fan complaints, they need silent treatment from our wallets.

[llMurcielagoll]

Exactly.

[Khajiit86]

Hopefully this game doesnt sell well. Look what happened to the X1 when they tried to pull the DRM move. Anyone trying something that isnt consumer friendly deserves anything that comes to them.

[C-H-E-F]

And if you do buy it, buy it used so you get to play it and not support them at the same time.... :D

[crazychris4124]

They better get rid of online only. Did they not learn their lesson with SimCity? It was a launch disaster and took months for the game to just be playable. Then a year later they finally admit it didnt have to be online only and they allowed you to play true single player.

[Mankey]

Seriously. This whole ONLY ONLINE thing is very 2013. I figured we were done with this.

[Palitera]

Or is it the future?

[gamerfan0909]

Gaming is the only art form where people actually try to challenge the artist's art instead of waiting to judge it. I can see if the game launched and it has issues, but there's wankers on the internet that just complain about it just to complain. What is your stupid petition going to do? Who even cares that much to make a petition? Buy the game or don't buy it. No one cares that much about this nonsense to go and do a petition that EA will probably ignore anyway. How much you wanna bet your wifi is on 24/7 without going down or if it did go down it probably happens 2 or 3 times a year. I can't tell you the last time I wasn't logged into Xbox Live. I'm literally always online on my console. If you have a problem with it get a life and get over it.

[MysticStrummer]

"Gaming is the only art form where people actually try to challenge the artist's art instead of waiting to judge it."

I don't know where you got that odd idea, but it's wrong. Ever hear of people trying to organize boycotts for books and movies without ever reading or seeing them? I sure have.

"How much you wanna bet your wifi is on 24/7 without going down or if it did go down it probably happens 2 or 3 times a year."

How much money do you want to lose? My wifi goes down several times a week. The provider I had before this one was worse, going down more than once a day at pretty much the same times every day. I live in the biggest gaming market, and my choices for internet provider are slim.

[Moldiver]

"Gaming is the only art form where people actually try to challenge the artist's art instead of waiting to judge it."

I actually agree. speaking as an artist. Im glad I dont work in games. I would be pulling a phil fish every other day. NO offense to my fellow gamers but gamers are mostly a whiny breed with a sense of over entitlement. It doesnt go unnoticed by devs...thats all im gonna say. Some have twitter accounts just to pay lip service to gamers when they do things like...what EA are doing with NFS.

"I don't know where you got that odd idea, but it's wrong. Ever hear of people trying to organize boycotts for books and movies without ever reading or seeing them? I sure have. "

TBF, in books and movies, they get boycotted because of content, that may be offensive to certain groups of people. Movie fans, music lovers and book lovers didnt complain when streaming replaced MP3...or when MP3 replaced CD. people are renting movies via sites like netflix more than they are buying blu ray discs. Most people are reading novels and other books on kindles nowadays. I cant remember the last time I saw somebody reading a book on my way into the central london, when I ride the train. When art is boycotted..its not because of the way that content is delivered. When they couldt buy their latest albums on CDs, they all went and bought Ipods...when they realised they can rent a movie without leaving there house...they got netflix..and forgot about the idea of owning a film on disc all together. I never thought Id see the day where old people are downloading content on tablets. But here we are. and nobody is complaining that they dont own a hard copy.

That said, is it the DRM thing or the always needing a connection part that bothers you guys?

DRM is there to protect the works and rights of the content creator. You wont hear any artist/creative object to having their work protected up the ass from piracy, in any field. Aside from the fact that you (the end user) dont actually own the works (You didnt create it) but a LICENCE to use it (its there in the small print of any content. it tell you, its not your property). I mentioned in another thread that productivity software has all kinds of DRM (ever heard of an iLOK...google it). The software I buy costs more than a console most of the time..and I dont OWN any of it. Just a lifetime licence to use it for intended purpose of music creation. I cant sell it. thats in the terms of use policy.But I can use it offline...so maybe thats the REAL gripe here. But judging from the comment in here there seems to be a bit of confusion.

[Revengeance]

"I'm literally always online on my console."

Yeah YOU are. Last I checked you don't represent all gamers out there.

"If you have a problem with it get a life and get over it."

What's funny is you posted that like someone was supposed to care.

[clonerz]

Guess I will pass on this game to bad I was looking forward to it but after the issues with The Crew I am done with always online single player games

[Mr Marvel]

I'm not complaining... I just won't buy it.

[Mankey]

Welp. EA just guaranteed I won't buy this.

[Germany7]

Better not buy than sign a petition, i guess?

[e3kehoe]

I don't like the idea about always and only online games. I've given a couple of them a go and I'm not really a social gamer. So I know that I'm not the only person that feels that way. I have a family and with that comes the fact that dedicating the time to that kind of game is unrealistic. I'm sorry but my kids come first so if I'm in middle of a game and one of them needs me for something then I have to bounce. That's why I couldn't invest as much time in desteny or titan fall as much because I couldn't pause it. I get the idea but it just doesn't work for everyone. Not to even mention the fact that my town has crappy internet that is always in and out. I love the need for speed games but if it's an only online game I will probably pass. But this is just my personal opinion.

[WilliamUsher]

Great comment. You bring up some excellent points: not everyone wants to play online and be social. Not everyone has time to play online and be social. Not everyone wants to dedicate time and effort to progress through the game via an online component.

I hate the idea that single-player features are tied to the popularity of the game's online component. Gamers shouldn't have to rush and buy the game and get in play time before EA shuts the servers down for good. It's just creating an unnecessary hassle for consumers.

[WizzroSupreme]

I haven't bought a Need for Speed since Hot Pursuit and it's probably going to stay that way with these kind of EA shenanigans.

[GrmpyolGamer]

Im fine With DRM. I can understand (somewhat) why people don't want it but it doesn't effect me in the slightest.

[Shineon]

What's up with these devs and DRM?

[Whirlwind_Fanfare_08]

They better change it, otherwise i won't be buying it day one.

[Inzo]

There is no need for a petition, they never work anyway, the only language EA understands is money, so forget the petition. The simplest way for them to understand what we the gamers want is to not buy the game, and we need to make an example of EA so that this kind of crap doesnt happen again.

[Scatpants]

Won't be buying it unless it's changed. It's not like racing games aren't so close to the same that you can't just play a different one and have almost the same experience.

[BladerunnerZX]

Always online for single player is basically DRM that takes away your consumer rights.

I can still play NFS underground on my PS2 anytime I want years after it's release.
This new NFS game will be nothing more than a coaster in few years when EA shuts the servers down.

[MrBeatdown]

Call me crazy, but I'm one of those people who will wait and find out why it's online-only before dropping a brick in the toilet.

[Aenea]

Yes, exactly, was just about to write something similar.

Why is it always online? Did they think of one or many nice features that needs you to be online or not? Or do they have a bogus reason?

On consoles they really don't need to add to security by being always online now do they? That's up to MS and Sony.

So yes, I'm expecting them to have come up with cool features that needs it and now people are starting a petition to change it? So these people want EA to cripple the game? And then afterwards complain about cut content am sure :)

[lemoncake]

I don't see how always online can be a DRM move for the game on consoles, people talk about wanting new innovations and different things from last gen but when they get it they throw their arms up and petition because it's not like what they are use to, people can be odd.

[NixonMonoxide]

Forget the bloody petition & vote with your wallets.

[ScorpiusX]

Jesus, I have never seen a group or a field of such me me people.
Never are you people happy or satisfied with what these companies offer you always looking for what you think you deserve.

Personally this games a day one buy for me.

If you find my comment troublesome o well .

[HmongAmerican]

DRM is my worst nightmare. Just imagine if the creator decide to shutdown the server later on the line. You lose everything. I know because I already learned my lesson.