Why Some Games Can’t be ‘Owned’ The Old-Fashion Way Anymore

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After announcing the closure of the servers for their 2014 release, The Crew, Ubisoft found themselves in a legal dispute. Although the situation persists, it’s important to note that when players purchase this game, they are essentially buying a license, not the physical product itself.

Despite an attempt by some players to push for laws that require game developers like Ubisoft to ensure their games remain playable forever, particularly for live-service titles, the idea of owning a contemporary game, especially one in this category, doesn’t seem to be written into current industry practices.

Purchasing ‘Licenses’ vs. Games

Regarding the legal matter concerning the closure of The Crew’s servers, Ubisoft’s legal team expressed their viewpoint through IGN as follows:

For clarity, Ubisoft’s lawyers (as communicated via IGN) explained the reasoning behind their lawsuit in connection with the shutdown of The Crew’s servers.

The [essence] of the plaintiffs’ complaint is that Ubisoft allegedly misled purchasers of its video game The Crew into believing they were purchasing unfettered ownership rights in the game, rather than a limited license to access the game. But the reality is that consumers received the benefit of their bargain and were explicitly notified, at the time of purchase, that they were purchasing a license.

To clarify, when players purchased The Crew, they essentially bought permission to use the server, not the game itself. Historically, owning a complete playable version of a game was possible with older titles; however, delivering the extent of playability that the plaintiffs are seeking in their lawsuit for a live service-oriented game like The Crew would require significant additional effort.

It Makes Sense from a Dev Standpoint

From a consumer perspective, it seems reasonable to expect owning a complete game. However, from a developer’s standpoint, closing down servers for games no longer played makes more practical sense. Pirate Software, who were approached to join the lawsuit against Ubisoft, expressed their opposition to this cause. They argued that the language used in the initiative is ambiguous and likely not agreed upon by most developers because it lacks clarity.

Transitioning a live service game, initially designed for online play, into an offline version requires significant effort from developers. The intricacy of this process seems to outweigh its benefits, making it more than just issuing a patch and leaving the game unattended; instead, developers would need to devise a method to sustain its operation indefinitely.

Pay attention: It’s not only the game The Crew that depends heavily on live-services, many mobile games do as well. Regrettably, games such as Star Wars: Hunters had to be shut down because they didn’t have an offline play mode available.

It’s Where It’s Headed

It appears that digital exclusivity, despite being perceived as not consumer-friendly, is becoming a trend in the gaming industry today. This is why consoles like the Xbox Series S and PS5 only come in digital versions. Even Nintendo faced criticism for their plan to release physical game keycards, which function as download links but do not contain the complete game itself.

If you find any comfort in it, these thoughts are merely guesses. Given that GTA VI is anticipated to be a significant milestone for the gaming industry, enthusiasts will simply need to stay patient and observe. Some opine that a $100 price might revive games, but others believe this high cost could deter players from purchasing massive AAA titles; instead, they may opt for indie developers who offer more budget-friendly experiences.

Meanwhile, the video game industry has experienced a dip due to closures and job losses, yet there’s optimism that a significant change for the better may be approaching.

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2025-04-11 09:43