sábado, 31 de julio de 2010

Games that stop existing


A few days ago we commented about Plants vs Zombies being updated to modify its content. As an owner of PvZ on Steam, I'll be forced to get the censored version of the game the next time I download it.


That's the worst thing of downloadable games: they can be modified by the provider, and you can't do anything about it. And it even could be worse: the game could just disappear, like Street Racing. This Facebook game was just removed from the internet surprising all its paying customers. This is one of those games in which you buy in-game stuff with real-life money. So may have "invested" a lot of money buying virtual advantages that no longer exist. You are basically screwed.


We all trust that our downloadable games will be there for as long as we want them on Steam, on Xbox Live Arcade, on PSN... but is there a real guarantee? Or can they just say "sorry, you can't play anymore" when they consider that the fan base is not big enough to justify the expense and we have to accept it?


This is what I don't like about downloads... Unless proven otherwise, we are just renting the games. They don't usually disappear, but if they do, can we do anything about it? Or are we just going to be told "sorry, it's over. But you can play our other games!" like with Street Racing?

2 comentarios:

  1. GOG removed Obscure from his catalogue due a copyright issue with one song. Luckily I can still download it, so I guess it's going to be the same in the case they remove more games. Then again is GOG we're talking to...

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  2. I didn't know that! Good think I had already bought it. But I still can download it, and those racing games that were pulled from the catalogue some time ago. That also happens to a lot of Steam games, like Commandos Strike Force (unfortunately unavailable for purchase right now, but I can still download it!). That's one of the reasons I'm usually a day-one buyer for all the stuff I really want to get.

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