Most companies now require a login to authenticate. Even games off GOG often open to a launcher asking for a Username/password. DRM by any other name is still DRM.
Even with physical games, if the company takes that auth server offline... well, time to sail the high seas. It would be straightforward to create a pre-emptive patch that removes the requirement for authentication and disables access to online components, leaving single player mostly untouched. When a game is sunset just send out that patch and either totally turn off the auth requirement or spoof the "player is authenticated" response. But it is extra work.
Work very rich companies pay a lot of money to the ESA and international lobbying to stop. And it works thanks to, I believe, uninformed and uninterested politicians. Because, it's just video games, why so serious?
Video games haven't had to face a serious legislative hurdle since the ESRB and other ratings bodies was founded. Maybe loot boxes come close but otherwise it is just entertainment for kids to most of these people and who cares if they take the kid's toy away? There are other toys.
These people are so ignorant. Lewis Rossman created a video highlighting part of the CA bill that spelled out a version of stop killing games.
The ESA lobbyist said that running a Minecraft server was illegal and the politicians asked the ESA rep to explain to them if that was piracy or something, of course it is, says the ESA person. They didn't even give the opposition to set the record straight.
Originally, licensed games were the worst of the worst because the publishers didn't care about making a good game, only about the sales that would come from slapping a known IP on the box.
Anyone remember LJN games?
Now, licensed games are the worst of the worst because publishers will kill them off and take them away from you as soon as the balance sheet demands it.
And it will always demand it.
It's not worth buying one now. Even if a licensed game is great, eventually, the original console or system will become obsolete or stop working. You won't be able to redownload it as it's long since been delisted and the original storefront is shut down too.
Good luck getting a remaster or rerelease because whatever movie/show/IP it's attached to isn't "IT" right now, so what publisher would even bother? But even if they do, it'll be a case of PAY US MORE, and eventually, the remaster will disappear too.
Remember Simpsons Hit & Run or the 3-4 good LOTR games? If you don't have a physical disc and a functional system to play them on: TOO BAD, SO SAD.
Star Trek: Fleet Command has been going through some upheaval in recent months. A new Senior VP was brought in a few months ago to fix issues in the game (general bugs, player dissatisfaction). Makes me wonder if it's not long for the world.
ST:FC is has always been a game chock full of bugs and dissatisfaction. Right at launch everyone was weak, but for the application of enough $ you cold get the little pod Spock used in the first JJ Abrams movie. It was overpowered as hell and let those people wreak havoc on the community.
Still, I think the game makes way too much money, even with the turbulence, for publisher to sunset the game and/or Paramount to revoke the license.
I think the game crossed a Billion dollars in revenue just two or three years after release. No one wants to argue with those profits. The new EP sure has their work cut out for them!
They've lost a lot of big spenders in the last year or two, people that have spent more than six figures (yeah, I find that insane, but they're really spending that). They've still got a lot, so they're trying to save the golden goose rather than shut it down. The devs don't do QA like any other company out there; they half-ass it, so the game is riddled with bugs.
Just don’t buy Star Trek games. Physical copies only.
Most companies now require a login to authenticate. Even games off GOG often open to a launcher asking for a Username/password. DRM by any other name is still DRM.
Even with physical games, if the company takes that auth server offline... well, time to sail the high seas. It would be straightforward to create a pre-emptive patch that removes the requirement for authentication and disables access to online components, leaving single player mostly untouched. When a game is sunset just send out that patch and either totally turn off the auth requirement or spoof the "player is authenticated" response. But it is extra work.
Work very rich companies pay a lot of money to the ESA and international lobbying to stop. And it works thanks to, I believe, uninformed and uninterested politicians. Because, it's just video games, why so serious?
Video games haven't had to face a serious legislative hurdle since the ESRB and other ratings bodies was founded. Maybe loot boxes come close but otherwise it is just entertainment for kids to most of these people and who cares if they take the kid's toy away? There are other toys.
These people are so ignorant. Lewis Rossman created a video highlighting part of the CA bill that spelled out a version of stop killing games.
The ESA lobbyist said that running a Minecraft server was illegal and the politicians asked the ESA rep to explain to them if that was piracy or something, of course it is, says the ESA person. They didn't even give the opposition to set the record straight.
Bummer that K3 can probably remove that for you…
Originally, licensed games were the worst of the worst because the publishers didn't care about making a good game, only about the sales that would come from slapping a known IP on the box.
Anyone remember LJN games?
Now, licensed games are the worst of the worst because publishers will kill them off and take them away from you as soon as the balance sheet demands it.
And it will always demand it.
It's not worth buying one now. Even if a licensed game is great, eventually, the original console or system will become obsolete or stop working. You won't be able to redownload it as it's long since been delisted and the original storefront is shut down too.
Good luck getting a remaster or rerelease because whatever movie/show/IP it's attached to isn't "IT" right now, so what publisher would even bother? But even if they do, it'll be a case of PAY US MORE, and eventually, the remaster will disappear too.
Remember Simpsons Hit & Run or the 3-4 good LOTR games? If you don't have a physical disc and a functional system to play them on: TOO BAD, SO SAD.
If we don't own it then stealing it isn't stealing. Hacking something that ceases to exist isn't hacking.
if a publisher can delete something you paid for at will, whether or not it ever needed their servers to function, what did you actually buy?
You didn't buy anything. Digital products aren't real products. Only physical media count.
Star Trek: Fleet Command has been going through some upheaval in recent months. A new Senior VP was brought in a few months ago to fix issues in the game (general bugs, player dissatisfaction). Makes me wonder if it's not long for the world.
ST:FC is has always been a game chock full of bugs and dissatisfaction. Right at launch everyone was weak, but for the application of enough $ you cold get the little pod Spock used in the first JJ Abrams movie. It was overpowered as hell and let those people wreak havoc on the community.
Still, I think the game makes way too much money, even with the turbulence, for publisher to sunset the game and/or Paramount to revoke the license.
I think the game crossed a Billion dollars in revenue just two or three years after release. No one wants to argue with those profits. The new EP sure has their work cut out for them!
They've lost a lot of big spenders in the last year or two, people that have spent more than six figures (yeah, I find that insane, but they're really spending that). They've still got a lot, so they're trying to save the golden goose rather than shut it down. The devs don't do QA like any other company out there; they half-ass it, so the game is riddled with bugs.
Yeah, he definitely has his work cut out for him.
This is why some of us have long since stopped buying games- Open Source (including clones of commercial games) only.
None of them looked particularly good. Still kinda sad. 😢
Love the username!
Taps sign again...