[butter_stick]

As seen on the Rock Band forums

http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229222



Even as somebody that has purchased this game but kinda ignored it for years and never imagined playing it again, I am outraged at the idea a game I've paid for is now just going to stop working for no reason. I booted the game up on my phone and didn't get the message, but the evidence seems to be there. Additionally, I was unable to access the in-game store to download the DLC I foolishly purchased years ago.

Will this make you re-evaluate potential digital purchases?
Is this a "win" for a retail based future?
Does EA have any effin idea what it's doing?
Should we sue/demand a refund/protest?
Does anyone remember Rock Band?

[catmincer]

Licensing for the songs probably ran out.

[subversus]

if it is true I hope somebody starts a class-action suit.

[The Broken Ska Record]

This company is disgusting, and I will never buy anything from them again.

[butter_stick]

Licensing for the songs probably ran out.

When will I have to return my copy of Rock Band 1 on Xbox 360?

[markot]

Lol...

And they wonder why consumers hate them.

[Gattsu25]

EA doing what they do best.

[toymachine]

Looks like Guitar Hero wins this round

Having Weezer's "The Good Life" certainly helped!

[Aaron]

Just never buy an EA game again and you'll be fine.

[saunderez]

WTF. I'm speechless. Fair enough if they wanted to close down the DLC store but to disable the entire game? Ridiculous. I'd be furious if I had purchased it.

[thetrin]

Wow, that is straight up awful.

[butter_stick]

Additionally, the app is still avalable for the low low price of $5 without any mention of this upcoming Armageddon.

[Nekofrog]

Jeeze.

You know, for a few years there, EA had REALLY turned itself around and regained a LOT of respect among gamers after the shit they had pulled for years.

Now it's back to that shit again.

[RBH]

Thanks for rocking out with us!

[Rapstah]

When did the game originally come out? Did something happen on the date previous years that would hint to why?

[markot]

Jeeze. You know, for a few years there, EA had REALLY turned itself around and regained a LOT of respect among gamers after the shit they had pulled for years. Now it's back to that shit again.

I think they realised they were more profitable as assholes.

[Gattsu25]

Silly question: Is this game fully functional in Airplane Mode?

Part of me thinks this may just be EA shutting down their servers for games that people still are playing, again.

[subversus]

I think they realised they are less in red as assholes.

fixed for accuracy

[CecilRousso]

Will this make you re-evaluate potential digital purchases?

No, I don´t value my iOS purchases that much, I expect all kinds of shitty things to happen to them. On platforms like Steam, these things don´t happen. Even in cases like Outrun, where the game is not sold anymore because of licenses, it´s still available for download for those that have purchased it.

Is this a "win" for a retail based future?

Retail based future? Retail is retro for me. 90-95% of my games purchases have been digital since 2007.

[Infernal Monkey]

Incoming price drop to 99c on May 30.

[Night_Trekker]

Sucks that it happened on such a closed platform. This is a situation where cracking the game you paid for so you can fucking play it is a-okay with me.

[SalsaShark]

[chickdigger802]

wait... how does that work?


Is that one of the games that require a constant interweb connection?

[fabricated backlash]

I think they realised they were more profitable as assholes.

They also realized that they are well within their rights to pull this shit. DD, means no rights on ownership. The contract was deemed over by the licensing party (EA) and that's that.

For those suggesting a Class Action Lawsuit. There is no legal ground to stay on. DD doesn't grant you indefinite access to the stuff you paid for, you're by agreement allowed to use it.

In the US this agreement might actually hold value in Court, and at least in Europe, there is no clear juristiction on this kind of purchase yet so either way, you're shit out of luck.

But yeah, this kind of dick move is mostly expected from EA. Scamming Bastards.

[Goon Boon]

They really want to keep their worst company in America title safe don't they? I mean, this is literally stealing from people.

[Nibel]

Embarassing. Wow.

[supahkiwi]

I have the app on my iPhone, but I didn't see the pop up message. Regardless, what a dick move. Are they releasing a new version or something?

[Marty Chinn]

Digital distribution future for the win? They better give refunds....

[cr_blah_blah]

inside the A looks like loch ness looking back

[butter_stick]

wait... how does that work? Is that one of the games that require a constant interweb connection?

No, which is why I'm confused exactly how it can work. The wording is certainly fairly concrete, but how do you stop apps with the app already installed from using it when it currently works when offline?

[toymachine]

inside the A looks like loch ness looking back

A Lochness that crawled from the slime of a dark scottish lake

[kittens]

Just never buy an EA game again and you'll be fine.

I just browsed the list of their major franchies on Wikipedia, and I don't think I've bought a single one of their games, haha.

[Tylahedras]

And the lord said, "let there be lawsuits."

[subversus]

No, which is why I'm confused exactly how it can work. The wording is certainly fairly concrete, but how do you stop apps with the app already installed from using it when it currently works when offline?

patch it

[Hero_of_the_Day]

There is no fucking way that picture is real. I refuse to believe it.

[Foliorum Viridum]

That's ridiculous.

I don't have an iOS device but if you guys can crack it somehow to keep playing it, I suggest you do it. Fuck EA for that move.

[M-PG71C]

Winner winner, chicken dinner (for EA). :/

[Dreams-Visions]

No lube.

Not even a reach-around.

[KieferCrimson]

They better not fuck with the main versions.

They better not.

[NBtoaster]

No, which is why I'm confused exactly how it can work. The wording is certainly fairly concrete, but how do you stop apps with the app already installed from using it when it currently works when offline?

The game can just detect the current date and stop working.

[fernoca]

No, which is why I'm confused exactly how it can work. The wording is certainly fairly concrete, but how do you stop apps with the app already installed from using it when it currently works when offline?

Unless is like those "timed demos" (I think Sonic Generations was like that) were after a specific date you couldn't play it..or something.

[XANDER CAGE]

Thanks for rocking out with us!

[butter_stick]

The game can just detect the current date and stop working.

I guess, if it's something that's been hard coded in to it from the beginning. In which case, lol.

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Incoming price drop to 99c on May 30.

I laughed. But seriously, until someone on Gaf sees it, I won't believe it. So far we have two users here who say that haven't received the message. This is too crazy.

[Tellaerin]

For those suggesting a Class Action Lawsuit. There is no legal ground to stay on. DD doesn't grant you indefinite access to the stuff you paid for, you're by agreement allowed to use it.

That needs to change.

[SmithnCo]

Incoming price drop to 99c on May 30.

lol, perfect.

But seriously this is totally fucked.

[FStop7]

Riccitiello to Wuvcraft, Riccitiello to Wuvcraft. Come in, Wuvcraft. Your services are needed.

[JABEE]

How can they do this?

[sykoex]

I've seen other music game apps where you buy credits and use those credits to play a song a certain number of times, as opposed to keeping them forever. I wonder if maybe EA plans to move to that model.

[MTMBStudios]

Fun factory indeed.