this post was submitted on 01 Nov 2023
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Companys should only be able to maintain copyright as long as the product still works as originally sold. When companies stop supporting those products, they should be compelled to open source the server code, so that the community can take it over. This should be something enforced by either the library of Congress, or copyright law itself...
While my first thought was agreeing with you, I had a think and I disagree.
I brought game xyz to enjoy it, not to keep it forever. Ubisoft isn't going to take back that feeling of the first leap of faith, the time spent exploring the Caribbean, my sadness at watching ezio lose his family, find out that he never got to understand why or the sadness of not giving Leonardo DaVinci a hug by pushing the wrong button.... or my constant desire to look at every building and think how to climb it. I get to keep that. Its like going to buy a good meal - I don't want it forever and don't expect a refund if I go to pick it up again after 10 years.
Saying that, I would expect games to remain playable locally and not disappear completely if I can't connect to the internet. Put out a patch so it doesn't need to connect and let it go.
Even better- keep one server up and make a classic store. There are soo many games i played as a teen i would love to share with my kids, and possibly grandkids in 10-15 years.
If you can't keep it forever, you didn't buy it - as in take ownership of it - you just rented it.
No, I brought it to consume it - it gave me enjoyment and filled its job.
I don't get to keep every piece of food I buy and keep eating it over and over, like how I never get to explore games for the first time. I don't get a refund on a game once I finish it because I no longer get that initial wave of excitement and wonder.
These games have been out for 10 years - if you didn't get the value out of it in that time you never were going to.
games aren't food, they don't expire or disappear when you eat them, they aren't even subject to physical degradation they're files. As long as somebody has a copy of the files they can exist.
A company should have no fucking business removing the ability to play something that I legally own from me. I bought the game I get to use it for as long and as many times as I want. Don't want to keep running the server infrastructure forever? Fine, give me the tools to host the game's server myself. Don't want to do that? Ok, don't make a game that requires it. Don't wanna do that either? Then don't sell games.
Even if it were just 10 people wanting it, it costs the company absolutely nothing to allow them to keep playing their game on a server they host (at no expense for the company).