EA: This is the last year for offline-only games

http://biz.yahoo.com/paidcontent/081014/1_328572_id.html?.v=1

It's definitely interesting and an indication of the direction the industry is headed. It's sort of bittersweet for me. On one hand, it's not unexpected at all, so meh.

However, on the other hand, I will certainly fondly remember the days of buying games when they felt more like a product that you purchased and owned (not the ip of course). These "products" and the media they were purchased on were by far more under control of the user themselves without required permissions from a theoretical "higher-power" (server authorizations for example) and connection dependencies before they could be used.

Btw, I'm assuming by "offline-only" he means all games will come with authorization-required DRM, in addition to possible in-game ads....not that all games will have an online multiplayer component, in case anyone is worried about what it means for single-player gaming.

Oh well, console gamers can sneer and laugh all you like (of course, there are very, very few that do :P). It's going to be more difficult because of the nature of demographic, however, I feel fairly confident consoles are firmly in the crosshairs and next in line at some point down the road.

However, on the other hand, I will certainly fondly remember the days of buying games when they felt more like a product that you purchased and owned (not the ip of course). These "products" and the media they were purchased on were by far more under control of the user themselves without required permissions from a theoretical "higher-power" (server authorizations for example) and connection dependencies before they could be used.Nitrous2O

Yeah, I feel the same way. If I wanna play some game 20 years from now, on a PC that doesn't have internet, that's my own goddamn business. I bought the game, I should be able to play it when and where I want. This (and the steady decrease in game quality since 2000) is why I don't really buy any new games anymore... The current state of gaming makes me sad. :( The direction it seems to be taking makes me even sadder. :cry:

*** EDIT removed content EDIT ***thenewau25

who doesn't. i hate how they put drm on sme game. it ends up that people can't even remove it unless u wipe the hard drive.... ads i think the games should be cheaper since there are ads in game. thats why i don't play spoorts games becauseof the ads that r in them.

*** EDIT removed content EDIT ***thenewau25

the beautiful games westwood studios had...

and more.

I hate people that hate EA. There's nothing wrong with them, people are just fishing for excuses. They put copy protection into their games because it was to help prevent piracy. They are a company that is losing a lot of money to piracy, and they decided they had to do something to try and stop it.

As for the C&C games, Westwood studios closed and EA took over the franchise, you should be happy instead of complaining.

They put copy protection into their games because it was to help prevent piracy. They are a company that is losing a lot of money to piracy, and they decided they had to do something to try and stop it.

-Unreal-

Too bad it actually does nothing to prevent piracy, and only affects (ANNOYS) legal customers.

Yeah, I feel the same way. If I wanna play some game 20 years from now, on a PC that doesn't have internet, that's my own goddamn business. I bought the game, I should be able to play it when and where I want. This (and the steady decrease in game quality since 2000) is why I don't really buy any new games anymore... The current state of gaming makes me sad. :( The direction it seems to be taking makes me even sadder. :cry: HenriH-42

Yeah, I totally hear you. Just my opinion, hopefully no offense is taken, but I think people that have no objections or concerns to these types of limitations are very much of the "instant gratification" type and really aren't as forward thinking as perhaps some others.

I view it as inevitable though, especially as we shift further into digital distribution delivery. Physical media will seem so antiquated, cumbersome, and unnecessary at some point and I just can't see digital distribution without some sort of DRM control. What we are seeing now are steps to that direction, and ultimately gaming as services.

Anyway, if it helps at all, lack of internet connection notwithstanding, the DRM included with Far Cry 2 for example isn't that bad of a deal. With a typical disc check, you have 1 simultaneous install (or rather concurrent gaming session), and unlimited installs. With FC2, you have 3 simultaneous installs (or gaming sessions), unlimited total installs, no disc in drive required. It's like you are given 3 copies of the game instead of one for your personal use, if the game supported COOP, imagine how cool that would be? In addition, Ubi apparently doesn't have a problem with reselling games (according to a forum manager anyway). EA in comparison, currently with their total install limit, is worse limitation-wise. However, the bright side of their implementation is that since the DRM is all included within the exe, it would be much simpler and easier to patch out.

Forfeiting your "ownership" to online authorization though does leave you vulnerable to any potential changes in rules/policies/limitations as they see fit.

edit: never mind the part about the potential advantages of the FC2 implementation for COOP, unlike EA, looks like the disc is still required for play - ugh :(

[QUOTE="-Unreal-"]

They put copy protection into their games because it was to help prevent piracy. They are a company that is losing a lot of money to piracy, and they decided they had to do something to try and stop it.

HenriH-42

Too bad it actually does nothing to prevent piracy, and only affects (ANNOYS) legal customers.

a pirate can play the game much easier than all those annoying protections so what unreal says is crap

[QUOTE="-Unreal-"]

They put copy protection into their games because it was to help prevent piracy. They are a company that is losing a lot of money to piracy, and they decided they had to do something to try and stop it.

HenriH-42

Too bad it actually does nothing to prevent piracy, and only affects (ANNOYS) legal customers.

wow EA guess we won't be seeing Mass Effect 3 or bioshock 3 or any type of action adventure game or RPG from them ever again.JangoWuzHere

I hate people that hate EA. There's nothing wrong with them, people are just fishing for excuses. They put copy protection into their games because it was to help prevent piracy. They are a company that is losing a lot of money to piracy, and they decided they had to do something to try and stop it.

As for the C&C games, Westwood studios closed and EA took over the franchise, you should be happy instead of complaining.

-Unreal-

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]wow EA guess we won't be seeing Mass Effect 3 or bioshock 3 or any type of action adventure game or RPG from them ever again.Makari

which is not right. Now really anyone that wants to make a singleplayer game just better stay away from EA. Its better for the gamers.

The end is nigh !

The day that game makers stop making SP games is the day I quit PC gaming...!!

Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!maden2004

[QUOTE="maden2004"]Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!comstrikeiscool

Our generation had so much potential

Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!maden2004

Lol whut? If devs stop making single player games then gaming is dead to me. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

[QUOTE="maden2004"]Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!HenriH-42

Lol whut? If devs stop making single player games then gaming is dead to me. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

Why are you saying "lol?" He doesn't like single player games and neither do I. Developers will put the time into multiplayer which is all the better.

[QUOTE="maden2004"]Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!HenriH-42

Lol whut? If devs stop making single player games then gaming is dead to me. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

"We would partner with anyone who writes a check." That's EA in a nutshell.couly

Yep. that sums up why their games are going downhill. Here's one: if I have to endure in game ads, give me the game for free.

I hate people that hate EA. There's nothing wrong with them, people are just fishing for excuses. They put copy protection into their games because it was to help prevent piracy. They are a company that is losing a lot of money to piracy, and they decided they had to do something to try and stop it.

As for the C&C games, Westwood studios closed and EA took over the franchise, you should be happy instead of complaining.

-Unreal-

Are you for real? EA symbolizes everything that is wrong with gaming, taking many great franchises and milking to the point of mediocrity, buying many independant devs, killing innovation, their business practices are suspect, they force may devs into tight release schedules, etc.. Open your eyes.

[QUOTE="Makari"][QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]wow EA guess we won't be seeing Mass Effect 3 or bioshock 3 or any type of action adventure game or RPG from them ever again.JangoWuzHere

which is not right. Now really anyone that wants to make a singleplayer game just better stay away from EA. Its better for the gamers.

[QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]

[QUOTE="Makari"][QUOTE="JangoWuzHere"]wow EA guess we won't be seeing Mass Effect 3 or bioshock 3 or any type of action adventure game or RPG from them ever again.Makari

which is not right. Now really anyone that wants to make a singleplayer game just better stay away from EA. Its better for the gamers.

[QUOTE="HenriH-42"]

[QUOTE="maden2004"]Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!comstrikeiscool

Lol whut? If devs stop making single player games then gaming is dead to me. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

Why are you saying "lol?" He doesn't like single player games and neither do I. Developers will put the time into multiplayer which is all the better.

Um.. so you dont play many games then.. nine times out of ten games are made to tell a story and you interact with it as the story goes from beginning/middle/end. So you have missed out on alot of what gaming has to offer.
On another note the singleplayer(story/gameplay) part of the game is what drives me to play a game to begin with. When the day comes where there is no more singleplayer games, gaming in general is dead.

[QUOTE="HenriH-42"]

[QUOTE="maden2004"]Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!comstrikeiscool

Lol whut? If devs stop making single player games then gaming is dead to me. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

Why are you saying "lol?" He doesn't like single player games and neither do I. Developers will put the time into multiplayer which is all the better.

Luckily most gamers like Sp more then boring online where story, innovation go to die. Online gaming is one repettive grind, same thing over and over with no story. If gaming ever comes to that, it will be a shell of its former self, luckily anyone with half a brain knows Sp gaming is here to stay.

"We would partner with anyone who writes a check." That's EA in a nutshell.couly

Completely agree.

I only play online games so this benefits me.comstrikeiscool

Way to completely miss the topic of conversation.

The problem with online games is that they cannot be remembered. Once the servers are gone, that's it. The only older games running will be the absurdly popular ones who have fans dedicated enough to keep a server going. But what about my favorite game that sold ten copies? What do I do when the registration servers are gone? If DOS games had required a connection to some master BBS server over a phone line, you could never play the games again. It's like saying movies will only be shown in theaters, and when the run time is over you never get to see it again. I hope it never comes to games being forced to be online...it would just be terrible.

Oh well. I have enough old games to keep me busy until I die:P

The problem with online games is that they cannot be remembered. Once the servers are gone, that's it. The only older games running will be the absurdly popular ones who have fans dedicated enough to keep a server going. But what about my favorite game that sold ten copies? What do I do when the registration servers are gone? If DOS games had required a connection to some master BBS server over a phone line, you could never play the games again. It's like saying movies will only be shown in theaters, and when the run time is over you never get to see it again. I hope it never comes to games being forced to be online...it would just be terrible.

Oh well. I have enough old games to keep me busy until I die:P

DOS4dinner

I see more people playing old games so they don't have to deal with the new garbage.

"We would partner with anyone who writes a check." That's EA in a nutshell.couly

[QUOTE="comstrikeiscool"][QUOTE="HenriH-42"]

[QUOTE="maden2004"]Since i only play multiplayer to begin with never try the single player for any game cuz singleplayer games are boring this is awesome. Also this is will prevent alot of piracy if they have some sort of server to check cd keys etc. Good News!!!04dcarraher

Lol whut? If devs stop making single player games then gaming is dead to me. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

Why are you saying "lol?" He doesn't like single player games and neither do I. Developers will put the time into multiplayer which is all the better.

Um.. so you dont play many games then.. nine times out of ten games are made to tell a story and you interact with it as the story goes from beginning/middle/end. So you have missed out on alot of what gaming has to offer.
On another note the singleplayer(story/gameplay) part of the game is what drives me to play a game to begin with. When the day comes where there is no more singleplayer games, gaming in general is dead.

Correct, I don't play many games. I play online competive games for up to 6 months at a time of which can earn me money. The two of us just have two different view points on gaming.

Well, on a positive note, I'll guess I'll be saving money...as I don't really fancy having to pay monthly fees. I'll just replay older games. StrawberryHill

Have you played any online games? Unless you're playing an mmorpg you're not paying monthly...