- Frustrated fans sue Ubisoft, alleging misrepresentation in The Crew’s server removal.
- Players argue Ubisoft sold licenses as if they were permanent ownership.
- The lawsuit emphasizes the need for transparent digital ownership rights in gaming.
2024’s ending isn’t turning out well for Ubisoft, In a controversial move earlier this year, Ubisoft shut down the game’s server, leaving fans with sheer disappointment.
Fans Push Back Against Ubisoft’s Game Removal
Upon getting questioned by fans, they claimed it to be a server issue and licensing problem, but still, this justification wasn’t enough to cool down anger among the gaming community and outraged fans even more, who have long shown loyalty to the game.
The situation got bizarre and two extremely offended players both from California, took things further by filing a lawsuit against Ubisoft on November 4, Polygon shared.
The lawsuit claims that Ubisoft committed fraud by destroying access to a product they’d already paid for. The lawyers mentioned in the lawsuit,
“Imagine you buy a pinball machine, and years later, you enter your den to go play it, only to discover that all the paddles are missing, the pinball and bumpers are gone, and the monitor that proudly displayed your unassailable high score is removed,” Turns out the pinball manufacturer decided to come into your home, gut the insides of the pinball machine, and remove your ability to play the game that you bought and thought you owned.”
Digital Rights and Ownership: New Debate in Gaming
The plaintiffs argued that if turning down online mode was inevitable then Ubisoft should have provided players with an offline mode. The legal complaint centers on two main points.
Firstly, they claimed that the video game company kept them in an illusion by selling them a license while users believed that they purchased the game. The plaintiffs claimed that if the company was transparent regarding their selling terms then they would have reconsidered purchasing the game.
Secondly, Ubisoft misrepresented The Crew as something they could fully own, suggesting the game files were stored on the physical disc or downloaded copies. Instead, it was hosted on Ubisoft’s online servers. When servers went down, so did the game.
This lawsuit has raised consumers’ concerns over digital rights while Ubisoft fans think that they are left with an unsatisfied explanation and they should be informed well about the buying policies.
