Gamers Are Suing Ubisoft For Shutting Down The Crew

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As a long-time gamer with a collection spanning decades and countless titles, I find myself deeply disheartened by the latest turn of events involving Ubisoft and their handling of “The Crew.” It seems that every time I think the gaming industry has hit rock bottom, it manages to sink even lower.

With less than two months left to go in 2024, Ubisoft’s nightmare year continues at full speed.

On this occasion, it transpires that the company is facing a legal action initiated by dissatisfied California-based gamers, shedding light on the significant discussion surrounding ownership and licensing within the gaming sector.

As a dedicated gamer, I’ve had to bid farewell to the thrilling world of “The Crew” as its creator, the French gaming giant, decided to take it offline on March 31st of this year. The servers were shut down, and the game was removed from all digital marketplaces, leaving us with nothing but fond memories.

Initially when Ubisoft announced the closure in December 2023, they provided refunds for recent purchases. However, this didn’t help those fans who had been playing The Crew since it was released in 2014.

A spokesman from the company said the decision was “due to server and licensing constraints”.

It’s not surprising when servers for older games shut down, but what sets Ubisoft apart in the case of “The Crew” is their decision not to provide an offline version of the game, which many find quite disrespectful.

Based on the legal claim, it’s alleged that marketing the physical game copies as functioning with all game data, when in reality they don’t work, goes against California’s consumer rights regulations.

One important point about the submission is that Ubisoft gave an impression to gamers that they were buying the actual game, whereas in reality, they were only acquiring a license.

Currently, the gamers are awaiting a court’s decision to transform their legal action into a class-action suit. Their aim is to secure financial reimbursement for the players who have been affected by the closure of the servers.

Ownership versus Licensing

The conversation over whether players are licensing or purchasing a game is at a critical point.

In September, California passed law AB 2426, prohibiting online marketplaces from employing phrases like “buy” or “purchase,” since these terms suggest that the buyer owns the product outright.

The exception to this is if the game offers the option to be permanently played offline.

In the European Union, a petition titled “Stop Ruining Video Games” is nearing the 400,000 signature milestone, advocating that any video game sold within their legal territory should be required to remain fully functional indefinitely.

It is early days for the Californian lawsuit, and the European petition needs to reach 1,000,000 signatures to go into action, but the overarching theme is clear: gamers are tired of losing games over someone else’s problems.

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2024-11-12 00:08